1980 Chevy El Camino carburator

RCROSS5760

MEMBER
1980 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
76,000 MILES

I have a 80 305 eng. Which has been bored 60 R/V cam, edelbrock carb, edelbrock torker intake. Ihave checked the compression (140/150) all cyc.I keep thinking I have a vacum link. At about 900 to 1500 rpm the eng. Seems to have a small surging.I have used carb cleaner to locate a vacume leak at the base of the carb. And around the intake. (Found nothing) blocked the brake booster, didn, t help. The vac. At the carb base is around 11. What shold it be? What should it be going to the brake booster? The carb was kited a few months back. But at times smells gasy. How do you set the curb idle jets? 7 out of 10 times this eng. Will start at the bump of the starter, at times you have too spin it over & hold excelator to the floor as if flooded. Got any sugestions? P/S How do you set the detent on the trans. Should the cable be taught or have some slack in it?

1 Reply

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

At idle your vacuum should be around 20" you may have a bad valve at the brake booster. You can taek teh choke cleaner and spray around the edges of the intake to see if you get a rise in rplm there. Then for a good adjustment on your carb, shut the engine off remove the adjustment screws and spray choke cleaner in there and let it sit for a few minutes. Then put the screws in all the way but don't tighten them like a regular screw, just lightly touch, then back out 1 and 1/2 turns. Then adjust with a vacuum gauge for the highest vacuum or a tach for highest rpm then turn down the idle speed screw. Now go to the transmission and check to see if the hose going to the vacuum modulater is any good, they leak there alot. To adjust the cable, take it out and reinstall itthen hit the carb to the floor and it should self adjust. Make sure your float level is correct and the float isn't sinking. Those carbs were fairly reliable when they were carter carbs.