Will changing to a smaller mettering rodd eliminate the raw gas smell and richness without affecting performance. Timing and coke are properly set but it is a 73 455 low compression with an edel. 800 carb. or is the carb too big for the engine. It runs and pulls great other than the odour of raw gas:shock:
Where do you smell the gas? Unless you can see the carb leaking or flooding, the gas smell is coming from somewhere else. It may be a leaky hose somewhere in the fuel line. Also check the gas cap. If the cap is not sealing correctly, you will smell gas while you are driving. I don't think it has anything to do with the carb metering.
Larry nothing is leaking but when you stand behind it and it is just idling it has a very strong gas smell, almost as if it is a sweat gas smell and i'm not try'ing to be funny, I would rather not fool with it because it runs great:laugh: But without catts. and being a 455 from 73 would that have any effect on exhaust odours?
If you want to try to lean it out, I would try adjusting the idle mixture needles in and see ifd that makes any difference. The Edelbrock carbs are Carter AFB clones so a book on Carter carbs will explain your tuning options.
Larry, like I said pretty much everything has been finetuned and the engine runs and pull's great! In reallity, an engine that dosesn't have EGR Catts and all other items to eliminate or improve emmissions will smell stronger or am i wrong
Yes, as long as you aren't fouling the plugs, you should be fine. If it just smells like it is running rich, you can expect that. One thing you can try is introducing a vacuum leak. Unplug a fitting to make a vacuum leak. If the idle speed goes way up, the idle mixture is too rich.
Larry, I ran one and a half years on a set of plugs and that is limitited driving which is probably worse than every day driving.I have the smaller rodds but will not install them now! anyways anybody that thinks my exhaust stinks will only take notice when they are behind me,right where they belong along side a BUICK:TU: Thanks Larry-WIZZZZZ.
1. Smaller rods will make the mixture MORE RICH when running on the main metering system. 2. If you're smelling it at idle, the main metering system isn't even active. 3. "Smelling" rich often means the engine is misfiring. It doesn't have to be a rich/lean thing--although it could be. 4. Adjusting the idle mixture screws won't screw up your performance. Could DRAMATICALLY reduce your exhaust emissions AND it may run better. The plugs may last longer. There's no down side. I suggest you warm up the engine, install a vacuum gauge, block the drive wheels, throw it in gear with the park brake set, and adjust each of the mixture screws for highest vacuum. (You may have to re-adjust your idle speed back to spec.) Once you've found max vacuum at proper idle speed, turn each screw 1/8 or 1/4 turn LEAN--just enough to reduce the vacuum by about 1/4--1/2 inch.
