vacume port for distributer

[73 challenger 440]

I have the edelbrock 2x4 setup.. there are 2 small ports on the front of each carb... the manual says one is a timing port and the other is an exhaust gas recirculation port..
the timing port  doesn't sem to feel as though it has vacume.. maybe it's no small amount for me to feel by finger... should I plug this into my vacume advance on the distributer or use the manifold vacume?? 
also, my car was running fine, but after opening it up it surges and wants to stall.. what would cause this?

[nivvy]

on my old setup i had them plugged except the bigger on in the ceter... I ran a different dizzy though.....   

[73 challenger 440]

nice and clean...  like to take it out, it wants to stall a few moments after I left off the trottle, it revs real good. cruise has a very little pulsating.. wondering if it's fuel related or carb..

[Supercuda]

Surging at cruise is usually the result of a lean condition, or over-advanced ignition timing. You should feel no vacuum at the distributor port at idle, and it should start to have vacuum as you come off of idle, exposing the port to the intake flow in the carb venturi. Check your float level in both carbs, and check each float carefully- they are often incorrect and mis-matched from Edelbrock. If your idle is clean, and your timing is correct, and the power is good, but your surge at cruise is still there: change your metering rods for rods with a thinner cruise section. Do this for both carburetors, and you should notice a positive change. Good luck.

[Chryco Psycho]

to clarify connect the dist to the timing port , it has little or no vacuum at idle

[73 challenger 440]

thank you...
thought I would add this.. since I got the car it always feels like it has a slight putter when you are cruising as well.. even though we change distributers anf added an msd box it did clean it up a little.. now these were brand new carbs it still di the same, when I bought the car it had a new Holey 4bbl on it, and it still did it.. the car has a very chopy idle.
themotor has about 5000 miles on it now.. it has a 2500rpm stall in it.. my dad believes that the cam could of got soame flats spots on the lobes if it was not broken in correctly.
that could be a reason why it always felt like it putters, untill you are wide open.. or that the cam is just to radical for this engine.. I think the performane is decent.. but I never had a car like this before..  ha adjusted the timing and carbs the best he could, close to 3 turns out on the mixture any more in the car would start to drop in rpms.. we took it on a strait away and I went WOT. not smoke at all, so it cant be running rich.. I'll change where I have my vacume line hookedup, see if there are any changes.. if not We are going to remove the camshft and replace it.. I am also getting some lifter ticking, thats always been there.. we checked the rockers everything seemed to be tight nothing loose..
when we start to go that route I'll be asking for some suggestions, my dad has done many com extreme cams. without any problems, so I know this is one choice.. just never on a Dodge.. I dont know what the compression is on the motor or if there was work done to the heads.. my guess is the previous owner wanted to do some track time, and installed a driveshaft saftey loop and he had to change the converter, I know he said at first he had a 3500 rpm stall in it but, it was crazy to street drive...

[Chryco Psycho]

it could be the timing curve is over advancing in cruise , with the more radical ca, syou need to have a lot of initial timing but you need a shortened curve to keep from over advancing at RPM
 generally when a cam lobe goes flat it will chewe the cam & leifter very quickly & that valve will not open
 some advanced carb tuning can help the idle , generally you need to drill small holes in the throttle plates to create an air leak so the throttle plates can be closed down to cover the idle transfer slots to reagin idle sensitivity , the other trick is to restrict the idle bleed circuit either by changing bleeds or inserting mig welding wire this allows more fuel to be drawn into the air flow in low vacuum engines
 Make sure you are not lean @ WOT by checki9ng plug color & swapping jets as nessisary

[73 challenger 440]

thanks Chryco..... I tried turning the distibuter (advancing and retarding) the very slightest change makes a big difference.. so I marked the distributer in case I move it I'll know the exact location..

I took the car to a friend of mine that works at a bodyshop.. he said what my dad did, that the cam might be to radical for the street.. it has a very choppy idle.. but I do have lifters ticking when I give it slight revs.. I just dont know a lot of the previous work done to the motor.. I am not skilled enough to make the changes in the carb, and my Dad doesn't know these carbs... it's not a whole lot of money to do a cam swap, at least I know whats in there.. and then I can just knock that off the list, as this this is something I wanted to do long ago .. then I'll address the carbs.. I dont want to swap to a single 4bbl.. but will, to get better power and response...

[nivvy]

what cam is in it... I ran a nice cam with that same setup.... no problems at all... 

[73 challenger 440]

I have no idea.. all I can tell you is that it's a purple cam.. I am going to remove it this wek,, and hopefully get some numbers off it...