I have a 1985 Ford E250 van that I bought used a number of years ago, and drove pretty continuously for the past 10-15 years. I only used it sporadically over the past few years after I purchased a more economical small car. I kept it as it had a good 'original equipment tow pkg' that I anticipated utilizing to tow a cargo trailer south to my new retirement residence in St Augustine.

Over the years I made a few modifications to the van, and particularly when I was prepping for the trip from DC down to FL. I had long ago eliminated the 'air injection pump' system, and when I went to put in a new starter, and a high cap alternator, I went ahead and took all that offending hardware out of the way. My AC also has not worked for quite a number of years as its freon 12 that is no longer available at a reasonable price, and I don't drive it offend enough on long trips to make it worthwhile to speed a great deal of money on.

One thing I found that made a significant performance gain was to remove the old catalytic converter. It must have been much more clogged than I ever believed. I figure I just do not drive this thing often enough any more for my contribution to air quality. Besides, this crap gasoline (ethanol) gasoline our government wants to push down our throats probabaly has its own harmful effects, one way or the other.

On to my primary question at this time. Please help me ID the carburetor I have, ...and a couple of details about this carb.
It is a 'Holly built for Motorcraft'. It is a 4 barrel with some numbers like:
ESTS-9510-ABA
LIST 50174-1
2754
...there is a silver tag attached that says A6A, 3783

This carb has 4 nettle jet screws in its base piece that are recessed up inside their holes , and need a small allen wrench to operate them. Its as though the designers wanted the ordinary person NOT to be able to adjust them? Are these idle adjustment screws, like the old style carbs I am more familiar with??
Brian

 

Just found another posting I must have made about this same subject concerning the 'oddball' carburetor
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...tunning-2.html

Appears as though I may have one of these #4180 Holly carbs, but I certainly could find no such number on mine??

 

You're right that's a 4180 Holley/Motorcraft hybrid carb. It's not intended to be adjustable. Better off to replace it with a good ole 1850 600 cfm carb. That's the list number which is either a 4150 or 4160 carb I can't recall which is which.

 

Seems as though I misread a few numbers first time around. Here is the corrected info:
.....on the throat of the carb
E5TE 9510 ABA (that second figure is a 5 rather than an S)
List 50174-1
2754

...on the silver/blue tag
E5TE ABA
A4K1

 

You're not going to find "4180" on it. Holley only puts the "list" numbers on it or the Ford part numbers. 4180 is the model #

 

Well it has been awhile since I played with this carb. Somehow I got it running pretty smoothly and made my trip down to FL towing my cargo trailer. Drove rather well, and fuel usage wasn't too bad as I keep under 55 and didn't go for big accelerations....ha...ha.

Since I got to FL the van has been doing a lot of just setting around again, and now the idle is often very rough and laden with too much fuel. I figured the fuel inlet needle valves were defective and letting too much fuel into the bowls. Took them out and experimented with whether they were defective or not. Do these inlet needles get affected by this lousy ethanol fuel?

After watching a video I just decided to replace them, and while I was at it why not just rebuild the card with a kit and put new gaskets in it.

Problem number one is the kit that Advanced Auto sold me.
Carquest 96-556A (V15351) , box inside this outer box says 1557AS.
It does NOT appear to have the 2 needle valve assemblies,...rather only one, and it appears to be quite different than my existing ones??? Did they sell me the wrong kit? (I can't open it up to do a full inspection as it then becomes 'nonrefundable'.

My needle valves look like the one attached. Is that a proper one for the 4180 carb?

Now that I have destroyed some of the gaskets on the old carb I am committed to a rebuild hit if nothing more that to replace these inlet valves, and any other offending gaskets. Where might I find the most reasonable priced kit to do this? (don't want to spend a bunch on this as I intend to sell the van somewhere in the next 6 months rather than keeping paying insurance on it,...not used that often anymore)

Brian

 

According to your part# Carquest 96-556A and the pic at advance, that is for a 2bbl
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/c...556a/5115817-P
I don’t think Ethanol will damage brass floats. I removed my 85 e150 fuel tank sending unit nad the float was tarnished a bit but still in good shape. I have read that ethanol will damage needle valve rubber seats and some other rubber parts in the carb. As a matter of fact my rubber fuel lines were very soft so I replaced them.
I think your carb is a, 4180C

National parts depot in Ocala lists this part F-9A586-26, But it says In Stock Online
https://www.npdlink.com/store/produc...216-80495.html
And the notes say: REBUILD KIT, Carburetor, kit components are manufactured to be compatible with todays fuels and up to 15% ethanol.
-
-
This kit is supposed to be for E5TE-ABA and shows 2 needle valves..
CK304 carburetor kit for Holley 4180C
A bit high for the kit..
-
-
Here
Kit# 15893C . $34.95
Chicago Carburetor
But is doesn’t show pics of the kit..

