What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Tired of my Holley. Frustrated and need advice

buffblazer

buffblazer

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Posts
2,419
Reaction score
9
Location
Fort Collins Colorado
Built my 350 for my 86 blazer last year. Tried a holley truck avenger and don't like it. Was thinking of either going back to my Edlebrock or maybe fuel injection.

I have hardly any cash to play with so if I go fuel injection it will most likely be a throttle body off a junkyard truck.

What all do I need to steal from the throttle body truck to to put on mine and is there An adapter since i don't have vortec heads?

What would I look to spend to get a full throttle body setup?
 
buffblazer said:
Built my 350 for my 86 blazer last year. Tried a holley truck avenger and don't like it. Was thinking of either going back to my Edlebrock or maybe fuel injection.

I have hardly any cash to play with so if I go fuel injection it will most likely be a throttle body off a junkyard truck.

What all do I need to steal from the throttle body truck to to put on mine and is there An adapter since i don't have vortec heads?

What would I look to spend to get a full throttle body setup?
Click to expand...

get a TPI setup from a corvette or F-body
 
Holley falls on it's face at 2200-3500 rpm under full throttle. Everything is tuned properly. Had 3 different shops look at it and they can't figure it out either. Even had one shop keep it for a week and not charge me cause they have no clue.

On the road it falls on it's face. Load it on a chassis dyno and it won't act up.

Been that way since the carb was new.
 
Autozone has q-jets and there you can bring it back if you don't like it. You have too look up part numbers in advance because they don't always know what they actually sell.
 
Yep, go Q-jet! Edelbrock may even still sale the rebuilt Q-jet stuff. Not sure. Been a few years since I last bought mine. But, looking at their website, they don't show any. Either way, You'll be much happier with one.
 
I'm gonna buck the trend slightly, and say don't get a Q-jet.
Or anything else.
Its possible for a carb to have something fundamentally wrong with it that rebuilds will not cure.
Warped body, bad casting in a fuel runner, something like that, but its rare.

I would stop working on it for a while and investigate other things. Fuel pressure, for instance.
A weak fuel pump could cause the exact same symptoms.
As could ignition problems, EGR problems or a stopped up exhaust.
Or even vacuum leaks.

I would borrow a fuel pressure gauge with a long hose so that it can be read while driving, and watch the pressure when it falls on its face.
Checking for problems with the EGR valve, and possibly blocking off the vacuum line so that it cannot open long enough for a test run, would help.

I don't know if you have an O2 sensor port, but if you do, pulling it and hooking a pressure gauge there will show a blockage if it exists.

A smoke test would reveal any vacuum leaks.

Having someone with an ignition scope check your system might show a problem. Or you could pull the distributor cap and check to see if you have a wobble in the shaft . Or change out the ignition module.

Do all that, and its a good chance that you will find the problem and it will not be the carb after all.
If so, then you can fix it and have a truck that drives like its supposed to.


THEN buy the Q-Jet.........
 
Fordum said:
I'm gonna buck the trend slightly, and say don't get a Q-jet.
Or anything else.
Its possible for a carb to have something fundamentally wrong with it that rebuilds will not cure.
Warped body, bad casting in a fuel runner, something like that, but its rare.

I would stop working on it for a while and investigate other things. Fuel pressure, for instance.
A weak fuel pump could cause the exact same symptoms.
As could ignition problems, EGR problems or a stopped up exhaust.
Or even vacuum leaks.

I would borrow a fuel pressure gauge with a long hose so that it can be read while driving, and watch the pressure when it falls on its face.
Checking for problems with the EGR valve, and possibly blocking off the vacuum line so that it cannot open long enough for a test run, would help.

I don't know if you have an O2 sensor port, but if you do, pulling it and hooking a pressure gauge there will show a blockage if it exists.

A smoke test would reveal any vacuum leaks.

Having someone with an ignition scope check your system might show a problem. Or you could pull the distributor cap and check to see if you have a wobble in the shaft . Or change out the ignition module.

Do all that, and its a good chance that you will find the problem and it will not be the carb after all.
If so, then you can fix it and have a truck that drives like its supposed to.


THEN buy the Q-Jet.........
Click to expand...

completly agree with you on checking before buying..........but :D thats why im here, i have checked everything. the truck runs like a dream. if you keep it at 3/4 throttle it is fine only when under full load and for only that rpm span thru all gears.

i ran it on a dyno 6 times at an old family friends shop. everytime on the dyno it would run fine. then take it off and haul ass out of the shop and it would have issues. strap it back down and no problems.

No EGR to have issues with. no cats and true duals with headers. All new MSD ignition, no vacuum leaks and no air issues.

the only thing that is different is the carb. had the edlebrock and did not have this issue, installed and tuned the holley. now i have problems.
 
what kind of heads are you running? The last 350 I built (a loooong time ago) I used 305 heads on a 350 block and it turned out that I needed to run a 1" spacer under the carb. without the spacer mine would just fall on it's face under load as well.
 
Navy75 said:
what kind of heads are you running? The last 350 I built (a loooong time ago) I used 305 heads on a 350 block and it turned out that I needed to run a 1" spacer under the carb. without the spacer mine would just fall on it's face under load as well.
Click to expand...

stock 350 heads
 
Fordum said:
I'm gonna buck the trend slightly, and say don't get a Q-jet.
Or anything else.
Its possible for a carb to have something fundamentally wrong with it that rebuilds will not cure.
Warped body, bad casting in a fuel runner, something like that, but its rare.

I would stop working on it for a while and investigate other things. Fuel pressure, for instance.
A weak fuel pump could cause the exact same symptoms.
As could ignition problems, EGR problems or a stopped up exhaust.
Or even vacuum leaks.

I would borrow a fuel pressure gauge with a long hose so that it can be read while driving, and watch the pressure when it falls on its face.
Checking for problems with the EGR valve, and possibly blocking off the vacuum line so that it cannot open long enough for a test run, would help.

I don't know if you have an O2 sensor port, but if you do, pulling it and hooking a pressure gauge there will show a blockage if it exists.

A smoke test would reveal any vacuum leaks.

Having someone with an ignition scope check your system might show a problem. Or you could pull the distributor cap and check to see if you have a wobble in the shaft . Or change out the ignition module.

Do all that, and its a good chance that you will find the problem and it will not be the carb after all.
If so, then you can fix it and have a truck that drives like its supposed to.


THEN buy the Q-Jet.........
Click to expand...


I'm gonna disagree with you respectfully, :D

Ditch the Holley even the truck avenger has no place on a 4x4

A q-jet will give you better mileage,drivability,and offroadabiltiy

I tried countless Carb's over the years ( including the truck avenger and Edelbrocks "offroad carbs" )on near stock motors to fairly built and even after tuning them and doing all the little tricks and getting them "right" I would end up going back to a well built q-jet because of all the reasons I mentioned above.

Plus I love the look on peoples face after you smoke them at the light when you pop the hood and they see a "stock q-jet"
 
I have a 670 truck avenger on my blazer and it works good.
I hate tuning hollys though. I had a 750 DP a long time ago when I first built my motor, it ran great for everything BUT fourwheeling. Once I hit dirt it was terrible. The Avenger is just opposite.
On road it's so unpredictable I gave up on tuning it. It's "acceptable" now.
Holley's tech support is pretty damn good though, give them a call, see if they have any thoughts.
 
Does the engine pick back up after falling on its face? What secondary springs are you running try a hevier spring. Does it pop or back fire at all? Maybe the gas pickup fell off inside the tank? So that you have plenty of fuel on a stationary dyno but it sloshes back under acceleration?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom