Gentlemen,
I have a 350 with a 4 speed running an Edelbrock 600 that when you are coming to a stop and put in the clutch, she idles high roughly 1100 rpm, after a tap the accelerator she drops down to about 700 rpm. I have cleaned the linkage and even changed the location of the return spring but have not been able to solve the issue. This led me to believe that maybe the return spring is not in the right place at all (could be just me).

I am not sure where the return spring should be mounted. Should the spring be getting pulled back towards the firewall or towards the thermostat? My car is set up with a linkage and not with a throttle cable so I do not have any type brackets on the manifold. So I have the following questions:

1 - is this a return spring problem (not idling properly till I tap the accelerator)
2 - is it a carburator problem (not idling properly till I tap the accelerator)
3 - which way should the return spring be pulling, towards the front of the car or towards the firewall?
4 - what bracket and spring is recommended?

As usual many thanks in advance

 

Pics would help,where on the carb throttle is you spring mounted?
This video may help.

 

Indeed, I will share pictures shortly. Thanks for the video,

 

I have the Edelbrock 1406, 600 cfm, carb. My return spring attaches to the bracket of the coil mounted on intake manifold (stock location). With that said, IDK why your carb wants a "tap" to drop idle other than your high idle linkage is hanging up. Pictured is with stock spring position then with Eddy intake and carb. I used a small metal tab with 2 holes attached to same position as trans kick down lever to attach the carb return spring on the carb

 

Here is the picture i've been meaning to take, sorry for the delay. While I have cleaned the carb linkage it certainly does not seem like it in the picture. Maybe you can suggest what else to use other than CarbCleaner (I used Gumout carb and choke cleaner).

carb return spring location - not sure if that is the right spring either.

 

Your return spring is a way of doing it but typically it is from the rear of motor like in my pic in post 4

 

I knew it looked odd (long spring) I don't think I have a bracket at the rear of the manifold to attach the spring to. I'll see whats out there, as there has to be a simple one since I have HEI I don't have the conventional coil mounted on the manifold.
stay tuned for final pictures.
Thanks SoCal67

 

Well, back when I was a young man, we used to say "if it's stupid but it works, it's not stupid." I bought my car in late 70's early 80's but due to major wreck that happened pre-me, it was not the original engine. However, the spring solution it used then was very similar to yours. Now, we are returning it to its original big block condition, and we too are using HEI distributor with coil in cap. Carb is Edelbrock 1906. Here is what our solution looks like:



This setup works great. Hope this helps. Regarding having to tap to kick down, I doubt that is a function of your current spring solution. I would seek advice from someone who has been working on vintage carbs for years and can watch it as it's running, if you are unable to determine what is happening for yourself. Probably it would help if someone was in car working the accelerator while you viewed what is happening in your linkage with the hood up.

 

Thanks for the picture 1stGen. I ordered a bracket with a double spring and will most likely end up looking like your set up. I too agree that if the solution is working then it is a solution and not a "rigging". How it's set up today does work but I am speculating that somehow the spring is either not strong enough or that it is not mounted at the proper angle to return the throttle. The end game here is always the same, want to enjoy the car and not have to either rebuild or replace the carb. Mine as I just found out is an Eddy 1407 which makes it a 750cfm. I was a little surprised that it was that big. I will keep that in mind once I get this resolved. I don't believe its over carburated but the last time I had a carb that big I was running a 30/30 duntov cam in an LT1 with 11/1 compression back in the 80's and that car was more powerful than this one. In the end, if I end up deciding to keep her after this year I may just fo EFI to simplify things.

 

the stock return spring attaches to the bracket that holds coil. If not using the coil position, a simple metal tab with hole using the bolt hole for coil would work

IMHO, just a cleaner look but as far as a return spring "working", it will be fine if attached to front of intake in some fashion