Hot Rods Holley 1850’s on a 6-71 help needed

I have a pair of Carter 9755 carbs on the blown 427 in my Chevy II, they work pretty well....bought them used on ebay for $50 each and put kits and stock jets in them.

I don't know what to do about yours. On the 454 I had in my truck then my 55, I ran a pair of Holley 650 double pumpers, sideways on the 6-71. They were new carbs when I got them in 1990. They worked ok, too, with stock jetting, and idle was easy to adjust.

So, the idle doesn't change when you set the timing down to 20 degrees? interesting.

 

It actually pops through the carb when I go that low when I hit the throttle but no it doesn’t help with the idle
I’m 100% confident in the timing mark I used a degree wheel and verified with a dial indicator and positive stop across #1 without the heads on and made my own mark on the blower hub and my own pointer I welded to the timing cover.
It’s almost as if the idle circuit is not flowing fuel is my thought.

 

That's what it sounds like.

 

Seems strange
I’m about to drill throttle plates but if un capping the vacuum ports doesn’t make a difference idk if that will do any good

 

I wouldn't drill the throttle plates, I'd take the carbs apart and give them a good, hard look. You mentioned them being rebuilt by Holley and also that they are tunnel ram carbs, maybe I missed something but I was never aware that Holley sold an 1850 tunnel ram carb. Looking at your carbs I see 1850-?, the original 1850 was for a Ford and used a different throttle arm, while 1850-2 carbs used the Chevy style throttle arm making it more universal, easier to put on a Chevy for example and I think Holley added a hose barb to the base plate for a PCV hose and also a manifold vacuum take off port in the front. There have been other changes too, for instance I have a new, in the box 1850-3 that came with plastic parts for the vacuum secondary cover, hand choke parts and the accelerator pump lever.
What I'm getting at is this, somebody removed the chokes or linkage for them and they are supposedly for a tunnel ram which makes me wonder just what the metering blocks, jets, secondary metering plates are and so on are. Did anybody change any parts? For instance the primary metering blocks on my original style 1850's on my blower are 2637's, at least that's what I can see without removing one, and on the later, new 1850-3 it is a 10884, but I'm not sure the first number is a 1, too hard to see. Were the idle air bleeds drilled or any other passages drilled or maybe blocked with gummed up fuel, dirt, etc. The two 1850's on my 6-71 have direct linkage and I find the idle a bit high for my expectations, it's at 950 RPM and the idle stop screw is just barely touching a throttle arm.
In any case if you do get them working well I would put a choke on one of them, you might find that it will work better in cool or cold weather. Yes, you have a pop-off on your blower manifold and the later Holleys have the power valves protected against backfires but I think you will be better off having a choke and giving it two good pumps on the throttle before starting it in cold weather. That big manifold plenum can cause a lean backfire when it's cold outside.

 

They are 1850-2’s as far as tunnel ram carbs I’m just going by what I was told. I feel like I got taken being gullible. I should have researched better before buying
I called the guy I bought them from he said “he has done 100 of them and never had a problem and to let him know if I can’t figure it out. Thanks Don that is why I’m calling”
As far as the choke goes I started it in 46* weather with one sometimes 2 pumps
And it still doesn’t even idle at 180* so I don’t think that is the issue.
I feel like I have internal carb problems
I have a call into a local carb guy
I’ll update when I find out what is really going on.

 

There are mixed messages in your posts. In one post Holley rebuilt the carbs with bad needles and seats and leaks from the Welch plugs

Maybe they did leak there but it sounds as though “Don” was the rebuilder, not Holley. Don says he’s done hundreds so I think he had the Welch plugs out to tune the idle feed restrictions most likely to make the carbs work on an engine with a big cam and the previously mentioned tunnel ram.
My best advice now? Ditch those carbs and get different ones.

 

Wrong Welch plugs. I’m talking the one on the side of the secondary bowls, but I agree Don didn’t do me any favors and his story changed when I talked to him today
He kept mentioning his carb guy so I have no confidence in these carbs at this point.