electronic ignition.
the plugs are grey around the electrode, black around the outer ring itself.
i think the carby is a 650 holley, might take a couple of pics.
thanks for the help guys.

Sounds like one of your problems is it's too rich.

http://www.boschusa.com/images/SparkPlugFaces.pdf

That is a very good document on how to read spark plugs.

cheers for that link, it's running normal then.
is the fuel mixture in a holley 4 barrel adjustable, or is it only the idle that is?

im starting to think it's running too rich, it seems real good before it's warmed up.
can you adjust the fuel mixture in holleys?

You can adjust the idle mixture screws, they mainly adjust for idle mixture but do have a little affect on part throttle.

Holley's use a diaphragm on the side of the bowl for a accelerator pump, if you have vacuum secondaries there will be only one on the front bowl, if it is a double pumper they also have a accelerator pump fitted to the rear bowl.

Holley's are easy to check float bowl levels, remove the screw on the side of the bowl, fuel should be sitting just below or just starting to come out, to adjust float level; undo the top screw on top of the bowl, turn the nut up or down to adjust fuel level. There is also uncommon better design non leaking needle and seat designs that you have to loosen the nut first, then with a screwdriver adjust fuel height.

Have you had any back fires in the Holley, old style Holley's are prone to destroying the power valve with back fires in the carby, power valve on Holley's also have a large part to play in acceleration and part throttle etc, if it is stuffed you can never get them to run right (they run like a hairy goat), choose the wrong power valve and you will never get it running right either.

Lots of people remove the factory Thermoquad and fit a Holley, when the Thermoquad is a far better carburetor than the Holley (unless aftermarket modified), especially the common old style Holley, just there isn't much to a Holley so dumb a*** aren't scared to pull a Holley apart, unlike the Thermoquad (Don't use a factory Thermoquad with LPG, could be asking for problems here)

i'll try to find the screws/nuts you're talking about.
i know nothing when it comes to carbies.

Hang on to later on the day, I am sure I have a picture somewhere of a Holley etc

You may not have old style Holley, but if you do this is an exploded view, my scanner just s**t itself so I had to use my video camera, and the whole sheet was hard to read.



Number 43 and 65 is the power valves, 26 and 57 are accelerator pumps, 38 and 63 is the metering bodies. Unless it is a double pumper there is only 43 power valve, 26 accelerator pump and 38 metering body, the exploded view is a general view of either vacuum or mechanically secondary.

cheers damage, that will come in handy, didn't have time to do it today, but i'll use it no doubt.