Thread: 1st lumpy idle build, and cards I've been dealt

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If you Google Q-Jet you'll get more people that actually use the carb every day, and will tell you what to fix and to make it a better carb.

I have run many Q-Jets and tuned them. With the cam you have you'll have to drill out the air mixture screw holes to get a better idle, drill them 1 drill bit size at a time, till you get a good idle. Use number drills, not fraction size.
you'll need to epoxy the fuel well plugs under the bowls to stop dripping if they are, they will leak.

When you start to adjust, make sure you set the idle screw with a feelers gage in the front butterflies(and that the rear butterflies are closed), then only use the air mixture screws to get the highest vacuum, and to get the right idle rpm's. I would put your timming at about 16-18 deg's with a stock HEI, and without a 4 deg key(if you don't have one)

Guru's aren't always the best way to go. A lot of them only know what they read, no real hands on!

Pat

Made some progress today, had a fire yesterday. Turns out that sporadic dead miss is ... you guessed it, plug wires roasting on header pipes. New Moroso wires today. Still burnt thru two plug boots, this is like killin' ants. Got more boots and socks coming, so once we get good spark, we'll start in again.

If it was mine, I think I'd stick with the q-jet. It came on the car new. Neighbor (owner) had some good luck with an Edelbrock carb on a Camaro, so we'll see.

Interesting comment about 16-18 degrees advance. We took a ride this afternoon and it just acted like it was cryin' for more ign lead, I thought. With those smog heads, I was thinkin' it might have room for that.

Thanks so much for the q-jet tips, I knew about the wells and such many years ago and simply didn't remember! Had a Firebird 400 in my teens, tried a big Holley on it once, put the q-jet back on two days later.

So the Nova's tucked away 'til next week, neighbor's already asked, can we build a 383?

Sure, I said.

To be continued......

DennyW, no, not yet. But I will. I was already curious about that. but put it off until we get the ign wires sorted out. Man I don't remember header heat being such an issue. Wires 6 & 8 were about 3/8" away from header pipes, and actually burst into flames! (stock wires). Glad I had an extinguisher!

Neighbor is going to invest in some header wrap as well. Is that the norm for keeping underhood heat in control these days?