Lean idle. Rich cruise.

why on earth does Holley put big main bleeds in? Every carb I've worked with is at least ,030 from the factory. Befuddling!

Also. why put a curve in the dist when I'm almost always above 2700RPM? I mean we're talking about close to 600 on the engine dyno. Probably more now with the upgraded head and intake work.


Because the guys that determine the tune up on these new carbs are smarter than the guys were back in the day. That’s sarcasm.

But that’s what has happened. The physics and science never changed but in the 1990’s everyone forgot everything, ignored the research from the beginning and over emulsified and over bleed EVERYTHING.

That’s why it’s happening.

You NEED a curve because that’s what the engine wants. Most everything that has to operate over a wide range of RPM.

What happens is you end up with way too much timing at peak torque and not enough timing at peak power.

Trust me when I tell you I got embarrassed defending what you are. That’s how I ended up with my distributor machine.

I was a lock it out guy or at least get it all in by 2500.

William Baldwin of Baldwin Carbs called me out in my error. Then he posted a video of what happens when you lock one out.

I was so wrong that I bought my own machine so I stopped jacking up distributors.

Not only do you end up with too much timing at peak torque and not enough timing at peak power but you really don’t know how much timing you actually have unless you set your total at max RPM.

All ignition systems retard with RPM. All of them. And the same part number boxes will not retard the same amount or even at the same RPM.

I have posted several videos of the same thing. It’s real.

You need a curve.