Holley Carb Woes - DCDoug Pay Attention (Long Post)

[RICK LAKE]

patrickt Pat are you running ANY rubber hoses from the fuel tank to the carb? Where are your fuel filters at and is there ANy rubber hoses after it?
Pat over the last 1.5 years there has been a problem popping up with lawnmowers, tractors, COBRAS, and racecars with idle problem. It doesn't matter if it's a carb or FI system. Injector fare better because of the extra fine screens on the inlet side of them. The rubber is breaking down inside the hose and mirco particals are clogging up everything. Sometimes the spes can be seen and are black, brown, or off white with a good magnetifling glass. All lines in my car are SS but where the fuel pumps go to there mounting plate. I have had to replace the hose all ready. You may need to look at any rubber hose on the fuel system needing replacement if this problem pops up again. As far as coatings on Holley carbs. I have not seen this coating problem happen with new carbs. I have seen problem with old carbs and the coatings are missing or peeling off.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RICK LAKE

Where are your fuel filters at and is there ANy rubber hoses after it?

Fuel filter at the back adjacent to the tank; rubber hoses on each side. Another rubber hose at the fuel pump (pics below). Will there be anything visible on the outside of the hose to tip me off?

[Ron61]

Patrickt,

No, the outside of the hose will look just like it always did. I put a glass type fuel filter right before my carb and only had about a 3" rubber line to connect it to the carb. I have had problems with my weed eater, lawnmowers, and tractor cutting out and that was what it was.

Ron

[CobraEd]

Originally Posted by Ron61

Patrickt,

I have had problems with my weed eater, lawnmowers, and tractor cutting out and that was what it was.

Ron

I always put fuel filters on my lawn mower, snow blower, edger, etc etc. I put them on all my kids tools too. Once you do this they will run fine for the life of the device. 99.9% of all small engine problems are dirty carbs. Because these are such small engines, they require very little fuel. As a result the jets in the carb are about the diameter of a human hair and the clog up very very easily. Put a fuel filter on it and it will start right up and run great until the unit simply wears out from age. Small engine repair shops make their whole living by "fixing" peoples lawn mowers when it is nothing more than dirty/clogged carbs.


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[Ron61]

Ed,

I have filters on everything now but the weed eater and it is going to be hard to find one that I can fit into that tiny space and short fuel line. I am looking for some of that gray fuel line that is supposed to stand up better to the ethanol.

Ron

[aspenbubba]

Hey Patrick,

How are you ? Are you coming to the Pig Roast next week?

I could ask Doug what gasoline you use but I wanted to go to the source. I have a 351 -W with a Holley in a non-ERA and one of my fellow drivers warned me about the ethanol problem. He has the same set-up.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by aspenbubba

Are you coming to the Pig Roast next week?

I could ask Doug what gasoline you use but I wanted to go to the source. I have a 351 -W with a Holley in a non-ERA and one of my fellow drivers warned me about the ethanol problem. He has the same set-up.

A Pig Roast sounds like fun. Is that over at Scott's house? I'll log in on the local and see the thread. The gas I use is always 93 Octane, and generally Exxon, Shell, Sunoco, etc. But they always say they have ethanol in them. I don't think you can find non-RFG (reformulated gasoline) in the DC/NoVA area. The Holley 4160 is really dirt-sensitive. In fact, unless something like a Power Valve fails (and they don't really blow out much anymore), or an accelerator pump fails, there's not that much to do with them other than keep them clean. Once you get them set up right, they'll stay that way pretty much forever... until a spec of dirt gets in. If I'm at the pig roast I'll show you the air bleed cleaning. You have to be careful on a hot car though. I zip-tied my throttle wide open so I could peek down it with a flashlight when I squirted the cleaner down the air bleed. That way you can actually see it coming out down at the idle hole. Then I closed off the idle mixture screws and did it again so the pressure blows out the little air holes down the tube. Then just set the idle mixture and idle and *presto* the engine's good as new. BTW, the idle circuit is not just for idling -- it affects your low-speed drivability quite a bit.

[Ronbo]

Originally Posted by Ron61

Ed,

I have filters on everything now but the weed eater and it is going to be hard to find one that I can fit into that tiny space and short fuel line. I am looking for some of that gray fuel line that is supposed to stand up better to the ethanol.

Ron

Polyethylene or polypropylene tubing is what you want, should have it at Home Depot or Lowes.

Pat, For fuel lines you can use the teflon lined rubber hose that's commonly used for propane Grills.

[CobraEd]

Originally Posted by Ron61

Ed,

I have filters on everything now but the weed eater and it is going to be hard to find one that I can fit into that tiny space and short fuel line. I am looking for some of that gray fuel line that is supposed to stand up better to the ethanol.

Ron

Ron,

I long ago stopped using my weed eater. I "edge" all the borders in my front and back yard with GRASS & Weed killer spray. Do it once in the spring and all of your borders are edged for the year.


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