Holley 2210 & 2245 Troubleshooting

Lack of power at high speeds

Power piston binding – it should move up and down freely. Remove the piston by flicking the stem up and down to break the staking. Use something like silicon spray lubricant to clean out the piston well.


Power piston spring missing, or bad – replace the piston spring.


Power piston stem bent – the stem needs to be straight, or it will miss the power valve stem.


Power valve (jet) is dirty – use carburetor cleaner to clean until the stem moves up and down freely. Blow through all of the holes. The power valve is all brass and there is no rubber to replace.


Fuel pump pressure is low, or the float adjustment isn’t correct.


Blow through the bottom of the power jet while moving the stem in and out. All the way out should cut off the flow of air.

Won’t Start Without Pumping Several Times

The correct way to start a carbureted engine is to push the throttle all the way down and let up. This allows the choke to close and also squirts a stream of gas from the accelerator pump.

  • Make sure the choke valve is closed when cold and doesn’t open until warmed up. The thermostat may be weak allowing the choke valve to open too quick.
  • When cold, pump the accelerator pump to see if a squirt of gas is coming out of the venturi. If not then you have accelerator pump circuit problems somewhere.
  • When hot turn the engine off and look down the carburetor. If gas is dribbling from the venturi then gas is being siphoned from the float bowl into the intake. That will flood the engine and also empty the float bowl.
  • After stepping on the throttle once and letting it up does the fast idle set to the higher point?

Why Is Black Smoke Coming Out The TailPipe?

You are running rich

  • Number 1 cause is ignition. Check plugs, wires, distributor cap and points.
  • Choke mal adjusted.
  • Float level off.
  • Main jets too big.
  • Needle & Seat leaking.

Why is Fuel Dumping Down Carburetor After Turning Off?

  • Main discharge leaking – Make sure the check weight (with the pointed end) is in the hole. Tap the check weight gently a few time to seat it.
  • Venturi gasket not sitting flat, or leaking.
  • Bowl vent plugged off. The bowl must be vented, or fuel will siphon out of the carburetor.
  • Wrong gas tank cap. Should be vented.
  • Percolating – hot engine stops and gas boils out of the bowl. Cool down the engine. Check for fuel line too close to exhaust.
Updated on 04/15/2022

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