Grrrrr

[BarryK]

well, I haven't touched the Vette in 2-3 weeks, not even to just look under the hood or anything.
I just went out to pull the distributor to send it out to be recurved and my freshly redone, nice clean intake manifold had two big run stains of gas from under both the front and the rear bowls of the carb and down the runners.
I was able to clean the stains up with brake cleaner but i had been hoping (foolishly I know) that somehow the leaking from the BRAND NEW JUST REBUILT carb would have ceased. Not only did it not cease leaking, when i first reinstalled it after getting it back from rebuild the leaking was only from the rear bowl but now it seems it's leaking from both the rear AND the front! ad ad
i HATE incompetent workmanship!!!!!

Well, there's no other option, I'm going to have to pull the carb back off and pull the bowls off and replace the gaskets and hopefully I can manage to do a better job than the "professional" that I paid a lot of money to to do it originally.
Yet again, something new for me to learn. This should get interesting to say the least.

It just makes me mad because prior to sending the carb out for rebuild it NEVER leaked, not so much as a single drop. I always wondered about all the threads and posts I see about Holley carbs and leaking because mine never did but now I guess I'm in the "Leaky Holley" club afterall.

I guess it will give me something to do while the distributor is out.

 

[bossvette]

there are different levels of gaskets back in the dark ages when I used to mess with carbs there was a so called "reusable" gasket more money then the cork stuff but it sealed better. Dont overlook the gaskets around the screws quality wise either.

 

[BarryK]

Craig
are those the blue rubber ones?

 

[tigernut]

Barry,

More than likely, yes:

http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?target=partdetail.asp&autofilter=1&part=HLY%2D108%2D200&N=115+400178+302446&autoview=sku

You should try and isolate the leakage. It could be the bowl gasket, meter plate gasket, bowl screw gaskets, accelerator pump area, etc....

Doug

 

[PTighe]

I had my '67 Holley rebuilt by the original manufacturer, their rebuild facility is in Tennessee. Cost a few hundred, but when I got back and put it on, it still leaked like a sieve.

I called their tech line, but whatever remedies they gave me didn't work. Finally gave up and gave it, in person, to a well know carb guy in Maryland to rebuild again. He took it apart down to the last nut and had everything re-plated like original.

He said the problem was the fuel metering blocks were warped over time and from over-tightening the four main screws. The manufacturer does a flow test on their rebuilt carbs while cold on a bench, with mineral spirits, so I'm told.

This guy tests his rebuilt carbs on a mule Z-28 he has outside his garage, lets the carb get good and hot and then adjusts it and checks for leaks etc. I bolted mine on 4 years ago and never had a problem. PT

 

[BarryK]

tiger

best as I can see, the leaks on both front and rear seem to be in approx the middle of the bowl area on the underside. At least that's where the stains start positionwise on the intake under the front and rear areas of the carb.

 

[BarryK]

PTighe
The leaks didn't start until AFTER I sent the carb out to a well recommended carb rebuilder for a full rebuild including machining all the surfaces and replating the carb to look like new. it never leaked at all previously.
that's the real frustrating part of it.

 

[paul67]

Barry,
You already know my solution. You have see it before. I don't know why people fool about with Holley carbs when a trouble-free alternative is available. I will get flamed on this re originality, cost, performance and the usual arguments but for Sunday afternoon cruising and down-right dependability the Edelbrock can't be beat. No leaking, no boil-over, etc. Just drive and enjoy.

The interior and garage stink is long gone. As well as my fear of a 'glass melt-down.

 

[BarryK]

believe me Paul, I've strongly considered that option and for what it cost me to have this d*mn thing rebuilt I probably could have gone out and bought a nice Barry Grant carb and be done with the problem but the budget on the carb is gone and spent now so currently I can't.
Besides, for whatever foolish reasons i have, I'm trying to keep the car as stock as possible.
Even though the carb is barely seen under the cleaner, i'd still have to re-do the fuel plumbing and the choke to work with a different carb and that really the main reason right there that i haven't done it. NOW the reason is lack of funds

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

Barry,
You already know my solution. You have see it before. I don't know why people fool about with Holley carbs when a trouble-free alternative is available. I will get flamed on this re originality, cost, performance and the usual arguments but for Sunday afternoon cruising and down-right dependability the Edelbrock can't be beat. No leaking, no boil-over, etc. Just drive and enjoy.



The interior and garage stink is long gone. As well as my fear of a 'glass melt-down.

Well it looks like you and I are brothers in arms here Paul. I hate the Holley 850 that's on my 502. It's designed and flowed for this motor so I'm stuck with it.

Oh...By The way Paul... Beautiful Looking Motor.. Very Nice work.

What a pain in the butt carb.. Cockeyed float adjustment screws ... Float bowels that hang out in mid air with leaky gaskets...Power Valve.. that use to blow out..(Ok They fixed that..Maybe) A secondary system that requires you to dismantle the chocke meck then the vacuum chamber and change out a stupid spring. ..Then.....If it ain't right...you gotta do it again. Ok So Holley makes a plastic secondary housing that you can by after the fact where the top pops off to change out the stupid spring...!!!

