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 Here are the tools youll...  Here are the tools youll need to set the idle mixture: an assortment of small, straight screwdrivers; a vacuum gauge; and a low-speed tachometer. You can do without the tach, but it helps maintain an accurate idle speed. |
 With the car parked outside...  With the car parked outside and in Neutral or Park, find the idle-mixture screw for your carburetor. These photos show the location of the idle-mixture screws on a Holley and Demon... |
...Q-jet... |
 ...and Carter/Edelbrockstyle...  ...and Carter/Edelbrockstyle carb. Keep in mind that some Holley and all Demon four-barrel carburetors use a four-corner idle-mixture system with four idle-mixture screws. This would also be a good time to note where the idle-mixture screws are set. If the mixture screws are not set equally, do that first. |
 Connect the tach to the negative...  Connect the tach to the negative side of the coil and to ground. |
 Connect the vacuum gauge to...  Connect the vacuum gauge to a port on the carburetor that offers manifold vacuum. On a Holley, that will be the small vacuum port located at the front of the carburetor baseplate (arrow). |
 With the engine at operating...  With the engine at operating temperature and the choke off, set the idle-speed screw on the throttle shaft so the engine idles around 850 rpm. Note the vacuum-gauge reading. |
 Now use your small screwdriver...  Now use your small screwdriver to adjust the idle-mixture screws to achieve the highest idle vacuum. Be sure to adjust the idle-mixture screws equally so that they are balanced. If necessary, reset the idle speed to maintain the 850-rpm speed. This may require going back and forth with the idle-mixture and idle-speed screws to achieve the best idle mixture. |
 This is the idle discharge...  This is the idle discharge port (arrow 1) located below the throttle blade. This photo also shows the location of the transition slot (arrow 2). Ideal idle speed positions the throttle blades so that no more than 0.040 inch of the transition slot is exposed to manifold vacuum at idle. Uncovering more or less of the slot can cause off-idle stumble problems. |
 Float level can also affect...  Float level can also affect idle quality. The float level on Holley and Demon carbs is easy to check and modify using the sight plugs on the side of the float bowl. Turn the float-level adjustment screw (arrow) clockwise to lower the float level and counterclockwise to raise it. |
 This drawing illustrates the...  This drawing illustrates the relationship of the throttle blade to the idle discharge port and the transfer slot. Arrow A indicates where the hole can be drilled in the throttle blade to introduce more air into the engine when using a long-duration camshaft with low-idle vacuum. |
 Demon carburetors feature...  Demon carburetors feature two small vacuum ports on the passenger side of the baseplate. The front port is for ported vacuum. The rear port is for manifold vacuum. When setting idle vacuum levels, hook the vacuum gauge to the manifold vacuum port. CHP |
Hey, how tough can it be? Just turn the screw and youre done, right?
Theres a lot more to learn about setting idle mixture than just turning a couple of screws and slamming the hood closed. You might be surprised at how much better your street-driven engine will run with a properly adjusted idle mixture. The idle circuit is a crucial component to overall street engine operation and properly adjusting the idle mixture goes a long way toward improving throttle response, fuel mileage, and emissions.
Now that weve impressed upon you the importance of setting idle mixture, take a moment to read the sidebar (Circuit City) so you have a better understanding of how the idle circuit works. Before we get started, its best to do the actual tuning outside, because the engine will be idling for an extended period of time. Never work on a running engine inside a closed garage unless the exhaust is properly routed outside with exhaust hoses. You will also need a couple of small, straight screwdrivers; a low-rpm tachometer; and a vacuum gauge. Make sure the transmission is in Park if its an automatic or Neutral if its a manual. Block one tire, or set the parking brake so the car wont roll.
To begin, make sure the engine is up to operating temperature and the choke is completely off. A cold engine requires more fuel than a fully warmed engine even if the choke is off. Remove the air cleaner and connect the tach to the engine. Typically, one lead connects to the negative side of the coil, and the other hooks to a suitable ground. Connect the vacuum gauge so it reads manifold vacuum.
