The port on the left in the pic is "ported" vacuum, and the one on the right is "manifold " vacuum.
I'd hook mine up to the manifold vacuum if I was you. Just buy a new hose for the distributor vacuum....the other one is probably 100 years old...

 

Yea so on the old carb the distributor was on the ported, and I got a reducer barb fitting and put the other hose on the manifold "right" side. Waiting on a few more parts which will be here tomorrow and ill try and start it. I have been watching a ton of youtube vids on the distributor as I have a few questions about that. I took some pics yesterday and it appears a few years ago "i was told," when they tried to start it, it would run for a few seconds then shut off. They installed new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Do you think I need to replace any of these again? They also did the intake as well. I have new plugs, wires, and the carb and I am hoping that is all I need. I am just wondering if they have the timing completely out of wack.

 

Here are the dist pics.

 

When I ran the same carb I hooked the dist up to the right port in your photo. The big center port for brake booster and the canister on the left port. I like full vac on the distributor. Start, run afew and stop sounds like a fuel bowl running dry. The new carb may fix that or you may have a plugged fuel line or bad pump. My car is a 75 sbc.
If the electrical is new, I wouldn't change it yet.

 

The brake booster is going to the center but of the back port of the carb. It appears there is a T of some sort. Rigid not rubber, and I could just swap the hoses on the 1/8" ports. The front center port I have the PCV hose going to.

 

I like that carb choice Kevin as those are simple carbs and they hold their tune which can be a big advantage while on the learning curve. I have to recommend you focus on the carb install for now as you have some important issues to complete and jumping back and forth to the distributor will add confusion. Also you need to provide what transmission you have as a minimum and really should provide as much info as you can for help - even your location.

So to begin with here return that spread bore to square bore adapter (unless you need the bolts). It would only hurt your hood clearance and do nothing for any kind of help.

To find which port is full vac and which is ported vac you should be able to see which port enters the carb throat below the throttle butterfly (full vac port) and which is above the throttle butterfly ( ported vac). You can use a fine wire or even spray w/WD40 to verify which is which.

Some large issues are the throttle cable bracket which the stock q-jet won't work on your Performer carb. You need to look this over and do some shopping on your own then let us know of any specific questions.

We don't know which transmission you have but if a automatic it will require a TV cable and another bracket also. You have to install this precisely or you would destroy your automatic trans - if you have one.

You will need to change your short piece of fuel line to the carb as the q-jet line will be bent different and use different fitting. You want to include a fuel filter in that line also as the q-jet had one in the inlet but the Performer carb don't.

Finally you need to wire your new electric choke. Search on this forum first then ask if you have any specific questions on how you want to wire it.

That's enough for know and good luck Kevin. I can read you are serious to do this correctly.

 

 

Some large issues are the throttle cable bracket which the stock q-jet won't work on your Performer carb. You need to look this over and do some shopping on your own then let us know of any specific questions. I am not sure I follow on this, I was able to hook the cable up to the new carb and spring with no issues? Will I not be able to go WOT with this as it is?

You should always verify full operation of the throttle. That it fully opens when the pedal is on the floor. And even more important that it returns to full close w/o binding when off the pedal. You may need a pedal operator to help you verify this but it is a basic but crucial requirement.

Hope this helps.

 

with regards to the transmission, do you have a TH400, TH350, or a TH200, or a TH700R4?

I am guessing based on the points distributor, that you have a TH400, in which case the downshift is an electric switch. No cable needed. A TV cable is for 200's and 700's and control line pressure, so yes inaccurate adjustment will kill the tranny if you have one of those. TH350 series used a downshift cable. not the same thing as a TV cable and it will not destroy the tranny.

there are a number of adjustable throttle cable brackets on the market if you can't bend the stock one to make it work. Edelbrock carry's them, and cheap no-name ones exist. in my experience, the $20 ones work as well as the $80 ones...

 

So how can I tell? This is the stock trans that came with the car. VIN# 1Z37J4S415679

 

Yes, what he said.

 

'74, TH400 was the M40 automatic trans option.

you should have an electrical switch with 2 wires on the side of the carb where linkage is.

Unless someone changed it...

 

Do you have a picture or reference of this? Because there definitely wasn't anything that I saw that had electrical wire/plugs on the old carb. How will this effect the edelbrock carb and the car running and shifting? Is there something I can do/use so this works like it should with using the edelbrock card?

After doing some quick googling I found this http://www.oldsobsolete.com/products...h-nos-1242101/

I dont think this is on the old carb.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=TH40...iCDb4Q_AUIBygC

look at google images and you'll see plenty of pics.

 

Just spent the last hour doing just that, now I just need to get home and do some looking around..

 

Update, just threw battery in and put carb studs on. Took about 5 minutes of turning it over but she is running!!!! Idles fast as **** and before I even tried to start it I had my wife hop in and floor it and it does NOT go to WOT. What kind of adjustments can I make so it does? It doesn't appear to be any adjustment on the cable itself.

Another thing is its smoking quite a bit....i am hoping its just decades of grime, oil, dust, dirt and crappy fuel mixed with new fuel i just put in. Smoking as in engine bay and it was coming from under the car too...I didn't let it run for maybe 5 minutes because I want to change all fluids. So any input on the cable adjustment and I know where the idle screw is on the carb. It def needs tuned as far as timing and fuel. Plus I did not have the vacuum hooked up to the distributor either because the new vacuum hose I got is a hair to big for it. When I get more time i will change fluids and mess with the motor some more.

I also did not see any downshift wires or switches on the old carb or in the engine bay? I did not have a chance to check under the dash where the peddle is.

 

it wouldn't be under the dash, would go straight from fuseblock to switch to transmission. look at the pan, you may not have the original trans. could easily have been swapped. TH350's are square with a corner cut out, the 400's look completely different.

 

I'll try and check it out tonight if I have time, I doubt its been swapped judging by the background of this car. It's been in one family since new and he didn't say its been swapped. The only thing they did was try and start it 3yrs ago when they pushed it out of the garage where it sat for 22yrs. They put new plugs, wires, cap, rotor and another carb which was missing more parts then I cared to try and learn about which is why I bought the edelbrock. But I will def check it out and try and trace the wire(s), if there are any. Thanks!