Changing my carburetor, any advice on installation?

[cliffsta]

So the poor ol' carburetor is dead. Been rebuilt a handful of times in its life, the float is sticking and all the internals, well, ITS DEAD, trust me. So today I'm picking up a replacement carburetor (2 Barrel model M2MC Rochester) from the Zone as well as a new battery.

Does the gasket come with the carburetor? Any nifty tricks to it? My dad's had the thing off several times since he's rebuilt it a couple times, so he's quite capable to help me but I'm sure you guys always have something to add. Also going for the K&N filter.

Thanks in advance I'll have some photos probably this weekend.

[EDOUBLE33]

Replace The Gaskets, Do Not Have To Do It Twice. It May Cost About 5 Extra Bucks.

[84 400]

well i am not sure about "the Zone" but i would think it would come with a new base gasket. if not then definatly replace the base gasket. it shoudl definatly come with the air cleaner seal(not sure if that is the right nae for the gasket between the air cleaner cover and the top of the carb) other then that the swap is pretty easy just bolt on and then hook up vacume and throttle cable. this carb is the exact same modle right? if so then it will take no time to get it up and going. I am not sure if rochesters come factory set or not but it will prob need alittle dial in (which your dad can help with ) then your all set to roll. maybe you will pick up some power for the 305. good luck and pics would be great !!!

[cliffsta]

Ok, well, guess whattie!

My friend happened to mention he has a few 4-barrel intakes laying around, one of which he'd be willing to part with.

Soooo....

Now I need to be learnt how to change an intake. I get the basics, mostly. Mark where the distributor is facing, pull it, pull the old intake+carb... but I know its more complex than that?

Went ahead and picked up the Edlebrock 1406 and K&N filter to go with it.

[84 400]

sweet cliffa, that 4 barrell will really make the diffrance. is the intake your looking at a stocker or a new edelbrock or somthing? swapping intakes is just like you said pretty simple really make sure you lay cardboard dwon ater removing the old one and clean the gasket surface well and torque it down to spec

[cliffsta]

Stock intake off of who knows what Chevy from back in the day. Kinda why I didn't buy a gasket for it yet because I'm not sure which gasket to buy? Are all intake gaskets the same on a V8?

[Russell]

Should be the same basic sealing face on most intakes, only difference would be in the base of the carb. Make sure you get a gasket that is for your 1406, and you should be good to go.

Also, consider gasket matching at least the intake before installing it. You basically lay the intake gasket on the intake as if it were being bolted down, then die grinding away any metal that is still exposed after putting the gasket on. Clean up any casting flaw marks you can see while you are at it too.

If you wanted to do the heads too, you could, but you might get some metal dust in the engine, and would be kinda tough to remove without pulling the heads...

Installing the intake is easy, clean the mating surfaces up, removing all grime and old gasket material, then put a bit of RTV around the water ports on the intake gaskets, then along the front and rear part of the block, then drop the intake on, and torque it down.. Let it dry up, and cut off any excess RTV with a sharp knife.

Install your carb, and drop the dizzy in (you might want to set the engine to TDC, then start from scratch, as it is easy to drop the dizzy in 180 degrees out, or even a tooth off), and you should be good to go!

If you can restrain yourself, and stay out of the secondaries, you can potentially get better mileage out of the 4 barrel too

[Slonaker]

http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/drivetrain/intake.htm

If you plan to use a 1406, you will probably need an adapter to make it fit a stock chevy cast iron intake. If you want the solenoid thingy that raises your idle when the a/c is on, you have to buy it from Edelbrock. My worn out old 305 needed it to compensate for the extra drag of the compressor. If you have cruise control, you may need to buy an adapter from Edelbrock to make the 1406 work with it. You may need to buy a bracket to make it work with your transmission kickdown.

These are all the reasons I decided to stick with a quadrajet. Everything I needed was on my carb already (doesn't apply to you since you started with a 2 barrel), or available from any junkyard. If you don't plan to fix your A/C, and you don't have cruise, it may not matter to you.

Slonaker

[cliffsta]

Thanks bout the gasket and sealing stuff, Russ. The 1406 came with both the base gasket and the carb-to-air cleaner gasket. I was thinking of marking the firewall or taking a picture of the distributor. I'm motor-ignorant... would the best way to get to TDC be by bumping the starter?

