318 (5.2) V8 Help

Is it a 2 barrel or 4 barrel?

I don't have any experience with that particular engine, but in general, 1980s American smog carbs seem to work fine with some of the less useful vacuum lines disconnected and plugged. It really depends on what they do. Obviously you need to keep the vacuum advance line to the distributor, and if the carb has any vacuum brakes on it (most of them do), then you need to keep those. The vacuum brakes are canisters connected to a choke linkage, usually only on the secondary(ies), which helps stop the mixture from leaning out when you floor it without the need for a secondary accelerator pump.



This is a Carter 2-barrel, which clearly shows a vacuum brake and line on it. If you have this carb then you should keep this canister and line. Apart from that, you should only need the vac advance signal and the brake booster line. PCV isn't really a bad thing either as long as the valve works and none of the hoses leak.

Hopefully someone who actually knows these carbs will be along shortly to provide some useful info! Best of luck with it. My Holden with a 2-barrel "Var-a-jet II" has never really run right, but I just put up with it and drive around the problems.