Holley 350 help required (Perth)

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:24 am

My ute runs a 202 red with a 350 holley.
The holley is only 18 months old and came with the car.
Its been running pretty good up until lately.
The engine used to start first click, now basically overnight its extremely hard to start, seems to me like its flooding. Almost flatten the battery before I get it to start and will only start with choke fully on where before I never used the choke. Once its warm it starts alright and it seems to run as per normal.
I found out how to check the float level and that seems ok.
Anyone got any ideas or know someone to take it to in Perth near the hills that could fix it?
Never used to like Holleys on sixes when I was younger, always gave me trouble & sucked too much petrol, looks like things havent changed.

Cal · Post by **Cal** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:17 pm

I had similar problems with a 750 holley on a V8 I had. If left overnight it would crank for ages before it would start.......though it wasnt flooding.

I'd pump the pedal in the morning and there would be no petrol coming out of the jets. Never got around to finding out why it was doing it, but fitting an electric fuel pump solved the endless cranking.

If you're having to use the choke I doubt it's a flooding problem. If it's already flooded, I'm presuming the choke would make it worse

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:44 pm

Theres plenty of petrol squirting into the primary barrel thats for sure and the front of the carby is wet with petrol after trying to start it for ages.
It seems the only way it eventually starts is if I leave my foot off the acelerator and use the choke. Weird.

Cal · Post by **Cal** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:54 pm

That is odd, coz when they flood the usual thing to do is to leave the pedal planted to the floor and to use no choke....

I'm with you on Holley's though, not a big fan. And a 350 is a bit too big for a standard Holden 6. Most carby experts will tell you the trick is to fit the smallest carby possible.....not the biggest.

I remember mates who used to have stock 253's and 308's and would fit big double pumper 4 barrel Holley's, then complain that the car ran like a dog. I think it was a "man" thing.............who had the biggest carby

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:26 pm

I agree with you about when flooded its usual to not use choke and hold foot to the floor, maybe I'm wrong, it smells flooded and when it runs eventually it chuggs like its flooded. got me beat.
I had a torana 20 odd years ago with a 202 and a 350 holley it had heaps more pickup when I pissed the holley off and put a standard carby on.
I',m a bit prejudiced against holleys but its the easier option to fix it.
I dont want power just want an easy to start smooth running engine.

oldnek · Post by **oldnek** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:16 pm

Dave, Have you checked your float level.
Pretty easy to do on a Holley. There is a Float level service screw on the right side of the float bowl, just near the Vacuum supply line.

Undo the screw and start your car, let it idle and see if any fuel is running out from that hole. If there is a far bit of fuel running out its set to high. There should only be a slight weep as the level should be set at the base of the screw hole, even a slight trickle can be a tad high.

To adjust the float level (depending what type of Holley you have)...
On a Centre float Carby; there is a large flat blade style screw on the very top in the middle of the float bowl. Loosen this screw off and turn the lower base nut, clockwise to lower, anticlockwise to raise the float level.
If you have a side mount float, one where the fuel inlet supply line is screwed at the lower point of the float bowl. The float bowl itself has to removed and the float reset from inside the bowl itself.

try this first and see the outcome, Good luck.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:40 pm

Thanks mate. Checked the float level, seems ok.
Still a bitch to start. If I pump the accellerator I have no hope of it starting.
When it does first start it chuggs for a while till it smooths out.
Once its fully warmed up it seems ok but while its cold, if it stalls its a bitch to re-start.
Problem seemed to happen over night was always good to start since I've had it.

Sammy · Post by **Sammy** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:20 pm

might be worth pulling the bowl off it and checking the needle and seat or better still replace it .... service kits for holleys arn't real dear ....

i used to have a 350 holley, of a morning i'd pump the pedal to the floor twice then it would start pretty well .....

is it auto or manual choke ? auto chokes can be hard to setup to work well and also change from summer to winter can bring these sorts of issues out in a choke, one minute it was sweet as then with a bit cooler weather it changes everything!!

the fact that its chugging as you say like its flooded makes me think theres maybe a leak somewhere thats pooling fuel in your manifold or something like that and if anything pumping the pedal should get it to run if its needing full choke!

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue May 05, 2009 9:36 am

Its manual choke. If I take the air filter off and move the throttle open a bit with the engine off, a continual stream of petrol pours in the carby that you can see. Is this normal? I thought it should just squirt in, not stream in continuously but then I've never really taken notice before.

Sammy · Post by **Sammy** » Tue May 05, 2009 1:10 pm

yeah there should be two nozzles between the two venturis that should spray fuel AS the throttle moves open more, but if the thing is still squirting after you stop moving the throttle then you either have a blockage somewhere and the accelerator pump is taking time to catch up or something else is wrong ....

way you can check is to open the throttle and watch the linkage thats on the front bottom of the bowl which connects to the throttle linkage area .... it should move down as the throttle is opened ... if you stop moving the throttle and it is still moving then its possible whats causing it to squirt after the throttle stops moving ... its the accelerator enrichment and is normal .....

if its keeps leaking after that linkage has caught up then i'd say there is something else a miss....

you can also adjust the spring screw on that linkage to make it squirt earlier or later if it needs some minor adjustment, but i've found i've never needed to play with it in my experience.

this pic is a 4 barrel obviously, but the left hand bowl has the same mechanism that the 350 should have.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue May 05, 2009 1:24 pm

Thanks Sammy, checked again and it still squirting continuously when the throttle is open a bit but linkages are stationary. Any wonder its almost impossible to start.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue May 12, 2009 6:04 pm

Still a bitch to get going. What I noticed yesterday after I drove to the shops and back was that it has black smoke coming out the exhaust when idling and the choke is definitely off. Obviously running extremely rich. What can cause this? Must be whatever is causing the hard starts.
Someone must know where I can take it to near to the hills in Perth or near East Vic Park???
Anyone?

Post by **Blacky** » Tue May 12, 2009 6:40 pm

Dave , PM me your phone number. Or ring me on 04 1960 61 62