Questions after 1406 install

[timthescarrd]

Have an 83 K10.  sbc 350 700r4 2.73rear w/ 31x10.5x15 tires.

When I got the truck the emission system was hacked up pretty bad and the card had been swapped for a non CCC quadrajet.  Since I have had random flooding problems, I swapped the Carb for a brand new edelbrock 1406 and replaced the dizzy with a mech/vac HEI from ebay.  Took out the remainder of the emissions system (except the cat and the heat door on the passenger exhaust).  With the carb, I installed a holley 21-803 FPR, an inline filter before the FPR and a cheap inline guage after the FPR.  at Idle the gauge pulses from 0 to 5.5psi. 

Running better with the new carb but still some problems.

Timing shows that I have 8 BTDC at idle (550rpms) and climbs to 34 at 3000rpms with vacuum advance unplugged.  When i plug the vac into the ported on the carb it adds about 4degrees at idle. 

If I rev the truck in park, it will produce black smoke, can't seem to get it to rev high enough in drive to flood.  Starts great first thing in the morning, but when it gets hot, I have push the accelerator pedal while starting or it wont start. 

Also, at average throttle (where I normally drive) the exhaust makes a kind of put-put sound (like a lawnmower) instead of what I would expect.

I think I need to adjust the carb some, but not sure exactly what adjustments to make.

please help

[jaredts]

New plugs, wires?
Did you go through the Edelbrock setup instructions for choke, idle mixture, etc.?
You do have the 12v to the choke coil hooked up and verified, right?
You say you still have the "heat door" on the exhaust.  Do you still use the intake hose to your breather?
Have you done a compression or cylinder leakdown test?  If simple tuneup/adjustments don't fix this you should.  You probably should anyway.
You should probably add a thick insulating gasket, phenolic spacer, or heat shield under the carb. for your hot start problem.  Either that or you have choke issues.
You might get some other thoughts on this.  I'm a shadetree at best.  Your putt-putt and black smoke could just be a fouled plug or bad plug wire.

[travh123]

from experiences that i've had the putt-putt could be an exhaust leak, a leak can sometimes make your truck sound a bit like a tractor. easy enough to check for though...

[jaredts]

from experiences that i've had the putt-putt could be an exhaust leak, a leak can sometimes make your truck sound a bit like a tractor. easy enough to check for though...

Very good point.

[timthescarrd]

replaced plugs and wires one year ago, need to do plug again i'm sure.  there were non-foulers on cylinders 3 and 6 when i got it but i removed them.  The air-filter housing has been swapped for an edelbrock open style.  When I got the truck, the idiot before me had plugged the breather hole on the right valvecover and left the PCV in the left, which would cause blue smoke under acceleration, so I put in a push-in breather.  I have direct manifold vaccuum stuck to the "heat door" (is that what that thing is called?)

I have a 1" phenolic adapter between the carb and the intake manifold.  Choke seems to work fine, I haven't really adjusted.  It was hot starting okay when I got the new carb on, then started having issue after I tried to adjust the idle mixture, so maybe I'm too lean.

I'm a shadetree myself so don't worry bout it.

[slammed79]

Black smoke is fuel.

Most of the 1406 cards I've come across need to be jetted down to run right on a 350. I'd Follow the directions in the manual, lean it down two steps with jets and metering rods.

[Fairlane514]

Black smoke means you are too rich. Lean up the idle mixture screws, use a vacuum gauge connected to full manifold vacuum and try to get the highest reading you can.

Hard hot starts could be the float level is too high, and of course too rich on the idle mixture.

8 degrees advanced is ok, you could go 12.  I am at 12 on my Goodwrench 350 with another 10 degrees from my vacuum advance on full manifold vacuum.  I have a Summit HEI with an adjustable vacuum advance.

I set my timing with the vacuum advance unplugged. Then I plugged in my vacuum advance and with my dial back timing light I adjusted the vacuum advance until it added another 10 degrees.  I turned the vacuum advance adjuster 9 turns CCW from all the CW starting position.

[jaredts]

Black smoke is fuel.

Most of the 1406 cards I've come across need to be jetted down to run right on a 350. I'd Follow the directions in the manual, lean it down two steps with jets and metering rods.

The 1406 is the leanest of all the performer carbs.  A spring change and metering rod change to richen it up a bit did a world of good for my drivability with a 1406 and 350.  Either way its close enough out of the box to work without the problems stated here.

[timthescarrd]

For where I live, edelbrock actually recommends leaning it out 6%  (yay for 4500ft altitude), so I may have to, But I expected better results without doing that.  I have a set of new plugs I'm going to put on.