Bent Holley(R) Center Inlet Float Elbows: For whatever reasons Holley designed the float arm for center inlet fuel bowl floats (a.k.a. LeMans fuel bowls) with an elbow that people could very easily bend into a new angle of their choice. I have come across this problem since the 1970s in the R-3259 / R-3259-1 family of carburetors.
I will state right now that I never found an original drawing or specification for the angle of this arm. I have purchased new old stock floats and new old stock float bowl assemblies containing floats. The new factory parts I personally have measured exhibit 80 degree angles plus or minus an extremely small deviation.
If the elbow angle is changed by anybody for any reason the factory dry float settings will mean nothing. I read occasionally that users have severe lean or severe rich conditions even after doing their best to set float levels. Bending that elbow makes a tremendous difference where the float rides up and down in the bowl. Earlier this year I was tasked to checking out a unit restored by a famous shop. Both arms were bent with one having an angle of 110 degree. In the worst case the needle valve may not close even after somebody thinks they have set the dry level correctly.
For what it is worth, I check every one with a very nice protractor and adjust to 80 degree as required.
