400 starting problem

[Bandit72]

ok here's the deal, my 400 is a very good running engine, doesn't miss, no strange noises ect...but i'm having afew problems

1. It ALWAYS smells like it's flooding out, if i lean the carb way out i can get it to stop smelling SO bad but it runs horrible
2. It seems to have a "hesitation" not a major one, but definitally noticible...it only happens if you barely set your foot on the throttle to accelerate and it seems really doggy until about 1700 rpm (i'm guessing on that as i don't have a tach yet)
3. If i shut the car off after it's warmed up (say a 5 or 10 mile trip), go into a store for around 10 minutes i have to crank on it for about 3 - 5 seconds before it'll start again (again runs fine after it's started) Now if i shut the car off and start it less than a minute later it doesn't do this and  fires right up, and if i let it sit say overnight i can go out in the morning and it'll fire right up.

i've had a timing light on this engine but the timing marks seem to be like 1" off so i just timed it so it ran good in all throttle positions. I've cleaned out the carb and checked for leaks...nothing. I know it has to have something to do with the carb "draining" some of the fuel out of the bowls while it's sitting, but why does it only do it when it's warm?

i odn't know much about this engine except that it was rebuilt 20K miles ago and has an edelbrock carb w/manual choke. Someone told me that they thougth this engine had a mild cam put in it while iwas being rebuilt but i can't prove it and they said that having a bigger than stock cam can make the engine "smell" rich....anyway what do you all think?

later 

[dodge freak]

It could be the carb. Maybe the float is to high. This is when its nice to have another carb. and just swap it and see if gets better. I know thats not the way to fix things but it can work. To bad they cost so much. Do not know much about that carb so that what I might do.

[dodge freak]

Oh I would add that over time a float can get heavy with gas in it and needs to be replace. Sometime people just readjust the float and don't change it. When in doubt it best to get a new float and needle to. Sometimes the needle leaks. If you know how to just change the float and needle, that may very well be it.

[Bandit72]

Oh I would add that over time a float can get heavy with gas in it and needs to be replace. Sometime people just readjust the float and don't change it. When in doubt it best to get a new float and needle to. Sometimes the needle leaks. If you know how to just change the float and needle, that may very well be it.

yeah i know how to change a needle and seat, it isn't really a problem of not being mechanically inclined (not claiming to be a genious but i know quite abit considering i'm only 18) it's just that i can't seem to lick this problem with what i have, i have another edelbrock i could put on but it's WAY to big as it's been modded to add more fuel (runs my cammed up 413 fine, wouldnt' run my 472 in my caddilac derby car though)

later 

[Chryco Psycho]

longer duration cams always run with a rich smell at idle so I won`t be to worried about that
by disconnecting the vacumm advance & either leaving it disconnected or insert a allen wrenck in the hole where the vacuum hose connects & turning a few turn counter clockwise you can shorten the advance curve & advance the timing at idle without overadvancing at higher RPM , this should eliminate the stumble & it will start easier too

[Bandit72]

longer duration cams always run with a rich smell at idle so I won`t be to worried about that
by disconnecting the vacumm advance & either leaving it disconnected or insert a allen wrenck in the hole where the vacuum hose connects & turning a few turn counter clockwise you can shorten the advance curve & advance the timing at idle without overadvancing at higher RPM , this should eliminate the stumble & it will start easier too

what size allen wrench do i use, i found one that seems to "grab" something in there, gave it afew turns but still seems the same...i've also got a  pop out of the carburator when i put it to the floor from a dead stop, but after that 1 pop it goes like a striped ass ape..

later 

[dodge freak]

Edelbrock has a tech line the # is 310-782-2900 or go on line at www.edelbrock.com.

[Chryco Psycho]

you need  a bigger squirter to get rid of the pop as it is going lean , it is a tiny allen wrench , it just fits in the hole  I have found 2 differnt sizes depending on if the vacuum pot is factory or aftermarket & I do not know the size of either .........trial & error