Good Morning, back to work! I recently bought a 66 coupe with a Holley Street Avenger that was idling very high. I'm new to all this, by no means a mechanic, and know next to nothing about carbs. I finally realized the choke was not connected to a good 12V source and the car was always on choke. The car ran fine for about a day and now it floods within minutes of starting. I've pulled the needle valve assembly and hit it with some cleaner, but it was no help. When I say it floods, withing minutes I've got gas coming out of the top of the carb. What could be causing this?
First off, try adjusting your floats bring them up til the gas just starts to trickel out the side screws. That's the large screw, on the side of the float bowl. As far as adjusting your carb, take your air/fuel adjustment screws and turn them in until the engine starts to stumble, then start to back them out slowly. You should have a tach and dwell meter, when performing this part so you can keep an eye on the tach. Back them out until the idle stops climbing and levels out. You may only have two, one on each side of the metering block recessed in. If your carb has two blocks, front and back then you may have four. You may have to repeat this procedure, a few times until your idle levels out. Now your idle may be high, adjust the idle at the linkage you'll see an idle screw. Turn it down to raise the idle, and turn it out to lower your idle. Let me know how you make out, Mike. SCT Tuner.
Thanks for the advice and that's what I'll do once I figure out how to keep the car running long enough to do it! From the time it cranks it fills with gas until it dies out. Then, If you remove the sight glass plugs gas comes shooting out! I'm a rookie and I realize I may have inadvertently adjusted float levels when cleaning the needle valve, but it's like the floats won't stop the gas at any point, it just fills until it's coming out of the top.
According to manual clockwise lowers floats. I've gone clockwise so far there are nearly no threads left for 5/8" nut to catch onto. It may have been a mistake, but I also brought the needle valve assembly from the from the back(secondary) to the front with no change.
After it floods, could I remove the needle valve, drain the bowl through the sight glass, gauge the depth down to the float, set the needle accordingly and try that? Then if it stills doesn't even run long enough to tune, consider changing the needle valve.
I sorta tried this last night and had no luck. Once I crank the carb just get fuel until it's coming out everywher! I'm talking it won't run for 45 seconds. I'm convinced it's not the level of the floats. Perhaps the needle isn't seating, what else can it be?
Thanks everyone. I figured it out, and before I say what it was, let me remind you I'm new to this stuff. Here's the lesson learned hard - Remove O-ring from needle valve prior to spraying with carb cleaner! It ran fine on a 30 minute cruise last night, but died as I turned into the driveway. I took it easy until just before getting home, and I know I've got the front floats adjusted properly. Could be when I opened up the secondary just before getting home, that flooded it? Thanks again.
1966 289 with FLOODING Holley Street Avenger 
