I'm doing the standard slight engine build-up. Did the exhaust, now I want to do the intake and carb. Let me say this outright: I'm a complete beginner when it comes to building motors. Never touched a carb before, and doesn't help to have dad trying his hardest to discourage me from making any motor improvements. Anyways, I'm looking at an Edelbrock Performer series 600 cfm. (part number 1405 if anybody really wants to get into this). The descriptions talk about timed and full vacuum ports for ignition advance, and I have no idea what that means what to look for. What I do know is that it has some talk of EGR valves, and I know mine is disconnected and welded in the open position. I also know that I have a 1980 ignition system on my car, because the stock 1981 computer and the like were taken out.

Also, I'm looking at intake manifolds. Once again, I don't really know that much, but would like to learn. I'm eyeing up 1 of 2 Edelbrock intakes to match the carb. The first one is a Performer EPS (2701) (which is non-EGR, however that applies to an intake) The second is an Edelbrock Performer (2101). I have air conditioning, and would like to keep it, if that has anything to do with intakes or carbs.

Basically, I don't know that much. I would like to gain some power with an intake and carb, and not really have to make any other changes to my car. Will it fit under my hood? Will I have to remove anything? Can I do this without my dad's help? I'm guessing you see my situation. You guys always help me. Don't let me down now.

 

hey i'm the one who sent you a message on myspace. i did the exact same thing to my car. what i have on it right now is a performer 600cfm and a plain performer intake. i imagine there are other ones out there too, but you are very limited because of your hood clearance. i was a beginner when i got my car, since then i have installed carbs, sidepipes, distributors, shift kits in the tranny, electric fans, and this list goes on and on. i get lots of my info from the guys on here. they are all helpful.
you don't have a computer on your car, do you? if not i would highly recommend upgrading your cam if yours is stock. if you are interested in some of the things i learned and products i found out about you can send me a PM message. i'm sure others on the forum will chip in too. you can easily do these upgrades on a budget, but don't cut corners with products on ebay. for example summit racing sells cam and lifter package for less than $90, and it's IMHO a copy of a name brand. great stuff...
you could probably install the manifold and carb yourself if you have patience and not rush the job. make sure you get all your gaskets and sealant, and get a vacuum gauge handy too. there are also several books that will walk you through it too.
hope it works out for you

 

A mild cam upgrade would help the summit brand cams are very
inexpensive. # Sum-1103, www.summitracing.com

 

if you don't have someone that knows what they are doing, you will never drive it again if you start changing all that stuff!
Listen to your dad!

 

Hey we all had to start somewhere! Before the days of the net and forums, you had to know someone who could show you the basics but now there is so much information and help...

I say go for it! buy yourself a few good books, an AIM and a shop manual and read up on the job before you start.

Ask questions....many here will give good advice.

Do you have the original carb? If so, that would be the best one to have rebuilt and reuse it. As for the intake, a 2101 weighs less than stock but isnt really going to give you much in the way of power. Didnt the later c£'s come with an aluminum intake anyway?

If the car is off the road at the moment because of the engine work you are doing, then now is just as good a time to do the carb and intake swap if you want. Just remember that for stock applications or even mild engine mods, the stock carb and intake will work just as well as the items you have mentioned providing the carb is set up correctly.

Do the work and enjoy the satisfaction you will get from turning the key for the first time and hearing your engine fire into life!

Good Luck.

 

Go ahead and do your mods, nevermind the naysayers. Go slow, takepics and notes and do not be afraid to ask questions in here, we can help you do anything. Use a boatload of common sence while working, that will get you out of most of the errors that most guys make and screw something up, including me.
The Edlebrock 2101 is a very good intake, the EGR mounts to the intake, thats why it matters. Depending on where you are, Smog check requirements and the like, you may not have a functioning EGR. It is controlled by the CCC on an 81.
What carb do you have? The Q-Jet is an excellent selection and if you have that, spens the bux and have Lars do it for you, with the other stuff you have to do this is not the time to learn that.The edlebrock carb is a good one but the Q-Jet is better.
Was the distributor changed? If so, whats in there now?

 

Actually, the most overwhelming part will be trying to wade through the tons of forum and published information!!

 

As always, tons and tons of help. So the Performer 2101 is the way to go, and either the Performer 600 or a rebuilt QJet. Since my CCC is disconnected, I have the stock 1980 cam, distributor, and carb. How can I determine if I have this so called QJet, and if I want it re-built, what will it set me back $$$ and time-wise (I'm going to ask a question that could possibly get me shunned from this great community, but, how do I say this..... who is Lars?) . I was also thinking, as you all recommended, about a cam swap, but the thought of taking all the drive pulleys and fans and shrouds out, plus having to adjust rods and lifters and all that, kind of turned me off to that idea. Maybe another time, but i don't think i'm ready for that one yet. Also, I should have mentioned, I was thinking about upgrading my 2.73 gears to 3.73. That job, I would not do myself, I know somebody else that has done the exact same thing to his car, and would just watch and learn from him.

