351w tuning questions

Put a brand new edelbrock 1406 on my 1970 351w 3sp with a performer intake and a electronic ebay distributor. Had to switch the timing pointer to the other side in order to see it. Engine runs okay but can't bring the idle down past 1k rpm. I haven't touched the new carb adjustments at all and have the two timing ports capped since there is no vacuum hose on the dizzy. The pcv valve is connected as well as the power brake port. Headers are open right now waiting for new exhaust. Any suggestion on getting this thing tuned, timing is hard since I cant get the idle down.

Yeah, you just can't properly tune it until the exhaust is fully built.
That said, you should be able to at least get it close enough to work.

How did you switch the pointer and still have it line up? Did you make your own marks, or does your damper have the multiple markings for the different Ford setups? Or have you mixed and matched dampers from the different engines?
Sounds like you used the front cover and such from the 351, rather than the ones from your original 302, correct?

First, make sure that the idle speed screw is all the way out so that it's not even touching the lever arm. Then make sure that the choke mechanism has fully opened and released the high-idle cam past it's last notch. This is often why a carburetor won't idle down.
A rebuilt carb often has this trouble due to improper re-setting of the throttle blades. But new ones don't have this issue that I know of. Probably not impossible, but worth looking at all the other things first.

Is the PCV valve connected to one of the carburetor's large vacuum ports? Make sure it's not connected to a single runner in the intake manifold. Has to be to a common area.
The brake booster can be connected to the single runner and a vacuum tree at the back of the intake, but since the Edelbrock carb has two large ports (that correct?) you can also run the booster to the extra fitting.

When you moved the pointer, are you sure you nailed TDC perfectly? Any chance your initial advance is too far? What is it reading currently? Sometimes if you have your base timing set too high you won't be able to idle it down.

Also check for vacuum leaks all over the upper area of the engine. Lots of room for mistakes when changing a manifold and carburetor. But the timing and choke settings would be the first things to check I think.

Good luck.

Paul

Hi, X2 on the choke linkage / fast idle cam.
The Edelbrock choke requires 12 v, and the Ford carb wire only feeds @ 7 v.
Probably your choke is not fully opening
You can manually open the choke and make sure the fast idle cam is out of the way.
I have to mention that many guys have vacuum leaks with aluminum intakes. You have to be very careful with the install so the gaskets don't slip. Many guys use threaded rod as a guide in the corners to align the gaskets and slide the manifold home. Then remove the threaded rod after the inner bolts are in. It happened to me and my engine was sucking oil up out of the valley into the two right rear cylinders.
Good luck

No vacuum leaks sprayed carb cleaner while running and no rpm variation. Checked voltage at post side of coil and had 11.2. Is that correct for the electronic ignition. Or should I bypass thebrownish resistor wire to get as close to 12 as possible. All lines are connected properly should I keep both timing plugs capped?

Depends on the ignition. An "ebay distributor" doesn't give enough details.
Many electronic ignitions still use the resistor wire, many don't. And Brown-ish is not the correct color under the hood usually. But as we've found out, sometimes Ford didn't always follow it's own common rules.

That's why pics are so valuable these days.

Paul