1977 Chevy K10 - Starting Problem

[LT1Silverhawk]

Hi All,

First off, hope you all had a very merry Christmas and are enjoying the holidays!

Now, for the story...


---------------------------


Earlier this week...

My '77 truck recently began having problems starting and staying on. About a week ago I started it after the usual pumping of the accelerator and it started up with its usual hesitation but then ran just fine. Two days later, it would start but then sputter and die within seconds.

I checked the sparkplug wires that had been replaced only a couple of months ago and, aside from one having its boot practically gone, perhaps from the heat from the exhaust manifold, found no issues.

My immediate assumption was that the fuel pump was failing because the truck has always sounded somewhat starved for fuel. The manager at Autozone suggested checking the points and what not but I doubted that was the case since a tune up had been done about 2 months / 50 miles ago. Besides, flooring the gas pedal always got the truck running every time anyway.

I planned to tackle the job on the weekend.


-------------------------


Saturday morning and afternoon ...

I finally got to work on it this past weekend and had a relative visiting who pointed out that it could be water in the fuel. I didn't think that was the case until he discovered that the fuel cap for the left-side tank was loose. So we put some gas from that tank into a clean container and found it to be whitish clear with some debris floating inside of it and decided that water was indeed the culprit (we've got some Johnny Jackasses in the area with nothing to do who might've done this).

I tried siphoning the water-contaminated gas out of the left-side tank (it has two) and it didn't work well so I gave up, hoping to use the hose from the sending unit to pump it out later (it was about ready to rain).


----------------------------


Sunday morning, afternoon and early evening ...

Sunday morning, I put some gas into the right-side tank and the truck sputtered a bit before starting and staying on just fine. As soon as I would switch over to the left-side tank, it would sputter and die. So I thought, "Problem found."

I went to AutoZone, bought a locking fuel cap (they only had one in stock) and bottle of Iso-heet to clean the water out of the fuel lines and tank. I poured the bottle into the left-side tank and locked it with the new cap.

I then tried locating the hose from the left-side tank to pump out the bad gas using the sending unit but gave up after a while because I just couldn’t seem to find the right one and it was getting dark.

I then made two trips to the gas station and bought a total of four gallons of gas to put into the right-side tank so I could at least move the truck around for a while as needed (street sweep is Tuesday).

After putting the gas into the tank, I started it up and let warm up for quite a few minutes. The truck did so without any issues. I decided to drive it around a bit to make sure all was well. It took off perfectly.

I noticed the hood was still unlocked. As I pulled over to close it, the truck began sputtering again and died. After that, it just would not start.

I popped the hood and, after removing the air filter assembly, found white smoke coming from the carburetor. The glass-cased fuel filter seemed full of gas. My immediate thought was "flooding" or "vapor lock". (At this point, it is safe to confess that I am carburetor-illiterate). I also found that a vacuum hose was still off of the carburetor from working on the fuel line earlier and the smoke was coming out of that as well (looked more like thick steam, to be fair).

I googled flooding and vapor lock and found some info. Went back to the truck after about half an hour, tried starting it again and nothing. This time, I noticed the fuel filter case was barely half full.

I am about to head out and try starting it again. I’m going to take off the gas cap, stick a screw driver in the carb's flap and see what happens.



----------------------------


Sunday, 8:45 pm PST

So I did some thinking on the way to the truck.

I did a tune up on the truck with a buddy about two months / 50 miles ago (sparkplug, wires, cap, rotor, ignition coil, air filter). Afterwards, I noticed that it backfired a lot at 65 mph or higher. It really didn't like going past 55 mph. I assumed a sparkplug wire must've slipped off or something. After checking it a few days later, I found one to be loose and pushed it in place. Never had a chance to get back on the freeway (I hardly ever drive this thing) but noticed that when I would rev it while parked, it would still backfire. I also noticed that the truck still got the same gas mileage as before: 10 mpg.

While researching what might've happened to my truck earlier today, I saw a post that mentioned that sparkplugs can be gapped and timing can be messed with in a way to hide a carburetor's problems (carb itself doesn't seem to have a manufacturer's name visibily marked could it be a generic / Q-Jet deal?). I can't help but wonder if that is what is causing the back fire and lack of power. I mean only 55 mph? C'mon ...