 

go for it! the best way to learn is to get out there and get your hands dirty. get some books on small block chevy rebuilds, and one on cams and valvetrains. they'll tell you all you need to know and more. definitely take lots of pictures of how everything was initially and in various stages of disassembly. it will help you a lot when it comes time to put everything back together. and also - put all your bolts and nuts in ziplock bags and label them with permanent marker. even if you are getting new bolts, it's always good to have the old ones labeled so you can compare them to the new ones.

 

The Performer intake is the one to go with if you might ever change the caburetor back to a Q-Jet...it fits bolt spread-bore and square-bore carbs. If you plan on staying with an Edelbrock carburetor, get the Performer EPS intake...it's designed specifically for and optimized for square-bore carbs and puts out a bit more power and torque than the standard Performer.

Instead of the 1405 carburetor, get the 1406 with the electric choke. They're both 600 cfm but you'll be happier with the electric choke.

 

Have a look at your carb...if its stock it will be the Qjet.

Go take a look at it and see what it says on it...Rochester Quadrajet, find the numbers on it and post them here so we can decode it and make sure its the correct one for you.

Lars is the Qjet Carb guru, the guy does tuning for beer tours but also has a mail service.
V8FastCars@msn.com
Shoot him an email and ask for his prices and services.

Dont worry about the cam issue if you think its beyond you or the $$ at the mo. Just take your time, enjoy doing what your doing and get her ready to be driven!

 

If it has the q-jet on it it will say Quadrajet
Lars is a member here and is THE QJ guru here, he rebuilds and tunes them to a fair the well.
The stock distributor is no good to you if the CCC is disconnected, it has no vac advance capability and the timing is controlled by the CCC in conjunction with the O2 sensor and TPS on the stock carb. You will need to replace it. If you do I may be interested in buying your 81 dist, I want to round up a couple 81 spares.
Best thing to do is pull the air cleaner and post a few pics of what ya got, we can help you figger out what to do from there.
The 81 has low flowing heads and dished low comp pistons and a mild cam. For a few hundred bucks you should be able to give it a good kick in the azz. You already have the exhaust done, so $159 for a cam kit, $120 for intake (the 81 came with an aluminum edl 2101 intake) $150 or so for dist (if you have to do that) and maybe $200 to $250 or so for a carb( if necessary) you should be good to go

 

Hopefully someone has already replaced your '81 distributor with an earlier HEI unit. For simplicity and compatibitly issues like does your Q-jet have a fast idle solenoid for your A/C etc, I would stick with your stock Q-jet and have it rebuilt. The same with your distributor, rebuild it and recurve it for performance. Lar's contact info has already been posted. Having someone like Lars do this work will save you a ton of headaches in the future and make for an easier job. For a easy manifold swap, the Performer or Weiand 8004 would be the ones to go with ASSUMING you stick with the stock Q-Jet.

As stated earlier, get yourself a good shop manual and read up on what it would take to do a cam swap. You need to remove the water pump, timing chain cover, and chain, balancer and probably the radiator to swap out a cam. It's not horribly difficult, but more time consuming with attention to detail needed.

 

If your not sure how to work on a carburetor. Edelbrock has video training on their web site for free. Just download the videos and go. Holly has a DVD you can buy as well. I have seen both and they are both pretty good. Good refreshers for us old guys......

Rd

 

Hmmmm... I think just about everyone starts out knowing pretty much zilch. The wise ones ask for help, the fools start taking things apart. Good for you, guitarcrazy, you're starting out wisely. You will find that there are many, many opinions on this forum about the things you are asking, and that we're not shy about stating those opinions (personally, I prefer a Edelbrock carb over a QJet or Holley any day, that's my opinion). That being said, there is also an awful lot of Vette knowledge and willing help here, the job for you, as someone else mentioned, will be reading and weeding through it all. My advice to those who want to start modifying the General's work is to 1st assess what your overall goals are.

Mods like carb and intake are dependant upon many other factors to be truly effective modifications. You said you did exhaust, does that mean headers and a good flowing aftermarket system? Without such you will not notice in the seat of your pants any carb and intake changes you make. The cam is also very important, as others have mentioned, and the '81 heads being smog heads don't really flow so good.

