My 302 Won't start!

[Jim Oaks]

Still might need to be pulled apart and cleaned though. Have to get rid of that stumble when I hit the gas. Engine has great vacuum though.

The hesitation is the same damn problem I had before I sent the older series Holley back for an exchange.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Ford V-8s like the advance as far as possible without pinging at high speeds. Advance the timing until it pings at hiway speeds when you give it WOT. then back off until it stops pinging. Dont worry about base timing it will take care of itself once you syncronize the idle air with timing advance. Start off at 6 dbtdc base timing and adjust the idle air for the highest vacuum pressure possible. Your hesitation could be it is too lean on the idle air. Just keep advancing the timing and adjusting the idle air until you get a slight ping at WOT then back off the timing a little. Allways adjust the idle air either with a vacuum guage or a tach for the highest rpm or pressure every time you adjust the timing then count the turns in then back out and confirm they are within 1/2 turn between them. You can put about 4 ozs of acetone into the tank for a couple fillups to dissolve any varnish in the fuel system just make sure you run the tank almost empty between treatments.

 

[Twister]

Weird. I am having the same problem with my 2.8 that is durasparked , except mine wont start at all . I hope you figure it out, i will stay tuned, maybe you have the same problem i do.

 

[shane96ranger]

Sounds to me like your accelerator pump might be taking a dump on you. Did you let it sit for a while with fuel that eventually dried out? My 85 GT had some issues similar to yours and it wound up being the accelerator pump. I had to spray starter fluid or put fuel in i to start it every time though (unless it was only a few minutes), and it also had a bad hesitation/stumble off idle.

My fix was to buy a new Edelbrock carb.

Also, I found this link for some tuning tips for the Avenger carb if you are interested:

http://4x4mecca.com/tech_article/holley-truck-avenger-tips-roading

 

[Jim Oaks]

Had crap floating around in the accellerator pump when I removed it, but all the passeges everywhere seem clean and clear.

 

[Will]

Stumble=lean. Provided the carb is know to be in good, clean shape, if you are getting a good Christian-sized squirt of fuel through the nozzles, it's probably the next thing in line at fault. A faulty accelerator pump usually kills the engine. If it is stumbling around, but not dying, it's probably the intermediate circuit. I'd like to know what power valve is in that carb. If the manifold pressure isn't dropping enough to open the valve, it will starve.

If the carb's been sitting a while, it probably needs taken apart and blasted out. If the truck sits, use fuel stabilizer so the fuel doesn't get nasty and gum everything up.

A Holley is not my favorite carb. It's got too many gaskets and diaphragms and seals. You have to take too much of it apart to tune it. The fuel bowls are sideways and gas pours out all over the place. A proper carb, you take the lid off and the fuel stays in the bowls. You can change the jets without dumping gas all over your hot engine.

I would have an AFB on that truck and record the sound of that Holley striking the inside of the dumpster and use it as a ringtone on my phone. The best carb, though, is a Weber. They don't make one for your manifold, though.

 

[shane96ranger]

I would have an AFB on that truck and record the sound of that Holley striking the inside of the dumpster and use it as a ringtone on my phone. The best carb, though, is a Weber. They don't make one for your manifold, though.

I got tired of dicking with the Holley all the time. I would have grenaded into a dumpster if a guy at work hadn't offered me 50 bucks for it. I loved my Edelbrock (same thing as a Carter/AFB) because like you said, you can make adjustments and changes with much less effort.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I originally had an Edelbrock carb. I added the offroad kit, but it still sucked. I bought the Holley because it works at extreme angles.

 

[Jim Oaks]

UPDATE:

Yesterday I put the carb back together. When I pulled the accellerator pump there was crap in it. I sprayed out all the lines and found that the valve under the nozzle (where the gas comes out from the accellerator pump) was stuck closed.

Got it all back together and on the motor and it starts right up, and revs up with hesitating/stumbling.

It did backfire through the carb once or twice though. May still have a slight timing, weak ignition issue.

Oh ya, remember the timing issue? I turned the motor over by hand clockwise to get it to TDC, and then put the plug wires on in the right order, but clockwise. I forgot the dizzy turned counterclockwise.

I might have to jump all the wires ahead one spot and reset the timing. I have the distributor up against the water neck, and it seems like I need to turn it a little more for better timing, but can't go any further. I tried moving the distributor one tooth, but can't get the teeth to mesh.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

you can turn the dizzy one tooth but the oil pump drive will keep it from dropping down all the way just click the starter until the dizzy falls down with light pressure. moving the wires will work but you need to remember it every time you check the firing order. You sound close tho just remember you will need to adjust the idle air every time you tweak the timing. Get it to ping on the upper end and back off a degree at a time until it dont ping when you put the skinny pedal to the floor.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I've been wondering how this carb spacer was going to affect the tuning, and if I'll have to make any changes to compensate for the 2-inch open spacer.

 

[93 Ohio Ranger]

Them spacers really shouldnt play with it. Have you made sure the timing is correct? Good spark? And a problem in my eyes is the holly carb, my friend had a offroad one on a 302 in a f150 and it was complete junk.