The Edelbrock Performer is not the best choice with a TQ (or any carb, for that matter). The factory iron 4bbl intake makes considerably more power and torque on the dyno. Remove the EGR standpipe and replace it with a pipe plug, and use the EGR valve as its own block off plate if you don't want to fabricate one. If you don't want to do any fabrication for the rear mount of your AC compressor, it's either an original 4V intake cast late in '77 or newer, or the Edelbrock Performer. I know of no other intake with the rear boss near the #4 intake port. If it were my car, I'd go with the OEM iron piece for this build. The SP2P that I had was a 4-barrel and very similar to the old StreetMaster. Simply put, those are the two worst intakes ever devised for the LA engine for any use whatsoever.
For a mild build like this, I'd stick with the good old TQ. Adjusted correctly, you'll never regret it. It's just an awesome carb. For the record, Holley vacuum-secondary carbs do not operate on throttle position for the secondaries. They work very similarly to a ThermoQuad in that regard, by using engine demand to meter fuel and air. The only piece of linkage from the primaries to the secondaries on a 4160 is a lockout to keep the secondaries from opening too soon or hanging open. Edelbrock Performer carb, a.k.a. Carter AFB 9000? I wouldn't even consider owning one. Carter considered it outdated by the mid-'60s, replacing it with the much-better AVS, which is in no way related to the Edelbrock Thunder Series AVS other than basic principle of operation.
The 308 heads are awesome, but remember that with an '86 non-AHB engine you'll need to replace the pistons or your compression will be in the basement. Like, 7.5:1 or less. The '85-up roller longblock kind of sucks for a build because of that and the fact that the OE 302 swirl-chamber heads don't flow worth a hoot. Spend $1,000+ for professional porting and you
might get them to flow as well as as-cast 308, X, or J/O/U heads. Realistically, even with the favorable 1.85 rod:stroke ratio and high nickel content of Mopar blocks, it's more than likely at 258K miles you'll need to bore it and use new pistons. Just get ones listed for an '82 or something rather than the correct year. With a .020"-.030" shave to the heads and Mr. Gasket's thin head gaskets, this will put you very close to (or slightly over) 9:1 compression. More power and better economy right there. Make sure that for every .010" taken off the head-gasket face of the heads, .0095" gets shaved from the intake face of the head or your intake won't fit correctly.
Camshaft? The easy choice here is something very similar to an original 340 camshaft, such as Summit's inexpensive K6900, or one step up to the K6901. Nice, mild camshaft in either situation. No need for added stall, deep gears, etc. The smaller cam will be a little better on fuel, but not dramatically so.
Get a vacuum-advance distributor (points or electronic) and pull out the contact/pickup plate to gain access to the mechanical advance mechanism's flyweights. You'll have to remove the rubbing block or reluctor, but you can do that with two screwdrivers. Get the Mopar Performance lightweight spring kit, but use only one. Replace the lighter of the two factory springs with it. Put the pickup plate back in, reinstall the rubbing block or reluctor, and toss the points or pickup. Install a Pertronix Ignitor, red wire to coil + and black to coil -. Done. Never think about it again. I've sold hundreds of them since they were introduced and have never seen, nor even heard about, one failing. Disconnect the ESA (Lean Burn) and pack the connectors full of clear silicone so they can't short, and just leave 'em hang. Set timing using the "Big Fat Friend on a Steep Hill" method. If you get spark knock at part throttle or cruise (not likely), get a vacuum advance canister with less total pull; the amount of advance is stamped on the arm.
Quick recap:
- OEM cast or Performer intake
- Carter TQ w/vacuum advance port (easily added if yours doesn't have it)
- 308 heads milled .020"-.030"
- Earlier pistons ('76-'84 flattops)
- Summit K6900 (or K6901) camshaft kit; stated goals tell me the K6900
- Vacuum advance distributor w/1 light flyweight spring & Pertronix Ignitor I
- Tell everyone it's a 360
Candy from a baby. This will put you well over 200HP (net) with the factory cat & single exhaust. If the cat falls off and a pair of true 2" duals grows in its place, figure more like 240-250HP at a usable 4,500RPM. It should pull like a freight train from slightly off idle to about 5,000RPM. Headers and 2.25" pipes are probably good for another 30 beyond that.
I've built this combo three times, once with J heads and twice with 587s with the smog humps ground out. It works. To be honest, though, you could probably forego the cam and heads, rebuild your shortblock with the stock-style '86 pistons and be very happy with intake/carb/distributor and free-flowing exhaust. I did exactly that with an '84 Fifth Avenue, and it was a very enjoyable car after a swap to 2.94 gears from the abysmal 2.2 ratio originally in the car. Fuel mileage actually increased with the lower 2.94 gear. It was lugging too much with the ultra-high 2.2 cogs.
