Holley carbs. Love'em or hate'em?

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Locomotion said:
I'm a lifetime Holley user and prefer them. But I am starting on a slow path to learn about Thermoquads.

You have to know why the float stuck. Holleys are very sensitive to a spec of dirt getting stuck between the needle & seat. Just about all carbs I'm aware of have a similar set-up but I don't know if the sensitivity varies. Gotta run a good filter in all cases and be careful when working on the fuel lines anywhere in between so no debris, like rubber hose specs, get into the system.
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Couldn't have been said better. I like Holleys. Easy to work on, get parts for, tune etc. It's critical to have a good filter on a Holley.
I currently have a 750 Race Demon on my 64 Sport Fury. I love that carb. It works flawlessly, Just an occasional cleaning. Ran a much faster ET than an 850 Holley.
Right now, I am running an AVS on my 69 Dart 340. Had to put an electric pump on it just to get fuel to the carb after sitting. Once you get it some fuel, it runs outstanding. The car is much faster than I thought it would be with that carb.
 
moparker said:
I have a Holley 750 Dbl pumper on my Duster. The float stuck on me last year. Gas on the intake etc. I have heard similar stories on here as well. Thinking I might go with a different brand. Which ones do you guys like?
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Holley fan here. Why did the float stick? Dirt in the carb?

With Holleys if you run two fuel filters, you eliminate most of the problems guys have with them.
 
krazykuda said:
Carter and Edelbrock run better right out of the box, but holley can be fine tuned if you know how to work with them...
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Not in my experience. Out of the box, Edelbrocks have a flat spot. After tuning them, they have a flat spot. Paperweights in my opinion.
 
lilcuda said:
Not in my experience. Out of the box, Edelbrocks have a flat spot. After tuning them, they have a flat spot. Paperweights in my opinion.
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I haven't found this flat spot you speak of. I have ran 10 or 15 out of the box over the years. yes there is only so much tuning you can do , but every carb and application is a little different. Ive ran couple daily driver carters for over 4 years without ever having to touch them, just watch it get dirty. for reliability , ill take a carter or eddy any day. ive had my rounds with holleys , and ive had good luck with a few that ran good , others not so much. my last holley I bought brand new , bolted it on , and it leaked gas out of the secondary butterfly shaft right out of the gate. I sold it and bought 2 1406's with the money and both of them are damn good carbs. to each his own
 
I took it back to the guy who rebuilt it and, he did find some dirt. Not much but, he did find some. Might have been the cause of it all.
 
I would take a good look at the rest of your fuel system, the dirt had to come from the tank.
 
Maybe I have just had some bad luck, but the few Holleys I have had ALL gave me plenty of trouble. I have had NO trouble at all with Edlebrock carbs.
 
Holley's need three basic things to keep them bullet proof.

1. A good air cleaner with a carb to aircleaner seal , keeps the air bleeds from getting dirt in them and messing up the idle.

2. A good fuel filter , I run a large one before the fuel pump and an inline one between the regulator and the carb.

3. A bottle of gumout thrown in the gas tank every month or so
 
I would not have a Holley, I wasn't going to sell. I got tired of constantly "Tuning" the stupid Holley, and every car I ever heard of burning to the ground had a Holley. I'll take anything else for power and dependability. AFB, AVS, TQ, QJet.
 
Well, since two people have mentioned it.
Just one reason, it's not my choice.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VIm0YUSOtA"]Baby's on Fire - Brian Eno - The BBC Sessions (1974) - YouTube[/ame]
[ame]https://youtu.be/8VIm0YUSOtA[/ame]
 
66fs said:
I would not have a Holley, I wasn't going to sell. I got tired of constantly "Tuning" the stupid Holley, and every car I ever heard of burning to the ground had a Holley. I'll take anything else for power and dependability. AFB, AVS, TQ, QJet.
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That's what I'm afraid of. Burning to the ground.
 
moparker said:
That's what I'm afraid of. Burning to the ground.
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The carb guy said you had dirt in the carburetor.
Where does it come from the gas tank.
Remove the gas tank, replace or have boiled out by a radiator shop and pray it don't leak.
Replace the fuel lines to the front.
Bolt xyz whatever carburetor on it an run it, add fuel stable to each tank so the dirt does not re-appear.
Simple solution..........to fix your problem
 
"Holley, there is a reason all the fast cars run them!" have ever raced an old Max Wedge car? er i mean beat one?
 
I did change all the fuel lines. Tank will be next.
 
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