(Sorry for the long, rambling post. . .)

Last month I called Quick Fuel's tech line asking to get the restrictors needed to convert my Proform billet metering blocks to E85. About all I could get out of them was their part number for their E85 metering blocks. Thanks, guys.

So, I went ahead and ordered them - and they were back-ordered. Finally arrived Wednesday while I was out of town; last night after I got back I installed them. They both have PV provision (that surprised me a little) but no vacuum fitting. Since I didn't have any PV plugs, and needed the car at the track first thing this morning, I went ahead and put 6.5 PV's front and rear, and attempted to square the jetting. I didn't have enough of the jets I had in the primaries, and only one of the next size up, so I put the same primary jets in as before and 2 up in the secondaries. I also returned the idle air bleeds to the as-delivered Proform main body sizes, but again didn't have 4 (not sure what happened there - they only gave me the 73's for all 4 idles but I could only find two of them), so I put 69's in the secondary idle air bleeds.

While I was at it, I decided to try the 1:1 linkage that came with the Quick Fuel alcohol throttle base; set all 4 corner idle mixtures at 1-1/2 turns out, and fired it up. It was too late in the evening to do much, but it started right up and idled decent right from the start.

The 1:1 isn't "exactly" that, but the secondaries do start to open at very little throttle. I was hesitant to try it before, but since I now had secondary PV, it seemed to make sense. What I found was in "normal" driving, it still mainly only operated on the primaries, even cruising down the freeway at 65 MPH (3200 RPMs).

So, what about the track? The burn out was interesting, much easier to do and control RPMs with the secondaries opening up along with the primaries. For staging, again pretty much only needed the amount the primaries would move, but man, did the converter flash when I gave it a little more! I launched at 2500 (primaries only), temp was 92 degrees, DA was 9200', wind calm, and it ran a 13.297 - the best it had run previously at altitude was 13.30 with a slight tail wind and DA about 7800'! MPH was over 100, 60' was 1.838, normally under those conditions it would be over 1.9. And, RT was -.030 - oops, it's hitting a lot harder here. . .

4 time trials over the next couple of hours, first 3 were in the 13.30 range, then it clicked off a 13.257 - but fuel was getting low, so I added 5 gal of E85 and waited for the first round of the jackpot race. RT's were scattered for various reasons, but with 2900 stall I pulled off a .028 with a very yellow light on the last one.

First round of the jackpot race, RT was -.004 - Rats! With more fuel, higher humidity, and slight head wind, it ran a 13.275 on a 13.28 dial. I got into the 2nd jackpot race, dialed 13.26 and ran a 13.266 backing off for the win. Next round was almost an hour later, wind changed to about 10 MPH head, humidity got higher, ran a 13.35 with a red light in the other lane - hmmm, if he hadn't bulbed, I would have been in trouble with my 13.28 dial. Next round was about another hour later, wind died down, ran a 13.266 (again - wow, just realized that) trying to back off (couldn't find the brake pedal!) on a 13.30 dial, so I was done.

Anyway, after I figure out how to stage and launch this thing, should make for some interesting running.

Oh, also seemed to run cooler. And doesn't die at the turn-off road at the track like it used to.

 

Ran another new best today, 13.191 at 101.54 MPH. The weather station didn't show the air to be that good (9000'), but there was some weird atmospheric thing going on - everybody was breaking out (I had a red light win when it ran that). Later when the DA was 8300', it ran another 13.19 (with a 6) at a little over 100. That run had the best ever at altitude 60' of 1.818.

I would say if you're considering converting a Holley to E85, the first thing you should get is these metering blocks.

 

Thanks for the update I will file it for later use.

 

I was wondering if it was the 1:1 linkage, the metering blocks, or both that made the difference. 60' could be attributed to the linkage, but since every increment went down along with 60' and ET, and speed went up both 1/8 and 1/4 mile, the metering blocks have to be the biggest contributor.

By the way, if you already have billet metering blocks with replaceable restrictors, getting the restrictors should be much less expensive than getting the blocks. The E85 and Jetting thread contains the QFT instructions that document them (although I could repeat them here). Another surprise I didn't mention is the PV restrictors are drilled, not screw-in. i guess I should say I was also disappointed that they were drilled.

 

this post is actually for the guy with the CUDA, i seem to have lost the last post he made. I have a 383 mopar 12.1 Cr 292 509 HYD cam 5000 stall 8inch convertor PG tranny with 4.56 gears in the rear.This is in a 1700 lb pound dragster. I have been buying e-85 for three years now and this is how i mix it. I take an empty 5 gallon gas can put 1.5 gallons of e85 in it and the rest 93 octane gas. These are the numbers 1.294 60ft, 5.87 et(1/8th mile)112 mph 9.35 et (1/4 mile) . I dont know all the math like yall were doing but would like some numbers if you come up with them. I run a 750 hp carb with 76 & 78 jets ,deadly consistent and been running same engine for three years. how much more e85 can i run and what do i need to up the jets to?