So I got to the truck and, after checking the radiator, unlocking the fuel cap and sticking a screwdriver in the carb's flap, it started just fine. After letting it run for about a minute and a half, I drove it back home. During the drive, the acceleration seemed fine, better than before even. So I thought I'd run it a little longer by making a couple more runs up and down the street.

Once I brought it home and got ready to park, the truck began losing power and the idle dropped very very low, but not to the point of sputtering. I checked the temperature and it was at only 160 degrees. I turned it off and started it back up and it did so immediately, but the idle was still very low.


-----------------


Monday, 8:15 am PST

I started the truck this morning and, after a few seconds of low idling, it died. So I started it again and it kept idling very low (showed under 500 rpm on the cheapo after-market tach), but it didn't shut off this time. I let it run like that for a few minutes and then revved the truck a couple of times to about 2500 rpm, after which it would settle down to about a 1000 rpm at idle (where it normally idles, even during cold starts). I imagine the idle itself needs to be adjusted and need to look up how to do it.


Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance...

[j cAT]

FUEL today has ethanol in it. your vehicle with not much use, and with the tanks nearly empty cause the shit fuel sold today to phase separate.

when this occurs the fuel has a top level of low octane fuel , the bottom layer of alcohol and water. SYPHON ALL FUEL OUT//ALL

MIXING NEW FUEL WITH THIS CRAP IN THERE, AND ITS CRAP IN NO TIME !

REPLACE FUEL FILTERS, BUY 10 FILTERS ..

all this fuel must be dumped///thats another problem !

fuel stabilizers and a very tight fuel vapor system is needed to reduce condensation / water to get to this alcohol fuel.

1977 is pre alcohol carb rubber...this means the carb will need new rubber parts to work ..

on low idle with carbs,,,,adjusting the carb to compensate for componet defects is a no no !

with a vacuum guage track down all vacuum line leaks.

1977 vehicle/engine has no points.if the plug wires had arcing I would route the wires correctly using tyraps,loom shielding , and whatever to protect the wires..then replace the ignition module..

post back whats up...

ho ! ho ! ho !

[LT1Silverhawk]

Heeey, if isn't j cAT to the rescue yet again! How you been man? Hope your holidays are going well and the winter storms aren't too harsh in your side of town.

Originally Posted by j cAT

FUEL today has ethanol in it. your vehicle with not much use, and with the tanks nearly empty cause the shit fuel sold today to phase separate.

when this occurs the fuel has a top level of low octane fuel , the bottom layer of alcohol and water. SYPHON ALL FUEL OUT//ALL

MIXING NEW FUEL WITH THIS CRAP IN THERE, AND ITS CRAP IN NO TIME !

REPLACE FUEL FILTERS, BUY 10 FILTERS ..

all this fuel must be dumped///thats another problem !

fuel stabilizers and a very tight fuel vapor system is needed to reduce condensation / water to get to this alcohol fuel.

Great

I tried siphoning out the gas but no luck. I only got out about half a gallon. Otherwise, the hose just wouldn't bite. I was hoping that letting the sending unit pump out the gas would do the job but, from what you say, I might as well drop the tank and turn it over.

Originally Posted by j cAT

1977 is pre alcohol carb rubber...this means the carb will need new rubber parts to work ..

on low idle with carbs,,,,adjusting the carb to compensate for componet defects is a no no !

Are you suggesting a complete rebuild?

Originally Posted by j cAT

with a vacuum guage track down all vacuum line leaks.

Always wanted to learn how to do that. Now's my chance!

Originally Posted by j cAT

1977 vehicle/engine has no points.if the plug wires had arcing I would route the wires correctly using tyraps,loom shielding , and whatever to protect the wires..then replace the ignition module..

I wana say I did replace the ignition module when doign the tune up, but memory fails. I know it was the coil at the very least. Will check up on that asap. Yes, the wires definitely need to be properly routed. Got some loom sitting around so I'll put it to good use.

Just wanted to add that I also asked around on another forum about this and it was often suggested that the carb's choke might be to blame (its a manual as far as I can tell). Other suggestions included timing and sparkplug gaps (it was done to 0.060" by CA standards). However, the motor is a Goodwrench 350 crate, if that matters...

Originally Posted by j cAT

post back whats up...

ho ! ho ! ho !

