Holley 350 not working!

[Post Vintage]

I fitted the holley and manifold today to the 173 and its all set up decently ok. Turned the car onto on to get the electric fuel pump to fill the fuel filter and I was watching it carefully, then the little hole at the top of the carby started pissing out fuel everywhere all all over the carby and manifold. Turned off the key and let it sit for a while... tried to start it quickly and nothing, perhaps flooded? Then after leaving it off, fuel kept draining through the carby into the manifold... there is like 200ml of petrol in the manifold.

I removed the plugs and the carby from the manifold also. Tried to soak up as much fuel as I could, and left a lint free clean rag in the manifold to soak up what was left. Hopefully whatever is in the cylinders will evaporate overnight through the spark plug holes.

The guy who I bought it from said it was completely reconditioned, and it seemed to have new gaskets and everything... manifold was new and it had a new carby-manifold gasket. He said he never put fuel through it yet or anything, but had it installed and set up ready to use.

He has lots of cars and I'd say he knows his stuff... but I'll give him a call in the morning and ask him after I find out what you guys think because then I can have some idea if its me causing the problem, with perhaps... too much fuel pressure going into the carby or something? The stromberg was fine though with that same fuel pump.

 

[Post Vintage]

Just read it could be fuel pressure or a stuck float or needle valve... wtf. Need car for work on Monday =((

Fuel pump says "FP401" and was working fine on the stromberg till the float chamber valve up the top of the chamber got rooted, then fuel pissed everywhere... just like what this is doing, but this is coming out of that hole in the top of the carby above the two barrels its angle cut..

 

[Post Vintage]

Well i got a reconditioned 350 holley, new Cain manifold and 9" redline filter for $150. I got a holden mechanical fuel pump and fuel lines for $90. Hooked up all fine. I sanded the plugs I had and the engine started for a couple seconds, sounded grunty and then died out... flooding again.

This time the problem is the float adjustment. I have no idea how to set it or what to do, but once that screw is in the right spot she will kick over. I know how to set it... just dont know where its got to be. I tried turning the engine over to get the fuel pump to put some fuel in the float area, and checked the sight plug and there is no fuel leaking out of it or anything at all, at any screw setting.

Can I just take the carby to a carby specialist and get them to set it for me? Whats this worth? Calling a mobile mechanic out would be a pain due to the standard $50 or whatever callout fee, and id rather go to someone who knows what they are exactly doing.

 

[vt1538]

If there is no fuel coming out of the sight plug it isnt flooding from fuel level. The adjustment of the fuel level is to have it level with the threads on the fuel bowl sight plug. It sounds more like there is a low fuel issue caused possibly by the needle & seat.
The jets in the carbie will be a minimum of #61 which is too large for your engine. Change these to #56 or #57 which will be much closer. I also used to remove the holley sintered bronze filter out of the carbie & run a decent after market fuel filter in the line.

 

[Post Vintage]

Definately no low fuel issue... the manifold is full of fuel everytime I pull the carby off. Every time it starts, idles for a second then dies off and floods the engine, I pull the plugs out and carby off to let it evaporate properly.

 

[Post Vintage]

Carby doesnt even have jets in it... wtf.

 

[vt1538]

Check the metering block out as well & make sure there is a power valve installed. It sounds like someone has raided it before you.