I hate electrical.

OK yesterday I decided that I wanted to hear the new engine run even though there are a couple of things to do before putting the front sheetmetal back on. After checking off the list of items to do this I got her fired up and running fine. Noticed fuel at the carb and some smoke from the passengers side coming from between the fire wall and engine. Shut her down. Fixed the fuel leak and figured I had spilt some tranny fluid on the exhaust manifold while topping off. There was no smell to the smoke that I could tell. Went to start her back up and nothing. No power. Crawled all around underneath could not see any burnt wiring. Checked grounds battery to frame and engine to frame. All good and tight. It has a Highway 15 harness so I pulled out dia. to see if there is a fuse or relay in the circuit. Can't find one. I do have a neutral safety switch. Could that for some reason have smoked. I do not understand why I was able to crank it to prelube the block and than crank for many times priming the carb to get the fuel to flow. Than have it run and idle. Turn it off and now nothing. No clicking no gage movement nothing. I plan to try and see if something has come loose at the back of the ignition switch this a.m..

Got her back on track but a new question is. There is a cover plate in the intake that I am assuming had to do with the manual choke. While running there is hot air like exhaust coming out of the hole in the top of it. What is this? Should this hole be sealed off and how?

ya it will be for a choke, think a small amount of exhaust crosses over through the intake to heat up a coil that controls the choke (well would have in the past) so just make a plate to plug it off or pull the intake and plug it at the heads. somebody correct me if i am wrong.

No, you are not wrong.

Thanks guys threaded hole easy fix. Now fighting fuel pressure. At original start up was between 4 and 5 now holding at 11. I have another gage going to install when it cools off.

Stock mechanical pump new gage at 9.

Electical problems can be a SHOCKING worry,LOL.

Got it regulated and all is well. Till the next thing!

New question? What should the fuel pressure be for a new Holley be regulated at?

5PSI is typically all you need for street applications. More than that can damage internals on a non-modified carb.

I did not mess the carb up. The pressure was running 9 when first started up. Once I noticed this (a few minutes) I shut it down and got a regulator and installed it. Seems to be running/idling OK.