Well, I finally did it. I got sick of attempting to rebuild the VV carb, get it to idle, start, pass emissions, stay in one state of tune, etc.

After attempts at carb shops to get the holley that I had heard so much about, and calls to the Holley reman center, all looked hopeless. They could rebuild it for me, but I didn't actually have it, and none of them had a core to do.

So I was planning a place in the desert to park the truck and pay final respects, when I went to the Napa web page to look for a tow rope. Out of habit I typed in Carburetor instead of tow rope, and I was greeted with the Holley service replacement for Variable Venturi Carb with feedback!

I am now just waiting to get it in. It wasn't cheap, but neither is a rebuild/remaned 7200 VV. I am attached to the truck (been in the family since new, learned to drive a 4 speed on the floor in it) and I miss driving it, but it was taking me 3 attempts to pass emissions, which gets time consuming and expensive. Not to mention the reason I still have it around, I NEED A TRUCK. I need to haul a ton of rock at a time. I need to haul sheetrock, stuff to the dump, intimidate little cars that cut me off, etc.

I really wanted to convert it to DII ignition and a 2150 or similar carb, but this will probably be the best route.
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82 F-150 4x4 longbed
351W VV Carb
4 speed

 

Well, here I sit, at work, with the carburetor! I can't wait. I still don't have a clue what model this carb is, looks like it might be a standard Holley with the feedback stepper motor attached to it with a bracket. I think this might get interesting when I need to rebuild it.

Anyways, counting the minutes (heck, maybe take some vacation time) to getting home and getting this thing attached and running.

Heres to it actually idling and starting, and not needing to wear out a shoe and a leg pumping the gas to get it to start cold, hot, or otherwise.

(yeah, I know, I am replying to myself, this way I can recount the day after I get drunk when I can't get the damn thing to work)

 

Installation was pretty straight forward, with the usual reasons to return to the parts store 17 times.

Linkage didn't include the ball to attach it to the throttle cable. Had to buy the 7 dollar Holley assortment ::sigh::

Carburetor doesn't have throttle position sensor (I guess that is what the big ugle orange connector connects to), but it does has the other thing, that has the six place connector that plugs into it. It is hung by a bracket off the back of the carb, looks like a hack job, but in the end it seems to work okay.

Truck runs pretty good with the new carb. I think it was a bit rich at 1 1/2 turns out on the idle air mixture, and it runs real good with them turned out 3/4 turn. It starts after sitting (can't do a cold start, since it is already in the 70's when I go to work), it starts after it is hot and sat, starts multiple times in a row, and idles. I keep thinking I need to heel-toe it to keep it running, but I don't, it is just idling great and smooth, I used to need to gas it when the sliding rear window would rattle, now it just doesn't rattle it is that much smoother.

Heres to hoping it passes the emissions test (both visual and actual testing).