If the carb doesn't properly match the intake, I guess I can pick up that bracket. I wanted to get the 1406 because I will eventually be purchasing the HO350 motor and mating the carb and the motor via a Edlebrock Performer intake. My A/C is dead, which you know, so its not a big deal about the solenoid right now. I'll worry about that down the road. I don't have cruise, that's not an issue, and it says it will work with all Chevy transmissions and Ford manual transmission.

Thanks for the advice, Slonaker and Russ.

[Slonaker]

Originally Posted by cliffsta

Thanks bout the gasket and sealing stuff, Russ. The 1406 came with both the base gasket and the carb-to-air cleaner gasket. I was thinking of marking the firewall or taking a picture of the distributor. I'm motor-ignorant... would the best way to get to TDC be by bumping the starter?

There is good info in that article, or one of the related ones, on 73-87.com about changing the distributor. I usually just turn mine over to TDC with a long breaker bar and a socket on the balancer bolt. It gives you much better control over where everything stops. It is hard to get it to stop exactly on TDC by bumping the starter.

Good luck!

Slonaker

[84 400]

Russ and slonaker got it right on! rember the rtv on the intake back spot. also does that carb require a throttle linkage? for my 650 i had to get a linkage from eddlebrock. also the intakes fro most small blaock chevys are just about identical.
good luck and you should see a nice boost in power over the 2bbi!

[cliffsta]

Originally Posted by Slonaker

There is good info in that article, or one of the related ones, on 73-87.com about changing the distributor. I usually just turn mine over to TDC with a long breaker bar and a socket on the balancer bolt. It gives you much better control over where everything stops. It is hard to get it to stop exactly on TDC by bumping the starter.

Good luck!

Slonaker

That's how we did it when we changed the timing set, a huge ratchet on the front... will it fit down there with the accessories and radiator still in the compartment or would I have to pull it all? If so, we might just snap a bunch of referenced digi camera shots and save some hassle :P

The throttle linkage on this model *supposedly* works with Chevrolet as is, the Fturds and Chryslers require a special linkage or plate.

I'm meeting up with my bud, he's an inactive member here, CryingJoker IIRC, he's got some 4 barrel intakes laying around, and maybe even an air cleaner, both of which he'll part with for fair $$. So maybe Sunday afternoon I'll get to do it all, assuming the old man can take a day away from the dirtbike.

[Russell]

Cliff, I'd highly reccomend against using the crank bolt to rotate the engine. I personally use the alternator bolt to turn the engine, you're never going to break the alternator's strator, but you could very easily twist the bolt in the crank off, and trust me, speaking from experience, that is not a fun thing to fix...

As far as setting it to TDC goes, just pull the number 1 spark plug hole, and rotate the engine by hand until you get a definite amount of air coming out of the number 1 spark plug hole. This can be done by stuffing peice of paper towel into the plug hole, it'll get popped out as you turn the engine over. Once you know its on the compression stroke, and has pushed the paper towel out, continue turning the engine until you line the balancer's line up with 0 on the timing tab. Then go ahead and pull your dizzy cap, and take a look at where your rotor is aiming. You'll want to put it down in a similar position when you re-assemble, but if you are a tooth off, it won't matter so long as you re-install the dizzy cap with the rotor pointing at the pole of the cap that leads to piston number 1's plug.

[cliffsta]

OK so I am incredibly scared about changing the intake. All I know is I have to take the air cleaner off. Beyond that, I have absolutely no clue what I am doing. The guide at 73-87 is helping me start to undestand, though.

What about all these hoses and such? I know I am elliminating the EGR, but what about the EFE? The EGR is self-contained on the carb and intake? Everything in relations to the canister is already gone, the old man elliminated it before I was born. So that's not an issue.

Is there anything else I need to know? Keep in mind I have no idea what I am doing!! I have to drain the coolant but do I have to pull the radiator to turn the engine over? Russ, you say I can turn it over at the alternator?

[Russell]

No need to remove the rad, though you do need to drain it, and yep, as long as your belt is tight enough, you should be able to rotate the engine by the alternator bolt

And honestly, don't be concerned about it, just dive in and get it done, it is literally as simple as undoing a few bolts, and torquing a few new ones up

Only thing to watch is that you don't drop any junk down into any lifters, but that rarely happens, and is easy to see if it does happen.

Oh, and as far as the hoses go, as long as your new intake doesn't have EGR, you only really need one vaccum line to the distributer, one to the air cleaner, and one to the EFE valve.

Put the distributer on ported vaccum, EFE valve on full intake vaccum, and put the air cleaner on a coolant controlled vaccum post through a full vac source

[oldgmc]

Try the link below you can also print it and take it to the truck if it helps
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d80111ffc.jsp

[us111]

one VERY important lesson learned the hard way,make sure you use the right torque specs for the intake bolt's or you'll find yourself pulling a head like some dummy i know, me!

[cliffsta]

We got a torque wrench so that's all gravy.

Reccon Auto-Zone would have a distributor wrench on-hand I could rent or buy? Will the distributor clear the back of the hood or do we have to wrastle a hood on and off? Last time we did that was -fun.

[piecesparts]

Since it is a small block,the dizzy will clear the firewall and the hood.

[cliffsta]

Thanks piecesparts.

Next moronic questions.... since I'm full of them it seems

The air cleaner I'm probably getting won't have provision for the crank case breather... it'll be OK to just pull that hose and plug it up?

[CryingJoker]

yeh more than likely cliff the intake will be off a late 60s chevelle or monte carlo, since i know u dont want that triple deuce manifold lol

[cliffsta]

LOL the old fart dug himself up

[CryingJoker]

yeh i figured y not check in on here cliff, i try not to look too much or i'll be forced to drag the c10 out of storage and start tearin it down to build up and i DEFINITELY can't afford that right now

[piecesparts]

Originally Posted by cliffsta

Thanks piecesparts.

Next moronic questions.... since I'm full of them it seems

The air cleaner I'm probably getting won't have provision for the crank case breather... it'll be OK to just pull that hose and plug it up?

OK, now for the next item on the agenda: The air cleaner can actually an integral part of the crankcase ventilation. Most after market air cleaners have a piece that is in the shipping box for a PCV connection. That is if you go for a standard design 14" air cleaner (something like Edelbrock or K&N sells). If that is the case, then install it and run the hose from it to the valve cover. This is the inlet of fresh air to the crankcase, this makes up for the vacuum that is put on the crankcase through the PCV valve on the other valve cover. As far as I am concerned this is a very important part of a motor's design and should be used. A lot of other designs use open vent caps to the engine compartment o (on both valve covers) or a vent cap on one valve cover and the PCV valve on the other valve cover. That is OK, also. The important thing is to keep the engine crankcase ventilated of gases and fumes from combustion and oil degredation (yes the oil is breaking down to a small degree every time you start the motor). If you don't ventilate then the gases build u p and blow seals on the front and rear of the crankshaft and affect overall performance.

I choose to run my PCV valve to the carb base (as designed) and put the other breather cap to the air cleaner base to keep the engine from having oil residue all over it. Without the connections to the air cleaner, then oil will get all over your engine and it looks bad, Your choice. There are many different types of breather caps on the market, that are either billet, stamped steel, or plastic that will give you whatever you want. Look at Summit Racing, Billet Specialties, Street and Performance, Jegs, Juliano's, Yogi's, and many other websites for a selection of vents and filters.

On my 91 Silverado 5.7 litre motor, I got rid of the factory air cleaner and the stupid tube that ran over to the fender, while I installed a 14" X 4" high air cleaner. I tied the original plastic vent line from the valve cover into the air cleaner by making a hole in the base and mounting a plastic PVC elbow into it, this way I could connect the vent line with a short piece of hose. The engine stays clean and I put 25,000 miles a year on it.

[cliffsta]

OK so neither the throttle linkage NOR the kickdown linkage bolts up to the carb as Edelbrock claims it does.

Edelbrock FTL!!!!!!

Anybody know off-hand what the proper bracket part#s would be? Its all because the truck was a stupid 2-barrel. I'm sure OE Quadrejet setups would bolt right on up perfectly, but the stupid 2 barrel isn't the same dimensions as a 4 barrel.

What a effing joke.