Banging my head over this one so it was a real treat to stumble onto y'all's forum.

Rebuilt this carb about a year ago--running atop a 223 inline in a '56 F-350. 'Bout a month now it's been doing this bog down thing, like it's starving for fuel. Cranks and idles fine.

After it revs up to a faster run it seems to hit a sweet spot and kinda takes off and everything smooths out--but it's definitely getting worse.

Running an electric fuel pump and my first thought was that with the increase flow pressure I'd sucked up garbage from this 52-year-old gas tank so I swapped out both the fuel filters--but nada.

My state changed over to 10% ethanol but thank god it's only in regular and I've been running plus for years so it ain't that.

My description prob'ly reads a little vague--but no matter how I set the idle-mixture screw, when I start off from a stop and go through the gears it's so lean the engine's obviously starving for fuel--till as said it revs up faster and hits a sweet spot and you can feel the truck literally shoot ahead.

Any clues, o ye maestros?

Thanx a meg for the width,
m

 

Well first off welcome to the forum
Second, although I have never worked on a Holley 1 bbl, my blind guess is a non-functioning/weak accelerator pump...... that said I have no idea how it is setup in the 1bbl...... but it sure sounds like it isn't getting that shot of gas when you open the throttle......... so with the engine off, choke plate open look down the carb and push the throttle linkage wide open..... you should see a steady squirt of gas into the carb....if not that is the problem...... if you see it my next blind guess would be timing....... like a loose chain but then again doesn't the 223 have timing gears?????
Well my blind guessing is done

 

Thanx Sparky for your prompt and thoughtful response to my query. And yes I am grateful to have found this forum.

Will pull the air cleaner and give your accelerator pump test a go this morning.

As if just feels like something in the carburetor, I haven't yet checked points/plugs. Current installs are barely 16 months old and I usually get a little more out of them than than.

Again, thanx heaps Sparky for your thoughtful reponse.

Best,
m

 

Did the accelerator pump test and she was squirting freely so I decided to meditate on your timing suggestion, Sparky.

(It's usually either gas or spark with this ole brute).

Turned out the bellows on the vacuum chamber for the distributor was leaking and not advancing the spark.

This is one aspect of the ignition system I've never checked before and I hope the replacement vacuum chamber I installed (built in the USA by some miracle) will perform as well as the last one which is stock and did its job for over 52 years.

Thanx y'all for the width,
m

 

So now all is well???? If so glad you fixed it.......be sure and hang around though, nice site with lots of knowledge

 

Yep, Gus is back to his old self again, amazing me still after all these years what a great truck he is.

But hey, I'm sticking to this list, you bet. Always things I need advice on and it seems like I really lucked out when I found this forum.