Need help tuning a carb
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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Sweetwater Texas
Need help tuning a carb
Well, I know its not a Ford, but I got a 1980 Olds with a 307 that I am building into a demo derby car. Well the motor had gottin rained in for a few years and locked up, so I filled the cyclinders with diesel and got her freed up and spining good. The quadrajet was crap so I put a Holley 650 I had laying around on her and she fired right up.
She idles good, but seems sluggish when in gear and floored, and if you floor it real quick she'll die, or if you gas her up then let off the throttle really quick she'll die.
I know very little about carbs, so what does that sound like to ya'll, any ideas what to do
P.S. If you have any demo derby tips, feel free to share them.
She idles good, but seems sluggish when in gear and floored, and if you floor it real quick she'll die, or if you gas her up then let off the throttle really quick she'll die.
I know very little about carbs, so what does that sound like to ya'll, any ideas what to do
P.S. If you have any demo derby tips, feel free to share them.
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Postmaster
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From: Sweetwater Texas
Accelerator pump is good, the carb was on a running a 350 a year ago and ran great, also the carb is probably only 3-5 years old. I've heard Holley's are easy to adjust, I'm just don't know which way to adjust it.
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Postmaster
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From: Sweetwater Texas
The distributer is stuck, so I can't even try turnin it, but the guy I got the car from said the car ran great 4 years ago before it got full of water, but as I said the quadrajet that the car orginally came with is competely siezed.
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From: Renton, WA
I am a guru let's see what we can do.
To start bashby has a point with timing, I understand the dizzy is stuck but check and make sure the vacuum advance is working, suck on the hose and see if it works or even holds vacuum, if not it's still possible to fix with the dizzy in the car.
The next easy thing to check is the float level. On the passenger side of the carb on both of the float bowls front and back there is a brass plug with a flat screwdriver slot, this is the float level sight plug, take it out.(do one at a time) You'll need the fuel pump running so if it's electric work the key, if mechanical start the motor. Does fuel run out the hole. If not the float level is to low, it should just barely run out, even more so if the motor is running.
Check those two and let us know.
What kind of Holley dual feed or single, one fuel line or two? Vacuum or manual secondaries?
To start bashby has a point with timing, I understand the dizzy is stuck but check and make sure the vacuum advance is working, suck on the hose and see if it works or even holds vacuum, if not it's still possible to fix with the dizzy in the car.
The next easy thing to check is the float level. On the passenger side of the carb on both of the float bowls front and back there is a brass plug with a flat screwdriver slot, this is the float level sight plug, take it out.(do one at a time) You'll need the fuel pump running so if it's electric work the key, if mechanical start the motor. Does fuel run out the hole. If not the float level is to low, it should just barely run out, even more so if the motor is running.
Check those two and let us know.
What kind of Holley dual feed or single, one fuel line or two? Vacuum or manual secondaries?
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Postmaster
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From: Sweetwater Texas
Sorry Vacuum secondaries, its either or for the fuel line, but I got it rigged for a single on the driver side front, the passenger side front is plugged. I don't know what dual or single feed means.
I'm gonna let the motor run a little bit and see if I can't get the dist to move, I'm thinking its a tad retarded. Can I disable the vacuum advance?
I'm gonna let the motor run a little bit and see if I can't get the dist to move, I'm thinking its a tad retarded. Can I disable the vacuum advance?
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Renton, WA
Sorry Vacuum secondaries, its either or for the fuel line, but I got it rigged for a single on the driver side front, the passenger side front is plugged. I don't know what dual or single feed means.
I'm gonna let the motor run a little bit and see if I can't get the dist to move, I'm thinking its a tad retarded. Can I disable the vacuum advance?
I'm gonna let the motor run a little bit and see if I can't get the dist to move, I'm thinking its a tad retarded. Can I disable the vacuum advance?
Keep the vacuum advance it does alot of good, if it's working that is. If it's not working it is disabled.
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From: Sweetwater Texas
I ain't that worried about it being able to run down the road, I'm just wanting this thing to take a good beating for 15 minutes and be able to run all out, then let off of the throttle quick and then be able to punch it again.
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From: Renton, WA
90% of that requires the same things.
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From: Sweetwater Texas
simplicity, I've never had a single problem with a coil and dist set up, but this is the second time out of the 2 Olds I was gonna run in a derby that the HEI setup has given me hell. (the first was another 1980 Olds, that ran like crap due to the dist, but I was playing in my pasture when the tranny smoked).
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