What size Edelbrocks? (post the number(s) if possible)
My gut impression is it's lean, not rich. Both will cause a fuel smell, and both will cause pinging that won't go away once it starts.
Other things to check: what radiator is in it? What's the operating temp? Does it ahve an overflow? What pressure is the cap?
Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... Now you tell me what you know.
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