Newbie Carb and Engine ID Questions

[McCSquare]

This 1984 Chevy k10 is my first Chevy, first carburated engine, and its actually older than me. So I've got some real basic questions for the experts.

The engine is supposed to a "rebuilt" 350 and I see a Edelbrock carb and intake manifold.

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What carb do you think this is specifically? Can I get a choke on this thing (it's a PITA to start in the cold right now)?

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What is this line for on the carb that goes to the valve cover? I found it dislodged/loose. I assume its important and why is it pressure fit and not threaded?

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And finally, what is this canister? It looks like it used to have a boatload of vacuum lines or something attached to it. It is in the very front drivers side corner of the engine bay.

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[89Suburban]

Wow, that thing is hacked up. You could install a manual choke cable or auto I am sure. The manual choke kits are cheap. Some others here will chime in, been a while since I messed with carbs. That canister is for vapor recovery and emissions. Seems like a lot of vacuum lines have been messed with, might want to trace out what is left and make sure there isn't any leaks.

Can you get a good pic of the passenger side of the carb?

 

[83swb]

That carb looks like an Edelbrock performer model 1405 (600cfm) with a manual choke. I would check to make sure you have a linkage hooked up (passenger side of carb), if a linkage is already hooked up you should have some sort of knob in the cab you can pull to activate the choke. If there is no linkage hooked up you should be able to get one for $10 at your local auto part store, if the guy behind the counter has any mechanical background you should be all set. As for that vacuum canister, it could double as a doorstop

 

[McCSquare]

89Suburban - Yeah, shes not pretty under that hood. But you'd be surprised how well it runs actually. I'll snap a shot of the passenger side later on tonight and throw it up.

83swb - Thanks for the info. I definitely have a choke cable in the cab, but I'm fairly certain it isn't hooked up to anything. I think I found it wrapped around the brake lines, not entirely sure. Based on all the hacked up wiring harnesses I'd guess it has a broken electric choke. What parts of the carb should I snap photos of to find that out?

 

[83swb]

Your carb is for sure manual choke, unless of course the previous owner managed to remove it. Could you take a passenger side view picture of the carb?
Heres a picture of what your carb would look like if it were the electric choke model:

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[McCSquare]

Here is the passenger side of the carb:

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[83swb]

Looks like the previous owner never had the choke hooked up or took it off. Good news is everything is still the way it came out of the box. Bad news is I don't know how that linkage works... but this may help http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/misc/tech_center/install/1000/1405.pdf

 

[McCSquare]

83swb - Thanks for the Edelbrock PDF manual. Looks like the bracket just below the big hose in the photo above is where i need to mount a clamp to hold the housing of the choke cable. Then I need to attach the inner cable to the arm on the carb directly to the right of that. I'm going to need some clamps/hardware for that.

 

[83swb]

Shoudn't be to hard to dig up at your local parts store, good luck

 

[Bfortune1000]

you sure thats an 84 i didnt have one of those vaccuum can things until my 86.

 

[McCSquare]

That's what the title says. Hah. Could be anything really.

 

[bucket]

My '84 has that charcoal canister.

You say the engine runs well, nothing is hooked up to the canister anymore... it really doesn't need to be there anymore. The tank vent hose used to go to it, and that IS important. It might be left unhooked and tucked in somewhere, or they might have plugged the line. If the line is plugged, a vented fuel cap needs to be in use.

 

[McCSquare]

bucket - The tank vent hose is bolted to the bracket for the canister and it has a vent cap. So I pulled the can and bolted the vent back to the front.

I ran a vacuum test on the carb (a first for me as well) and I shot a youtube video of it. Based on some guides I've read, I'm guessing I have weak valve springs? Anybody got a diagnosis?

Youtube Video of Vacuum Test

 

[Swims350]

why is it hard to start withot a choke?

we rn no chokes here forever.

cold or really cold all the same.

give it a few pumps, try it, if it starts keping patting on the pedal lightly until it idles on it's own, if it doesn't start pump a couple more and retry until it does run.

Yes yo have to sit in it being cold out, but so what, if not buy a manual choke cable, less then $20, any parts store should have them.

hook it up, the s or z shaped end goes in the small arm on the PS, the other gets bolted down on the bracket behind with a flat screw, get in, pull the choke to shut it, give it a pump or 2 and start it, once warmed up shove in the on the choke cable to open it, drive off.

 

[McCSquare]

Swims350 - I did get the hang of starting without the choke in the cold. But I now have the choke hooked up and it seems easier to start. It won't require as much coaching for someone else to start it now. So it seems worthwhile.

Any feedback on my vacuum diagnosis?