I'd wondered about taking it through the car wash, the one that does the undercarriage. But, as hard as that stuff is I'm sure that little bit of water wouldn't faze it.

As for polecats, they are more plentiful down where RW lives. In fact, they have a creek named Polecat Creek. But, we do have our share up here and they seem to be coming out to the warm pavement. In fact, they get just about to the middle before getting nailed. Someone ought to write a song about that.

 

I dont crap about carburetors, but all I ever hear about Holley's is that they blow powervalves out like it is going out of style.

Oh yeah , that and they have to be adjusted all the time.

 

I don't crap about them either. I do find some of them, especially the Holleys, frustrating due to their propensity to blow power valves, but it doesn't make me crap.

I am going to try to give this one a reasonable chance, but it won't take much for me to put that 1406 E'brock on there and put the Holley on the shelf where the E'brock is. Actually, what I've been thinking of doing is to run the Holley and see what mileage and power it seems to have, and then swap carbs.

 

They only blow out when your timing is way off and you have a backfire.
The OLD Holley's (pre '94 or something) needed a check ball installed.
Everything since then has it built in.
Mine has suffered quite a pressure spike and has no problem.

My Holley doesn't need to be adjusted.
It takes some setting up at first. But if you approach it methodically you will get it tuned in short order.

They are not CV carburetors, or 'self adjusting' (lol) like Eddy's, but they don't go "out" of adjustment...

 

As this carb looks like it has been around the block a few times it may well pre-date '94. I've never seen where the check ball goes, but can imagine it. Is it obvious if it is in there?

 

Gary the number under the LIST is the build date...

Not to say an old diaphragm can't rupture.

If a retrofit check ball has been drilled and installed it would be obvious, from below.
If it has one from the factory you'd need to disassemble it to see.

 

Yes, polecats are a bit more plentiful around here. In fact, the "skunk whisperer" lives just around the corner........

Polecat crick can be a major stinker when the rainy season hits....... And I don't mean smelly.

Congrats on getting the truck on the road. Speaking of roads, that's what passes as speed bumps around here......

 

So, how do I decode "2915" as a date code?

And, do you have further comments re the PV selection? IIRC the cam, the transmission, and the gear ratio all influence PV selection. Don't yet know what the cam is, but will at least know the grind if I swap the engine into Dad's truck as I'll put an indicator and degree wheel on it. But, we do know what the tranny is and will be, as well as the final drive ratio - 3.5:1.

 

And generally the weight...

Really it is secondary spring selection that affects acceleration more.
The Powervalve richens the mixture only under open throttle conditions so that the rest of the carb circuits can be tuned lean when you have the vacuum to advance the timing.

They fill in the hole left after the accelerator pump shot is gone.

I'm sure Bill knows FAR more about this than I do.

 

My understanding is that the power valve on a Holley and the metering rods on an Edelbrock do basically the same thing - as you said, give some enrichment for when the lean economy mix isn't enough. But engines coupled to automatics with open torque convertors need less help than those with manual transmissions. Ditto low geared vs high geared, and heavy vs light vehicles. Throw a cam in the mix and, I think, the vacuum drops more quickly. But, is that true of going from a retarded cam on the 351M to straight-up timing and an RV cam?

Lots of variables.

 

The second character should be a letter, not a number.

Here are two things I've used that are pretty good:

Classic Mustang Part Number Decoding Guide
Ford Date Decoding id

 

The 291st day of 5
Could be '75, '85, '95 or '05...

 

But, it isn't necessarily a Ford date code. Who knows what this carb came on, or if it even came out on something from Detroit. And, the picture is pretty good so it sure looks like a "9".

That makes more sense, but apparently either Holley doesn't need to know or the don't make that list number for more than a decade. Guess it doesn't really matter.

Thanks to all for the info. Should have bought the book on Holley carbs I had my hands on the other day.

 

Gary,

You asked in the other thread According to the numbers you should have a 6.5 PV in that carb from Holley.
You really don't need to worry about an R/V cam.

It is the drag race cams with very little vacuum at idle, in combination with an oversized carburetor and mechanical secondaries that leave the Powervalve open and load up the engine.
In some cases you have to go to a 2, or 1.5.

Sometimes a worn out engine in combination with bad ignition timing will also leave you with so little vacuum at idle that the PV will open as well.

You obviously don't have that problem.

So, How was it to drive cRusty?
Define "some spunk". Does cRusty have a tach?

I don't think I could get along with flowmaster 40's
But then again my gearing is 4.10 so my rpm's are higher for a given road speed.

 

Jim - I'll try to answer the "spunk" question later - after I drive it more. But, now I have the carb apart and don't really see a prob. The PV holds a vacuum when I do my time-honored test of putting it in my mouth, sucking, and placing my tongue over it. (I'm sure I've opened myself up to loads of questionable comments. ) It doesn't seem to leak.

But, the only # I can see on it looks to be 13, and it is faint.

Also, there were two gaskets under the PV - one stuck to the PV and one stuck to the metering plate. I'm thinking that's not right, but????

And, as you probably know, the E'brock Performer 400 manifold is open with just a divider between the left and right sides, but none front/rear. The PO had a thin completely open gasket against the manifold, an open 1/8" plate above that, and a proper 4-hole base gasket above that. All appear to have been sealing. See any problems?

And, its jetted #66 in front. Didn't pull the rear but its just the drilled metering plate, right?