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Started my 70, it fired right up and died, would not restart. Pumped the accelerator a couple times since it had been about a week since I had driven it. Would not even fire. Thought the ignition was at fault. Few days later pulled a plug wire and inserted a device to see spark going to the plug. Had spark. Tried to start it and it would not fire. Removed the air cleaner lid and sprayed some starting fluid. Left the lid off and standing beside the car turned it over and sighted fuel pumping out of the fuel bowl vent. Never doubted it was getting gas, but not this much running into the primary end. Thought the needle and seat had debris not allowing it to close. Wrong assumption. After removing the front bowl I discovered the plastic float was full of fuel. Quoating a song, "how long has this been going on"? I have had the bowl sitting in a coffee can for 4-5 days and the fuel is remaining in the float. A new float will be installed. I have used Holleys since 73 with metal floats and they have always floated not taking on fuel. This one has been in use for about ten or eleven years. About a week prior to me trying to start it I drove the car and it seemed like it wanted to die a couple times at lower RPM's, now I know why.
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Re: 1970 C3 Holley Double pumper
Jim------
The nitrophyl floats are not a "forever" sort of piece. They have a gasoline-resistant coating that protects the plastic from gasoline absorbtion. However, the protective coating is an organic material. In time, it degrades. Then, gasoline absorbtion begins. This is one of the few problem areas for Rochester Q-Jet carbs and has been for years. I don't know why Holley went to this. Their old floats were one of the few things on a Holley that one didn't have problems with. I guess they decided that they wanted to make EVERYTHING about their crabs problematic.
There are replacement brass floats for both Holley and Rochester Q-Jet carbs that will replace the nitrophyl type. However, I've never used these (although I have some for Q-Jets), but I've been told by several folks that they do not work as well as the original style nitrophyl floats when they are retrofitted to carbs originally using the nitrophyl floats.
Anyway, I think that carbs with nitrophyl floats need to have the floats replaced about every 5 years, or less. Even before the problems become acute, chronic problems begin.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
when you say "plastic" do you mean
the white tranlucent floats holley used or do you mean the "brown" float that joe referred to??? if they are the white ones replace them with brass BUT if it is the rear float and it is the "brown" plastic and the carb has a metering plate instead of a metering body you can not replace the "brown" plastic float with brass because the arm on the brass float is too long and will not fit correctly and cause floodingComment
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Re: when you say "plastic" do you mean
Clem my 650 cfm Holley 4777 double pumper has the translucent type white plastic/nylon type float and not the type Joe mentioned. My front fuel float is almost full of gasoline. I thought the gasoline would drain out of the float after the fuel bowl was removed from body of the carb. As of last evening the float is sill holding the fuel. This is a center hung float. I will buy a brass float as you recommend and install it. For reasons not given, I think this float has been weighted with fuel for some time and just recently took on enough fuel to cause the gusher through the vent tube.
Clem another topic, about four years ago you mailed me a piece of wire to install in the metering body idle circuit as a fuel restrictor. I have not done it waiting for the power valve to rupture giving reason to remove the fuel bowl and metering body. I still have your wire and I am going to install it now. To install it do I just stick the wire into the idle circuit, I do know where the idle circuit holes are, and then bent the wire towards the top of the metering body and place the metering body gasket on the metering body to hold the wires in place and install it?Comment
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that is correct and the brass float part #116-2
and i would replace both floatsComment
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Re: that is correct and the brass float part #116-
Thanks Clem for the brass float part number. I will replace both floats.Comment
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