318 running beyond rich

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Dart Shawn

Dart Shawn

I wanna go fast!!!
Joined
Jan 17, 2009
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Location
Victorville CA
Well fella's, I know I haven't been on here to much lately, work has kept me busy.

I have been having a problem with the dart, it has terrible throttle response, it runs insanely rich, I adjusted the floats and the air/fuel but it didnt help much at all. The Carb is a Holley 1850-3 that hasn't been rebuilt and is pretty old. Would a carb rebuild solve my problems?

Also, the car feels strange, I wouldn't say gutless because you can feel it has some power in the secondairies it's just not much, could my one legger stock 8.25 rear end and old beat tranny have something to do with that? would things like a full msd ignition help?

Just a few questions to get my car running better!

Shawn.
 
Is it sucking air in somewhere and the throttle shafts worn out?

Did you take off the front bowls and change jets?
 
im sure a rebuild would help and check jets has this carb run good on this engine before?
 
Nope, it has onlly run extremely rich. I may just buy a rebuilt carb, there is a place that builds a carb specific to your engine, vehicle, city and climate. Dad bought one of these carbs for my little brothers 68 impala, He bolted it right on and it ran like a champ all that needed adjustment was the idle.
 
Go get yourself a Eddelbrock 600 for your 318.
This will be just about as close as your going to get to bolt on and go.

Not going to start a Holley Eddelbrock debate.

Every Edelbrock I have put on a car has just about been bolt on.

And no, dont go buy someones headache carb. Try to get a new one,or close to.
 
I have a brand new Edelbrock 750 sitting in the garrage right now, but 750 is far to big for the 318 with stock rebuilt heads. is there a way I can adjust down?

Shawn.
 
Go to Edelbrock.com and look up and download there carb instructions. It'll save time effort and people posting what you can get yourself.
 
An 1850 Holley should be fine on a 318. If the carb is way rich, check the power valve. Every 1850 I have known was if anything just a tad lean on the primaries.
 
That Holley 1850-3 is a universal fit 600 cfm and should be great on your 318. If it is old and has never been rebuilt, now is the time. When they sit or after they have been heat cycled many, many times, the power valves fail by being stiff and brittle. They don't seat anymore and fuel weeps into the PVCRs causing an over rich mixture. Another serious cause is something a lot of people never think about...the o-ring on the needle/seat assembly. When new, they compress on installation and effectively seal. After sitting or many heat cycles, they become squashed and harder than Kelsey's nuts (whoever Kelsey was). Remove the needle assemblies and check out those o-rings. New ones are in the Holley kits as well as new needle/seat assemblies. Most people disregard them. Here is a fact - and I have no intention of arguing about it with anybody - the viton tipped needle/seat assembly NEVER WEARS OUT! Only that pesky o-ring! That old 600 Holley is one of the most dependable carbs Holley ever made. I think most everyone has 3 or 4 of them laying around! I build on the average 20 of these a year for people. Good luck with the rebuild.
Pat
PS: be sure to use a genuine Holley kit
 
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