Welcome to Club Hot Rod!  The premier site for everything to do with Hot Rod, Customs, Low Riders, Rat Rods, and more. 

  •  » Members from all over the US and the world!
  •  » Help from all over the world for your questions
  •  » Build logs for you and all members
  •  » Blogs
  •  » Image Gallery
  •  » Many thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of posts! 

YES! I want to register an account for free right now!  p.s.: For registered members this ad will NOT show

 
Like Tree67Likes
  • 10 Post By glennsexton
  • 5 Post By cffisher
  • 5 Post By Mike P
  • 4 Post By firebird77clone
  • 3 Post By glennsexton
  • 1 Post By glennsexton
  • 6 Post By Hotrod46
  • 8 Post By Mike P
  • 9 Post By 36 sedan
  • 7 Post By Hotrod46
  • 3 Post By glennsexton
  • 4 Post By 53 Chevy5
  • 2 Post By Dave Severson

Thread: Ahhh the Quadrajet
          
   
   

Reply To Thread
Results 1 to 14 of 14
  1. #1
    glennsexton's Avatar
    glennsexton is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tigard
    Car Year, Make, Model: 63 Nova SS
    Posts
    2,572

    Ahhh the Quadrajet

     



    In 2004 I bought a 1971 Chevy C10 for my son as a graduation present. He was racing dirt bikes at the time and really wanted a truck with a full size bed to haul them around. We paid $6500 for a real clean rig, 350/350 fairly stock truck. My son wanted to dress things up a bit so we went with some nice headers, a polished intake and an Edelbrock 1406, 600CFM carb. Nice open exhaust through 40 series Flowmasters and it turned out real nice and had a pleasant burble to the exhaust. What Ryan (my son) didn’t realize is that I purposely went with the little Edelbrock to tone things down a bit. He has loved this truck and the entire family has used it a lot. His dirt bike days are done, he’s married, responsible and a real joy to his mother and me.

    The truck still lives at my house as Ryan doesn’t have room to park it and it doesn’t go out real often. A while back I made a decision that it was time to refresh the look on the truck and I lined up a fantastic body and paint man and we’ll be getting the truck redone soon. In the meantime, it was time to look under the hood and now that Ryan is “all grown up” I decided that the truck should return to its roots – or close anyway. I bought a Weiand spread-bore manifold and a new 750 Quadrajet. While we were there, we replaced plugs, cap, and rotor.

    Fires right up, set initial at 8 degrees, 32 all in and go for a drive. I truly believe that on the eighth day, God created the Quadrajet. This 350 idles like smooth bourbon and I just love the sound and the feel when those monster secondaries come to life. First time Ryan drove it he came back with a big smile on his face, “Nice dad – real nice.”

    Ahh gotta love the Quadrajet
    Mike P, NTFDAY, papadaddio and 7 others like this.
    "Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty." John Basil Barnhil

  2. #2
    cffisher's Avatar
    cffisher is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Constantine
    Car Year, Make, Model: 57 chevy 2 dr wagon
    Posts
    9,476

    They are great carbs when tuned right
    Charlie
    Lovin' what I do and doing what I love
    Some guys can fix broken NO ONE can fix STUPID
    W8AMR
    http://fishertrains94.webs.com/
    Christian in training

  3. #3
    Mike P's Avatar
    Mike P is online now CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SW Arizona
    Car Year, Make, Model: 57 Ply, 68 Ply Valiant, 83 El Camino
    Posts
    3,747

    When I did the 500 Caddy in the El Camino I went thru the original Q Jet. Once it was dialed in I haven't touched it since ........9 Years and about 85,000 miles so far. Even drove it to Tucson yesterday. I do know at some point in the near future it will probably go thru the "sinking float blues" but that will just give me something to do.



    .
    I've NEVER seen a car come from the factory that couldn't be improved.....

  4. #4
    firebird77clone's Avatar
    firebird77clone is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Hamilton
    Car Year, Make, Model: 69 nomad, 73 charger, 74 vega
    Posts
    3,900

    On one of the shelves on the back wall of my shop, there dwells the quadrojet dualjet from the late wife's Diplomat. She used to race the cops (it was an ex cop car) and never lost. On the shelf was a dialed- in Cater and if she ever lost a race she was under orders to return home, I would drop everything, swap carbs: rematch. Never happened.

    So you haven't heard of the dualjet, not surprising. It was only made for two years. It was a direct bolt on two barrel for a four barrel intake.

    BTW she said the mustang D.A.R.E. car wasn't about squat. (Dare to keep off drugs, I forget the actual acronym.)
    .
    Education is expensive. Keep that in mind, and you'll never be terribly upset when a project goes awry.
    EG

  5. #5
    glennsexton's Avatar
    glennsexton is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tigard
    Car Year, Make, Model: 63 Nova SS
    Posts
    2,572

    Drug Awareness and Resistance Education. Great program. Our local sheriff seized a late model Corvette and a local shop did a trick D.A.R.E paint scheme. Used it as a rolling classroom for the local schools and it was a big hit - especially with the junior high boys. Too bad the funding was cut.
    Dave Severson, NTFDAY and 36 sedan like this.
    "Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty." John Basil Barnhil

  6. #6
    glennsexton's Avatar
    glennsexton is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tigard
    Car Year, Make, Model: 63 Nova SS
    Posts
    2,572

    Quote Originally Posted by cffisher View Post
    They are great carbs when tuned right
    Tuned right is the key operative here.
    36 sedan likes this.
    "Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty." John Basil Barnhil

  7. #7
    Hotrod46's Avatar
    Hotrod46 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Vidalia
    Car Year, Make, Model: 1946 Ford Coupe, 1962 Austin Healey 3000
    Posts
    1,496

    The Q-jet was the one of the only (maybe the only) domestic carb to survive well into the EFI era. A well tuned one will give mileage and throttle response that is close to EFI. They get a lot of hate, but are probably the best pure street 4 barrel that you can run.

