How do I remove stuck Holley bowl / meter block ?

[Wayne M.]

Secondary meter block and bowl won't budge; factory re-issue List 2818-1 dated 0230. The primary bowl / block came off easier (but didn't fall off). There was gasoline in both bowls, so the gaskets were not dried out. How do I get the rear off ? I've tried hitting it with a light hammer via a wooden block; Obviously, I don't want to leave marks.

Judging by the front, the gaskets were cork with some white printing. What should I replace these with to avoid future problems ? It's a driver, so I don't care if the gaskets are blue, red, or black.

[Craig S.]

Re: How do I remove stuck Holley bowl / meter bloc

Wayne - the original Holley gaskets I have seen were an adhesive type cork that is a real mess to clean up. I have used the newer blue Holley gaskets, that are supposedly reusable (but I haven't tried that) and they seem to work great. They really don't show anyway as they compress in the pockets of the bowls. I am wondering if you use some sort of soft faced clamp to lightly grab the bowl so you can carefully rock it back and forth it that would start it moving without damage. Something like a Bessey woodworking clamp with soft plastic jaws comes to mind. I think you will find if you can find a way to grab the bowl carefully without crushing or marring, and gently rock back and forth, it will break loose..good luck!....Craig

[Clem Z.]

Re: How do I remove stuck Holley bowl / meter bloc

i use a screwdriver between the air filter flange and the float bowl and gently pry. permatex sells a gasket remover in a spray can that works wonders,spray it around the edges and let it soak,then try the screwdriver. i use a dead blow mallet on the realy tight ones.

[Clem Z.]

correction

i should have posted "use a screwdriver between the metering body and the air filter flange and pry outward"

[Scott Marzahl]

Stuck Bowls

I had the same problem earlier. I just let it soak in some parts cleaner for several days and then I carefully used an X-Acto knife to punture the gasket between the body and the bowl. I just poked it straight in as many places as I could and soaked it some more. The next day it was very easy to remove.

[Larry Sherman]

Re: Stuck Bowls

Two firecrackers, lite, insert,----install sight plug, run. Order new parts. Larry

[G B.]

Re: How do I remove stuck Holley bowl / meter bloc

Sears sells a thin (1/16") stainless scraper/chisel that is more like a stiff, 1.5" wide putty knife with a very sharp edge. The tool number is 942025. It sells for less than $5 in the local Sears store. If you're careful, you can get it in between the metering block and the main body without leaving marks. Remember that there are gasket guide pegs sticking out of the metering block on the bowl side. You can crack these if you rely on hammer blows to loosen the bowl.

My local supplier swears that Holley is now supplying only the blue metering block gaskets when I order them in bulk. However, I noticed that the Holley small carburetor rebuild kits I buy mostly contain the old tan composition gaskets. Also, Mr. Gasket sells bowl gasket kits that contain good tan gaskets. I smear Pam (yes, the kitchen product) on the gaskets before installation to make sure they don't stick. Whatever you do, don't install the original style cork gaskets. These shrink every time they dry out. I would avoid the black rubbery alcohol-safe gaskets too. They don't seal well in gasoline for some reason.

[Wayne M.]

Thanks, all -- Here's what has / will happen

Was able to pry the meter block + bowl off, as Clem suggested. It was held by a black gasket. I'm going to buy that gasket remover stuff, as there's no way the rest of this gasket is going to come off easily. But now I'm still left with the meter block fused to the bowl. I'll try some of the other suggestions; thanks much. I'll also use the blue Holley gaskets with PAM for the reassembly, and hope to never go through this again.

But the real surprise was that the secondary meter block (It's a 4150 style, L28181, 4099 on one end, and 4100 stamped on the other top end) had NO power valve. The hole was there; not all the way through to the bowl side, of course. Why would they do this ? Wouldn't a 4160 with a simple metering plate achieve the same ?

[Clem Z.]

Re: Thanks, all -- Here's what has / will happen

2818-1 has no secondary PV and that was before holley found the cheaper way by using a metering plate to save money. that is the correct secondary metering body,4099A and the correct pri is 4094A