There are certainly a lot of things that can contribute to your problem, but the torque converter is not the first item that comes to mind.
The first 2 things that stand out to me with the information provided. A)the initial timing is a little low and the curve is a little slow. And B)the CarterBrocks are often a poor choice given their well deserved reputation for drive-ability issues.
Our big blocks really respond to timing. Throw 5* to 8* more timing at it and try a test drive. No full throttle blasts with that much timing, just a short drive around to see if it helps the stumble.
And see if someone has a known-good carb that you can borrow and try.
I was contemplating same thing...adding some timing to see what effect it has. My 70RR 440-6 is @ 19base, 35 total, but has a cam and, of course, I can't swap carbs with it
Can you/anyone recommend a better replacement carb until we decide what to do with the orig AVS? I don't much care for the electronic choke on the edelbrock anyway.
As I have said before, our big blocks like a lot of initial timing and the mechanical advance in as quick as the combo allows.
At idle, twist the distributor advanced until it doesn't like it anymore, then just back it up a touch and check the timing. Most will like it somewhere in the low 20s with a mild cam. Hotter cams with rougher idle like even more.
The only limit on the idle advance is if it hits back against the starter when cranked hot. Overall, for a big block, as high an idle advance and as fast a mechanical advance as the engine will take without developing other bad habits.
As long as it doesn't cause other problems, low 20s for idle advance and all in by mid 2,000s RPMs. My current Hemi idles at 25* and is all in by 2,200. Which is about where my wedges end up at.
And I think everyone here knows that I am a big fan of the Street Demon carbs. They are hands down, the best carb out there for a mild street engine. Do a search and you will find a number of threads here on this subject along with links to tests and dyno sessions.
