sick of my holley

jester77 · Feb 3, 2009

I'm sick of my holley- not to diss it too bad, but I have had it with trying to make this cold blooded animal run well!!!!

I'm switching to a motorcraft 2100/2150 I have checked out another board (sorry) and they seem to preach the value of a 1978 Pinto 2.8 liter carb, or the use of 1972 Bronco carb?? Really thinking about the Pinto carb (bolt on, hook up and go)

I found a motorcraft today at pull a part for $11 bucks- but it came from a 1977 ford ranchero- 1.21 stamped on the side which it means it's a 351 cfm carb???? Can this thing work or is it my "Core charge" What should I do to this thing.... is there other jets???? :icon_twisted:

Lifted2x · Feb 4, 2009

You dont want that carb its too big. Find any carb with the 1.08 on the side they work perfect. They came on all kinds of cars, even check the V8's. The one on my truck is a 1.08 from a granada 302 and it actually had one size smaller jets than my original. Just make sure it has the aluminum tag so you can get the right rebuild kit.

Jorley · Feb 4, 2009

The original carb on mine had 1.08(287 cfm) stamped on it. I found one off of a 330 V8 truck engine. The part I like about it, is that it has a manual choke. It is working out pretty good, but I think the jets are just a tad too big. It was a simple bolt on.

skippy · Feb 4, 2009

jester77 said:
I'm sick of my holley- not to diss it too bad, but I have had it with trying to make this cold blooded animal run well!!!!

I'm switching to a motorcraft 2100/2150 I have checked out another board (sorry) and they seem to preach the value of a 1978 Pinto 2.8 liter carb, or the use of 1972 Bronco carb?? Really thinking about the Pinto carb (bolt on, hook up and go)

I found a motorcraft today at pull a part for $11 bucks- but it came from a 1977 ford ranchero- 1.21 stamped on the side which it means it's a 351 cfm carb???? Can this thing work or is it my "Core charge" What should I do to this thing.... is there other jets????

I got the 79 pinto carb from autozone for $179,rebuilt by Holley, its a Motorcraft 2150.I had problems with the idle being rough and rich as hell.I finally figured out the lean/rich needles were too short,swaped the ones from my original smog carb and it settled down great.I also found the float to be better built and with a sring assist in the old carb,swapped it in as well.

My original carb had #50 jets,the new one has #47 jets.I plan to do more testing this weekend as it's going into the mid 60s weatherwise.It has Lots of power!

CRAZ28 · Feb 5, 2009

Honestly there is nothing wrong with that Holley, after a manual choke and about 25 minutes of fine tuning it runs great. It starts in -15 degree weather and doesn't stall. Put the time in to tune and time it right and u won't hav to spend any money

BlackBII · Feb 5, 2009

I had a Holley on my old 2.8, ran perfect with some tuning, like CRAZ28 said.

What are your symptoms? What is it doing?

Capt Jay · Feb 5, 2009

jester77 said:
I found a motorcraft today at pull a part for $11 bucks- but it came from a 1977 ford ranchero- 1.21 stamped on the side which it means it's a 351 cfm carb???? Can this thing work or is it my "Core charge" What should I do to this thing.... is there other jets????

You mail that carb to me. That's what you do. That has to be one of the best off road carbs ever built. It runs at ALL angles. If you want to get rid of it just pm me. Sold.

jester77 · Feb 5, 2009

I bought my Holley off of some guy on ebay that said he was some rebuild shop I think in colorado?? It shows up and it's not gold, it's anodized green???? The drivers side of the carb has a (I think) a kickdown lever that is installed backwards so it doesn't hook on the main throttle, I change the mains to a 56 jet and start trying to get it to run.... It doesn't have idle mixture screws,it has these air adjustment screws??? I get my self set a 10 degrees btdc and start trying to make it work, every time I hit the gas it revs really high like the accelerator pump is washing things down, the choke doesn't work worth a damn cause it needs some heat line going to the manifold that I don't have and when I start it cold it dies for the first ten minutes or so till it's warmed up real nice, then occasionally it still dies whenever I pull up to a light so I always give it a quick goose right when I stop to keep it on the pump a bit.......I've thought of buying a rebuild kit but wtf... it was supposed to be a rebuilt by a pro carb.

:shok:

jester77 · Feb 12, 2009

I went to a buy a motorcraft from a 78 pinto to replace my holley and there was a carb guy there. I love experts...???? Never know. He told me he thought it might just be water in the gas, so sputtering home I go. Put some heet in the gas tank, take the carb apart, clean it with carb cleaner and put it back together, starts!!!

Thats a good sign

Still sputtering and dying alot, so I just start screwing with the timing.... let me think, I turn the distributer counterclockwise.... thats advancing it... truck idles really well!!! WOW!!! Too much advance and it dies off a bit, retard a bit and idles great, retart a little more and sputtering and a little miss happening in the sound, advance a bit moe.... better.... a bit more..... better......time to take it for a spin.

Test drive time. Down the road, seems real sluggish in response, not much power happening, jump out- retard a bit.... drive.... better power, better response.... take it home cause it's now dark.

