The L69 305 HO...

1. someone put on a new edelbrock manifold, edelbrock headers (sum'n'bitch sounds really nice even with stock exhaust), edelbrock carb (non-ECM)... car runs WAY too rich. I'm assuming with this kind of setup there is no O2 sensor input ? I've dealt with a carb before on an LG4, but it was a Quadrabog with an ECM.

2. Also, it's hard to start in the morning. Burns oil a little bit, but not nearly as bad as the LG4. Maybe oil-fouled plugs?

3. I floored it this morning in first ... car died. Restarted and tried it again... car died. It's a mess under the hood and I haven't had time to look at it yet today.. just got the car. Any ideas ? The carb is almost brand new... what's the deal? Is it just tuned incorrectly?

I've dealt with 305's before and I hate them so I think I'm going to just swap in a 350 right away and not mess with it.

The transmission shifts funny... TV cable I believe... it was rebuilt by AMCO

Thanks

 

A collection of things, eh?

If it's hard to start and keep running cold, then it's probably lean at that time. Does the choke work right? This is the Carter carb with the electric choke, isn't it?

Also, if when you floor it it dies, it's way lean then too. Try some larger primary jets.

What makes you think it's rich? Where's the ignition timing? Since it's a non-ECM carb, what distributor is in it? If it still has the original dist, that's computerized, and it's going to run absolutely terrible.

Trans shift problem is probably the wrong linkage (that would be no linkage) on the carb. There is usually an extra little piece you have to get for the 700's cable; if that's not there, there won't be enough total cable travel from idle to WOT. You'll end up with the situation where either it shifts OK just puttering around but very early and soft at WOT or it shifts right at WOT but very late and hard the rest of the time.

305s aren't so bad, really, especially the L69. It was by far the best motor you could have gotten at the time, and even the 3500 TPIs aren't that much faster in stock trim. My 83 was a whole lot faster than the 79 Z28 350 I had right before it. Actually it sounds to me like most of your problems are leftover p***er tracks from prior mechanical failure (you know, where the mechanic failed to do something right) that changing the motor isn't going to fix. You'll need to get that stuff sorted out no matter what.

 

you're right... heh... the previous owner was a dumbass.. there are castle nuts (yes castle nuts) on the accessory brackets... sigh...

 

It's a 17yr old engine and probably many 17 year old ignition parts. The revving and flooring really really sounds like an non-advancing distrib (didn't switch over at time of carb swap). Eh, burning oil isn't really anything that shouldn't be expected. The car probably needs a valve job at the very least.