holley 80457 wont idle

[Fairlane514]

If your gauge was leaking then you also affected the engine with a small vacuum leak at the same time. You can try adjusting them again without a gauge so no vacuum leak is occurring.

Also try a new power valve. As others have suggested it may be blown and just flooding the idle circuit with fuel.

You should also be able to place your hand over the choke horn and kill the motor. If not, you have a vacuum leak somewhere.

 

[Bferrari]

Float may be sticking, have you replaced the float valve?

 

[lowbush]

I have not replaced any of the internals, I just pulled it apart and cleaned it up. I replaced the PCV and the vacuum lines as cheap insurance but that had no effect. Also put my hand over the carb and it choked it out and died, so I think it is clear of any vacuum leaks. Who makes the best rebuild kit for this thing, I think it is time to just go thru it and replace everything and start from square one. Thing is it was pretty varnished inside but I cleaned it out really well, every port I could find I made sure cleaner would flow thru it freely. I am assuming if the float was sticking I would get fuel poring out the view port when I open it, correct?

 

[pcf_mark]

Holley makes a good kit but so does Summit, Jegs, etc. Before you take it apart get the vacuum gage sorted out and see if you can get steady vacuum. If not you have some other internal problem or timing issue. If near stock it should be steady between 15 - 17" of vacuum.

As someone pointed out if it was leaking fuel you should be able to see it dropping into the carb barrels. With it running and a pair of safety glasses on look down into the barrels. if fuel is dripping from the venturis (the things sticking into the center of the air stream) you have a bad needle and seat, internal passage problem or leaking power valve.

Are you using a good fuel filter? If you have fuel dripping a quick fix can be to remove the needle and seat from the bowl and clean it out without even taking the carb apart. You loosen the screw on top and turn the nut until the whole assembly comes out. Count the turns as you remove it and put it back in the same number and you should be good to start up.

 

[lowbush]

Are you using a good fuel filter? If you have fuel dripping a quick fix can be to remove the needle and seat from the bowl and clean it out without even taking the carb apart. You loosen the screw on top and turn the nut until the whole assembly comes out. Count the turns as you remove it and put it back in the same number and you should be good to start up.

Yeah a real nice one, it's that clear glass marine one the auto parts stores sell, I tend to buy top of the line parts for my builds so most everything is at least average quality or better. I will see if it is dripping and I will put the gauge back on it, the hose that I was using was a little loose so I think the erratic measurement was coming from it pulling air from around the hose seal. Since I changed out all the vacuum hoses I have a length of the right size hose that I can hook up to the gauge to ensure a good seal. I am correct in assuming that the gauge should not bounce at all? But I have to pull the plugs and un-foul them again.

The thing that suck is that I was lazy and since I did not do that much stuff with carb'ed vehicles, I would just take the cab off, take it over to my grandfather and he would get it straight and hand it back to me. He came home on Hosipice last night, and is unresponsive today, and will probably pass by tomorrow, I was hoping that he would be responsive today so I could just yank it off and take it over there, and get one last wrench turn with him. He raised me, he is like my father and he taught me everything I know. Unfortunately I never learned carb's because he knew them. So screwing with this carb right now sucks in a lot of ways.

 

[broncnaz]

Carbs are easier than you think. But it would be a good project to do with your grandpa. While I can say for a fact but all the carb cleaner you used may have damaged the diaphragm in the power valve so it could just be leaking. Id get a rebuild kit and go through it again. They usually come with instructions so its not that bad.
Id recommend removing that glass fuel filter unless you have it mounted someplace where it wont move. They can bounce around break and burn your truck down.