Books on Rebuilding Holley Carbs (1971 LT-1)
Looking to rebuild my Holley R4801A (Chevy # 3989021) 4 barrel carb on a 71 LT-1. I have never rebuilt a carb so I was wondering if someone could recommend a good book with pictures and suggest best place to buy kit and/or any other words of wisdom on this project. Difficulty? Places to mess up carb; special tools needed; whether to leave it stock or change anything in carb when rebuilding. As always thank you.
-
-
Re: Books on Rebuilding Holley Carbs (1971 LT-1)
If you've never dived into a Holley before and your "Starting Project" is an LT-1 carb, I'd suggest just sending it to the Holley Restoration Shop or other restorers recommended by folks on this board....you don't want any mistakes on an LT-1 carb!!! There's plenty of old 3310's and such to practice on found at swap meets for cheap, and Holleys are fairly similar in principle. That's kinda like deciding you want to learn how to rebuild fuel injection units...a screwup can cost you dearly if you are going in blind. Let the pros handle the rarer carbs like yours until you get really familiar with them. I mean, if you use the wrong tool or screwdriver taking out the jets, you can burr them up really easy....things like that happen. Can you notice I'm talking from experience?
-
Re: Books on Rebuilding Holley Carbs (1971 LT-1)
How does the car run now? Any problems? Any leaks?
If you only want to "freshen/cleanup" the carburetor then it's a simple task. No special tools involved. There is NO REASON for you to pull the mainjets, unless you are intent on re-jetting (changing the jet size). For that, all you need is an extra-wide screwdriver. Your carb is no more complicated than any other Holley 4BBL. If you are fairly competent, with decent hand-eye coordination, and a 100 (i.e.:mean) IQ, then you should be able to accomplish the job.
I recommend lacquer thinner as your solvent. It will attack the plastic choke and accel pump cams, so remover them before immersion in the solvent. I use nothing but genuine Holley rebuild kits...........including the nice, blue Holley gaskets (despite the fact that it is an NCRS deduct........take the hit......they are better than the cork crap). Most float needles are Viton nowadays. Your GM Shop Manual should give critical measurements. The instructions contained in the Kit will help. Finally, log on to this website, for more particulars on your carburetor:
http://www.holley.com/TechService/Library.asp
then, click on "numerical listing" to find your model.
Holley also has (some) very helpful technicians, who are just an 800 number away.....they'll help you if you have a question.
IF YOUR CARBURETOR IS LEAKING at the float bowls, or has a specific problem, then it might be a good idea to use a REPUTABLE restorer to go thru the carburetor. Carb castings are subject to strain due to heat cycling, and Holley's design makes this a critical issue, as strain on the metering blocks and/or secondary plate, can cause leaks, unstable idle, stumbling, or other problems. A REPUTABLE restorer will surface all castings, install new throttle shaft bushings, and re-color your Holley...........essentially delivering you what amounts to a brand new carb. There are only 2-3 Holley guys that I would trust.
If your engine is stock, or close, then the factory settings will be fine. No reason to change sizes with jets/air bleeds/power valve. Racers can fuss with jets, and change them almost weekly, depending on the weather. Without a dyno and/or A/F ratio readout, then you'll be flying blind........go with the factory sizes.
Good J. LUCK,
JoeComment
-
Re: Books on Rebuilding Holley Carbs (1971 LT-1)
there are several after market companies that still sell the brown paper holley gaskets that should pass NCRS and the have the thermal setting adhesive that help seal the better than the so called "reusable" gaskets.Comment
Comment