LOL!! Will do on the quickness!

Thanks again!



--------------------------



UPDATE: Monday, 9 pm PST

Came home and started the truck and it died again instead of staying on like last night and this morning.

I went to AutoZone and picked up the second gas cap, along with two new fuel filters that I'll be replacing tomorrow morning.

The family decided that we should move the truck into the drive way tonight so we have no issues tomorrow morning for street sweep. The damn thing died again many times on the climb (it is a rather steep angle and very narrow as well). Again, more smoke/steam from the carb. It was all blamed on flooding and that I may have installed the glass-cased fuel filter right before the carb backwards. So I swapped it and tried again, but no luck.

Finally, the battery died.

Put the battery on charge, bought another two gallons of gas and put it in the right-side tank (the clean one). Stuck a screwdriver in the choke plate, unscrewed the gas cap, sprayed some starting fluid directly into the plate, put the battery back on and it puttered to life.

After restarting the truck a million times while moving it up and down the incline to get it straightened out, I finally parked it were it died last.

And so the quality family time ended with that.

One of the things I need to look into is how to adjust the choke. It is a mechanical choke but I didn't see a cable/knob inside the cab for it. Something else to work on tomorrow.

Lets see what tomorrow brings...



---------------------

UPDATE: Tuesday, 11 am PST


Some pictures of what Im working on.


Engine Bay:





Carb - Front View:





Carb - Top View:





Carb - Driver Side View:





Carb - Passenger Side View:





Fuel Filters to be Replaced:





Clean Fuel vs Dirty Fuel:

I took the pictures after shaking up both bottles. The gas in the truck is at least 3 months old because it doesn't get driven very much. At the very least, it gets started, warmed up and moved for street cleaning once a week.

Adding Stabil has been suggested on another forum, along with gapping the spark plugs at 0.045" instead of CA-emissions required 0.060" (some of the smog equipment is missing).



------------------------------



UPDATE: Tuesday, 5:30 pm PST

Since I've never tested vacuum pressure on a vehicle before, I did some research online. I will be using this article as my reference: http://www.aa1car.com/library/vacleak.htm

I looked for an affordable vacuum test gauge. I found this at Harbor Freight for $13 (seems to have few but good reviews). Hopefully they have one in stock at the one nearby.
http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...ter-93547.html


I also did some digging on vacuum diagram because I think the emissions label is missing. I will confirm once I get home. I found two diagrams for Chevy 350 motors in heavy duty applications in Chilton's Online Database: one for CA emissions and one without.

CA emissions: http://content.chiltonsonline.com/co.../89734g38L.gif

Non- CA emissions: http://content.chiltonsonline.com/co.../89734g37L.gif

The one question that has come up is what kind of readings should I be seeing?




------------------------------




UPDATE: Wednesday, 8:20 AM PST.


Got rain this morning so I won't be working on the truck just yet. Might be able to do something when the rain stops this evening.


I did go and buy the fuel pressure/vacuum tester last night and read up on the article posted above.


Here is a checklist of what I'll be doing as soon as I can:

- Re-gap the spark plugs to 0.045".

- Make sure no wires are arching. Replace and reroute if needed.

- Siphon out as much of the dirty fuel as possible before resorting to dropping the tank and dumping it out. Replace with clean gas.

- Replace fuel filters.

- Test the canister on the carburetor to see if it the choke is working.

- Do a vacuum reading.

- Post all results.


On a side note, it has been suggested that the carb setup is outdated and can become problematic over time. I do have a Holley 650 cfm 4150 style sitting around. I'll try and see if it works with this manifold.




--------------------------





UPDATE: Thursday

Started the truck this morning and made a video to see what happens.


In Case You Can't See the Video:

The truck doesn't start right away. I then "prime" it three times and then it starts up. From what I can tell, the choke engages immediately but the motor also begins to die down very quickly. All the high revs you hear are me working the pedal (one time as high as 3500 rpm). As also seen in the video, the fuel filter right before the carb is originally empty but fills up quickly and stays full for the duration of the run. In the second half, fuel can be seen shooting up out of the carb, near the accelerator linkage. I also noticed that there no backfires this time.



Right after the video, I swapped the two fuel filters in the back for two new ones. One of them had reddish gunk flow out, which you can see in the pictures below.