 

typically on the proform meterblocks are the PV holes screw-in, I never pulled the PV out of this carb, but when I switch to TT this winter it would really help instead of drilling out the PVCR holes, which I believe they're called--the two small holes behind the PV. If they were screw-in that would be great.

 

xpndbl3: Now you're converting to TT?!?! I've followed your progress since you've been on this board, and it's come up from your typical Thirdgen to what it is today. I can tell it took alot of hard work (and $$$) on your part, and it turned out sweet! -something to be proud of! Hope you don't mind, but if I decide to go with a blow-thru carb, I'll be trying to "pick your brain" in the future!

-Jeff

PS: 5-7: Great to hear you're dailing it in - on E85 no less! I've always heard that having the secondaries open sooner (or at the same time) as the primaries on a drag car works well. Sorry, I'll cease from hijacking this thread now.

 

Yea I get bored easily with the car, had 7 motors, 3 different trans, 5 rears in it, I keep breaking or swapping parts. All the rears I broke, 4 ten bolts, and 1 9 bolt--now I have a 9". The 2 700R4 trans both broke, one was built to the hilt, broke that too. Now it's a built Th350 with no issues. Had a 13.0 305 that did 11.60s on a 150 shot, sold that, had several other motors, 2 stages of nitrous on some and just would like the driveability back that running a TT will give me. I can run real low gears in the 9" like 3.55s with a 28" slick probably since turbo cars like a lower gear and all the streetability will be back compared to the 4.11s and no overdrive I have now. Also can run a smaller cam so gas mileage should be up while crusing around compared to the 7 or 8mpg I get maybe in this car if I could keep my foot out of it.

 

5-7, glad to hear the metering blocks really helped you out, i'm looking forward to trying mine this next go round. engine is heading north (to MN) for the once over AGAIN, but at least this time it's in good hands-this is the shop that went waay out of their way to help fix the orignal problems when we dynoed, but i am looking forward to doing the full carb conversion run downs to see how they all react.

back to standard 950hp settings on 110 for baseline
reinstall bigger jets in stock 950hp like it was when i did race it on the e85
then install all the e85 stuff i have in the carb and see how that works

i was lucky i did'nt have any issues with just drilled out jets and power valves, but i know there is more docile street manners in it...well, maybe not this next version, but you know what i'm getting at. then hopefully i will have some more info with what we find out.

 

I've only seen one set of Proform metering blocks, their billet 67165C. Only the primary block has a PV, and the restrictors are screw-in.

What I'm happiest about is it hasn't died once on me at idle. Used to have to feather it turning from the shut-down to the return road, or when coming to a stoplight, turning a slow corner, etc. Running so much stronger is pure gravy.

If you have a standard universal Holley 750 DP and you want to run E85, I'd say go straight for the Quick Fuel Q-750-E85 carb. Yes, it's $736.95, but guess how much I've spent on converting my carb? And I still don't have 50cc accelerator pumps, hollow squirter screws, or built-in site glass fuel bowls.

 

Update - Dateline Topeka, NHRA Division V Summit ET Finals:

Got to the track later than I wanted to this morning, called my class before I could rejet. Decided to run and see what it would do. Stumbled on launch, rotten RT & 60', didn't seem to pull like it should. Decided it needed more jet. Upped front & rear by 3, adjusted idle, seemed to run well. Decided to run the valves (run .018" on exhaust at altitude instead of normal .016" per Comp instructions), finished left bank, go to start it up to rewarm it, won't fire. No spark. After messing around with it for an hour, go buy a new Accel distributor and Supercoil and get it going again. Missed 2nd time trial, but sneak in with Pro class to get my 2nd run. Still stumbled at launch but runs better after that, run a 12.33 @ 109.7 (~15 MPH tail wind).

Figure the stumbling is because of inadequate stall (perhaps inadequate secondary shot), but tries to push through the beam if I stall higher. Decide on strategy of stalling at prestage and let it push into the stage beam for the "gambler" race, dial a 12.32 with a 9.79-sec Vette in the other lane - strategy works, better light, much better 60', back off at the stripe to take .008, but still too much, double break out with him having a .018 better light. Ran a 12.28 @ 101 (scrubbed 8 mph), based on 1000' would have run a 12.23. Wind was only about 5-8 MPH.

We'll see what happens Saturday.