She is idling pretty fast. Sorry no tach. I sprayed Berrymans at the base of carb, There was not a change in idle. I closed the idle jets and she ran but rough. I didn't think that was right. It should of died, correct?
First the damper does not have timing marks. I have played around enough to mark a spot on the intake to line up to so there is not pinging. I am assuming this is the max timing advance she likes. When I tune I get the vacuum as high as I can, around 20. At max vacuum the timing is always to far advanced. Then I check for the mark and back off timing to the mark and listen. Vacuum is usually around 19.0 - 20.0. When I adjust the idle jets I use the vacuum gauge for max vacuum. I do this in conjunction to the timing. I keep tweaking until timing is at, or near mark, and idle jet adjustment pulls max vacuum. When done vacuum is usually at, or near, 19.5. The main idle set screw (on side of carb at linkage) is all the way out. 1957 292, Holley 570 CFM 4 barrel, ECZ 9425-B Intake, 1957 distributor with Pertronics electronic ignition
Any ideas.

Buz

The timing marks are on the damper.  They can be hard to see if the damper is rusty or it has been painted multiple times without removing all of the old paint.

This doesn't matter a whole lot for your problem because when all is functioning correctly, a completely closed throttle (idle speed screw) will kill the engine.  If it does not die with the throttle blades closed, then either the throttle blades are not really closed or you have a vacuum leak.
When the idle mixture screws are turned all the way in, the engine should die.  If it does not, then it is getting fuel somewhere else.

I don't know what Berrymans is.  If it is a starting fluid or something similar, then the use of that to check for vacuum leaks, along with a good vacuum reading indicate that it probably is not a vacuum leak.  This leaves the throttle blades being stuck open.  That the engine does not die with the idle mixture screws turned all the way in supports that theory because when the throttle blades are open wide enough, the carburetor will pull fuel from the boosters of the primary (or secondary) circuit, rendering the idle circuit useless.  An easy way to check for this is to look down the barrels of the carburetor with a mirror while it is running.  Check the primaries and secondaries.  If you see fuel coming out of the boosters, then the blades are open too far.  Find out why and fix it.


Lawrenceville, GA

Did you check the idle transfer slot dimension before you installed the carburetor?  On the underside of the carburetor at the back of the secondary butterflies is a square looking slot, it should be ~.015" of slot showing.  If it is more, you will idle very fast and not be able to adjust it out with the primary screws, or accelerator idle screw.  That is a MUST to do before adjusting the idle on Holley four barrel carburetors.  There should be a small screw on the base plate of the secondary linkage, or you can bend the tab on the back of the secondary diaphram arm.  After you get that .015" slot showing, you can then adjust the idle bleed screws in until they just bottom out, and then back them out about 1 full turn to start the engine.  The primary throttle blade should be closed completely and then just adjust the blade so that it doesn't stick in the bores, and start the engine.  If it stalls, you need more than .015", or up to .020" slot showing under the secondary throttle blade.  If it still runs too fast at idle, then there is a vacuum leak some place you can't see.  Disconnect the vacuum advance line, and plug it.  Set the timing with a light, and then plug the vacuum advance line back into the carb and set your idle speed to desired rpm.  Another good thing to check while you have the carb off and unside down is the accelerator pump arm clearance.  It should be .015" with the throttle blades at WOT(wide open throttle).  Joe-JDC

JDC

YES to what Charlie and Joe have said.
Also     "At max vacuum the timing is always to far advanced"   That should be correct usually you would go to max vacuum and back it off about 1 1/2" and it would be damn close.



"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"