Holley carb experts - 4150 fuel bowl conversion

[Robb]

ive never torn apart or rebuilt a carb.
I have a Holley 650 DP on a project and would like to plumb the fuel line into the carb on the drivers side as opposed to passenger side of the carb. I've been surfing and I'm guessing I need a 4150 fuel bowl conversion to give me that flexibility. Does this sound right? My carb appears to be able to plumb in from the drivers side but that side of the fuel bowl isn't threaded. The conversion bowls are about $300.00. Are the conversion fuel bowls the only way to accomplish this?

And then swapping the bowls, is that as simple as it looks? 4 screws and done? Or is this project in my best interest to pay someone who has a clue?

[fitterjohn]

Couldn’t tel you what you would need, but changing float bowls is no big deal.

[thedave1164]

Dang, for $300 I would run some fancy braided line to the other side

[Colorado Osprey]

Are you referring to the dual inlet bowls like the Holley 34-38 kit? This kit should have everything you need but you will need to swap everything over to you new bowls like you accelerator pumps, floats, needle, etc. Holley sells this kit for $124.95 https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/carburetor_components/floats_fuel_bowls_and_components/fuel_bowl_kits_and_components/parts/34-38

[TFOGGER]

Be prepared to spend some time scraping gaskets, as they stick like a bitch. If the carb doesn't come with check valves to prevent blown power valves in the event of a backfire, now would be a good time to install them. It's been about 25 years since I sold them, but I know them inside and out.

[BPTactical]

It's been a long time but I have some time with the 4150 series carbs.
I would think you would run into problems as far as the bowl transfer tube if your thinking of just swapping the bowls.
Holleys are simple carbs but there are a few tricks to them. Like not putting the transfer o rings in the bowl but rather on the tube during reassembly. They can be cantankerous, I found that regular adjustment of the float level was required but that was also on trucks that got bounced around pretty hard.
Set your beginning float level with the bowl off of the carb, hold it upside down and adjust the bowl to where the float arms are parallel to the bowl. When you set the wet float level you just want fuel to kiss the sight hole, any more than that and you will be to high on your float level when the car is in motion.
Like TFogger said, be sure to replace the power valve with a "Blow Proof" one, a backfire through the intake system will blow the power valve resulting in a terrible rich at idle.
If it is a 4160 series that is the Ford variant and does not use a secondary metering block, it uses a plate instead and it will be difficult to tune for anything other than a bone stock engine.

If your tossing that 650 on a 289 or 302 Stang it is gonna be too much carb unless it is a heavy cammed engine. You can over carb an engine which results in loss of velocity at low end and you lose a ton of torque down low.
It will be a pig to drive.
Hell they are almost too much on a 396 or 460.
Also a double pumper is great on a track but unless you know how to set up the pump, pump cam and pump shot correctly it will likely be a dog and a gas hog.
Vacuum secondaries are much more drivable on a street car.
While they are a decent carb I feel the design has been surpassed by technology, Demon and Edelbrock are more modern designs, easier to set up and tune IMO.