After swapping out the filters, I decided to check the gap on the spark plugs that came with the truck. The gaps are around 0.050", not the standard 0.045" or the CA-emissions 0.060"


Aside from that, I didn't get to do much else today due to a whole of running around.

I did spray the carb with carb cleaner and finally opened up the carb's inlet to remove the filter but there wasn't one inside. There was a somewhat gunked-up spring inside that is in the picture below.



Shortly after this picture, the spring was lost in the depths of the engine bay and I realized I better wait until tomorrow before continuing anything.

After putting the inlet back on the carb, minus the spring, I primed the carb and fired it up. It start powerfully (at least when compared to recent starts) but died within 30 seconds.

Clearly, fuel delivery remains a problem.



---------------------




UPDATE: Saturday, January 1, 2011

All I got done was being able to siphon out nearly six gallons of contaminated gas. The contaminated tank still shows about an 1/8 full.

Still can't figure out why the fuel isn't getting into the carburetor (clogged?). I am considering removing the glass-cased filter right before the carb and just running the fuel hose to it.

I will see what I can accomplish Monday morning before work. The rain and cold is keeping me indoors for now. The plan at the very least is to pour more gas into the clean tank (its damn near empty), removed the glass-cased filter and crank her up. If time and weather permits (very unlikely), remove and inspect all spark plugs and wires.



-------------------------------------



UPDATE: Monday Morning

The rain wouldn't let up for most of the morning before I headed out to work so I wasn't able to do much.

At the suggestion of a person on another forum, I tried starting the truck by flooring the gas pedal first. But the battery was dead. Luckily, the rain has now subsided and I'm hoping to try again tonight after work.

In the mean time, I've been researching Rochester carburetors (4MV, specifically) and found this handy article: http://vetteworks.tripod.com/qjet.htm

[LT1Silverhawk]

Finally got to work on the truck tonight.


Dropped in the battery after charging it all day. Found out that the glass-cased fuel filter right before the carb was facing the wrong way so I switched it to the correct position. I also discovered that a vacuum hose from the carb was removed when previously working on the fuel hose so I put that back on.


Then, going by the suggestion of a member on another forum, I floored the gas pedal and started her up. Below is a video link of what happened. Its all sound because it was too dark for the camera.



In Case You Can't See The Video
At the member's suggestion, I floored the gas pedal and had to crank the truck several times to get it started (it sounded like something blew off on the second cranking). After truck finally started, I feathered the throttle to keep it going. I eventually revved it mildly and kept revving it every few moments. After a couple of minutes, I revved it much higher and kept it there. Once I let go of the gas, the truck began idling normally. But after a couple of minutes, it died and smoke/steam came out of the carb. Going by what the other member from another forum suggested, there is flooding.

I did some research online regarding flooding and found this article from Grounds Maintenance website (yes, its about gardening equipment but sounds relevant): http://grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_m...ng_carburetor/. The article suggests:

"The single-most common cause is dirt in the fuel. Dirt usually gets into the fuel system via the fuel tank. If the area around the filler neck is left dirty, you can easily knock it in when you're refueling. Typically, the fuel filter traps the dirt. However, if the fuel line doesn't have a filter, or it fits improperly, the dirt settles to the bottom of the fuel bowl. As you use the equipment, the dirt bounces around until it is caught between the inlet valve and the seat. This will cause flooding because the valve won't seat to shut the fuel off."

As mentioned many posts ago, there was debris in the contaminated fuel tank and I wonder if that is the cause of the flooding. And if it is, would a rebuild be the solution?

[j cAT]

the fuel filter was installed wrong. so you reverse the filter so it is correct.... BAD !!!!!

NOW all the shit caught in the filter will flow to the carb...

the carb cleaning requires the removal of the top portion .. this will then expose the float and seat. , bowl....all this needs cleaning with a sucking device and cloth ..NO PAPER....

GO DOWN AND BUY SEVERAL FUEL FILTERS...INSTALL CORRECTLY.

the fuel tank I would remove as much fuel as possible ..if it has a very yellow look to it , this is the alcohol fuel breaking down ..this is what is very bad on the metal as it corrodes every thing////

The old fuel can be burned ...call the gas stations in your area . they may have a heater system that uses waste oil/fuel to produce heat for the repair shop...I just dumped 7 gallons of gas that was in my boat tank yesterday..

another thing you can do ..after you clean the carb...get a small fuel tank like snow blower etc..hook up to the fuel pump see if you can get it to run good...


using a fuel syphon hook up to this fuel line entering the fuel pump and suck the gas out..have the front end down rear up///..