Remember that working around the engine is plenty dangerous and can chew up fingers, catch cords from the tach or timing light, and generally cause havoc if youre not careful. Always work slowly and thoughtfully when tuning a running engine. Rushing to the hospital for stitches takes all the fun out of working on cars.
Before you fire up the engine, slowly turn each idle-mixture screw in until it gently bottoms out and count the number of turns it takes. Do this for each idle-mixture screw and then return them to their original positions. If all the idle-mixture screws are not adjusted the same, do that now. Remember to always adjust both screws the same amount. This will help balance the idle mixture and allow the engine to run as smoothly as possible. If the carburetor is new to the engine, start at 1½-turns out (counterclockwise) from full in.
Now start the engine and set the idle speed to around 850 rpm with the idle-speed screw. If your engine has a big cam and must idle at a higher speed, thats OK. Note the reading on the vacuum gauge. Next, turn one idle-mixture screw in ½-turn and note the change on the vacuum gauge. If the vacuum reading increasessay, from 14 inches to 14-½ inchesmove around to the other side of the carburetor and turn that mixture screw in ½-turn as well. Again, note the vacuum gauge reading; if the gauge continues to climb, then adjust each idle-mixture screw in another ½-turn. On most carburetors, turning the mixture screw in (clockwise) leans the mixture, while counterclockwise (out) enriches the mixture.
Initially, if the engine stumbles or the vacuum drops when turning the mixture screw in, turn both screws out about a ½-turn and evaluate the results. The goal of adjusting the idle-mixture screws is to achieve the highest possible idle vacuum at a set idle speed. If the idle speed increases after you adjust the idle-mixture screws (which is likely), be sure to adjust the idle speed back to the base speed. This is important because a higher idle speed will increase the vacuum reading. Maintaining a standard idle speed will make it easier to evaluate changes to the idle-mixture screws.
The best way to accurately set idle mixture is to use an emission-test machine to read hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) levels. As you move the idle-mixture screws, youll see some very dramatic changes in HC and CO readings. The ideal idle-mixture setting will minimize both the HC and CO. HC readings are expressed in parts per million (ppm) while CO is given as a percentage. One fact that is generally overlooked is that CO can be equated to air/fuel ratio. For example, 0.01 percent CO is equivalent to 14.7:1 air/fuel and 0.38 percent is equivalent to a 13:1 air/fuel ratio.
Most four-barrel carburetors use two screws to set the idle mixture. Some recent Holley and all Demon carburetors use four idle-mixture adjustment points. The idle-mixture procedure is exactly the same for these carburetors except that now you are balancing four adjustment points instead of two. Again, a big key to establishing the ideal idle mixture is an accurate balance of all four of these mixture adjustments.
This procedure also works for engines with lumpy camshafts. One potential pitfall is that big cams often idle at vacuum levels below 8 inches. These engines also require large throttle openings to allow air in for the engine to idle. This uncovers the idle transfer slot, which can cause off-idle stumble problems. The only way to spot this problem is to remove the carburetor and see if the throttle blades uncover more than 0.040 inch of the idle transfer slot (you can use a spark-plug-gap wire gauge to measure this). If too much of the slot is uncovered, the best fix is to drill a 1/16-inch hole in the leading-edge side of the throttle blade and, if necessary, increase the size by 1/32-inch increments. This will allow more air past the throttle blades, which will allow closing the throttle blade slightly so the transfer slot is only barely exposed by the throttle blade. Be careful not to drill these holes too large or the throttle blades will need to be fully closed to generate the proper idle speed. Unfortunately, this can also create an off-idle flat spot.
Fine-tuning the carb in this manner will improve part-throttle operation and should eliminate that annoying off-idle stumble. As you can see, theres much more to setting idle mixture properly than just turning a couple of screws. Spending a little more time to set your idle mixture properly will result in superior part-throttle performance. A simple step like this can make a big difference in how much fun you have behind the wheel.