Carb Tuning???
 

Anyone know where I could find some good info on carb tuning/sizing/etc? I can set idle circuits and other basic stuff, but I want to learn how to set them up badass, mine had a slight hesitation in it sometimes and i think it could use something a litle bigger. If anyone knows any good book-websites let me know.

Ask the guys in the classics forum. The classics came with carbs, they'll have some advice for you.

???

www.jason.fletcher.net
There is also a carbed ford message board on this site.

There are a few others, just do a google search and a few will come up.

What kind of carb is it?

It's an edelbrock 600cfm, it's actually on my astrovan. It runs pretty good, it stutters a little sometimes when I go from around 10-15mph cruising to full throttle, and usually when I let off from a high rpm (usually at the top of 2nd gear after full throttle before it shifts) it sounds like I have a rev limiter, it'll make a stuttering sound. It's probably a little too small of a carb, eventually I want to go with a 650 double pumper, maybe one from bigs. ANyone have any input on Bigs carbs?

If it stutter on tip-in move the accelerator pump arm to the next hole. On deceleration, the vacuum is going to rise sharply and that's probably pulling the step-up spring right down pulling the metering rod right down. Try using a stiffer step-up spring. I learned a lot about tuning these things last year trying to get my car run to it's potential (they're virtualy identical to a carter AFB). I gave up and put on a 650 DP (judging by the night and day difference on the SOTP dyno) I'm hoping to be easily in the 12's. For a van you'll probably like a 750 with vacuum secondaries better.

Why the vacuum secondaries? I'm not looking for good gas mileage, I'd rather the better throttle responce. It's an 85 Astro, but I have a descently built 355: Port matched/opened up/cleaned/exhaust opened-polished, milled .030 w/perf. valve job, performer rpm intake/cam/600 carb, shorty headers, dual 2 1/2" flowmaster 40's w/h-pipe/turndowns, accel hei ignition, etc.
Everything runs pretty good, the motor stays at around 190 degrees all the time (weiand water pump/aluminum radiator), the carb works pretty good, but it feels like it could get more out of it w/650 double pumper and maybe a 1" spacer. I aslo set the accelerator pump from the middle to the higher position a few monthe ago which seemed to help some, which makes me pretty sure it could use more. Anyone want to buy an edelbrock 600 with a few hundred miles on it?????????????????

How much does the van weigh? Auto or manual transmission? Gear ratio? Have you driven a vehicle with a double pumper? The velocity of the air drops significantly when the carb is cracked wide open (2 to 4 bbl), which doesn't hurt a light car too much but on something heavier it will bog. The vacuum secondaries will only open if the vacuum on the carb is high enough to demand it so the velocity of the air is less affected with a vacuum secondaries carb. Read up about it on the holley website, A double pumper isn't always gonna make more power than a vacuum secondaries carb.
BTW what are you using for metering rods and jets right now?

Right now it has the stock open rear with probably high 2's gears (around 2.90's). As far as weight, it's pretty much empty inside, it probably weighs close to 4000lbs. I'm gonna put either 3.73 or 4.10 gears w/eaton posi and an ultimate rear cover, possibly weld on rear brace if I can fine one to fit. I'd swap the whole rear, but that'll probably be even more expensive and more complicated. How are some of the road/speed demon carbs?

It kinda sucks, I don't really want to put too much $$ into the van, it's pretty quick and definitely needs gears/posi, but it seems kind of pointless to put around anothe $1000 into it to still run 14's. Basically I just want a pro 5.0 car, it would be nice to pull a 6 et. cruising everyday to work, or just burn of a set of tires in 20 seconds. GODDAMN!