Quadrajet Carburators
I have a 81 El Camino that I bought in 82 so it's sort of part of the family.It still has the original 305 but I am afraid the old Quadrajet is completely worn out.It is dripping fuel out the butterfly shaft.I need advice on if I should find a good Quadrajet or put on an after market carburator on.Since it is a 305 I am not looking for horsepower but it has to be dependable and a little better milage would be nice. Thanks
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Cheapest option, rebuild it. $20???, simple. Not Holley simple, but simple none the less.
For a replacement, I'm really a Holley guy, but I hear the Edelbrocks are good for a dependable daily driver. Friends got one that he replaced his Quadrajunk with and likes it.
I would rebuild that one before I bought a replacement Quad from the likes of the discount auto stores.
Ben0 -
Personally, I would stay with the QuadraJet so that you'll get some low-end economy. Look around for a good used one that you can rebuild on your bench to your carb's tag's specs and then swap it out with the leaker that's on there now. Rebuilt Quadrajets are going to be a compromise of various OEM models so you could, in theory, put on a rebuilt carburetor that performs poorly on your particular engine. Rebuilders were notorious for compressing as many OE tag numbers as they could into one part number and QuadraJets were expensive cores. Float settings, choke pull travel, etc. were all approximations as a result. Is J.C. Whitney still in business and they possibly have one? 0 -
The problem with kiting it yourself is you won't be able to address the worn throttle shafts. If you go to a reputable auto parts store you can buy a rebuilt carburator that will have new throttle shafts and the throttle shaft bores reamed and bushed. If you don't fix worn throttle shafts your engine will always idle rough because there is a vaccuum leak there. Rebuilt carbs aren't cheap, several hundred $. Holley used to make a Q-Jet replacement carb, and I think Edelbrock makes a bolt on carb too. You might check these out, they just may be very little more money than a reman. 0 -
MT357 is absolutely right about the throttle shaft. If fuel is dripping, no kit will fix it. Edelbrock has several AFB style carbs; I've had good luck with them -- or you can go with a rebuilt Quad or Holley.
They're sometimes on Ebay.
Good luck with your project!0 -
The problem is probably not the throttle shafts...but leaking plugs in under the main well.
Rebuild this one....0 -
Us diehard MOPAR people refer to them as "Quadrajunks". If you want a simple but reliable 4-barrel, buy yourself a Carter AFB[^] 0 -
I've been out of the carburetor game awhile now, but I remember Eddelbrock offering their own version of the Quadrajet as a direct bolt on replacement for most GM quadrajets. Might want to give that a look at as well. If it were me, I'd junk the Q-jet and drop on a Holly. To do that you'll either have to get a carb adapter to put a square bore carb on your spread bore intake, or replace the intake, which isn't always a bad thing. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Bert H.
Us diehard MOPAR people refer to them as "Quadrajunks". If you want a simple but reliable 4-barrel, buy yourself a Carter AFB[^]
Damn Bert,Winchesters,Mopars and Carter AFB's.Ya can't get more right than that[:D][:D]0 -
We had an '84 Riviera that had a 307 with Quadrajet. Performance was reasonable and mileage was 25 mpg. The only feature that I didn't care for on it was the draining it would do when setting for more than a day, requiring a lot of turning over to get it started the first time. Could have fixed it with an electric fuel pump, but it was just a mild annoyance. It soesn't seem to be unique to Rochesters since the Holley on the 460 and the Carter on the 440 do the same thing. If you're happy with the Quadrajet, I'd look at the options for ending up with a Quadrajet, or skip the carb thing all together and get an after market fuel injection. 0 -
believe it or not, you can buy a quadrajet carb for under $300 at autozone. i know this because i used to manage for them. i sold 8 to one customer. 0 -
I have rebuilt a few of them. I would start there. Pick up a kit AND a new float. Many times the float is saturated and then drops down lower into the fuel opening the needle and seat more than it should be, and allowing gas to continue to run into the bowl and leak out of a lot of places. Try this before buying a new one. It very often solves the problems and for a lot less money. 0 -
I had a '79 Ranchero with a Motocraft 2150 on it that needed rebuilt. I looked around for something else and at the time, this one looked good. 
holley street avenger, fully self-adjusting
(they have chevy models too)0 -
Yes the throttle valve shaft will leak after significant mileage since it runs thru an aluminum base plate. Actually while running you'll have a vacuum leak and when you shut it off it starts to leak fuel.
Two thin wall 5/16's bronze bushings will fix it up. I found 2 locally for $3 dollars and had the local auto shop drill the base plate and install the new bushings for $10. The rebuild kit was around $30 I think. BTW, try to stay away from the plastic floats - the brass are worth the extra money.
OR you can order a rebuilt from Jet Perforance and I've been told they're a great carb either in either the stock or performance level. Mike0 -
quote:Originally posted by aramisvi
believe it or not, you can buy a quadrajet carb for under $300 at autozone. i know this because i used to manage for them. i sold 8 to one customer.
