tuning 500 Holley

I fitted a redline intake and 500 Holley (list #4412) to my car over the weekend but i'm having trouble with the tune up. I've set the float and fitted #75 jets and a 8.5 power valve as it was running really lean but it's still lean. i've can't seem to find any vacum leaks and i'm getting -40 kpa (15in of Hg?) at idle.

sounds like it's idling a tad high and just bogs down on hard aceleration. on light aceleration it's not bad but coughs and splutters under load. After a quick once round the block the extractors are glowing red and the plugs are a bit sooty except for the top of the insulator and the side electrode which are clean.

the specs are
reco 78DA HC short block
XE HF-4 Alloy head (match ported)
extractors
redline intake with 500 holley

fitted to my XC 4spd sedan with 3.23 gears any suggestions? i not sure what to do next as this is my first time tuning a holley
thanks

Sure your dizzy's advancing fully?

Carburation reflects the state of your exhast! There is an exhast problem, I bet.

I know it's got headers, but make sure the link to an exhast that isn't restrictive.

The total advance can't be more than 36 degrees total with a timing light with an alloy head on a cast iron block. Increased chamber filling runs a warmed up Ford engine closer to detonation. Forget the balancer, and pull out no 1 and check the real position of 9 btdc. I think you set it at 9 btdc at 1200 with the vac advance off.

The fuel pumps tend to go on holiday with Fords. The diaphram collaspes, and you get all sorts of drivablity problems. Especially if it's been laid up.

The jets you need to run when you have a good exhast are no more than 65 to 68.

Something is screwy if you have to run 220 hp of jetting.
Any time you have a free breathing exhast, you need to go for 31 or 34 squirters, and dial down the mains. Others suggest dialing up the main jets, and keeping the stock 25 or 28 squirters. I don't agree.

The float level must be within spec.
The fuel must been clean as,
the float and needle and set in good shape,
and the stock power valve must be in good shape.
There is a cam setting for the acclerator pump.
-The position 2 seems to work best.

Get into the basic checks on exhast and ignition, then hit the carb.

I'am running a similar setup with the 500 - 4412.. the jet size I'am using are 68

Joip

thanks for the feedback guys i hadn't even thought about the timing! made a big difference but i still haven't got it sorted. the muffler on the car is the one i blew up welded back up just for something temporary. could that be causing any dramas i did have the whole system off the car and it wasn't blocked anywhere.

i've put the #73's back in the carb and the car is running better but it surges then hessitates on heavy acceleration and the plugs look the same. i've got a set of #66 jets should i give them a try? or get a set #70-71's first?

Also joip - what power valve are you using and did you need to make any changes to the accelerator pump?

thanks guys

i have found that where the mixture screws go into the carb there are a small "cork" which seals the screws so they dont suck air.this may make it run a bit lean,i have found some holleys hard to tune unless you change these first.i don't know if this is wrong with your car but there around $1 each,maybe worth a try.

With the power jet i don't know, it came off a 250, the bloke I brought it off had it done up and had only done appox 7000 km, he was getting a 4 barrell, I did have problems on take off was like flooding, was either Addo or xtaxi that help me (probably both) also I used an AU accelerator cable as the XE one was short and use the ends from the XE cable and put them on the AU cable and made my own brackets

Joip

thanks again guys i'm getting closer. SONNY you were spot on, the mixture srews and cork plugs were stuffed! replaced those, stepped it down to #71's, moved the accelerator cam to the #2 position and cleaned the plugs. now it's smooth as, but is still surging at low revs and blowing a bit of smoke when i boot it. i'm gonna get some #68-69's on my way to work tonight.

ok i've put the #69 jets in and its running really strong, but i'm not sure about the idle. what rpm should it be at? it currently swings between 800-1100rpm. Also it hesitates a bit under full throttle, i'm thinking maybe the power valve isn't right? it's got a 8.5Hg in it, i was thinking of trying a 10.5-12.5 what do you guys think, am i going in the right direction or should i try a 6.5Hg? the plugs are clean with a very, very slight tan color on the insulator.

Other than that it's running a fair amount hotter is this normal? it's not over heating but it's an increase.

thanks guys

My progessive 500 holley was just tuned by my mechanic and to my suprise he left in the jets from the sprint car it cam from 73/76. He told me they came with 55 and/73 std.

It goes hard now compared to the weber and has no prob braking traction.

This week is the first time i have filled it up so we'll see how many km i get to a full tank.

The best thing about the progessive carb is no bogging down like typical 500's.

Pete

2nd-gunman, make sure you have at least 6-7 # of fuel pressure to these holley carbs. They thrive on fuel pressure & proper volume.
If you think you are still rich on acceration you can try the orange pump cam in the # 2 position, you may have too much pump shot.
These holley are crisp in response if properly jetted. most everybody goes too rich with these carbs. don't be afraid to jet down & try a 6.5 power valve. you have to be a real carb tuner, but when you get it right they are crisp in response. Good luck William
Here is a post on automatic chokes for the holley.
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19141

Hey guys I'm new here and don't no how to post a new topic sorry for adding on to this one but I have a ford cortina 250 crossflow it has 14650 crowcam been advanced 2degrees on the crank has 1.73 rollers rocker 292 diff gears heads been port and polish bigger valves pacemakers 2and 1/4 inces Exhus and has a 500 Holley with a 4.5 power valve is only a 2 window 73 jets 25 pump jets and a 50cc pump kit on it and it's not getting enuf fuel any suggestions would be really helpfull thanks

Are you sure you need more fuel, I wouldnt have thought a 500 holley as a lean thing.
Thats a pretty strong cam, especially with your axle ratio, is it manual or auto trans? If your auto it must be pretty hard to manage.
A 500 holley is almost too big as a two barrel. The large size of the venturis is not the right thing for the cam, youd be better off with something like a smaller 4 barrell, say 465 -600cfm, that has smaller venturis.
Ive tried a 500 two barrel on a camy six and it was poop, i ended up with a much smaller cam, and eventually i went to triple Dellortos with the big cam again.
Id give the setup some thought, check out your advance curve, if you,ve got a vacuum advance it probably doesnt work too well with the low MAP.

A7M

Hey mate thanks for ur reply it's a manual and yer need more fuel I had a 465 on it before the 500 but the 465 kept going lean on the first 2 throats and got told that it's the type of cam that need the fuel and air in one go rarther then 2 separate staggers. the dizzy has been setup just to run manual advance the vacuum part wasn't setup for it and it has about 16 degrees of advance and 26 total timing