Flare Wrench for Holley Inlets

[Mattax]

Years ago I saw a fuel bowl inlet wrench in a catalog that was a stamping. I wish I bought it. Never seen one since. One of the most annoying things with the stock inlets on 4150/60 carbs is having the inverted flare adapter move when removing the inverted flare nuts on the fuel lines. Yet its always awkward to get an open end wrench in place with good bite.

Finally modified a 1" box wrench that I bought for this purpose at a fleamarket last year.

Works pretty good.

May do more filing in the future as needed.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I've never had to do that. Always used a 1" open end.

 

[Mattax]

I've never had to do that. Always used a 1" open end.

That's about the only alternative. Some guys have told me that cutting one down or buying stubby gives them more room to work. I may cut this one in half so I'll have stubby flare and stubby open end.
On the bench is no problem. Its on the car that I've found it an issue especially if the secondary inlet tube is joined with a flexible hose. The hose is sometimes a help when changing jets in staging - usually has enough flex the bowl can come off without removing the inlet tube.

 

[RustyRatRod]

That's about the only alternative. Some guys have told me that cutting one down or buying stubby gives them more room to work. I may cut this one in half so I'll have stubby flare and stubby open end.
On the bench is no problem. Its on the car that I've found it an issue especially if the secondary inlet tube is joined with a flexible hose. The hose is sometimes a help when changing jets in staging - usually has enough flex the bowl can come off without removing the inlet tube.

There are some on EBay, but they are all closed end. That's really not optimal.

 

[Cope]

I like it!

I know exactly what you are talking about.
Nothing fits that good. I alwasy half *** get a open end on and hope it dont slip. Then the dang teflon washer leaks and its always a crap shoot if a new washer leaks....

I will be making one of those wrenches.

Thank you!

 

[Mattax]

There are some on EBay, but they are all closed end. That's really not optimal.

We'll see how this works. My current plan is to use steel feed tubes and no hose connector between the primary and secondaries. I'm kindof done with aluminum and fancy feed lines.

 

[Mattax]

I like it!

I know exactly what you are talking about.
Nothing fits that good. I alwasy half *** get a open end on and hope it dont slip. Then the dang teflon washer leaks and its always a crap shoot if a new washer leaks....

I will be making one of those wrenches.

Thank you!

Teflon, eh!? That sounds better than nylon. I used nylon gaskets for a few years and never had a problem. Then had them flow just enough one hot friday evening to fill the top of my intake with pools of gasoline. Took about 40 minutes on the side of the gas station's parking area before the carb and lines were cool enough I could snug it up so it wouldn't leak. That's one of the reasons I went back to steel lines and inlets with metal gasket.

 

[Cope]

I have zero luck with the SS hard line dual inlet that is sold at most retailers. In fact i wont even use that anymore.

Hand bent hard line just works for me.

It blows my mind that they designed this awsome carb thats easy to work on and went with an inlet that is so hard to work with.

I have to think they had some other plan for the inlet that we are not using?

 

[Mattax]

I have to think they had some other plan for the inlet that we are not using?

Its so true!

I think some of the new bowls are even worse.

This was the setup I was using with the nylon gaskets. I think shown here with MP fiber gasket after that incident. The AN fittings provide more room for the wrenches - I'll give them that much. That's about all I'll give them. I hate that flat gasket seal to the bowl no matter whether its adapted to AN or inverted flare!

 

[Mattax]

Somewhat related. I think I've seen funnels made for this pupose but I made my own out of some left over roofing tinplate and copper tube.

 

[krazykuda]

Years ago I saw a fuel bowl inlet wrench in a catalog that was a stamping. I wish I bought it. Never seen one since. One of the most annoying things with the stock inlets on 4150/60 carbs is having the inverted flare adapter move when removing the inverted flare nuts on the fuel lines. Yet its always awkward to get an open end wrench in place with good bite.

Finally modified a 1" box wrench that I bought for this purpose at a fleamarket last year.
View attachment 1715472318

Works pretty good.

View attachment 1715472319

May do more filing in the future as needed.
View attachment 1715472335

I worked for a guy in college who ran a towing company and used to build Harleys... He had a similar snap on wrench in 9/16" that he modified that way for a particular application/bolt for Harleys...

sometimes you just gotta make your own modifications to get it to work right...

 

[krazykuda]

I think some of the new bowls are even worse.[/ATTACH]

My plumber says the same thing....

 

[circlepilot]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXPPY4Q/?tag=fabo03-20

 

[diymirage]

why not just put some locktite on that one fitting ?

the problem is it getting loose when you dont want it too, correct?
thats what locktite is for

 

[Daves69]

Nothing wrong with making your life easier with those "special" tools.
Service departments have plenty.
Here's my stubby header bolt wrench.............

 

[pishta]

Those Diner ketchup squeeze bottles make for good fuel bowl vent fillers. Invert, put in and squeeze. I think Holley had to make them that big to get the inverted flare the right size for the fuel flow they could take as a performance carb. Would not make the inverted flare in he zinc bowl itself, too soft. IIRC Some of the better AL ones are threaded for the bowl threads themselves, no wonky flare adapter.

 

[33IMP]

Nothing wrong with making your life easier with those "special" tools.
Service departments have plenty.
Here's my stubby header bolt wrench.............
View attachment 1715472570

I have a wrench that I modified for the same me purpose, almost identical, except I didn't flare-nut it.
I love homemade/modified tools for specific purpose. Sometimes it's the only way, if not the BEST way, to get a job done.
Here are some of mine. Others didn't make the pic