ok here is my deal i bought a project from a friend of myne they took a 84 360 and put it in a 96 dakota well he couldnt get it to run i got it to run but it wont idle and everyones been telling me replace the carb and intake for it it has a carter thermoquad and i am out in space looking for help i think it is a vacuum problem my self cause i have no clue how to run the vacuum lines withouth any of the canisters or anything to run from before i been raddling my brain and been searching the net and trin different combinations hoping i get it rite but i just lost and out in space need some real help real bad before i explode lol

 

Welcome aboard.

 

Well to see if it's a vacuum leak just plug up every vacuum hole you can find, except for your vacuum advance (if thats what your running) And the PCV valve hook those up like normal.. If it will stay running then, then thats your problem. I'm not a wiz with vacuum, but I do know if you've got any leaks or vacuum ports open it can really mess with you. Throw a rebuild kit in the carb make sure its not the issue. Check your voltage regulator and take the ignition module to Oreilly's to have them test it for you. May hook a timing light up and make sure it's not just a few degrees shy of being right. Sounds like it could need to be advanced just a bit.

Does it have adjustable rocker arms? If so they could be a little too tight. I rebuilt a 355 for a 40 ford pickup a couple years ago. Had a "mechanic" I knew come help me get the rocker arms just right. Well after I got it all together and broken in, it would not run at idle and everything was brand new. Ended up going through and taking some pressure off of all the rocker arms and that fixed the problem immediately.

Hopefully this will give you a few things to check.

 

yes it gives me a few things to check out thanks and glad to see some people that know what they talkin bout

 

Welcome to the forum... Be sure to check out the Mopar of the Month contest....

 

Welcome!

 

welcome to the forum

 

I have found that a few of the new carb base gaskets have brass or copper rivits of a type holding it together. These are not crushed before install the carb and actually keep the carb up. Take a feeler guage and pass it under the carb between the gasket and carb. If you can get a feeler guage in it there is your leak.

 

welcome
what is the whole story on the 360
it can be a vacuum leak... or it can be somthing else.
post lots of pictures
if you don't have any vacuum lines installed at least for the vac advance and brake booster and PVC. use the right vac ports on your carb.
do you have the air/fuel mix screws adjusted correctly for your idle circuit?
why do they say replace? what's wrong with the carb and intake what brand? are they edelbrock?

 

96 dakota was fuel injected and I dont recall the 360 being an option? Are you trying to reuse the fuel injection on the 84 360 motor?

 

Most TQs didn't have a vac port for the dist. Unplug the vac to the dist and see if that helps. Mopars use port vac for advance. NOT manifold vac.