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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Engine/Drivetrain => Topic started by: 327power on October 25, 2010, 06:44:39 pm
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>:(Well, I have about 1500 miles on my new Goodwrench 350. The thing is I could NEVER get it to run right. It shakes horribly and just runs like wants to die. I had to raise the idle just so it won't stall at traffic lights! It has a Holley 600 4bbl. I've tuned the carb left and right with no results.
Done timing too. I'm thinking it's that crap 4bbl. Does anyone else agree that Holley's just suck? I'm going to try an Edelbrock 600 next. If that doesn't make it run right, I'm going to sell my C10 dirt cheap and buy a nice 77 F100 down the street.
So ultimately, want does anyones opinion on my carburetor situation? Any help is awesome! Thanks!
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a lot of people worship the holley, i am not one of them. I had a holley 600 on my 73. i tried tuning that thing 100 times, never could get it just right. i put a quadrajet back on and never looked back. I still have that quadrajet on my 82. gonna rebuild it soon tho.
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When you say you've done the timing, what did you set your timing to?
Some carbs do suck out of the box (float setting off, poor jetting, crap in the bowls), but I doubt your carb can't be tuned to run very well, no matter what it is. When you tuned the carb "left and right", what all did you try?
Can you give a better description of everything the engine is doing?
My Goodwrench runs 15 degrees initial and 36 total and could take more. And with a 1406 Edelbrock carb it runs far from what I'd like it to as well. I suspect retarded cam timing, and an inaccurate timing mark (either on the balancer or where the crank is machined for the woodward keys). I am positive about very low compression, the worst SBC heads GM ever made. Nontheless, I have it running acceptably for day to day driving (doesn't die, idles great at 650, adequate power, 15-17 mpg).
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ditto, need more information.
BTW, I hate Holleys, but I don't like any carbs. EFI only. LOL
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I was thinking...does anyone think low fuel pressure could be the problem? I have a crappy $15 fuel pump from Autozone. When the thing is idleing, it looks like there is very little (1/3rd) fuel in the fuel filter. When the engine is off however, it is full. Weird. So what do you think?
Oh yeah..I tuned the thing the best I could via a vacuum gauge.
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Are you 100% sure your dizzy isn't a tooth off or timming just off very badly?
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Yeah... The timing is right where it brings the most vacuum. Its weird I even changed the intake gaskets. After that, it ran awesome...then I shut it off. About half an hour later I started it back up to take a test drive and it's been horrid ever since. Nothing seems to help either.
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Good plugs and wires?
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take out your spark plugs and see how they look i.e. too dark/light etc. see if one is differant than the rest, check your timing with a timing light, rule out a spark problem if you can. then check your fuel pressure. with a problem that has many potential causes you need to start ruling things out.
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Yeah... The timing is right where it brings the most vacuum. Its weird I even changed the intake gaskets. After that, it ran awesome...then I shut it off. About half an hour later I started it back up to take a test drive and it's been horrid ever since. Nothing seems to help either.
Hmm, maybe getting somewhere. Have you thoroughly checked for vacuum leaks? A little carb cleaner sprayed around those intake gaskets maybe? Could even be a leak into the lifter valley area that would be hidden from you. If it ran good once, it can again. The trick is gonna be finding out what changed in that cool down session. And I'm almost willing to bet your problem aint gonna be the carb. Either a vacuum leak or a timing issue is where my money is.
If you have a fuel pressure issue, it's likely you have too much pressure, misadjusted float height, or trash in the needle and seat that is allowing fuel to run into the intake unregulated. If it won't idle properly, it's very unlikely to be too low of pressure if it will actually run under throttle. If it ain't got enough fuel just doin' nothing, it certainly aint gonna do the job while you're workin' it. It would stumble, lean out, and fall on it's face.
Does your fuel filter lay on it's side? if so, that's a common sight, the filter only being half full or so. If you mounted it vertically where the fuel enters the bottom and exits the top, it will stay full all the time. As it is, you're just not moving enough liquid thru it to burp the air out of the filter. No biggie, I've seen it before and ran them 1,000's of miles that way. Easy fix for that...Get rid of the see thru fuel filter.
These are just my experiences. Food for thought so to speak. Take, or disregard, as you wish.
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what idle do you have it set at for it not to die and what was it before? does it have a choke?
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+1 for vacuum leak.
Re-check your intake. I retired a perfectly good Edel 1406 in favor of a Holley because my intake leaked, but spraying carb spray around it didn't do anything. I fixed it accidently when I swapped in a performer intake.
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The fuel sight glass will never be full, so that has nothing to do with it.
Gas fills the bowl and keeps it full when running. It is not a pressurized system like you are thinking.
Holleys need about 5-7lbs to operate.
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+3 on vacuum leaks. What is your vacuum gauge doing? Is it steady? What's it reading for in/Hg? Definitely sounds like a vacuum leak to me.