Well why the freak didn't they build it that way from jump. I'm not looking forward to working on this carb at all.

I use to run a Dual 500 CFM Edelbrock Carter Type set up on my old SB. Never had one lick of trouble over the years. Always ran great in 100*plus outside temps as well as in the frezzing cold weather. No Leakes.. and was a pleadure to work on. Simple design.. Flaot bowel in the center of the carb..never needed any adjustments..always fead the motor in tight corners and under heavy acceleration.. A good common sense design..

Ok.. I got my Flack Jacket on..My Ear Plugs In..Let the Flaming Begin..

INCOMING......!!!!!!

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

believe me Paul, I've strongly considered that option and for what it cost me to have this d*mn thing rebuilt I probably could have gone out and bought a nice Barry Grant carb and be done with the problem but the budget on the carb is gone and spent now so currently I can't.
Besides, for whatever foolish reasons i have, I'm trying to keep the car as stock as possible.
Even though the carb is barely seen under the cleaner, i'd still have to re-do the fuel plumbing and the choke to work with a different carb and that really the main reason right there that i haven't done it. NOW the reason is lack of funds

It's not that big of a deal to redo the fuel line plumbing Edelbrock makes the flex lines to change over. As far as the choke goes.. you order it with an electric set up. One 12 volt wire to the chocke housing ..a littel twist here and a twist there and it's set. Always comes on the same and goes off the same.

It's just a better design in my mind.. I'm stuck with the 850 on my 502 ..If I could change it out I would...and trash that leaky over designed Holley Turd.


INCOMING...

 

[IH2LOSE]

Barry before you take it apart ,Did you contact the rebuilder. What does he have to say about the leaks,

Why is this your problem to correct and not the rebuilders?

 

[paul67]

Barry,
I feel for you. That conversion was about $400. But I now cruise in comfort without a gas stink. I did last summer have to put up with the "original" nay-sayers. But they don't care when my 'glass melts down from a carb fire. I looked to safety and that what I believe I have acheived. The Holley gave me fits and a lot of stress. It was not pleasant to have constant boil-over.

 

[BarryK]

Larry, contacting him is just going to be a waste of my time and I already know that before even trying.
you may recall a previous thread of mine right after I got the carb back and the choke wasn't working. I called the rebuilder and he was less than helpful. When I explained the issue on the choke all he said was "oh well, live with it".

now, based on that, i'm sure not going to waste another long distance call just to hear the same unhelpful and useless response to another problem all over again from him.
As far as I'm concerned now, I sent him the carb, it took twice as long as he initially told me, he took my money, I got screwed, I learned an expensive lesson (yet again) that sending anything out for repair is a complete waste of time and money and obviously the only way I can expect to get anything fixed on my car correctly is to just figure out how to do it myself.

 

[67ragtop]

It's not that big of a deal to redo the fuel line plumbing Edelbrock makes the flex lines to change over. As far as the choke goes.. you order it with an electric set up. One 12 volt wire to the chocke housing ..a littel twist here and a twist there and it's set. Always comes on the same and goes off the same.

It's just a better design in my mind.. I'm stuck with the 850 on my 502 ..If I could change it out I would...and trash that leaky over designed Holley Turd.


INCOMING...

VNV,

Would a stock (67 L-79) air cleaner base fit on the Edelbrock carb?

Mike

 

[BarryK]

Paul
what gets to me is that previous to this rebuild it did NOT leak, not a drop, not ever.
I will give credit where it's due. Whatever he DID do to the carb while he had it the car idles better than it ever did but besides that and the replating so it looks better i'm not happy with the job. It came back with the choke not working and I had to fix that myself and it leaks and I'll have to fix that myself also.
Sometimes I feel that EVERYTHING on this car gives me stress. The way i'm feeling today it sure is anyway.

 

[jims427400]

Barry,
I've been holding back any comments on our carb guy.I too noticed a small leak on the front of my center carb,not much just a trace.But I've only driven it 1/8 of a mile.It ran like crap.
Whether has been nasty here in T-town so I havent been able to get my car home to try to adjust timing per your recommendations.
I'm starting to dissbelieve our carb guy when he told me he test drives all his rebuilds.
I'm hearing alot of people suggesting upgrading your holley..What do you all suggest I do to my tripowers if tire of the fiddle factor..
Good look on your end..Jim

 

[BarryK]

Jim
on your tri-power I don't know what your options are. I know Barry Grant has a tri-power set-up but it's REAL pricey.

all I can say at this point is that i'm NOT a happy camper.

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

VNV,

Would a stock (67 L-79) air cleaner base fit on the Edelbrock carb?

Mike

Aaahhh ..Not shure.. Looks like the Pic that Paul posted is using a stock base.I asume that if the Edelbrock carb is a 5 1/8 " dia base it should. Maybe some one here can answer that Probably Paul.. My dualquad set up on the SB used the Edelbrock Dual aircleaner .

Go to Edelbrocks Web Page..

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/carbs_acc/carbs_access_main.shtml

There is a PDF file near the top check it out...

 

[bossvette]

While you are at Edelbrocks site check out this then for an alternative try hereand here

that ought to start a little discussion