Right now I am stuck with my Edelbrock 1406. I would like to know what mods I can do to perhaps pull a few more ponies out of this carb. I will eventually be upgrading, but am on a budget, one thing at a time you know.

L69,5 Speed. Comp Cams XE-262, Weiand Intake, roller tip rockers, vac HEI, (jacobs igntion box this weekend). The exhaust is next, then perhaps some heads....I'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

Anyhow, what can I do to this carb and perhaps get a little better performance?

 

Jack it up and slide a 350 or 400 small block under. It'll be like a whole new ball game. Seriously I'd work on other area first.
(Exhaust, Ignition, Heads) I'd save the Jacobs
and go with a MSD COIL, steel center stud in the cap and the MSD HEI module. Thats enough zap for 2 305's. Which Weiand intake you got.
The stealth is a good piece. Get a better
exhaust system front to back. then port those heads and have a shop install 1.94" intake valves. While the heads are off, if your pistons have a dish in the top, have the heads shaved .060" to raise compression.
Change the rear end gear something to like a 3.73 or 4.10 . then worry about the carb.

 

It has a 3.73 rear end. The exhaust system and heads will be coming soon enough. In the mean time, I'd like to tweak the carb a little.

Anybody have any suggestions on what to do with the carb?

I already have a pretty good plan on what to do with my 305. When it's all said and done I'm hoping to be around 380 streetable horsepower.

EDIT: L69's have flat top pistons, factory 9.5:1 compression.

[This message has been edited by gruveb (edited October 23, 2001).]

 

If you must mess with the carb, try
increasing/decreasing the secondary jets
2 sizes at a time and see if it helps
acceleration, your looking for a repeated MPH gain thru the end of the 1/4 mile. The ET is relevant but can vary with traction. Then try the same on the primary jet. If you need more than 4 jet sizes richer or leaner
for best mph something else is wrong (fuel delivery, timing). Because you have a manual trans and a fair amount of gear you can try speeding up the secondary opening rate.
The air valve is controled by a windup spring (like Q-jet) and a counterweight.
lightening the weight will cause an earlier
secondary opening and more flow. If you go too far you'll have to replace the counterweight or add the weight back. This is slippery slope cause the factory setup is usually ok. You will only see a small gain cause the carb isn't holding you back till ya improve other areas so try not to get carried away and be prepared to put it back to stock. Hope this helps ...

 

Now we're talking!!!

Thank you, I'll go to work.

 

That's all just basic tuning that should have been done anyway. If you really feel the need to modify the carb, flow can be improved by removing the choke and machining down the outside diameters of the boosters and their support legs. You can also drill and tap the inlet boss on the driver's side for dual feed. The results are probably not worth the effort anyway.

[This message has been edited by Apeiron (edited October 23, 2001).]

 

You must have a fat finger problem there. I'm sure you meant "300 streetable horsepower" out of a 305.

So do LB9's, but they have been known to have been rebuilt with dished pistons. Ask me how I know...

I agree with '88, though - you don't need to do anything with the carb but tune it. You didn't say what you have for a distributor - I hope it's been changed out for a mechanical/vacuum advance unit.

Removing the choke on a "streetable" car isn't wise.

------------------
82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. 2-1/2" cat-back, ZZ3 intake, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 CC system w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam, ported World 305 heads, Hooker 2055 headers, 3" Catco cat & 3" catback, restalled TC, Spohn SFCs).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. '66 396, 9.7 CR forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Holley 750VS w/4150 conversion, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlocks, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Idles smooth @ 600 RPM in D. Best 15.02/95.06 @ 5800' Bandimere (corrected 13.93/102.4 @ sea level).

 

Gruveb,

Go to the Edelbrock site and lok around three for the Carb Manuals. They tell you how to tweak the Edelbrock carbs pretty good. Also, Edelbrock has tuning kits avaiable for and tailored to each of its carbs for about 40 bucks. very explicit directions and more than enough jets, rods, springs... The directions are those on the site but you can get them there, EDELBROCK.com