confusing carb issue

[BarryK]

ok, I'm getting fed up with this rebuilt carb already........

on my '65 L76 I have the correct Holley 2818 carb. Most may remember I sent it out for a complete rebuild earlier in the winter and it came back with a non-working choke which I had to repair myself and leaking (which it never did before the rebuild) which again I had to fix myself.

I've been fighting another constant problem in addition since it's come back and this one has me baffled.
I'll set the idle to the perfect idle speed for my motor - approx 850rpm. it will run and idle great for that day. The next time I take the car out and the car warms up the idle is up to around 1100-1200rpm. I'll reset it back to 850-900rpm. The next time the car is driven the idle is back to 1100-1200rpm again.
I've reset the d*mn thing 7-8 times already and only driven the car less than a dozen times this season! Pretty much every time I go to drive it I need to reset it.
Last time I drove the car it was idling high again so when I got home I put the idle back to 850-900rpm.
I just went out to the garage tonight to check everything on the car over for the cruise I plan on taking in it tomorrow and when i started it and after the choke came off the idle was down to about 550-600rpm which is way too low for an L76 to idle. I figure it's low because I had to reset it down after it was too high the last time I drove it.

With the spring on the idle screw there is plenty of tension so I don't think the idle screw itself is moving so why is this doing this and constantly changing the idle speed on me each time I drive the car.
This is getting to be very annoying even if it does only take a minute to readjust it. I shouldn't have to do this everytime I want to drive the car!

 

[Drjohn]

Barry, have you called out tech support folks? They may be able to help you troubleshoot. You can get the number, or submit a request at www.holley.com

Did you send it to a 3rd party to have it rebuilt?

 

[BarryK]

Hi Dr.

no, I haven't called the tech support. That might be a good idea for me to try next week, thanks.

Yes, I sent it to someone highly recommended on here and the NCRS board who is suppose to have an excellent reputation although in MY case I wasn't too happy with the service done as when it was returned the choke didn't work and it leaked. The choke issue should have been fixed during the rebuild and it NEVER leaked prior to the rebuild. This is just yet another problem I wasn't having prior to the rebuild although I will say that once i managed to fix the choke and the leaks myself after getting it back it does run much better than before it was rebuilt so the rebuilder must have done something right. I can't completely trash the guy based on that.
But this is an issue that it didn't exhibit previously and one that's getting more frustrating each time I have to readjust it.

 

[Drjohn]

Hi Dr.

no, I haven't called the tech support. That might be a good idea for me to try next week, thanks.

Yes, I sent it to someone highly recommended on here and the NCRS board who is suppose to have an excellent reputation although in MY case I wasn't too happy with the service done as when it was returned the choke didn't work and it leaked. The choke issue should have been fixed during the rebuild and it NEVER leaked prior to the rebuild. This is just yet another problem I wasn't having prior to the rebuild although I will say that once i managed to fix the choke and the leaks myself after getting it back it does run much better than before it was rebuilt so the rebuilder must have done something right. I can't completely trash the guy based on that.
But this is an issue that it didn't exhibit previously and one that's getting more frustrating each time I have to readjust it.

I wasn't trying to uncover a beating for the guy that rebuilt it. I just wanted to make sure that we didn't do it. That would have opened up a whole new conversation. Thanks.

Call the tech guys. They solve problems like you describe every day.

 

[Drjohn]

By the way, I've been in Newark, DE only once in my life. As a high Schooler, we did a band exchange with Glasgow H.S.

It seemed like a nice area.

 

[BarryK]

it's an OK area. Newark HS is down by where the university is and i'm over on the other side of town - about as far west and North as you can be and still ber considered Delaware - in fact I'm only about 4 miles or less from the PA state line!

wow, if you remember what HS you did and exchange with you have a good memory - I can't remember much at all about anything I did in HS!

 

[firstgear]

Barry, I think you should toss that carb out and get yourself a FI set up from either Holley or Edlebrock.....either way you won't have to fuss with that darn carb any more.......

