TOPIC: How to properly groove a Carter 2 barrel bbd carb

I have a 1983 dodge w150 5.2 L 318 pickup truck with a 2 barrel Carter bbd carburetor that I have put a square lock box trailer with a camper shell on to be a mobile work and living space. I recently did a full rebuild of the engine that has taken close to a year now after fixing my own mistakes after assembling the rocker arm shafts incorrectly which caused a push rod to break through a rocker arm. But I have that fixed and am now looking to Gadgetman groove the carb and open the spark plug gaps as well as plugging the pvc valve to improve efficency reduce the emissions and increase the power while I work towards my overall goal with the truck of retrofitting the motor with a GEET reactor to then not be dependent on oil and be able to run any liquid as fuel and I’m even thinking that this groove could be used in the vaporization process of that system. But in the mean time while I’m working on the design this seems like the best way to alleviate stresses financially and morally .
I’ve been watching several videos and reading as much as I can on the website and forums but I’m curious as to where to start notching the groove? Should it be done with the throttle butterfly valve fully closed or with a piece of a business card wedged in on the opposite side similiar to the throttle body process?
I’m open to any other knowledge that may help in this process as well.

Thank you, for taking the time to read and respond if you so choose

Jake, I'm sorry it's taken us so long to get you a reply, but somehow your post was flagged by the server as needing approval to be seen by everyone.

I've only grooved one carb, and that's on my dad's mower, so I'm by no means an expert and as such, defer to TracyG's and Ron's experience/expertise in helping you with this. They both pop in here from time to time still, but if you're still motivated and perhaps even impatient, I could give them a poke via email to come start a conversation with you.

How does that sound to you??

Hi Jake, thanks for asking. I used to have some Carter BBD's lying around, but I think I tossed 'em. IF memory serves, there just isn't enough throttle bore left under the throttle blades in closed position to do the Groove. I used to have a 1974 Dart Sport w/ a 225 Slant Six, I upgraded to the Super Six setup w. the small BBD like yours. I had checked mine to see if it was "groove-able" and found that there is barely any metal under the blades when in closed position. Look at the underside of your BBD. With closed throttles and fast idle cam dis-engaged, there is only a couple fingernail thicknesses of material left there.

IF you changed your 318 to a 4 barrel intake manifold like an Edelbrock Performer, and added an Edelbrock Performer or a Carter AFB 600 cfm carb, there is enough bore material under either of those carb's closed throttles to do the Groove. Same thing for many Holley carb's as well. (I don't recommend Holley's as first choice though for other reasons.)

An alternative choice could be a Weber 2 barrel with synchronous opening throttles, meaning both blades on the same shaft, both open together like the BBD. But it would need to be larger, like a 38-38 MM bore Weber.

Advantages to these carb's I've mentioned here are that they are tuneable, meaning that replacement jets are available for all of these. In fact, I'm pretty sure I recall that the later small BBD's like yours, use the same jets as the Edelbrock Performer and Carter AFB.

The "Heroic Option" to ATTEMPT to add the Groove to a BBD, (or the Rochester Quadrajet 4 BBL for that matter) would be to add a solid material spacer directly fitted to the carb base. It would need to be exactly cut to match the throttle body casting's dimensions, and then firmly clamped in place to the throttle body. Ron and I have casually talked of this before- but I've never tried it. Basically it would be a big PITA.

Meanwhile, Jake, there's other things you can do. Cap the PCV vacuum port on the BBD's base. Upgrade to the best Ignition plug wires, cap/rotor. Increase plug gaps. Use Snake Oil in every applicable fluid (It's ON SALE right now!). Increase tire press. as possible.

If you like a Project, and have some $$ you can spend, then read my thread or postings here about a Plasma Ignition upgrade. GEET has always interested me, as well as Dennis Lee's PICC, but--Good Luck w/ that stuff.

Tracy G