    I think the hate comes from folks not understanding them. They are definitely more of a pain to tune than a Holley or Carter, but how often do you tune a street carb on a cruiser? Other than an occasional idle tweak or slight adjustment on the mixture screws (basic tune up stuff), I haven't done anything to the Q-jet in my 46.

    Took me about a week to well tune the one on the basically stock 350 in that car. On the Power Tour we were knocking down 17-18 MPG on some legs without overdrive. We did have the 2.75 highway chunk in the 9". Not bad for a car that weighed well over 4000 lbs loaded and is as aerodynamic as a brick with rounded corners! The only problem I've had with it is the well plugs are definitely leaking a little now. Not a big deal since I have an electric pump and can prime it after it sits.

    I have a bunch of old ones in a box, but I think I only have one or two really good cores left. I'll most likely go EFI the next time around in the 46 mostly due to the ethanol crap gas, but if not for that, I would go with another Q-jet.
    Last edited by Hotrod46; 05-06-2020 at 06:08 AM.
    Mike

    I seldom do anything within the scope of logical reason and calculated cost/benefit, etc-
    I'm following my pass​ion

  8. #8
    Mike P's Avatar
    Mike P is online now CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SW Arizona
    Car Year, Make, Model: 57 Ply, 68 Ply Valiant, 83 El Camino
    Posts
    3,747

    "......I think the hate comes from folks not understanding them......"

    Or attempting to rebuild them and not knowing how they go back together or neglecting the throttle shaft wear on high mileage ones.

    And yeah finding a decent core on any non-emissions carb is getting harder and harder, plus way too many people who have them think they are gold.



    .
    I've NEVER seen a car come from the factory that couldn't be improved.....

  9. #9
    36 sedan's Avatar
    36 sedan is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    american canyon
    Car Year, Make, Model: 36 Ford Sedan, 23 T Bucket
    Posts
    1,899

    One of the biggest problem with QJs and Carter are the meter rods and PEOPLE. People unfamiliar with the carbs do not take the rods out when removing the tops, then they lay the carb down on the rods bending the rods. Further, they try to put the top back on with the rods still installed, bending them more. When the carb doesn't work, they blame the carb...

    Of course, that's just my observation.

  10. #10
    Hotrod46's Avatar
    Hotrod46 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Vidalia
    Car Year, Make, Model: 1946 Ford Coupe, 1962 Austin Healey 3000
    Posts
    1,496

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike P View Post
    way too many people who have them think they are gold..
    Maybe I can sell the ones I have for enough to buy an EFI!
    Mike

    I seldom do anything within the scope of logical reason and calculated cost/benefit, etc-
    I'm following my pass​ion

  11. #11
    40FordDeluxe's Avatar
    40FordDeluxe is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Prairie City
    Car Year, Make, Model: 40 Ford Deluxe, 68 Corvette, 72&76 K30
    Posts
    7,264
    Blog Entries
    1

    Nice story on the carb and truck but we need some pics of this truck.
    Ryan
    1940 Ford Deluxe Tudor 354 Hemi 46RH Electric Blue w/multi-color flames, Ford 9" Residing in multiple pieces
    1968 Corvette Coupe 5.9 Cummins Drag Car 11.43@130mph No stall leaving the line with 1250 rpm's and poor 2.2 60'
    1972 Chevy K30 Longhorn P-pumped 24v Compound Turbos 47RH Just another money pit
    1971 Camaro RS 5.3 BTR Stage 3 cam, SuperT10
    Tire Sizes

  12. #12
    glennsexton's Avatar
    glennsexton is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tigard
    Car Year, Make, Model: 63 Nova SS
    Posts
    2,572

    Quote Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe View Post
    Nice story on the carb and truck but we need some pics of this truck.
    Well funny you should ask... as soon as the '63 Nova returns from the paint shop this truck is headed in. I'll post before-during-after pictures.
    Glenn
    NTFDAY, 40FordDeluxe and 36 sedan like this.
    "Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty." John Basil Barnhil

  13. #13
    53 Chevy5's Avatar
    53 Chevy5 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Doon, Ia
    Car Year, Make, Model: 53 Chevy 3100
    Posts
    2,709

    This thread just about makes me feel guilty for shelving the Quadrajet and putting on the Holley, juuuust about!
    Seth

    God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. C.S.Lewis

  14. #14
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    If you're ever in doubt about the right tune on a Q-Jet, track down an NHRA Stock class racer, these guys have been tuning and tweaking the Q Jets since they came out and know all the tricks, tips, and "secrets" of getting them set up right! Had an old pal, who class raced in Stock with a '67 Nova SS since a week after he bought it brand new, man, could he make them work! Years ago I had him do one for me and put it on Jackie's Caprice, she kept the car for 10 years of trouble free driving, the car had an overdrive trans so with the A/C going full blast and cruising at 70 to 75 on the cruise control the car would do right at 22 mpg! Only thing we ever owned after that as trouble free was my '05 Bonneville with EFI!
    glennsexton and 36 sedan like this.
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

Reply To Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Links monetized by VigLink