 

The needle/seat assembly on a Holley part has a "Viton" coating at the contact points inside the needle/seat. It's not the brass itself you have to worry about but whatever coating is at the contact point where the seal occurs. I would go buy a Holley kit before using that generic kit.

 

That was my concern, particularly since you can't inspect that tip point as far as I can see.

I've come to the conclusion that it is the rubber o-ring on that needle assembly that is the culprit.

 

Thank you very much for that very comprehensive reply.

I took the kit back to Advanced Auto yesterday, and it does appear to be the incorrect one for my carb. The fellow offered to get me the correct one by today, and was kind enough to give me the same price as I had already paid, even while the new kit was more expensive.

 

Picked up my new carb kit today, and want to get it on tomorrow.

My carb had one thin gasket, one thick gasket, and one thin metal plate between the bottom of the carb and the manifold.

My new kit has only the thick gasket in it. So I guess I will be installing only two items between the carb and the manifold? In what order should they be installed?

I assume the thin metal plate is some sort of heat shield. Should it be on top of the thick gasket that I assume is some sort of insulating gasket ??

 

Does your van still have a EGR valve?
My 85 has a 302 engine and 2bbl carb. It has a EGR spacer plate between the carb and the manifold. It is about a inch thick. There is a thick gasket at the bottom between the EGR spacer and the intake manifold. There is a thin gasket between the EGR spacer and the carburetor.

BUT I just looked here
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post15593486

scroll through the pics) you can see the EGR spacer and how this guy mounted the carb. He has the thick gasket on top of the spacer and the thin gasket at the bottom of the spacer between the spacer and intake manifold...
Come to think about it, that may be right.. I just bought a gasket for my moms 78 e100 and it was the thick one.

If your EGR has been removed, perhaps the metal plate you mention was added? either way I would think you should have 2 gaskets in that kit... If you don't use a gasket, it will probably leak between the metal plate and the surface it mates to..

My moms 78 is leaking gas around the gasket between the intake and carb..

Do you still have the old thin gasket?

If you have a NAPA near by, call them and see what they say about gaskets... I would think there should have been 2 in that kit!!

 

This is what I think should be there is you have the EGR spacer.. It the spacer has been removed and the metal plate installed, these should still work..

FEL-PRO 60616
4BBL; Carb. to manifold
Alternate/OEM Part Number(s): 660271, 7411747, E3ZZ9C477D, E5ZZ9C477A
More Information for FEL-PRO 60616
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FEL-PRO 60390
4BBL; Carb. to spacer
Alternate/OEM Part Number(s): 660252, 7411549, D9TE9C477BC, D9TZ9C477B, E5HZ9C477B
More Information for FEL-PRO 60390


farther down on Rock auto's list they list a motorcraft spacer
MOTORCRAFT CG540A {#E5HE9C477BA, E5HZ9C477B} Carb - Spacer Info
E-250 Econoline Base Model; 4BBL; Carburetor To Spacer

IF you look though, it replaces the same part number as the felpro Carb to spacer.. I dont know why they specify E-250 on the motorcraft one..


Also here they are showing 2 gaskets
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Edelbr...ch,111393.html

Perhaps the EGR was removed and you have something like this?
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Edelbr...0L,111374.html

 

Okay looks like I do have the EGR spacer/plate. That seems to be firmly bound to the intake manifold. On top of that there appears there was a thin gasket, then the thin metal gasket (heat shield?) per attached photo, then the thicker black gasket (attached photo), then the carb.

Most of the surfaces are machined true and clean, so I imagine I could lay the thick gasket onto the EGR plate, then the thin metal gasket, then the carb?

There would be not as much sense to put the thin metal gasket between the EGR metal plate and the thick gasket would there?

 

Well I think,, think, I learned something...
The metal plate is a heat shield.... I have never seen one that I remember but all of my fords have been 2bbls except for one i changed out years ago..

I would say there would have to be a gasket between the carb and heat shield to seal properly.. Fuel would seep out between it if it were metal to metal along with it being two different metals, steel and aluminum.. Then you might also have a vacuum leak if you don't have a gasket.

I found a pic that is probably much like yours. It appears to show the thick gasket on top of the EGR spacer, the heat shield, and perhaps the thin gasket..



So thick spacer, heat shield, thin gasket, carb..

Something else you might want to do while you have the carb off is to check the EGR spacer for blockage on the part going to the EGR valve.. There is a gasket that goes under the EGR spacer plate and I personally would replace it too as it can leak and cause issues.. If you decide to replace it, be very careful removing the EGR spacer as I have heard about people breaking them... Perhaps they were already cracked.. If you think it is in good shape, then just leave it..