Hello, im helping a friend work on a 79 camaro 305 and its bone stock and we were deciding to put a 4 barrel on it so we got a new intake and carb put them on and well we are having issues. The intake is a performer edp (i think its edp) and a edelbrock 1406 carb (600 cfm). We got the timing correct and as far as i can see there are no vacuum leaks. the car turns over very slowly as if the starter doesn't have enough touque to turn it over smoothly(which we believe to be true as it did the same with the 2 barrel) but this is not the issue we have at hand. Our main problem is that it lacks power and bogs down when in gear and when i give it gas. However while in park it revs up just fine, like its nothing. it feels like it has less power with the 4 barrel than it did with the 2. tuning on it doesn't seem to solve the problem tho. Keep in mind the carb + intake are new so i don't see it being a faulty carb. My uncle and dad believe it to be so sluggish due to the fact that the car was so low powered to begin with. I hope this to not be true lol....however i have my doubts. more to know about the car: power brakes, stock gears in the rear, automatic transmission.

Thank you for your help.

 

Revving an engine while in park does not prove much. It may be a case of too much carb for the engine, improper fuel mixture, improper carb adjustment (jets, accelerator pump), improper spark timing, misfire, worn out engine, etc.. I abandoned carbs back in 1972, so I am sure some one else will be able to give you more useful help.

 

Try this too...
https://camaroforums.com/forum/general-tech-5/engine-missfire-no-start-diagnostics-troubleshooting-41933/

 

All the problems you described tell me the timing is off. Hard cranking and lack of power when in gear all relate to timing, and I'd check the timing specs and put a timing light on it again to ensure it's not off. I'd bet money it's not right.
The 305 is a smog motor and lacks performance, so it wont respond aswell to just a intake and carb, but it should still run better with the 4 barel than the 2 barrel did.

 

i agree it might be the timming and the fuel/air mixture if ur not sure on how to tune the carb take it to a really good mechanic and have them do it i did it with my 76 camaro and he got it to run perfect

 

Not just timing. If your choke isn't opening like it should, it will perform like a dog. I don't spose you were in a hurry, just slapped the carb on, and took it right out for a drive? Check to make sure your choke butterfly is straight up and down, with a warm engine. Also check where you have your vacuum advance hooked up to. Your smog era distributor hooks the advance to ported vacuum (the front passenger side port on the carb). If you have it hooked up to full manifold vacuum (the driver's side port), then the engine is likely to fall on it's face at off-idle acceleration.

 

took a timing light to it and its in time. choke is always open. tuning the carb didn't change the lack of power while in gear. we are currently putting the 2 barrel back on so he can drive it again....

 

well, the 2 barrel is back on but now its not shifting gears.....any ideas? and does anyone know what that round ball canister type thing is?

 

If you are talking about the ball that's mounted on the firewall on the passenger side it is a vacum reserve for the heater/ac control.

 

Assuming you have a T350 trans, did you hook the vacuum line back up to the modulator on the trans?
Or, was it never hooked up in the first place?