Small Block & Big Block Chevy Specific - carbureted 305 won't idle. need help!

my 84 camaro runs for 2 minutes or so than dies. changed 4 barrel edelbrock carburetor twice and no luck. what other possibilities could it be?

You could have a massive vacuum leak, timing issues, coil failure, or/and a bad control module. Please give some more specific's on what happened from the last time that it ran properly to when you started having problem's.

^^^^^^^ :eyes: i agree with him, need more info how its runnin will it run if you give it some throtle

yup, I agree with the previous two. Also, whats the datails on the choke. If it is any different before/after 2 mins, there might be something in relation to the choke. We need more detail. This is a computer controlled carb right? Any computer codes? Give more info please.

I just bought the camaro 2 weeks ago. guy said it used to run but has set up 4 years. changed gas and filters and fuel pump, cleaned edelbrock 600cfm. it is electric choke. it will stay runnin if you rev it up but if it idles down it dies. no computer.

no vacuum leak noise. does not run long enough to properly time it.

also,the car will only run when the timing mark is 4 inches past the notch where it should be. maybe it supposed to be but i don't think so because it is still a small block chevy.

The Edlebrock & Carter carbs have a terrible problem with the needles and seats varnishing up and sticking. Another problem that is common with them is that the metering rods get sticky too. Take the parts out and clean them up with some carb cleaner and then re-assemble and see if your problem goes away. If it doesn't then please, please give us some more details.

you might also check if the exhaust is pluged i had that problem with my formula that was sittin for 5 years

already cleaned the carb and it didnt fix it. it does however rev up easier. exhaust flows good and healthy. some emmison stuff is not hooked up also due to the edelbrock carb and intake.

Don'y worry about the emission lines, you have already bypassed them. Which vacuum port do you have your vacuum advance from the dist. going to? The front port on the passenger side of carb or the drivers side of the carb? Make sure that the vacuum port at the back of the carb is either plugged or has your brake booster line running to it.

no hoses from carb go to dist. left vacuum port goes to e.g.r. and middle to pcv valve. dist. has no vacuum advance.

you say that it has an egr on it, have you checked to see if its working it might be stuck open and letting exhaust gas into the intake at all times, if it were mine i would just put a block off plate on that egr and forget it :judge:

On the back side of the carb (firewall side) there is a 1/4" NPT port, is it plugged or do you have your brake booster vacuum line running to it? On the dist. is there a vacuum advance on it? What type of dist is it?

It sounds like timing (retarded), and idle setting. The choke descises the problem and lets it run until the choke turns off and then the fast idle cam rotates allowing the car to die.

Try this:

1. Turn the Idle adjustment screw in so that the idle is up to the rpm where it won't die.
2. Check the timing where it is and then advance it until the rpm picks up. I know you said the timing mark has to bo off 4 inches to run. It is highly possible the outer ring on the stock damper has moved or even someone before you has installed a different year balancer and not used the correct timing tab so disreguard the position of the mark and go with more advance.

I hope this helps. I have fought tough battles like this before. It got me frustrated to the point I was looking for complicated solutions to a simple problem. I hope yours turns out simple too.

hard to explain, you can rev the car up to any rpm but if you hold it there, (regardless of rpm) it dies, so i can't set the idle to stay running. if you crank it up when cold it will run for a minute and start to die, but if i control the choke it will stay running but idle real rough. is there way to adjust the fast idle cam?.

is it like some one just turned the key off when it dies? or does it start to stumble and then dies, to me it sounds like carb problems, you might check your timing to see if your to way advanced are way retarded, but if its that far in advance or retarded its usually not ganna start, have you checked your ignition componets like coil or ign, controll moduel, either one of these could cause a problem like that most likely the coil than the ign, moduel, if you look in a chiltons there is a way to test a coil with an ohm meter to see if its good or not, you might try that to start narrowing it down what it might be