Hi everybody. I have a Holley 1406, 600 cfm vac secondaries electric choke, on my built up 400, and everything ran BEAUTIFULLY last week when I was testing the engine. Now, after puting the engine back in the truck, I can barely get anything.

The engine fills with fuel as the carb is DUMPING it in, when I open up the choke the engine dies (when it rarely starts up at all), the engine doesn't have a prayer of starting if I don't stand on the gas as I crank, and even then it's very sloppy and dies within a few seconds.

I've been through the entire checklist, and so I'm asking for carb advice on this forum, timing is good, have spark, there is just way too much fuel. I haven't adjusted a THING since everything was working great last week.

If any of you can offer any insight, it would be much appreciated, Thanks, AleX.

 

4160, sorry, long day.

 

A blown power valve will make a Holley run very rich, but not as bad as you describe. I'd guess that you got some debris in one of the needle & seat assemblies, and it's just dumping gas. Can you see fuel overflowing the carb?

 

Like, coming out the top? No, haven't seen it that bad. The intake wasn't ever full I don't think, but it was pooling in there.

 

Same fuel pump?

 

Yup, exact same.

 

Then I'd have to agree with stuck float, but I'm sure you already checked that. I'm out.

 

Floats are free, needle valves are in place, and contacting the floats as they should.

I've sort of moved on, I'm using a 2 bbl to test right now, and it was indeed a carb issue, because the 2 bbl runs it great, and I was likely going to upgrade from the 4160 anyway, but I'd still like to be able to figure out that Holley's problem, love to have a spare 4 bbl.

 

There are only so many things it can be.. See if you can find an exploded diagram and take it aprt, checking to be sure each part is there and as it should be, everything is tight, check gaskets and any o rings very carefully for a nick or tear somewhere. Hook an electric fuel pump up to it and see just where the fuel is coming out at, primaries or secondaries, or from underneath, blow into the fuel inlets with the bowls off and raise the float to see if it actually shuts off the flow. If you want to find it you will, just takes a little time

 

Probably the power valve. Take the front fuel bowl and metering block? off and see if the power valve cavity is full of gas.

 

I had a crazy issue with my new 4160.
Same symptoms.
Pulled the bowls with the carb in place, changed floats, needles and seats. Though everything SEEMED fine.
Turns out that two of the metering block screws in the secondaries had backed out and were keeping that float from doing it's job.
I couldn't see them without an inspection mirror because I couldn't get my head between the carb and firewall.

Just something to check.