[LT1Silverhawk]

Originally Posted by j cAT

the fuel filter was installed wrong. so you reverse the filter so it is correct.... BAD !!!!!

Originally Posted by j cAT

NOW all the shit caught in the filter will flow to the carb...

the carb cleaning requires the removal of the top portion .. this will then expose the float and seat. , bowl....all this needs cleaning with a sucking device and cloth ..NO PAPER....

GO DOWN AND BUY SEVERAL FUEL FILTERS...INSTALL CORRECTLY.

I know. I messed up. But, the two metal inline filters before this one were just replaced and this one has stayed clean ever since it was cleaned out in the beginning.

I was told the carburetor will need cleaning and the float valve readjusted. I will get a kit for it as soon as possible.

In the mean time, I am thinking of swapping over a Holley (hopefully it fits with no issues, both carburetors are spread bore I believe). That way, I can patiently work on the carburetor while still being able to move the truck around.

Originally Posted by j cAT

the fuel tank I would remove as much fuel as possible ..if it has a very yellow look to it , this is the alcohol fuel breaking down ..this is what is very bad on the metal as it corrodes every thing////

I removed as much fuel as possible by siphoning it and took out a total of 6 gallons. I can hear fuel in the gas tank but for some reason the hose won’t pick it up. The fuel gauge does show as being 1/8th of a tank full. And yes, the fuel does have a very yellow color to it.

Originally Posted by j cAT

The old fuel can be burned ...call the gas stations in your area . they may have a heater system that uses waste oil/fuel to produce heat for the repair shop...I just dumped 7 gallons of gas that was in my boat tank yesterday..

Yikes, 7 gallons!?! I’ll ask the local gas stations but I have never seen such heaters out here. Or I'll put on an add on Craigslist. No matter, it will be disposed of properly. Might take a few BBQs.

Originally Posted by j cAT

another thing you can do ..after you clean the carb...get a small fuel tank like snow blower etc..hook up to the fuel pump see if you can get it to run good...

I'll try it with the lawn ower.

Originally Posted by j cAT

using a fuel syphon hook up to this fuel line entering the fuel pump and suck the gas out..have the front end down rear up///..

Excellent idea. The truck is on an incline driveway facing downhill. I can lift it some more if needed.



j cAT, as always, you rock!

[777stickman]

I should probably stay out of this, but what the heck.

After 30 minutes of trying to read thru all your info I just went back to the 1st.

I feel that all your issues are related to the Q-Jet choke system (and possibly internal stuff).

1st off is the "canister" you have circled. It's called the "choke pull-off". Once the motor starts with full choke it opens the choke to a set position from engine vacuum. If this unit is not holding vacuum the choke will not open to the set position!!

2nd is this is not a manual choke. It relies on a heat sensitive spring that is mounted on the intake below the carb on the passenger side. If this spring is broken the choke will not set properly to the fully closed position!!

3rd is that I saw somewhere in all this a mention of checking the dist points?? '77 dist's are HEI and don't have points.

RE points 1 & 2: All adjustments on the choke system have to be made manually by bending the rods that attach to each of the choke components.

Lastly, older Q-Jets are known for worn throttle plate shafts (major vacuum leak) and leaking main jet bowls (flooding).

[LT1Silverhawk]

Hey 777stickman,

Originally Posted by 777stickman

I should probably stay out of this, but what the heck.

I greatly welcome and very much appreciate all help.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

After 30 minutes of trying to read thru all your info I just went back to the 1st.

Since I have never dealt with carb’d vehicles before, I am trying my best to describe everything as best as possible. I am 100% carburetor illiterate but I am also hoping to change that with this project. I hope I wasn’t confusing or too wordy because I wrote everything with the intention that someone in a similar situation and lack of knowledge may find this useful someday.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

I feel that all your issues are related to the Q-Jet choke system (and possibly internal stuff).