The overall picture is you are trying to make horsepower by getting the engine to breathe more efficiently and the ONE part of the process that negatively affects that breathing becomes THE determining factor of what you will achieve. It is important to make modifications in the proper order which is not determined by wallet size or wrenching ability. Often guys will start modifying the easy stuff and because they don't get the results they think they should, which is predictable, they give up and the money they have spent is, essentially, wasted. By all this I am trying to say, what do you want from the changes you will make? Keep in mind that the bench racers who claim 500 horsepower without a dyno slip to prove it are more full of horse... than horsepower. Many make the mistake of reading manufacturer's (of aftermarket performance parts) claims of horsepower increases and then add them all up and say their 165HP stock engine is now making 400HP+. Horsepower is expensive!

My intention here is not to be a "naysayer", nor to discourage you from working on your car. I'm saying - think things through, ask lots of questions, save up your cash, make a plan, get a friend who is experienced in wrenching and THEN get started. You'll be much happier with the results that way. Guaranteed.

 

i couldn't have said that better! i was completely new to mechanics when i got my car (actually that's why i got it, so i can learn and because it's easy on an old car). plus a lot more fun i have a friend who i have also asked questions to and he and his dad have helped me at the beginning. i don't have any special tools, but installations that don't require special tools i'm willing to do! good luck with whatever you do man!

 

I am located in Fairlawn and would be happy to give you a hand. Just shoot me an email and let me know what you plan on changing and when. You have to learn someime so it might as well be now.

Jeff email: jjatich@hotmail.com

 

guitarcrazy,
Welcome to the Forum, you will learn plenty here if you listen.

You mentioned the EGR valve..."welded in the open position." Let's look at the facts: the EGR valve (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) is a vacuum operated valve at the right rear of the INLET manifold that is opened by manifold vacuum to allow small amounts of exhaust gas to be introduced to the inlet stream to reduce emissions at certain throttle and engine load conditions. It WILL NOT affect engine power and should be left alone to work as GM intended.

Now let's look at the EFE valve (Early Fuel Evaporation) bolted between the right hand exhaust manifiold and the exhaust pipe. This is a simple valve like a carburettor throttle plate and its job is to close at low engine temperatures (by engine vacuum operated by a thermal switch) and force the exhaust gas in the right hand manifold to go back through the right cylinder head, through the bottom of the inlet manifold, where it heats up the inlet manifold, and out through the left exhaust manifold. This warming of the bottom of the inlet manifold causes the very cold petrol droplets inside it to evaporate and become a more burnable gaseous mixture. As the engine heats up, the hot water opens a thermal valve on the thermostat housing (or near it, depending on model) that shuts off vacuum to the EFE valve, opening it using spring pressure. The exhaust then travels unrestricted through the EFE valve and out the right hand exhaust pipe (if fitted).

If you live in Texas, Florida, Australia or another warm climate, you do not need the EFE valve, and it can be rendered inoperative by either disconnecting vacuum to it or welding it in the open position. Now you live in Ohio. I've not been to Ohio, but after looking at Jeff's photo, I imagine it gets pretty cold in the winter months. You more than likely need the EFE valve operating to make your car runs properly when the engine is cold so make sure you don't have that welded open rather than the EGR valve as you initially said.

Regards from Down Under

aussiejohn

 

Flat Black stated the case Very Well. So did Aussie John, AND you got an offer for help, not bad for free huh?
Think the thing through, make sure you know what you want to do and make a plan.
I kind of like to do things from the bottom up. For instance: I am not building a car I plan on racing, but, all the suspension work I am doing will support some racing (Urethane bushings, Gas shocks, HD sway bars, SS brakes, 2004R tranny with 2200 stall converter, etc..)
I plan on making my motor Very strong eventually, for now, I am putting a $159 cam kit made for computer engines, building nice dual exhaust, etc..
After I have it all back together back on the road. I'll yank the engine and go thru it and change the heads to AFR 180's
THEN it will be the dream machine I have envisioned. I was not new to wrenching when I joined this forum, I have completely rebuild 4 cars including this one, started wrenching and racing when I was a kid about 14. I still learn something new in here about everyday, Its a good place.

 

Going to 3.73 will be a lot better for acceleration over a 2.73
but with the very mild L/48 cam it will make your car feel strained
out on the freeway. If you like to drive on the freeway much at all
you may not like a 3.73 after cruising with a 2.73 big difference.
If you have a friend that can change the third member out or do
the gear swap in the third member, changing a cam will be nothing to
him just help him do it. 3.55 would be a better compromise gear between
acceleration and highway driving.