well that sucks. but i know the feeling. if i try to brake stand my blazer, thats all it does most of the time. certain pavement it will spin, but most of the time it doesnt. but you may have a lack of power issue somewhere, my 305 camaro would roast the tires into second gear, and it had 2.73 gears

 

Only lack of power is right off the line. Once she gets rolling and clears about 10 mph, shes hell on wheels. My signature give a brief description of my mods so I know the power is lurking there somewhere......

Ive gone over every inch of this car. My newest project will be a set of Vortecs this winter to try and cure my off the line woes. The only other option is my tranny/torque converter. Like I said, someone long before me put in a th350 with no overdrive. Having only 3 speeds, could 1st gear be taller (ie weaker...) than a OD or 4 speed model??? Id rather replace a tranny than do a set of heads.

The car has loads of power, but the first 3 seconds is like kicking a sponge. Ive adjusted every variable, timing, mixture, kickdown adjustment etc but I just cant get that off the line 'roast' like I want.....

 

That's an ASE approved method of checking for correct operation of the stall converter. Not for finding stall speed.

There's too many variables involved to go just off that. Sure, it will get you within 2-300 RPM's, but 2-300 RPM's is a lot when we're talking stall speed.

 

the th350 does have a taller first gear than the 700r4, although with a 350 you should still be able to roast them. maybe swapping in a 700r4 with a 2200-2400 stall convertor will get you want you want.

 

Scott, if you can't roast your tires with a 350 and 3.73's, you've got other problems bud. To me, it sounds like a carb issue. From what you've said before, you also have problems with it not taking off like it should.

 

My card is a Eldelbrock AFV 600. These carbs run right out of the box with very little tuning. What small amount of tuning that is necessary usually just involves setting the choke and the mixture. (The mixture adjustment is also real easy) Are you saying I may be in need of more dire carb tuning? Id hate to tear this entire engine down, replace my heads and torque converter and find out its a carb issue....

The carb is pulling about 14-15 on a vacuum gauge at idle......thats about the best way I have to measure its performance.

 

well, theres two problems there now. first off, the carb hasnt been tuned. secondly, its an edelbrock. ill leave my bad experiences out of it with those things, but you do need to tune a carb no matter what, it just doesnt cut it to open the box and install it. now as far as tuning it, there are a lot of people here who can walk you through it. im more of a fuel injection guy, so i cant help you that much with it. i do know that the carbs are setup for a stock engine with cast manifolds, so you might be running way lean on the bottom end since you say it has some work done.

 

What kind of issues have you had? This is my second AFB and I swear by it. I have spent some time adjusting fuel/air mixture using a vac gauge as per the instruction. The only other real adjustment I can make are in metering rods and jets. How would I improve the mixture off the bottom end without making it overall run too fat? How do I know if shes running to lean off the line?

 

ive had issues with the jets backing themselves out and the power valves going bad way too soon, and even broke a few of accelerator pump linkages. like i said, im not the greatest at tuning the carbs, but those are problems ive had with the dyno mules ive used. i am thinking though the part that squirts the fuel in when you first hit the throttle (accelerator pump is what im thinking of) might not be delivering enough fuel, which is why it takes it a little bit before it comes to life

 

Scott, Edelbrock carburetors are nothing more than Webers. I would recommend one for grandma's station wagon in a heart beat, however on a performance vehicle they just have very little tuneability.

This does sound very similar to my car though. When I first bought her, she had a somewhat healthy 305 with an Edelbrock 500cfm carb. It couldn't even chirp the tires, but once she got rolling moved fairly well for having 175hp. I never bothered to look into it since that engine was pulled three days after having the car, but I believe it was an accelerator pump issue.