SOURCES
TECH INSTALL FABRICATE UPGRADE
HGM AUTOMOTIVE
ELECTRONICS
(COMPUSHIFT)
(877) 7 44 - 3887
http://www.hgmelectronics.comHOLLEY
PERFORMANCE
PRODUCTS
(270) 781- 9741
http://www.holley.comINNOVATE
MOTORSPORTS
(800) 34 8- 3037
http://www.innovatemotorsports.
comSEAN MURPHY
INDUCTION (SMI)
(71 4 ) 8 43 - 9169
http://www.smicarburetor.comWe wrote the first of many electronic fuel injection stories way back in 1988
in which we proclaimed that the carburetor, if not dead, was on the clear path to antiquity.
That was 30 years ago. Today, the iconic Holley four-barrel is both alive and thriving with
continuing innovation. It’s now a long way from the endangered species list.
Popularity also breeds carburetor
misapplication, frustration, and the
occasional bouts of misinformation. The
traditional Holley four-barrel is incredibly
robust and the inevitable problems often
have more to do with poor tuning than
anything else. We thought we’d address a
few common driveability issues that never
seem to go away.
Over the decades, tribal knowledge has
determined that many carburetor-related
issues come down to vacuum leaks, ignition,
or fuel delivery problems unrelated to the
carburetor. Yet the carburetor is most often
blamed. So the first tip when looking for
the head waters of a problem is to make
sure the ignition system is in a good state of
tune, the engine is physically in good shape,
there’s decent fuel pressure, and there are no
vacuum leaks.
We also interviewed Holley carburetor
tuner/restorer Sean Murphy of Sean Murphy
Induction (SMI) to document a few of his
tuning and assembly secrets. To keep within
our space allotment, each of these tips will
be quick takes, which unfortunately willWo r d s &I m a g e s Jeff Smith
A Collection of Simple Holley Carb Tricks
to Make You and Your Engine Happy
Learn, Tune,
Enjoy!
46 classictrucks.com