Alright my engine is a 305 with an edelbrock carb on it. I got it a while ago, and knew it needed a tune up, I was just going to wait until this fall to do it.

1. This past weekend I was driving to a friends house and it started making a lurching motion forward, while I'd be holding steady on the gas/rpm rate.

2. The idle is also now skrewed up, where it'll try to live and hold at 500 rpms or so, and I can gas it up and hold it at 800 (where it usually sat). It also was misfiring.

I thought it might have been one of two burnt through wires (they were sitting on the headers) so I replaced those, but it didn't help (I didn't notice any mis fires during revving though this time). Tommorow I'm planning on changing all plugs and wires, distributer and rotor, and see if that helps. Someone said maybe my idle cable is loose. The only difference I remember about that is my friend might have moved it a bit when we were checking it out after the lurching, and I was told that can loosen it up. Any thoughts/suggestions?


Edelbrock Headers:
To get to the driver side plugs with my ratchet, and to most of the passenger ones, I need to remove the headers. I took off one bolt and it wasn't in very tight, so my question is...
Do they need to be in at a specific torque? How tight should they be? Is there anything I should know when removing them, putting them back on? And is there any problems with shining them up a bit.

 

What was adjusted? The throttle cable or the adjustment screws on the carb? What kind of fuel pump do you have? As far as changing plugs-- can you get the socket on & use an open end wrench on the hex of the socket or do the headers HAVE to come off? I use Accel shotry plugs to help keep away the boots away from the headers.

 

I think he only revved it using the throttle cable once or twice. We were wondering why one skrew was different than the other (we're inexperienced with carbs) but I don't think they were moved. I should have a stock fuel pump. I'll try with the wrench tommorow when I start work, but I'm pretty sure they have to come off. There's a severe lack of room for movement on all drivers side plugs, and 2 passenger side. (I managed to change front passenger, and the one behind it on passenger.) I changed out the bad wires for now to see if it'd help and it didn't misfire that I noticed. I'm not sure what the plugs are, they were 2.79$ ea, and a platinum type.

 

If the headers do come off,you may need to get new gaskets.IDK if the Y pipe has to be taken off.?. If you do take the headers off and need new gaskets-clean the mating surfaces of the heads & headers. When you tighten them,do it evenly. Do you know where the fuel filter is? Maybe it needs a new 1?

(edit)
Are you replacing the distributor or changing cap//roter// when you do the plugs//wires?

 

It already has new gaskets on it, no clue on the Y pipe. I don't know where it is, but it shouldn't be hard to figure out, and I can look into a new filter. I don't think that'd matter enough to choke up the idle to the point where it nearly dies.

Edit to your edit: Yes I am going to replace the cap and rotor.

 

Y pipe,if you have 1 connects the headers to the single exhaust pipe on the psngr side. Good luck! My wife's cousin is getting married 2 morrow so I'm gone til Sunday eve. Careful & happy crooozin' !

 

I know I have one I just hope I don't have to bother taking it off. Maybe I can just move the headers out of the way enough to get the job done. Thanks for your help.