Originally Posted by 777stickman

1st off is the "canister" you have circled. It's called the "choke pull-off". Once the motor starts with full choke it opens the choke to a set position from engine vacuum. If this unit is not holding vacuum the choke will not open to the set position!!

Yes, someone pointed that out on another forum. From the first video (it’s the daylight one), it can be seen engaging at once when the truck started at what I assume is the proper speed. I actually refered to it as a canister for the other forum since they responded first and i am linking the same images to both.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

2nd is this is not a manual choke. It relies on a heat sensitive spring that is mounted on the intake below the carb on the passenger side. If this spring is broken the choke will not set properly to the fully closed position!!

You are correct again Sir. Someone pointed out that it is the older choke stove style.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

3rd is that I saw somewhere in all this a mention of checking the dist points?? '77 dist's are HEI and don't have points.

Yes, that was a crew up on my part.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

RE points 1 & 2: All adjustments on the choke system have to be made manually by bending the rods that attach to each of the choke components.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

Lastly, older Q-Jets are known for worn throttle plate shafts (major vacuum leak) and leaking main jet bowls (flooding).

That is good to know. I will be buying a carb kit and a float for this carb as soon as I can. At this point, I will confess I don’t know if that will be enough to fix a potential problem like worn plate shafts and leaking main jet bowls. Any guidance in the right direction is much appreciated.

I am strongly considering using a Holley 4150 carb that I’ve got sitting around (provided it fits and works with no issues) while I tinker and fix this one.




Thank you again!

[j cAT]

the carb you have I believe if it has not been rebuilt in recent decade , may not have rubber components including the fuel lines that are compatible with alcohol fuels. this damages the rubber and you get all kinds of debris / leaks fouling the system..

the boating world has millions of owners especially injected engines going nuts !

insure you get a carb kit that is good for use with alcohol. make sure the fuel lines are also good for alcohol..

If you do not use this vehicle very often you must use stabilizer and adding 2 oz. of marvel mystery oil to every 10 gallons of fuel..

the oil will reduce the metal tank from corroding and also the metal lines.

marvel oil will keep the carb clean...


I think I said this before , if water gets into your alcohol fuel the gas will be un-useable in about 6 weeks...this is when the fuel separates . the water and alcohol goes to the bottom of the tank and floating on top is low octane valve guming fuel...the valves can actually gum up and get stuck ..

to bad last year alcohol in gasoline is by law in the US mandatory..

canada they can still get no alcohol fuel !


post back how its going...

as mentioned the choke is a very important componet on how well / quickly the engine starts, and how well it continues to run after it starts..

electrical heater choke stoves are the least reliable. the heat from the exhaust port entering the choke stove is a longer lasting better design ..I have had both ...

If the carb needle valve / seat is dirty this acts like a leaking injector , only this will flood the whole engine instead of just one cylinder..

the only time you adjust a carb is when you replace parts...too many times vacuum lines or debris in the carb will temp many owners and techs to screw with the adjustments to only try to compensate for these issues.


with the carb number it is possible to get the exact spec adjustments..I forget exactly where this is stamped but it is there somewhere. It is possible , I can get or have this info..if it is 1977 -84 era

[LT1Silverhawk]

Originally Posted by j cAT

the carb you have I believe if it has not been rebuilt in recent decade , may not have rubber components including the fuel lines that are compatible with alcohol fuels. this damages the rubber and you get all kinds of debris / leaks fouling the system..

the boating world has millions of owners especially injected engines going nuts !

insure you get a carb kit that is good for use with alcohol. make sure the fuel lines are also good for alcohol..

I really don't know if or when the carb was ever rebuilt. I am going to visit the local performance shop to see what kind of kit they recommend. Maybe even stop by the local carburetor shop. I tried finding a kit on Summit but wasn't to sure of what I found - a clear sign I don't know what I am doing in this regard.

Originally Posted by j cAT

as mentioned the choke is a very important componet on how well / quickly the engine starts, and how well it continues to run after it starts..

electrical heater choke stoves are the least reliable. the heat from the exhaust port entering the choke stove is a longer lasting better design ..I have had both ...

How can one tell the difference between electrical and exhaust port? I can say I haven't seen any wires running to the carburetor anywhere but will check again.