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Since you're gonna sell it for a Ford I'll give you $50 bucks for it ;D
Make sure you don't have #5 and #7 wires crossed. Triple check becuase people tend to commonly make this mistake.
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Since you're gonna sell it for a Ford I'll give you $50 bucks for it ;D
Make sure you don't have #5 and #7 wires crossed. Triple check becuase people tend to commonly make this mistake.
I second that on the #5 and #7.
I'm sure it's something simple.
When you adjusted the timing,did you timed it with the vacuum advance unhooked?
A longshot,but maybe you should do a compression test,just to rule it out.
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Well, I got it to run a little better. Actually, it kind of did it on it's own the more I drove it. I threw on a new 110+ fuel pump and it seems to run better...to a point. I think it might be getting too much fuel at idle. When I pulled off a vacuum cap at the bottom of the carburetor, it had gas in it. Just so everyone knows, I'm running a Goodwrench 350/260 with an Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 600 4bbl, Holley 110+ fuel pump and headers. Besides that, it's basically a stock 350. Does anyone think the 600 cfm is just too big for my engine maybe?
Thanks!
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600 cfm is fine for your engine. I ran one on a 305 that could pass emissions fairly easily.
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Sounds like the carb could use a rebuild
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Is the 110 pump the electric or mechanical pump? You may need to run a regulator if it's the holley blue electric pump.
Edited: I second the carb rebuild. I reread the whole thread and sounds like you have a mechanical pump.
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When I pulled off a vacuum cap at the bottom of the carburetor, it had gas in it.
This indicates a major problem with the carb. Address this first. Have you checked for leaks from your fuel bowls where they meet the main body (not uncommon on holleys)?
Have you checked your float level?
Are you running a 2101 performer? If so did you use the required plate to seal off a square bore carb on a spreadbore manifold.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-2732/
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Ok, so I swapped out the plugs today, and I found that most of the plugs were saturated with gas. The #1 and #2 spark plugs were the least bad but still smelled like gasoline. I really think my Holley is to blame for the poor idle, poor fuel economy, and crappy acceleration. To make matters even more intersting is that I have the Holley with the non-adjustable floats.
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Which holley? 4160? It may just need a rebuild.
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Not sure if it's a 4160, as I forgot, but I bought it brand new and right now it only hos like 1500 mile on it. Just runs like crap and smells like gas all the time. I could deal with the fuel smell, but it's the poor performance and idle that is really pissing me off.
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Can you see the part number that is located near the front of the choke tower?
It sounds like you do have a carb issue.Any good buddies in your area that has a good carb. that you could try?
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If not running a regulator with that 110+ fuel pump it's a wonder it will run at all. Way too much gas. Just my 2 cents..
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I'd change your oil too, it's likely got a lot of gas and could damage a few things.
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Ok...So now I have a new Edelbrock 600cfm 4bbl. At first it ran great, then it seems to slowly run a little rougher. The engine still shakes. I've really had it with this truck. Now, I've cleaned the gas tank out a few months ago, so I knoe that junk isn't going straight for the carburetor. I changed the intakes gaskets, fuel pump, spark plugs, etc. What is wrong with this engine!?
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Did you verify your firing order (plug wires)as mentioned before?
It sounds alot like an ignition problem at this point.
I've really had it with this truck. I'm thinking of putting a for sale sign on it.
You won't get much for it in this condition, and it's probably something really simple. 8)
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Check your fuel pressure, should have no more than 6lbs. I had a brand new Holley mechanical 110 g.p.h. that was pushing fuel right past the needle and seat on an 600 Holley with non adjustable floats. Got an fuel gauge and when cold had 9 lbs pressure, 7 Hot. Bought an regulator and run 5.5 lbs cold, 3.5 hot and truck idled great.
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I pulled the distributor and put it back in and all of a sudden...it runs better! Not perfect, but better. Pretty strange. I also noticed that when I hook up a timing light to the #1 plug wire, the timing mark on the balancer shows up at the 12 o' clock position. So thats why my timing marks never lined up. Interesting.
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305s were timed with the mark near 12 o'clock. Is there a timing tab at 12 o'clock as well (attached to the timing chain cover)? You need to know for certain where your mark should be at TDC.
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No, there's no tab on the timing cover. I guess O'Reilly's sold me the wrong balancer.(not surprised) This afternoon, just for kicks I installed one of those curve kits for the distributor. I only installed the strongest springs, which were the gold ones and it actually gave the engine some kick that I could feel! Pretty cool. It revs higher now and seems to pull stronger. I only used the springs from the kit because the weights looked kinda cheap compared to the existing ones. Still shakes at idle though, just not as bad... Or maybe I'm just used to it. 8)
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my 350 was running bad after a trip to the mud pit shaking stalling and all once I could take off it wanted to pop and be all sluggish thought it was a cylinder going bad or something turns out I got something in the carb causing it to not have enough fuel swapped out carbs and now she runs strong just some tuning to do with the carb since it was used