Alright. So i bought this engine from a yard, i heard it run in a car...it ran very well and started and idled well. This was 6 months ago. I've had it running a few times but it hasn't been totally great. Since i've had it, it has a rather weak idle. We'll i'm done with everything and now i'm ready to wheel except i can't get the engine running right. Everything seems to be in order except for the timing. I don't have a timing tab so i can't use a light. My buddy has been timing it by ear and it comes out pretty well so i don't worry much about the timing. I can get it to run pretty good but i gotta give it gas. It doesn't backfire or miss when its at a high rpm (2000+) but when i let off the gas and it goes back to ~800 it will die. This leads me to believe that the carb is the problem. Since i bought the engine, we've screwed with the idlers and idle screw and air fuel things. (i really don't know anything mechanically about the engine)

Well my friend is busy so i was wondering if maybe i could take a shot at fixing it. Can someone tell me about my carb and how to set it and what everything does and all that?

From what i understand the 2 screws on the front of the carb they control the air fuel mixtures. Which screw is which? How should the mixture be? On the right side of the engine (bottom of pic) theres the electric choke. The left prong is ground and the right prong is pos+ right? The big tube on the front goes to my pvc valve. Those 2 rubber vacuum hoses behind the carb on the manifold go to my vacuum advance and the other goes to my tranny vacuum pod thing. I've taken the top cover off and cleaned everything out and pulled the little idle jets and cleaned them and blown them out and they are free. I've cleaned the needles that sit in the idle jets. The bowls and floats are clean.


So how do i fix this problem. ANY input will be greatly appreciated. I don't know jack about this carb and since i can fix pretty much everything else on the truck...i'd like to learn about my carb so i can tune it and mess with it myself.



EDIT: pic aint showing....obviously...but give me some opinions and suggestions and i'll get it posted here in a few min.

Edelbrock carb it the problem trust me. they are garbage. Had one on my truck before the truck avenger. I had nothing but problems with the carb. For me I had a slight miss at 2000 rpm every time i hit the go pedal. I've had the carb appart too many times to count changing to needles and seats and the jets with no sucess (spent a good amount of time on the phone with Edelbrock tech). I'd try another carb and I'm betting that the problems will go away. My truck ran a lot better with just the Truck Avenger bolted on (no tuning done) than the edelbrock ever ran, now that the Avenger is tuned there is no looking back

here is the pic

Drew

vacume advanc needs to go to the front pass side vac port on carb. Or just throw the carb in the scrap pile:flipoff2:

Just throw a stock q-jet on, hook it up right and it will run better than that edelbrock.

Originally posted by rebalracer
vacume advanc needs to go to the front pass side vac port on carb. Or just throw the carb in the scrap pile:flipoff2:


Where? On the part that loops?

Did u mean that thats where the vacuum advance goes otherwise it obviously wont run right or by saying 'or just throw the carb in the scrap pile' that its a POS?


We'll i realized that some of my linkages weren't on good, so i fixed em so they wouldn't pop off. We'll i fired it up and if i work the choke butterfly by hand, it will actually idle. Does this mean that my electric choke isnt working? cause it doesnt do shiat. I know this carb is good cause i've seen it work pretty nice before.

In any case, is this carb worth anything? Maybe monday i'll take it to the place i bought it and trade it for a qjet. (i actually wanted a q-jet and they wanted the edelbrock but they were too lazy to take it off) Is it worth a straight trade for a q-jet?

Wasn't dissing you or giving a "smart answer" just from personal experience (and from friends who USED to run the same carb). Have found that they will never run right on any angle and always act up. There is a reason why an Edelbrock performer carb is a lot less than a Holley. My buddies that have not gone Truck Avenger have gone to the Q-Jet. A healthy tuned Q-Jet should out preform a Truck Avenger.
I can't tell you right now if there is specific port on the carb to run the vaccuum advance from.
But take that "looped line" off the front of the carb, plug one of the holes and run a line from the other port to the vaccuum fitting on the side of the distributer. That's your vaccuum advance.
I don't have that on mine anymore (gotta love the MSD, does it all for me).

