Holley Carburetors. Mike Mavrigian

this book in hand, you will be better able to understand your Holley’s functions and how to perform do-it-yourself repairs and rebuilding to obtain a fresh, like-new carb, in terms of on-engine function. If you’ve never worked on a Holley carburetor before, or if you have dabbled but have questions regarding specific components and disassembly/assembly operations, this book is designed to answer all of your questions. I’ve also included information that is helpful when choosing a carb for a specific application, in terms of features and CFM size.

      Welcome to the world of Holley carburetors.

       WHAT IS A WORKBENCH® BOOK?

      This Workbench® Series book is the only book of its kind on the market. No other book offers the same combination of detailed hands-on information and close-up photographs to illustrate rebuilding and modifying. Rest assured, you have purchased an indispensable companion that will expertly guide you, one step at a time, through each important stage of the rebuilding process. This book is packed with real-world techniques and practical tips for expertly performing rebuild procedures, not vague instructions or unnecessary processes. At-home mechanics or enthusiast builders strive for professional results, and the instruction in our Workbench® Series books help you realize pro-caliber results. Hundreds of photos guide you through the entire process from start to finish, with informative captions containing comprehensive instructions for every step of the process.

      The step-by-step photo procedures also contain many additional photos that show how to install high-performance components, modify stock components for special applications, or even call attention to assembly steps that are critical to proper operation or safety. These are labeled with unique icons. These symbols represent an idea, and photos marked with the icons contain important, specialized information.

      Here are some of the icons found in Workbench® books:

       Important!

      Calls special attention to a step or procedure, so that the procedure is correctly performed. This prevents damage to a vehicle, system, or component.

       Save Money

      Illustrates a method or alternate method of performing a rebuild step that will save money but still give acceptable results.

       Torque Fasteners

      Illustrates a fastener that must be properly tightened with a torque wrench at this point in the rebuild. The torque specs are usually provided in the step.

       Special Tool

      Illustrates the use of a special tool that may be required or can make the job easier (caption with photo explains further).

       Performance Tip

      Indicates a procedure or modification that can improve performance. The step most often applies to high-performance or racing engines.

       Critical Inspection

      Indicates that a component must be inspected to ensure proper operation of the engine.

       Precision Measurement

      Illustrates a precision measurement or adjustment that is required at this point in the rebuild.

       Professional Mechanic Tip

      Illustrates a step in the rebuild that non-professionals may not know. It may illustrate a shortcut or a trick to improve reliability, prevent component damage, etc.

       Documentation Required

      Illustrates a point in the rebuild where the reader should write down a particular measurement, size, part number, etc. for later reference or photograph a part, area, or system of the vehicle for future reference.

       Tech Tip

      Tech Tips provide brief coverage of important subject matter that doesn’t naturally fall into the text or step-by-step procedures of a chapter. Tech Tips contain valuable hints, important info, or outstanding products that professionals have discovered after years of work. These will add to your understanding of the process, and help you get the most power, economy, and reliability from your engine.

       CHAPTER 1

       HOLLEY HISTORY, MODELS AND SERIAL NUMBERS

      The 1950s saw the introduction of the Holley Series 4150 4-barrel on the 1957 Thunderbird. It was the beginning of the modular Holley 4-barrel, as we know it today. It was the first true performance carburetor and it became standard equipment on many high-performance automobiles.

      The 1960s were huge for the hot rod industry and Holley; the 4150 became original equipment on many iconic Detroit factory muscle cars, powering such notable beasts as the popular Z28 Camaros, big-block Chevelles, Boss Mustangs, and Shelby Cobras. This era also saw the introduction of the Holley three-deuce multi-carb setups on 427 (Tri Power) Corvettes and 440 (Six Pack) Mopars. The now-famous Holley Double Pumper was also born in the 1960s. According to Holley, the now-world-renowned Dominator, which is a Double Pumper, was developed specifically for NASCAR racing and made its debut in 1969.

       This carb (PN 1850) is an example from the 4160 series. It is a 4-barrel carb that has a single feed, a primary metering block with jets, one accelerator pump at the primary side, and a metering plate at the secondary side.

      The 1970s saw Holley’s continued dominance in racing with nearly every factory NHRA Super Stock/Pro Stock racer running Holleys. That hasn’t changed; Holley carbs have powered more drag racers than all other carbs combined. This era also witnessed the introduction of Holley aluminum intake manifolds, including the once-popular Z-Series developed in conjunction with Zora Arkus-Duntov.

      The 1980s marked Holley’s entrance into the fuel-injection market for which original-equipment EFI components and analog Pro-Jection retrofit fuel-injection systems for carbureted cars were introduced.

      In the 1990s Holley continued its new product introductions. The wildly popular HP Pro series of race-ready carburetors was introduced and has become the standard in racing. SysteMAX engine kits were introduced with matched cylinder heads, intakes, and cams. Also in the 1990s, the Dominator evolved into the HP Dominator, huge billet electric fuel pumps were introduced, and retrofit EFI kits