I've got an edelbrock avs carb on a basically stock 360 (only cam, carb and exhaust) in a 74 challenger automatic. The car sat for a about a year and now runs rough and bogs when secondaries open and the fuel filter is filled completely with gas and looks like its about to pop. Also i believe it is running rich the exhaust has a strong smell and burns your eyes.

The car was parked because it overheated pretty bad and blew a head gasket or cracked something i just recently noticed a little water in the oil, and it's blowing smoke out of the pcv which i been told is some burned up rings. I plan to rebuild it or get a new short block or whatever i can find for cheap enough...

Ok now before all that the car ran great. Do you all think this may be caused by the overheating? Or is this from sitting and gas gumming up?

Sorry for the log post but I'd just like to get the carb right before i start rebuilding everything else.

thanks

Honestly? It sounds like you need to get everything else right before you mess with the carb!

I picked the car up from the shop it had been sitting at for that year, and the radiator had drained. I was just happy to finally get the car back so i didn't check it first... anyway i would like to get the carb right so when i do put together another engine it's ready to go. I think I'll just soak it in a bucket of gas and see if something loosens up

Rebuild it. Run little wires thru all channels and clean/regasket. New fuel filter. Drain tank and clean tank/lines if it sat with old gas for a year, as you may gum it up again.

Slow down, you may be jumping to conclusions. Your short block may be fine, and just in need of a new head gasket. Unless you have deep pockets, don't just replace whole motors for relatively minor problems. Smoke puffing out the breather can just be a head gasket that ruptured beneath the intake manifold... this will suck oil in on the intake stroke (blue smoke out the exhaust) and pressurize the crankcase on the compression stroke (blowing smoke out the breather or oil fill on the valve cover). Sounds/looks like "puff, puff, puff" like a locomotive when this happens. Oil in the coolant further confirms a head gasket failure. Your rings and short block (and heads) may be fine. And I agree, the carb would be one of the later things you are concerned with right now.

Ok thanks for the advice everyone. i hope it's just the head gaskets. and I'll rebuild the carb. I was just trying to see if overheating can cause a change in the carb.

Overheating will not likely hurt the carb, but stale gas can cause a crusty tan scale buildup inside the carb, and be hard to ignite compared to fresh gas. Very stale gas has a nasty smell to it, you won't confuse it with fresh gas smell.

Yeah i know the smell haha, the tank that used to be on it had some nasty sludge in it. It's got a semi-new tank and lines on it. I'm sure it just got gummed up from sitting.. It's just a daunting looking task, I've never tackled rebuilding a carb so I'm afraid of loosing some little spring or something... Was just hoping I could soak it and be done with it... Anyways thanks for the help y'all

My opinion, , the AVS (Carter and eddy versions) are an easier style to rebuild for a beginner than the Holley versions. Fewer gaskets = fewer leaks. Just a matter of minutes until the Holley fans attack!

Both styles have small springs, check balls, clips... lay a sheet down inside a medium size cardboard box when you begin to disassemble, will help contain any small parts that try to get away. Take pics of your carb before you begin and as you go. Read up a lot on your carb, YouTube, etc before you begin so you have an idea what to expect. Not terribly hard.

Take notes and pics & best would be get someone to show you what to do the first time. There are caveats w em