metering blocks

[john]

What mods are made to the 4150hp metering blocks to run e85 fuel?

[Heath Daniel]

John, welcome to the board. To answer your question basically everything on a Holley stock 4150 metering block has to be modified for E85. It can be done and I admire your will as a do it yourselfer but to be honest for what you can buy the billet aluminum E85 calibrated metering blocks for it's just not worth it. In fact just the blocks themselves will not have you running like I'm sure you want to run on E85. It's a whole carb and fuel system combination. If you search back through a couple pages on this board Eric posted his setup which is pretty close to where you need to be to have your ride rockin on E85. Don't get me wrong, If you still want to know I'll send you the specs but I've search all around and I can't find a proven combination for the money that works like our stage I kit does.

[john]

I only ask beacause i build custom carbs and already have billet blocks with screw in emulsion and screw in ifr's relocated to the top of the block so if it just different size bleads that would be easy to change. as far as my fuel system I run (on the carb side) holley black pump with -10 an fuel lines same ont the nitrous side with two seperate fuel cells. Motor is sbf stroked 377 13-1 comp dyno 463hp 573tq to the rear wheels on motor. Nitrous plate is NX so I was going to call John at nx to get the right jet combo for the plate I have. I just didn't know if emulsion inner diamiter of the blocks ar the same. If i wanted to get the e85 blocks how much are they? Thanks for your help

[john]

Thanks bmodracer for the web site lots of good info. Sounds like you where right Heath lots of work goes into the blocks considering the machine time and costs of parts kit makes allot of sence. Problem is I would have to double check my jetting it has been two years since I opened carb but I think I am low 90's primary jet and high 90' secondary already.

[Heath Daniel]

John the blocks sell for $125 a pair and they come with a spec sheet that tells the emulsion sizes and so forth. On the gas blocks you are going to want to pull the plugs out of the top and open up the main wells and cross channels some. The kill bleeds may need to be addressed too. The E85 blocks have .043 ifr, 4 emulsion bleeds in this order from top to bottom: .028, blank, .028, blank and a power valve channel restrictions of .076 if your run one. Boosters need to be a minimum of .160 with a coinciding hi-speed bleed, .170 and above depending on cfm are preferred. What kind of custom carbs do you build? Is it your business or hobby?

[john]

Thanks for the info Heath. I worked at a speed shop for allot of years out of bay area cali. So it was a hobby on the side working on dyno's and tuning nitrous plate systems back in the 90's. We where puting screw in ifr's and allot of NOS and carb mods that was kinda a art back then that now is public knowledge. I will be the 1st to admit it I have been out of it so long I am not in the current loop of things. I just got back into racing in pro et two years ago I kinda took a burn out brake from it.
Is there a water problem in vehicles that sit for months at a time with e85? Where I live now we race from April to Sept then the car sits in the trailor till next year and it can be months between races.

[Heath Daniel]

I wouldn't say there is a "water problem" but if your going to let it sit for that long I would probably drain it, maybe run some regular gas back through the system. Better yet leave E85 in it and drop the tail gate every couple of weeks and fire it up to keep everything moving and get your corn fuel fix at the same time. ;D

[john]

Thats another ? does it smell different like alchy and does it pop harder like alchy?
What info do you need from me if I was to get a kit from ya?

[Heath Daniel]

It does crackle more than gasoline and when you get the tune-up right you don't hardly notice a scent at all out of the pipes. What carb are you looking to convert, 4150 or 4500? List # is always helpful too.

[john]

That is kinda the problem. the main body started out as a stock
1000cfm hp holley. The throttle body is barry grant and the metering blocks are billet jets that i modified but that should not matter if I am using new ones. however the air bleeds in the main body are all different and I will have to pull the bowls to get the jet sizes. All this was tuned on a chassis dyno back years ago and I do not remember what is in it. So let me know what specs you need from the carb and I will have to get the dust off my micrometer and number drill set and start measuring for you.

[john]

List number 0-80513-1 if that helps which is there 1000cfm hp down leg booster gas carb main body.

[Heath Daniel]

John, sounds like my kind of carb. A piece from here and a piece from there put it all together and it runs like a bat out of you know where. It sounds like all you need is the Stage I kit and your good to go. If I'm not mistaken the Holley 1000 HP has .180 boosters in it already. You may want to confirm that one measurement but other than that pretty much everything else gets changed to E85 specs. The way to measure that is I have a regular old nail bent over on the end at about a 45 degree angle that measures .175 dia. that I use as a go/no-go gauge. Open up the butterflies and stick the nail in from the bottom up into the venturi and into the fuel exit hole of the booster. Obviously if it goes in easy than it's probably .180 through hole booster and your good to go. I have a couple nails actually. One measures .165 to check for .170 boosters and .155, you get the picture. So just let me know what you come up with and we'll go from there, thanks.

[john]

I will get that info for you and get back to ya. Thanks for all your help and info.

[Heath Daniel]

No problem John, looking forward to it.

[john]

It might be awhile. It is 28 deg and snowing right now so major lack of motivation.