I wondered what was causing my Holley carb to run like crap. It's almost like it delaminated inside the bowl!

Mid to late 80's Holley made from junk metal. Holley pumped out a lot of carbs that had that same problem.

time to end the terror by replacing both of them with better bowls

And ethanol exacerbated the problem.

As a retired company metallurgist, I will tell you that cracking is highly unusual! Only thing that comes to my mind is that somebody startedq with particularly, terribly dirty aluminum. Chinese stuff?

I'd have to bet it doesn't just stop at the bowls

Wow what does your filter look like?

Zinc not aluminum.

Looks like alcohol corosion to me.
Doug

Holley's plating is nowhere near that that thick. I'm going to say ethanol attacking the parent metal which is what's peeling away.

I don't know about "exacerbating", I think its entirely the problem !!

This may help:

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2381997/1.html

Poor quality of materials used in the pot metal casting. Google search "Zinc Pest".

chinesium................

this is a good point. The Chinese find every way to cheapen their overhead. It is the domestic company responsibility to insure the materials are as spec'ed and suitable for use.
How much has been spent and lost by consumers being the test bed for cheap parts that maximize profits?
I have a real problem with the corporations (inc drug companies that nearly killed me) accepting without qc and approval.
Hopefully Holly has weeded out the issue.

Not sure if you sent there tech line pics they would do anything since they changed owners (I think) but this has been a problem in several different blocks of time. All low quality materials and sub standard process. One run was bad because there was too much lead in the mix.

The used to replace most bad parts if they were called on it but alot of time has passed.

Junk, time and time again.

Time for a new carb.

Wow, never seen Holley's do this in over 50 years. I'v'e got several older ones that may be worth a premium LOL..

PRE JUNK HOLLEY's from the 70's and 80's MADE IN THE USA Bidding starts at 1000.00 for an 1850, 3310, 2000.00

Double pumper? 3,000 LOL

That's the first thing that came to my mind too.

Yeah , ethanol hard at work. Replace them with something more modern or ally friendly.