Well first thing I would do is buy a good vacume gauge, attach it to the manifold and tell us the reading. Check to make sure all the ports on the carb and intake are plugged. Your vacume advance needs to be on ported vac. (no pull at idle)

You can keep replacing parts if you want and hope to fix it or you can figure out why its doing what its doing and fix it right. Its better to use your money constructively rather than frivulously.

Originally posted by s10bogger
Wasn't dissing you or giving a "smart answer" just from personal experience (and from friends who USED to run the same carb). Have found that they will never run right on any angle and always act up.

Yeah i know. But i didnt understand whether or not the advance was hooked up properly. I'll fix it tomorrow.

I do agree that this carb is a POS though.

And i'm not replacing parts. Theres no parts that are wrong and everything is there. There are no parts to buy. Timing and tuning is what i need. I haven't replaced anything.

OK. Switched to a q-jet. It runs ALOT better now.......but not too grand though.

OK. Tranny in park. Engine running. I can stab the gas and it will rev up like it should. But if i move it slowly, at about 1/4 throttle it will chug and want to die.

When i put it in gear, it will chug and run like shit no matter if i stab the gas or not. It has zero power under load and i can't get to 30 mph.

Basically it doesn't have power under load....but it will rev up well?

Whats wrong with it? Since i don't have a timing tab, I've set the timing as good as i can by ear and get it idling as good as i can. No matter what i seem to do it still pretty much sucks.

Gimme some feedback guys...its so close to being done.

Have you checked the fuel filter?? See if there is anything in there, if not check the fuel pressure (either with a gauge or take the line of the carb and turn over the motor and aim the hose into a bucket) who knows, the fuel pump might not be happy. Also run a compression check just to see what that looks like, just to make sure that the motor it healthy.

Originally posted by Greasemonkey
\ Your vacume advance needs to be on ported vac. (no pull at idle)


Ok is this true cause when I had by 351w vacum advanced to a ported vacum spot it wouldnt keep from pinning under load when I put it to a vacum spot that advanced it at idle it has gone away this is a holley carb but I figure it would be the same. The truck runs great now except for a hesitation. a little background this is a reman motor with a edelbroke performer intake

Ok is this true cause when I had by 351w vacum advanced to a ported vacum spot it wouldnt keep from pinning under load when I put it to a vacum spot that advanced it at idle it has gone away this is a holley carb but I figure it would be the same. The truck runs great now except for a hesitation. a little background this is a reman motor with a edelbroke performer intake


Is a 351W a Chevrolet product.............I forget:rolleyes:

Let me ask you something, did this engine do all of this before?
If these things started happening since the install I would say replacing parts will just waste your money, Check to make sure you don't have the dist. a tooth or two off (which it sounds as though you do) and check connections to the truck, vacume and electrical, And get a timing tab, since your going to the parts house anyhow........

Originally posted by K5KRAZIE



Is a 351W a Chevrolet product.............I forget:rolleyes:


Just because the valve covers bear a different name doesnt mean they run any different when the same things are screwed up. They both have carbs. they both use vaccum to signal the carb and other things to do particular things.

I would say check something other than the carb/engine, if it ran before chances are its probably still fun. Double check vacc connections and make sure you're getting good fuel.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Violent91
[B]OK. Switched to a q-jet. It runs ALOT better now.......but not too grand though.

When i put it in gear, it will chug and run like shit no matter if i stab the gas or not. It has zero power under load and i can't get to 30 mph.

Basically it doesn't have power under load....but it will rev up well?

Sounds like it needs fuel!!! Is this a reman unit or an old worn takeoff carb. Check to make sure the accelerator pump arm isn't full of play. Does it backfire like it's lean??? Spray some choke cleaner in it while you rev it. If it sounds stronger, it might need more fuel! This is all of course IF you know the timing is correct!