Carburetor Fuel Regulators

[Sterling]

A customer of mine is having issues with his Holley fuel regulator and his Sterling Nikki. He said he dialogged with another owner of a Sterling who experienced the same issue, but then another with a different carb set-up (I believe) who also had a problem with the Holley regulator.
I've been recommending the Holley 1-4 psi fuel regulator for years, and I had thought this to be the best. This seed was planted in my mind by Paul Yaws insistence upon his customers using that choice, as well.
I had also read many times that the popular alternative, Puralator, failed frequently due to a different diaphragm design.

Though I have cut into fuel pumps to see how they work, I have not dissected a fuel regulator, and do not fully know how they work. I'm assuming they work similarly to flammable gas (propane/acetylene) tank regulators, which I am a bit familiar with.

If anyone has any experience with regulators, please add yours here, and after some experience data is accumulated, I'll know better the parameters I need to set for a poll on this issue.

[Kentetsu]

I've been fighting variable fuel pressures since the day I installed my Holley fpr. I spoke with Billy from Respeed, and he informed me that quite often there are burrs inside the regulator which will impede proper function. He recommended that I disassemble it and smooth out the bore. I'll have to actually get around to doing this within the next couple of weeks, so I'll let you guys know what I find.

To clarify my issue; one time you start the car and you've got 3.75 psi and the next time you start it up you've got 2.5 psi Pretty tough to do any fine tuning with that kind of shit going on... Is this similar to what you are hearing about Dennis?

[djjjr42]

I've had the same variable pressure problem with this regulator installed on one of my FB's with a 45 DCOE and carter pump. It goes up and down randomly, and I had been blaming it on my cheap Summit gauge. However seeing this thread is now making me wonder.
I was wondering if air in the lines might have an effect on the pressure reading, not sure about that but since I used clear fuel lines I can see that there is indeed air in there. Also I'm dead heading with the DCOE.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the Sterling I won, to be installed on another FB compares to the DCOE.

[Sterling]

Originally Posted by djjjr42

I'm looking forward to seeing how the Sterling I won, to be installed on another FB compares to the DCOE.

-So am I.

[orion84gsl]

Congrats on the win, I'm sure you'll love it. And Sterling, you can name names. I'm the one thats been bitching to him about my regulator. I believe it may be the culprit behind my starting issues. When it's been awhile, the car will crank but stumble and die on start up. Persistence will get her running, but the pressure is usually high when I check after startup. Same symptoms as Kentetsu. Set it at two and next time I look its at 1 or 4, even 5 once, which was wierd considering the regulator is rated 1-4. What is involved in deburring the regulator? I assume just sanding the inside with a fine grit paper. I'd rather do that than have to shell out for a different regulator.

[orion84gsl]

Whoops, good thing I caught this. Almost a a double post.

[Kentetsu]

I haven't torn into mine yet, I just got the motor/tranny back in this weekend. I think I'll probably use my dremel to clean mine up, so I'll let you know how it goes when I finally get to it...

[PercentSevenC]

Those Holley regulators are crap. I never could get the fuel pressure right on my old GLC. Jeff20B's cheap regulator (I think it might be this one) seems more consistent. I'll be using a rebranded Aeromotive 13301 on my blow-through DCOE project. I'll let you know how it works.

Edit: Apparently Jeff's is actually a Purolator, but I think the Spectre and Mr. Gasket ones are the same.

[Sterling]

I had always read the Purolator regs (which does incorporate several other rebranded names) were terrible.

Looks like I'm going to have to post up some polls on other carbed rotary forums to collect experience data...

[Jeff20B]

I've had that Purolator for years. It always spits out a reliable pressure. Now the Holley regs on the other hand... where's that funny moo-cow sound?

I'm still going to use a Holley reg with the supercharger, but this time I'll employ a guage which I believe to be accurate enough to tell whether the reg is being sour or sweet.

[rx7carl]

The purolator maintains pressure ok but its very restrictive for fuel flow. Fine for a DD stocker, questionable for a performance carb. I have had holley regs on my streetcar and racecar with no problems other than one ruptured diaphragm (easy fix). The holleys are cheap, simple and reliable IMHO. Are you guys deadheading? I was running the stock return line on both cars, not that it should matter. Maybe you dont have the spring correctly seated in the reg?

[Kentetsu]

Mine is not deadheaded.

[rx7carl]

I'd pop the top and check that the spring is squarely seated. They are so frickin simple in design it's hard for them to fail to regulate properly.

[Jeff20B]

I took the top off mine and couldn't see any burrs. I put the top back on carefully so the spring ought to be seated correctly.

It is deadheaded on an Edelbrock. I need to drive it around some more to get some fuel moving through the regulator.

[orion84gsl]

I'll try taking the top of mine off when I park the car to fix the oil cooler. It "seems" to have settled down a bit but the pressure still drops and rises periodically.