I have a problem with my Holley 600 (4160)

moper said
It sounds lean in the cruise definately... You can try looking at your exh headers/manifolds at night... Have your friend hold the brakes and rev it in gear until it starts to break up... You should see the exh headers turn bright red... Also, lean idle mixtures and retarded initial timing can cause hard re-starts like that. It's not the fuel boiling away. It's just not getting enough. I would say jet up to 70s, then add 5° initial timing, reset the idle speed, and reset the mixture. Balance the mixture screws so they are out the same amount and the engine idles smoothly. Then back them out another 1/2 turn. See if those basic changes help.

Moper, thanks for your suggestions. I re-jetted to the 69's today and got rid of most of the detonation. It was too lean. I set initial timing at 35 while at 2500 rpm. Those two things seemed to help, we are on the right track, I think. I spoke with my son this afternoon and he wants me to set intial timing while at 3000 rpm and if it stops the detonation he thinks my distributor is putting to much total timing in and that my distributor is not right. I am just taking advice and doing whatever is suggested. I ordered the heat blocking gasket from Summit and I will try that next. I am getting into areas I know nothing about. I bought a advance timing light today and I have to learn to use it right. What is total timing? How do you know if your vacuum advance is working? Do I have my distributor vacuum line hooked to the correct port? It is hooked to the port coming from the metering block. Is that right or should it be connected to the port which I have blocked off in the front of the carb at the base? So many questions, so much to learn.

Thanks to all of you who are trying to help. This is an awesome site.