First time owner. Seasoned road junkie.

Jarlaxle wrote:

Diagaro Enthio wrote:

recycler wrote:
if it is a 78 it should have electronic ignation look for a ceramic block with wires coming out of it.. it is a resistor and they tend to fall apart over time..always carry spares in my dodge cars/trucks..is carter thremoquad replace it on principal they are junk..you appear to have a 440/727 drive line last year for them

Just to entertain the idea; what are my options for the stock intake manifold?
I mean if I have to modify the 'doghouse' for a taller intake and carb thats fine, I'm just not interested in paying the same as I did for the whole RV just for a fuel delivery system.
I mean if I can find a fuel injected or similar throttlebody injection setup in the junk yard that'd be cool but realistically it seems the only option is a holly? or edelbrock??
Like whats the chances that this would bolt right on to the intake? - reconditioned edelbrock carb

Don't touch the carb! The ThermoQuad is superb, but not forgiving. If you do not know what you are doing, DO NOT TOUCH IT!

Jarlaxle wrote:

Wow, this might actually be simple: it sounds like a textbook case of a serious vacuum leak! Hook up a vacuum gauge & start the engine...if the needle jumps all over the dial (and I suspect it will), you have a leak. If someone removed the carb at some point, it's even money if they cracked it during reassembly, which will cause a vacuum leak.

Also, B/RB Mopars have a little-known design quirk that can make you rip your hair out. Did it sit for a while, and does it...
...run hot on the highway?
...get about 2MPG?
...turn the exhaust manifolds cherry red?
...have weak power?

If so, the distributor advance might be stuck. If so, careful application of a heat gun and penetrating oil will usually free it.

Yea I plan on leaving the carb alone as long as possible. It runs fine on the freeway; provided we don't slow to a crawl/stop and go. then it dies out under load, in gear - hardly idles without surging, sputtering and dying out.
I suspect that the foil coated fibreglass insulation matting the engine cover reflects too much heat down onto the intake and carb and is causing the carb and its respective gaskets to expand and leak vacuum.
I devised a quick fix in case I cannot find anything wrong in the customary manner.
A variable wind tunnel around the carb also feeding it cold air.
My quick MS paint diagram.



If I put a few layers of pantyhoze over the intake I can keep large deposits of dirt, dust, bugs, pine needles and such from getting all over the top of the engine.
The exaust port being a 12vDC 12" radiator fan from the auto junk yard sucking air around the carb from the grille in the front.
With one of these air cleaners I can do away with the bulky stock one.

What ya'll think about that?