Just got my 82 Z28 out of the garage and running. Mods installed so far...

Headers with 2" tubes to a 3" pipe to the muffler and 2 2" pipes out No cat.

New Accel non computer controlled distributor.

Rebuilt non computer Q-jet

Serpentine belt setup which is sweet.

Here is the problem... no power when I try to drive it. It idles a little rough.
Can the engine run with the timing off 180? It doesn't backfire.

It started right up with a little starting fluid after sitting for 5 years!

All vacuum lines plugged except pcv, canister, dist.

Brake booster now on manifold.

Air pump gone. Any help appreciated.

Timing now set 6 BTDC.

What is a good starting position for the idle mixture screws?

 

1-1/2 turns out is the typical starting point for non-CC q-jet idle mixture screws.

You probably need more initial timing. 12 degrees at idle without vacuum advance hooked up is usually a good place to start.

No, the engine can't run with the distributor 180 degrees off.

Make sure you have the spark plug wires in the right order. 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 with odd numbers on the driver side, even numbers on the passenger side, from front to back.

8 --- 7
6 --- 5
4 --- 3
2 --- 1
Front of car

 

12 degrees instead of six... OK.

Spark plug wires are in the right order.

Mixture screws were at 1 turn out now 1.5

Secondary will not open up... constantly locked out. Choke problem?

Will idle but no power to drive. Stalls immediately. Sounds great in the driveway.

Starts right up hot or cold. Rebuilt carb about one week ago. Took it apart two days

ago checking for leaks and found the needle spring came off. Fixed that and it seems

to idle better, but no power to drive.

One other mod I did was to put a vented gas cap on and a different charcoal canister

on with a different venting setup. Is it possible the mechanical fuel pump isn't strong

enough to draw gas out of the tank? Thus causing fuel starvation?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

 

What part of the secondaries is "locked out" - the throttle blades, or the air valves?

But, secondaries don't get involved until the engine gets up in RPMs under load. So, since it idles fine, it has fuel. Does your accelerator pump work? Sounds like it's either that, or a main metering issue.

 

The throttle blades would never get released by the choke. Accel pump worked fine.

Thanks for the help 5.7 kid. I gave up on the q-jet and got a Holley 4175. It's the direct replacement for the q-jet and so far it has solved my problem. Any tuning advice for a 4175 would be welcome.