Thread: Ahhh the Quadrajet

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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

They are great carbs when tuned right

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.



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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.)

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.

Originally Posted by cffisher

They are great carbs when tuned right

Tuned right is the key operative here.

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.

"......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.



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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.

Originally Posted by Mike P

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!

Nice story on the carb and truck but we need some pics of this truck.

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

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

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

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!