Specs:
Fresh Swap. 98' Vortec 350 from ck1500 swapped into a 92' original v6 car. Using stock in tank pump,Mallory return style regulator set at 6 psi to 600 cfm edelbrock performer electric choke carb.

Problem:
I can't keep the car running! I can crank her up, but it dies shortly after, can tell it's coming because motor drops rpm slightly just before it flat out dies. Can only keep it running for between 20-40 seconds by tickling the gas but it does eventually die regardless of how much I try and keep her going. While I'm tickling the gas the rpm is fluctuating between 2000rpm and 2500rpm and if I let off the gas the car will try to idle at about 1800rpm but fall on it's face in less than 10 seconds.

The carb is brand new, not rebuilt or used. I have a constant 6psi of fuel pressure. Fuel filter is clean. Plenty of fuel is reaching the carb. I haven't adjusted anything on the carb other than turning the idle screw down to up the idle to try and keep it running so I could tune, and have the idle air bleed screws (think that's what they're called) turned out 4.5 HALF turns.

Can anyone help? I'm stumped!

Where is the timing set at?

Is that the Edelbrock clone of the old Carter ThermoQuad? If so, there may be quite a bit of tuning to perform before it runs correctly. That is a very adaptable carburetor, and may come out of the box way out of whack for your setup. I wouldn't expect to be able to just bolt it on and go.

I guess it's actually more like the mid-70s AFB. No matter, there is still adjustment to be done.

Been here yet?

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive/...ubleshoot.html

Gee whiz, you mean carbs need to be adjusted??

Lo-tec
Timing is somewhere! I was unable to turn the motor by hand so had to bump it with the starter until it was close to TDC and then advance the distributor a little until it would crank if I retard the timing now just a little it starts to blow through the carb. Right now I can't keep it running by itself for me to be able to put a light on it.

Vader
Yes, I believe that the edelbrock is a clone of the carter afb. It's not that I expected it to work great out of the box, it's that I'm having trouble finding information on tuning it and the route to take in doing so. Everything I find is for them Holley things

No, I hadn't found that site yet, the only thing I had seen from edelbrock was about changing jets, I propably should have widened my search from general tuning to actual troubleshooting. Thank you for the link.

kevinc
No way! Wouldn't it be nice though if they would just magically do it themselves.

Let me guess, you ripped out the fuel injection and went carb because "it's easier"?

No, the car was originally a v6 and finding a carb was easier and cheaper than piecing together a TPI system and ecm I know nothing about

I'd hold off the "easier" part until I had the car running correctly.

lol, so true.

I just don't get it, I've got it to where is idles pretty good, but it still stalls out after 15-20 seconds. It's something similar to if you was to drop the clutch without the rpm to back it up. Almost like the motor is being brought to a halt, not running out of gas.

Float level set right? Choke break adjusted?

Sounds like either the bowl(s) is/are running dry or the choke isn't opening.

Do you have a fuel pressure gauge? Are you positive it's not running out of gas, b/c that is exactly what it sounds like. If it runs, and you can blip the throttle to keep it running, and then all of a sudden you blip the throttle and nothing happens, .....out of gas.

Floats are as they are from the factory, I'll take the airhorn off tommorow and check them. Would I be looking to raise or lower the float level? The choke is fully open.

Yes I have a pressure gage and it reads a solid 6psi.

What kind of distributor?

HEI Vac Advance

What is the timing set to with the vacuum line disconnected?

He already said he hasnt put the light on it yet...

...maybe it's time to bump it up a little and see what happens...without a light.

I actually did that earlier today and it does run much better (also changed plugs from bosch platinum 4's to more reasonably priced rapid fires, I was fooled by advertising!) but it still stalls out on me.

If the bendix from the starter wasn't disengaging from the flywheel, could that cause the drag on the motor needed to stall it out? It was disengaging fine when I tested out of the car and put it in, but I noticed a grind from it this afternoon and upon futher inspection found it bound up in the teeth of the flywheel. Spent most of the remainder of the evening shimming it, but it seems to bind up regardless of where I have it.

You'd be looking to adjust the float(s) to the factory specified level.

I know...you're about to say "but Kev, they're preset at the factory." Consider the amount of banging around, hanging upside down, and general abuse the carb took in transit to you. Then go get the procedure and have at it.

And get a friggin' timing light too, and set your dist correctly.

Only after both of these have been accomplished can you post asking for more help.

Allright, have adjusted floats to factory spec, same problem. Adusted floats to stalling under hard breaking spec, same problem still. Adjusted back to factory spec and same problem but I'm going to leave it here assuming that float levels aren't the problem.

Back to my idea about something dragging on the motor. I've never been able to turn this thing by hand, this morning after I had it running a few seconds and tried to start it again, even the high compression mini starter didn't want to turn it. Curious, I put the car in gear (it's a manual) and tried to push the car to turn the motor, got nadda. Waited a while for the motor to cool down from running 20-30 seconds and the mini starter cranked it again. Stalled, and then wouldn't start again. Currently letting it cool down so I can try to turn the motor by pushing it with it in gear. Sounds like I got bigger problems than I originally thought

If the engine was rebuilt recently maybe it was built with oversized bearings and it doesnt need them, when it warms up the bearings expand and seize it. when it cools they contract and its good to go for another little while.

Hasn't been rebuilt, was bought from a shop out of a wrecked truck.

What planet does this happen on?

Here on Earth, if bearings are tight enough to seize the engine, they weld to the crank and send metal shavings thru the engine.

Any more ideas as to what could be dragging on the motor enough to stall it out?

Still waiting to hear your timing light progress.

Would love for the motor to run long enough to put a light on it.

Update:
Today on my lunch break I decided to come home and get that timing done! I went out and started it up and ran for about 20 seconds, this thing has really got me at wits end so I went ahead and tried it again pushing the rpm up to 3800 rpm for a bit, but it kept running. After about a minute of that I let off the gas to see if she'd idle by herself and she did. Put the light on her and adjusted to 8 degrees base advance. So now, it idles, but I lost all oil pressure (0-5psi now where as before when it was dieing was 30-40psi) and have nice metal flake in the oil. It seems to me that whatever was causing the car to stall is now in tiny pieces floating in my oil. But atleast I got the timing.