Originally Posted by j cAT

If the carb needle valve / seat is dirty this acts like a leaking injector , only this will flood the whole engine instead of just one cylinder..

the only time you adjust a carb is when you replace parts...too many times vacuum lines or debris in the carb will temp many owners and techs to screw with the adjustments to only try to compensate for these issues.

That uneducated and unnecessary overkill is exactly what I am trying to avoid.

Originally Posted by j cAT

with the carb number it is possible to get the exact spec adjustments..I forget exactly where this is stamped but it is there somewhere. It is possible , I can get or have this info..if it is 1977 -84 era

I think I know where the number is posted. I'll try to get it tomorrow morning before going to work.

Originally Posted by j cAT

If you do not use this vehicle very often you must use stabilizer and adding 2 oz. of marvel mystery oil to every 10 gallons of fuel..

the oil will reduce the metal tank from corroding and also the metal lines.

marvel oil will keep the carb clean...


I think I said this before , if water gets into your alcohol fuel the gas will be un-useable in about 6 weeks...this is when the fuel separates . the water and alcohol goes to the bottom of the tank and floating on top is low octane valve guming fuel...the valves can actually gum up and get stuck ..

to bad last year alcohol in gasoline is by law in the US mandatory..

canada they can still get no alcohol fuel !

Hmmmm... Canada, eh? Yeah, truck only gets started and moved once a week for street sweep. But I definitely plan on driving it more frequently. I guess older carb'd vehicles require more frequent use.

Originally Posted by j cAT

post back how its going...

Yes Sir! Will keep posting updates regularly. And as always, thanks for the help .

[777stickman]

Your Q-Jet is not electric choke. It has the "divorced" choke. The number is usually stamped on the drivers side towards the front.

Summit racing has them on sale for $270.

[Scrapper]

make sure you get brass floats when you go buy the kit. if you don't think you remember how to put it back together i've seen on here to take pictures as your tearing it apart.

[LT1Silverhawk]

Hello Guys!

Originally Posted by 777stickman

Your Q-Jet is not electric choke. It has the "divorced" choke.

This lever, I assume, is what controls it.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

The number is usually stamped on the drivers side towards the front.

Found the number this morning:17057525 APP 3356

Originally Posted by 777stickman

Summit racing has them on sale for $270.

That's doable. But I wonder if it would be time and money better spent if I ditched the current setup and went for a more "modern" electric choke setup?For one thing, this manifold doesn't have the provisions for an EGR valve.

Originally Posted by Scrapper

make sure you get brass floats when you go buy the kit. if you don't think you remember how to put it back together i've seen on here to take pictures as your tearing it apart.

Thanks, thats good to know about the brass fittings. I was told the carb kits can be a little vague or not provide complete information so, yes, I plan on photographing every step of the way.




Thanks all the pointers!

[777stickman]

The Q-Jet has only one float and it does not come in the kit. Not real sure if you can get a brass one.

Yes the circled item is the rod that goes to the spring on the manifold heat sink.

Since you're a self proclaimed rookie on carb's the Q-Jet is probably one of the worst for a 1st timer. That's just my opinion and I've been doing them for over 40 years.

An electric choke is ok, but the setup that's on there now is much better when it's been dialed in.

Good luck to you.

[LT1Silverhawk]

Originally Posted by 777stickman

The Q-Jet has only one float and it does not come in the kit. Not real sure if you can get a brass one.

Since you're a self proclaimed rookie on carb's the Q-Jet is probably one of the worst for a 1st timer. That's just my opinion and I've been doing them for over 40 years.

Dang... but good to know. I did try looking for some rebuild guides online but no luck so far. However, several people have offered to walk me through the process. I will ask the local carb shop how much they'll charge to rebuild it. They were willing to rebuild and tune an Edlebrock for $125 but that was a couple years. And the Q-Jet, you say, is more difficult so I'm sure they'll want more. Plus, you mentioned the carb is on sale at Summit. Either way, I will weigh out the options, but even now, I am leaning towards enjoying the building and learning process.

Originally Posted by 777stickman

An electric choke is ok, but the setup that's on there now is much better when it's been dialed in.

So then there was a method to the previous owner's madness, but again, the lack of smog equipment does concern me. Don't wana cross the C.A.R.B. boys...

Originally Posted by 777stickman

Good luck to you.

Thank you for the help and pointers Sir!