symptoms of wrong power valves in holleys
March 29th, 2010, 6:27 PM
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symptoms of wrong power valves in holleys
I 've got a 650 with mech. secondaries. the engine it is on pulls about 10 in. of vacuum at idle (in gear). this would mean that I need to change the power valves from the 6.5 to a 4.5 right?. I'm planning on doing this tomorrow but was hoping someone could tell me if having too high of a power valve would be causing my engine to not have any power after 2500 rpms which is what is happening now. If so, could you elaberate a little.
thanks for any help
thanks for any help
March 30th, 2010, 11:32 PM
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http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/pontiac...lleyInfo2.html
Part 5: POWER VALVES and ENGINE VACUUM
There is a lot of misunderstanding concerning power valves in Holley carburetors. Many 4-barrels come with a particular power valve depending on the carb list # and application. Some carburetors have two power valves, while others only have one. The power valves are numbered by the amount of engine vacuum in inches at which they will open and add additional fuel to the power circuit. In other words a 6.5 power valve will open when the vacuum signal on the engine drops below 6.5" of vacuum and will remain closed above. One of the misconceptions is that they can't be trusted to work because an engine backfire can "blow out" the power valve. Many of the newer Holley performance carburetors now come with a built in power valve "blow out" protection which eliminates this problem. If you have an older model carb you can purchase a small, inexpensive, easy to install Holley kit #PN - 125-500 that will protect the power valves in case of an engine backfire in the carb. I use the CENTEK, "Power Valve Shield". See their website at www.powervalveshield.com, which takes about two minutes to install and does not require any drilling.
Many tuners will automatically remove the power valves and use a "plug" thinking this is the "hot" ticket. However, if the power valve is removed and plugged, the main jet size must be increased 6-10 jet sizes to make up the required fuel amount lost by the removal of the power valve. When the power valve circuit is plugged, part throttle fuel economy is lost and may become overly rich. Plug fouling may become a problem at part throttle.
Stock engines have high vacuum readings (10-18 inches at idle) and the Holley power valves with higher readings like 6.5 to 10.5 will work. Longer duration non-stock camshafts and other performance related parts can cause a problem, because engine manifold vacuum may be lower. The power valve, if incorrect, will always be open, even at part throttle, leading to an overly rich air/fuel mixture. The solution is to choose the correct power valve. To determine this, you need a vacuum gauge. On a manual transmission vehicle, hook up the vacuum gauge and take the reading with the engine at idle. Then use a power valve that is rated 1-2 inches below that amount. For example, a motor that shows 7" of vacuum at idle should use a 6.5 or 5.5 rated power valve. If you have an automatic transmission, take the vacuum reading at idle in "DRIVE" (with the emergency brake on and the wheels blocked) and chose the power valve 1-2 inches below that figure. You can get a little more detailed information by driving the car with a vacuum gauge hooked up with a longer hose so you can read it while driving. Drive the car at medium loads and while cruising and note the various vacuum readings. Then chose the appropriate power valve rating.
Holley makes a performance style "standard" flow or the "high" flow power valve. The latter has larger openings for more fuel flow with bigger engines. "Single stage" power valves are available in 1" increment sizes from 2.5" thru 10.5". Holley also makes a "two stage" power valve that is more for "economy" minded users rather than "performance" enthusiasts.
Many tuners will automatically remove the power valves and use a "plug" thinking this is the "hot" ticket. However, if the power valve is removed and plugged, the main jet size must be increased 6-10 jet sizes to make up the required fuel amount lost by the removal of the power valve. When the power valve circuit is plugged, part throttle fuel economy is lost and may become overly rich. Plug fouling may become a problem at part throttle.
Stock engines have high vacuum readings (10-18 inches at idle) and the Holley power valves with higher readings like 6.5 to 10.5 will work. Longer duration non-stock camshafts and other performance related parts can cause a problem, because engine manifold vacuum may be lower. The power valve, if incorrect, will always be open, even at part throttle, leading to an overly rich air/fuel mixture. The solution is to choose the correct power valve. To determine this, you need a vacuum gauge. On a manual transmission vehicle, hook up the vacuum gauge and take the reading with the engine at idle. Then use a power valve that is rated 1-2 inches below that amount. For example, a motor that shows 7" of vacuum at idle should use a 6.5 or 5.5 rated power valve. If you have an automatic transmission, take the vacuum reading at idle in "DRIVE" (with the emergency brake on and the wheels blocked) and chose the power valve 1-2 inches below that figure. You can get a little more detailed information by driving the car with a vacuum gauge hooked up with a longer hose so you can read it while driving. Drive the car at medium loads and while cruising and note the various vacuum readings. Then chose the appropriate power valve rating.
Holley makes a performance style "standard" flow or the "high" flow power valve. The latter has larger openings for more fuel flow with bigger engines. "Single stage" power valves are available in 1" increment sizes from 2.5" thru 10.5". Holley also makes a "two stage" power valve that is more for "economy" minded users rather than "performance" enthusiasts.
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