I am getting really frustrated with my car based on what it does at the track. Maybe you guys can give me some insight on what is going on.

First of, I have a new carb that has never been on the car before. Tonight was the first night I got to see the results with the carb. I put on a Holley 600cfm smog legal carb. It has a 6.5 power valve, 65# jets and the stiffest spring (black) for the vaccum secondaries. Feeding the carb is a holley 130gph pump and the regulator is maintining 5psi.

I managed to run a 15.6.... at 91 mph

With the carb the accelerator springs have been changed and are different than when I had the q-jet on their. The accelerator is extremly stiff now and I'm not used to it. Since I was still used to the floppy accelerator with the q-jet, I eased my way into the throttle. I didn't spin the tire but still had a really crappy 60 foot time of 2.5. I know thats really bad but I would imagine that everything else would almost compensate for it. After this run I threw a belt and the car over heated.......I decided to call it quits for the evening 2 runs and thats it.

When I had the q-jet on the motor I pulled a 2.4 60 foot with a 15.3 1/4 mile time. I dont get it, is it the new carb I got on? Is it the jets on the Holley?I had 67# jets and the car was running rich, 65# doesnt do much. THe fact that its smog legal will it hurt it?

I know I dont have gears or posi and I know that needs to happen. But will that seriously put me where I think this car should be. Before I had the Nova I owned a Turd Gen Camaro. I thought that was a dog and I am worse of with a car that has 45 more cubic inches, 4 barrels of carberuation opposed to TBI,a TH350 vs a TH700R4, 3.08 peg leg vs a 2.73 peg leg. Every way I look at it the Nova should be whomping the times that my turd put down. The best the camaro ran was a 15.4 with a 2.1 60ft at 84 mph and that was spinning the tire too. Both cars weigh the same.

Any insight will be great, could it really be the carb. THe car seems to be pulling sooo much harder with the Holley on it. When is it time for a new convertor, its still stock

Thanks
Jason

Put some weaker return springs on it and mount the throttle cable to the highest possible location on the carb lever-this will give you a longer range of motion and more control on the pedal. Also mash the pedal to the floor and hold it down while a friend checks to make sure the throttle is being opened 100%. Simple things like that can lose you easy power. 65 jets should be really close. Check you spark curve and tune if necessary. Get a limited slip differential or preload your right side with an airshock, it must be spinning off the line. 3.73 gears would be nice.

Originally posted by baddbob71:
Also mash the pedal to the floor and hold it down while a friend checks to make sure the throttle is being opened 100%.This is with the engine OFF !!!!!! :D

I know nothing about vac sec carbs but from reading here I wonder if the stiffest spring for the secondaries is the best way to go.

All the power in the world (you said its pulling harder or seems to be with the Holley carb) will do you no good unless you can put it to the ground. Get the traction problem fixed first.

What was wrong with the Q-jet? It seems like you've manufactured yourself some problems by swapping carbs.

You can tune the secondary opening of your Holley by buying a spring kit P/N 20-13.

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/norm/hly-2013_m.jpg

Make sure that you get an extra small cork gasket that seals the diaphragm housing to the carb body, and dont lose the small "BB" checkball that sits in the diaphragm housing. Keep progressing to lighter springs till you feel a bog and you 60foots slow down.