I worked at AutoZone about 13yrs ago. We would talk anybody wanting to buy a Quadrajet out of buying it, because if they bought it we was GARANTEED to see it come back in in about an hour. Was almost a running bet/joke around there. And always the same problem. Installed it, cranked it up and gas would literally overflow out the top of the carb. That was on EVERYONE we ever sold and I was there for a little over a year. Probably just got a bad batch, but thats why I say I'd rebuild before buying a rebuilt one. At least you would know who rebuilt it.
Ben0 -
Your original should be a feedback computer controlled type carb.Are you in a smog check area ?--If so,replacing it with a aftermarket carb will flunk your next smog check. I just drive old crap that don't have to be smog checked.
EvilDr2350 -
I'd scrap the quadrajet, the eddelbrocks are a very good carb. They are easy to tune and are about bullet proof. As the holleys go, they are a good carb but tend to need more TLC to keep them going.
Dave0 -
Throttle shaft can be fixed by inserting a valve guide bushing and then trim to lenght. A cyl head shop will have the tools and parts and usually won't charge that much if you tear it down to the base plate.
I've done hundreds of them and the fix lasts longer than the origional.
Smoky the fixer0 -
I'm with rebuilding. Take the baseplate to a machine shop and have them bush it or use Smoky's idea. When ya got one that works, don't get rid of it!!!! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by sothere
quote:Originally posted by Bert H.
Us diehard MOPAR people refer to them as "Quadrajunks". If you want a simple but reliable 4-barrel, buy yourself a Carter AFB[^]
Damn Bert, Winchesters, Mopars and Carter AFB's. Ya can't get more right than that[:D][:D]
Thaz a fact[8D][:D][^] (although I have also become a big fan of the 600 series Cummins engines too)[^]0 -
Had the holly on my 71 Challenger and threw it away and put a carter 550 on it Jeeeeeeeeezus wait a difference.
PJ
quote:Originally posted by Bert H.
Us diehard MOPAR people refer to them as "Quadrajunks". If you want a simple but reliable 4-barrel, buy yourself a Carter AFB[^]0 -
BTW,......... Bert will appreciate this saying....
MOPAR 2 YA0 -
Evil is right that should be a computer control carb.If you go holley or edelbrock,you will have to change the distributer or the computer wont advance the timing.Check out the message board at www.montecarloss.com I think there is a stickey about doing that in the engine section. email me your address and i can send you a spare base plate. chvypwr@earthlink.net hth Jim 0 -
quote:Originally posted by CHGOTHNDER
BTW,......... Bert will appreciate this saying....
MOPAR 2 YA
Back at you too. Here's my latest project, it's now installed in the truck and running. 528 ci Hemi. The tunnel ram and carbs fit under the hood without a scoop. Dave0 -
UEG, you have given me wood.[:p] 0 -
We've been extremely happy with the Holley sitting on the mustang we built. Edelbrock makes some fantastic parts for the street car. I don't know a whole lot about the Quad's but I've heard good things. Have it rebuilt, you can do it yourself with some basic mechanical knowledge. If that doesn't work, buy a Holley or Demon. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by CHGOTHNDER
BTW,......... Bert will appreciate this saying....
MOPAR 2 YA
Yep![^][:D]
My first true hot-rod was a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T with the 383 HP Magnum engine. I bought it in 1976 and almost immediately, I put a radical hi-lift cam in it, solid lifters (what a pain it was to keep them adjusted all of the time), a Mallory dual point distributor ignition , a 45K volt coil, solid copper core spark-plug wires, hooker fender headers, a Carter 950 CFM AFB, a B&M competition shift kit, slap-stick, and 2000 rpm stall-speed torque converter, and it had a 3.90 ratio posi rear-end. It was real fast in the 1/4 mile (high 12s), and really started to sing in a 1/2 mile run (top speed was 163 mph). The only bad part was the non-existant fuel economy[:(]. A full tank (25-gallons) of 102 octane premium gasoline did not last very long[:0] (average was about 4 mpg).0 -
quote:Originally posted by use enough gun
quote:Originally posted by CHGOTHNDER
BTW,......... Bert will appreciate this saying....
MOPAR 2 YA
Back at you too. Here's my latest project, it's now installed in the truck and running. 528 ci Hemi. The tunnel ram and carbs fit under the hood without a scoop. Dave
Now that looks like fun!![8D]0 -
GAWD-DAMN, thats nice
quote:Originally posted by use enough gun
quote:Originally posted by CHGOTHNDER
BTW,......... Bert will appreciate this saying....
MOPAR 2 YA
Back at you too. Here's my latest project, it's now installed in the truck and running. 528 ci Hemi. The tunnel ram and carbs fit under the hood without a scoop. Dave0 -
Can you say....
"HEMISPHERICAL"0 -
I've still got to tune the carbs, make up a kickdown linkage bracket, and fabricate a air box for the ram air. It should push the truck into the 10's at the strip. Dave 0
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