 

[stepinwolf]

it's an OK area. Newark HS is down by where the university is and i'm over on the other side of town - about as far west and North as you can be and still ber considered Delaware - in fact I'm only about 4 miles or less from the PA state line!

wow, if you remember what HS you did and exchange with you have a good memory - I can't remember much at all about anything I did in HS!

I'm like you Barry, about the HS remembering thing. The only thing I do vividly remember, cannot be printed on a Forum such as this.

Stepinwolf

 

[Drjohn]

it's an OK area. Newark HS is down by where the university is and i'm over on the other side of town - about as far west and North as you can be and still ber considered Delaware - in fact I'm only about 4 miles or less from the PA state line!

wow, if you remember what HS you did and exchange with you have a good memory - I can't remember much at all about anything I did in HS!

I actually have a pretty good memory. That's sometimes a curse as well. I can beat myself up over minor things over and over again.

It's amazing that I remember that period, given what I did back then.

Let me know if the tech guys can help you.

 

[Marlar]

it's an OK area. Newark HS is down by where the university is and i'm over on the other side of town - about as far west and North as you can be and still ber considered Delaware - in fact I'm only about 4 miles or less from the PA state line!

wow, if you remember what HS you did and exchange with you have a good memory - I can't remember much at all about anything I did in HS!

Barry

I ditched my Holley and went with a Demon by Barry Grant. It messed with me for over a year. But I do remember the "change idle" problem. It was a manual choke piece and would somehow flip itself into fast idle mode. There is a cam somewhere on yours that does that usually in conjunction with the choke. Mine was a manual choke and was not even hooked up when that was happening. Poke around some and find it. I eventually bought an Edlebrock and it was good to go right out of the box. I eventually made the Demon(a fitting name) work by increasing the sixe of the accelerator pump nozzles bigger by two sizes and also the primary jets from 0.058 to 0. 070. It is working well now on my stepson'd '67 Camero 350 c.i replacement engine. Good luck!

 

[Subfixer]

I'm like Barry... I've got this thing about originallity, even if I take a few other liberties..... And like, Barry, I plan on keeping my PIA Holley.

Barry, a few things to check... Could be the secondaries hanging open a bit, or even the primaries. This would be caused by either mis-adjusted butterflies or more commonly, worn shaft bores in the carb base plate.

Next time it comes back to a high idle, look to see if the throttle is resting against the adjusting screw before you try to adjust it. Also, on the passenger side, look to see if the secondary throttle stop is resting in it's adjusting screw.

Other causes could be the mechanical advance weights sticking in the advanced position. Or even a simple vacuum leak.

Let us know what you find.

PS. If you ditch the Holley, throw it in my direction.....

 

[BarryK]

thanks for the suggestions Paul.
I've pretty much rules out a vacuum leak as the problem is intermittent. I drive the car Sundat about 120-150 miles with no problems at all and the idle stayed fine. I can't imagine a vacuum leak being intermittent unless it was a semi-sticking diaphram in the vacuum can??

the distributor was just completely rebuilt so I'd think the weights sticking shouldn't be an issue - I actually have a lot of confidence in the person who did the distributor for me which is more than I can say for most people i've sent work out to in the past.

I strongly suspect the carb and will check thru the areas you mentioned. After the other problems i've had with this carb since it came back from rebuild i wouldn't be at all surprised to discover other problem areas as well.

BTW, glad to hear from you again! I haven't seen you on either forum on a while. Hope everything is good. Ids the house finished yet?!

 

[Subfixer]

I've been lurking for quite a while lately. Not a lot of Vette stuff going on over here. I just drive it a lot, but don't have the time to do any upgrades or anything else for that matter. House is coming along, but not near finished yet. It's keeping me real busy.

 

[BarryK]

geez Paul, I was under the impression that the house was on;y going to take like 6 weeks or so originally. it's now been what, 9 - 10 months??
you must be remodeling it to look like Biltmore mansion!