Time for work, 0400 in the morning...... pump gas no start.....pump pump pump pump.... start and head to work.... truck kind of gasping...... cold morning on the freeway...... engine and truck bucking so badly it feels like I have lost my shimmy damper....... finally smooths out enough to get to work.

Leave work.... retard ignition a bit more, head out, bucking bad again, jump out and retard a bit more.... we are now where I started yesterday.... pump pump pump get started, keep running.... good power.... dies as soon as I come off the gas.... keep revved at the lights and get home.......

god I wish I would have bought the 2004 f150 last month...... but then I would be like every other pu&&y out on the road....... :thefinger:

So- go buy the damn motorcraft.... or keep f-ing with the holley. What happens when you blow a powervalve???? :shok:

skippy · Feb 12, 2009

jester77 said:
I went to a buy a motorcraft from a 78 pinto to replace my holley and there was a carb guy there. I love experts...???? Never know. He told me he thought it might just be water in the gas, so sputtering home I go. Put some heet in the gas tank, take the carb apart, clean it with carb cleaner and put it back together, starts!!!

Thats a good sign

Still sputtering and dying alot, so I just start screwing with the timing.... let me think, I turn the distributer counterclockwise.... thats advancing it... truck idles really well!!! WOW!!! Too much advance and it dies off a bit, retard a bit and idles great, retart a little more and sputtering and a little miss happening in the sound, advance a bit moe.... better.... a bit more..... better......time to take it for a spin.

Test drive time. Down the road, seems real sluggish in response, not much power happening, jump out- retard a bit.... drive.... better power, better response.... take it home cause it's now dark.

Time for work, 0400 in the morning...... pump gas no start.....pump pump pump pump.... start and head to work.... truck kind of gasping...... cold morning on the freeway...... engine and truck bucking so badly it feels like I have lost my shimmy damper....... finally smooths out enough to get to work.

Leave work.... retard ignition a bit more, head out, bucking bad again, jump out and retard a bit more.... we are now where I started yesterday.... pump pump pump get started, keep running.... good power.... dies as soon as I come off the gas.... keep revved at the lights and get home.......

god I wish I would have bought the 2004 f150 last month...... but then I would be like every other pu&&y out on the road.......

So- go buy the damn motorcraft.... or keep f-ing with the holley. What happens when you blow a powervalve????

You put in a 6.5 power valve,ask for a 65.I'm running #57 jets and slowly stepping down,looking for "just right"

jester77 · Feb 13, 2009

bought the rebuilt 78 pinto carb from parts america (schucks) should be in tomorrow morning, try to put it on tomorrow night or sunday. If it runs great I'll have a holley 350 for sale :icon_twisted:

Will · Feb 13, 2009

Sorry about all that trouble. Carbs are bastards when they are old. Some have been cycled through the caustic tanks in the Mexico rebuild facilities there's no telling if the casting is still good. They just throw it back together with new soft parts and hope it works for you. If it doesn't, they trade it and send the core back down for another bath in the tank. It's not a rebuild or a repair, it's a casting destruction factory that only required 70% of the product to be functional for the business to succeed.

A new carb is always good. Fuel injection is always good too. And fuel injection leaves no mysteries like old whipped carb cores do.

85general · Mar 5, 2009

idk man my holley 350 is amazing best thing i ever did to the truck i have i thiiiink 65 jets in it not to sure dunno which ones i stuck with it was a while back but it fires right up in the morning an idles jus fine never carbs out really either even with my custom zip tie choke lol took awhile to get it tuned right though but i like it alot

Matt Schall · Mar 15, 2009

Hey Jester,
Try this, look at the throttle lever where the cale hooks on.there will be an actuator cam for the accelerator pump.on alot of those including the new one i had on my old truck,it needed a different cam profile on it.it was barley moving the accelerator pump.Not enough fuel to start it ,but once i did get it going and warm it ran great..after addressing this I just left the choke open Permanantly.I live in ohio and i drive 70 miles a day.the truck never failed to start even at 0 degrees.I did jet it down though although how far i cant remember.it was also a bone stock 2.8. On my current 2.8 i run a 2150 [1.21]. what i did was change out the main venturi to ones from a 1.08 carb.and also used the powervalve from the same carb.I run a comp cam ,headers and such but the truck runs very well.17-18 mpg with 33s and a 4spd .the issue isnt cfm,its getting the air speed moving fast enough to atomize the fuel and proper jetting..Youll also want to modify your egr plate to work with the throttle plates.anlgle them so its a gradual transition from the base of the carb to the manifold.if you dont do this the air has a sharp ledge to get around also fuel can pool there. hope this helps .good luck
matt

skippy · Mar 24, 2009

skippy said:
You put in a 6.5 power valve,ask for a 65.I'm running #57 jets and slowly stepping down,looking for "just right"

Down to #53 jets in the 350 and Idles smooth,lots of power and best of all,18 to 19 mpg.Get-r-done!

sick of my holley

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

Ranger Custom

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

Forum Staff Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Amazon Deals