#@* POS HOLLEY CARB!!!!

[R.Smith]

OK, now that I've got everyones attention....

I recently installed a brand new Holley 1850 series 4bbl on my 390. The truck ran fine for about 3 weeks and then, over the course of about a week, steadily went to *%^@ until it would barely run at all. I went thru everything...electrical, new fuel pump...plugs, points, everything. Except the brand new Holley. I even had a friend who is a BG additives rep run tests on the gas. Finally we concluded it had to be the Holley so, I removed it and took it apart.

Inside the forward fuel bowl the walls were flaking off like old paint! This wasn't build up...this was whatever the coating is they put on at the factory. And it's not fuel related because the rear fuel bowl and the rest of the carb is fine. I showed it to another friend wh teaches meatalurgy at a local college and he says it looks like it wasn't prepped right before coating at the factory. There's obvious oxidation UNDER the coating in the areas that are flaking...which, of cours, found it's way ito the idle circuit. It's literally flaking off in some areas of the bowl but, fine in other areas of the same bowl. I spent a few hours with dental picks chipping off all the loose flakes and reinstalled it. Truck runs great...for now.

Has anyone ever had a problem like this? I've never been so pissed off in my life.

[DuckRyder]

That is frustrating.

I would strongly advise calling Holley Tuesday (if you can't today)

[R.Smith]

I've already sent them an email that ended with the sentence "this is the kind of thing that makes die hard Edelbrock fans".

[fitzwell]

Buddy of mine just had an experience like that with an Ancient o1850-2. Seems as tho' it might be something in the fuel attacking the internals. I'm sure the smae thing happens to the edelbreak guys, they just dont notice the carb runs any worse than "normal" ....

[R.Smith]

This was a brand new carb. Also, if the fuel caused the problem in the front bowl, why did it not cause the same damage in the rear bowl?

[george worley]

It will only get worse with time. Where did you get it, if it's from a store I would take it back and demand they give you a new one. Don't settle for fixing yours the carb may do the same thing on some other part after it is to late to get it replaced. I bought a new 3310 from a local shop and had problems with abad casting on the primary bowl. They replaced the carb no problem.

[averagef250]

On a brighter note, the engine builder I use returns atleast one in three edelbrock carbs as untunable on the dyno.

Most current manufactured carbs are poorer quality than days past because demand is so much lower and corners are being cut. If you want a good holley shell out for an HP series. They are built to a much finer degree than the standard issue versions, but they are rather proud of them.

[suavematt]

Buddy of mine just had an experience like that with an Ancient o1850-2. Seems as tho' it might be something in the fuel attacking the internals. I'm sure the smae thing happens to the edelbreak guys, they just dont notice the carb runs any worse than "normal" ....

stuff like that sucks man... back when I drove my 72' Stang I got a brand new Holley silver-series 500cfm "chokeless" 2bbl carb' & it ran good for 2 days. I took it back & told the guy to give me an edelbrock.. Thankfully, (for my sake ) He told me he'd give me the same carb' off the shelf & to see if it did the same... so, reluctantly, I took the other new one & gave him my old one... bolted it on & drove away.. never had another problem with it & used it on 4 different old fords in the next 5 yrs & it never had a problem with any of em ... Hard to say why some carbs end up good & some bad. But I've seen both in Holley, Edelbrock, Carter, Weber, etc... I would def' tell them you want a new carb' no questions ask.
Unless their a special breed... they should get ya a new carb' no problem.

~ Suave'

[ToughOldFord]

There's a reason POS and Holley are used together so often.

[fitzwell]

There's a reason POS and Holley are used together so often.

usually by people that can't..... not gonna go there

Agreed, the new Holley's aren't as good as an old 01850-2, but... I still see those units at the swap meets for 15-25 bucks, usually buried in crud & oil. Check the #'s, throw a holley kit in, and you're good to go. The 4180 on my 69 is capable of 16-18 mpg, and can return 14 mpg with a load running at 65-70.

Too bad it's gonna get injected in the next month or so

[R.Smith]

I called my local speed shop and it turns out Holley issed a recall some time back for this specific problem....defective castings.

Now my problem is that I didn't personally purchase the carb. I bought an entire 68 f100 because the owner had a pile of new parts he'd never installed...headers, edelbrock intake and this carb. I guess I get to track him dowm and pray he kept the reciept.

[ToughOldFord]

There's a reason POS and Holley are used together so often.

usually by people that can't..... not gonna go there

Agreed, the new Holley's aren't as good as an old 01850-2, but... I still see those units at the swap meets for 15-25 bucks, usually buried in crud & oil. Check the #'s, throw a holley kit in, and you're good to go. The 4180 on my 69 is capable of 16-18 mpg, and can return 14 mpg with a load running at 65-70.

Too bad it's gonna get injected in the next month or so

Whatever dude, I've wrenched on enough carbs to recognize a bad design when I see it. And even if you take a turd and fine tune it to run okay it's still a turd.

[70shortwide]

you might just call holley. they may honor it without a reciept. just tell them you dont have the receipt and its only been on your truck for a few weeks

[papabug71]

I would call them. Keep your cool & tell them what happened. They might just send you a new one. Who knows.


& sending a e-mail praising the competition is never a good move. Call them & talk to a human.

[montana_hiboy]

Not to start a holley vs. edelbrock debate but i prefer edelbrocks, buy the edelbrock strip kit (metering rods, springs, jets,etc) and expirement with it and dial in the carb to suit YOUR engine/truck, it's half the cost of a holley and performs just as well when tuned correctly.