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Holley Set-up Questions

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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 01:18 PM
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Default Holley Set-up Questions

My son-in-law just bought his first 'Vette. A '75 with a 4165 or 4175 Holley on it, which isn't set up right. It won't run right unless it's at 1000 RPM. The vacuum advance is plugged directly into the intake manifold (I know that's not right)

Being a Quadrajet person, I know nothing about Holleys, and my son-in-law knows even less.

So, what's the deal? Should the vacuum advance be connected to the tube near the passenger side top of the air horn?

When I block off the advance, I am able to bring the idle speed right down to where it's supposed to be. However, then it wants to kill when you put it in gear.

Next issue is that adjusting the idle mixture screws don't have any effect on idle quality.

Any of you Holley people out there have any advice? A vacuum hose schematic would be real nice, if someone could send one.

Help!
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 02:35 PM
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not a holley person... but put the vacuum advance for the distributor in a port that has no vacuum at idle... where is the EGR plugged into????
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 02:58 PM
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The reason your idle screws wont do any thing is your butterflies are too far open and get out of the idle circuit, move your advance hose to the pimary metering block (tube on the passenger side). Check your base timing, close the butterflies as much as possible, (you might even need to open the secondary butterflies a little more, check float height also. NOW you can adjust low speed screws (in untill it slows, out till it goes away then add 1/3rd of a turn). But I am no expert either.
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 03:01 PM
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My holley has the advance hooked the carb above the throttle plates. If idle mixture screws have no effect, there may be a couple of problems.

1. the fuel bowl levels are not set correctly
2. the inlet fuel needles are dirty and are staying open
3. blown power valve
4. check motorpsycho502 comments.
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 03:22 PM
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Originally Posted by MILO
My holley has the advance hooked the carb above the throttle plates. If idle mixture screws have no effect, there may be a couple of problems.

1. the fuel bowl levels are not set correctly
2. the inlet fuel needles are dirty and are staying open
3. blown power valve
4. check motorpsycho502 comments.
A blown power valve will make it drip like crazy when you shut it off, not to mention it will run like total @#$%. Most times it is cuz the idle is set so high to compensate for some other problem that it leaves the idle circuit and is in the beginings of midrange. Trust me I had this problem, once i got the butterflies closed enough suddenly I could adjust the idle screws with out effort. another bad thing about butterfly open too much is the drip which makes hot soak start kinda flooded.
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 04:29 PM
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I checked the timing and it was at 8 BTC, which is close. Primary throttle plates were shut tight, but didn't check the secondaries. Will do that next.

A blown power valve sounds plausible, because when he wheeled the thing into my garage, and shut it off, I noticed fuel generously dripping into the main venturis on the primary side.

Now where the heck is the power valve and how much trouble is it to replace? Guess a Holley manual is in order.

Thanks to all for the ideas.
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 04:45 PM
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timing should be 12 with no vac connected. you sure the butterflies are really closed, if it kinda whistles at idle you are leaving the idle circuit. but the drip in the primaries has to be either the float level is too high on the front bowl (should be at the bottom of the inspection hole) to adjust, loosen the screw and turn the nut tighter to lower the needle seat)or blown power valve, when you remove the primary float bowl the power valve will be screwed into the metering block (the piece with the jets screwed into it) power valve: (big round thing screwed in above the jets) to test it: it is basically a diaphram with a spring, a backfire can cause the diaphram to rupture. if you dont mind the taste, your mouth can develop enough vacuum to test it. what I would do is check the float level before you take it apart because too high fuel level and it will just bubble right out of the venturi, if that s not it, have a new valve to pop in there, tell em you want a 6.5 (which is standard BTW)
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 04:51 PM
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I have been having carb woes lately, luckily I have a few different new or almost new auto and marine holleys of different sizes to play with. my vette 650 mech. DP had acouple stripped bowl screws on the primary, could not get it right even after total rebuild, put a marine 600 mech DP i had layin around on the other night and big difference, off idle stumble went away, no more drippy, good response. a little fat I think, WFO power is not quite as good though cuz now it wont bark second, but progress is still progress.
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 05:04 PM
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Go to www.holley.com for some excellent tech articles. I agree with the blown power valve - fix it first then all these other tips will very likely get you a very crisp throttle.
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Old Oct 22, 2004 | 10:12 PM
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This Holley has no obvious float adjustments or inspection plugs on the side of the fuel bowls. So, can't dial them in, as has been suggested. I've been to the Holley site, too, and that wasn't a whole lot of help other than to identify the carb as a 4165 or 4175.

Maybe notching the timing to 12 degrees will help some, but there still is a definite fuel delivery problem.
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