Feeling in over my head and not sure what to do next

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by un4gvn!

From the looks of the picture, someone did strip the threads out in the filter housing. Did someone jam a nut of some sort in there. I never seen this. The hose fitting is for an air hose like for a air compressor. The piece you are holding is not for any Quad. The nut that holds the filter in place is much larger. I wish I had one here to post. I will look for one. This setup is not safe for you to run. I see a fire.

A lot of the way it is set up comes from before 1985, before the truck was parked for a few years. The truck had this fitting that seems to be a workaround for stripped housing threads. Do you think the carb is totaled and must be replaced, and use of an adapter like this is unacceptable? What part of this setup is the hazard? Is it because there is any fuel hose and the fuel line should be metal all the way from the fuel tank to the carb? I wonder if the section between the frame-mounted metal tube and the fuel pump should be flexible because the engine vibrates and is on rubber mounts.

Here is the fuel journey: What I have is the fuel line is metal coming from the fuel sender on the fuel tank. It goes down through a hole in the cab floor and makes a 90 degree turn toward the passenger side and ends. Then a few inches of fuel hose connects it to a metal tube the runs up the frame to the engine compartment where it has a U-bend to point toward the fuel pump. Then there is a few inches of fuel hose to connect to the fuel pump. There is a metal tube coming out of the fuel pump that goes up towards the carb, and ends a few inches from the carb. I did not cut that off, it is the way it was from years gone by. Then the final piece of hose connects the fuel pump metal line to the barb on the "stripped thread" adapter. If I use that stripped thread adapter, I could probably use that inline filter at any place where I have a section of hose.

The adapter is a flare fitting adapter that appears to be made specifically to fit in the carb. It then has what appears to be standard threads and that air hose barb. I suppose I may be able to just put a short piece of pipe that is flared, with a flare nut, on that adapter. I could run that pipe all the way to the fuel pump, or put a gap in it so I can use the inline filter.

Here is a picture of the adapter separated into its two parts, attached.

Originally Posted by Eddie H.

Where in the DFW area are you located?

What I can see from the pictures is a major fire hazard. You need to get the correct hard line from fuel pump to carburetor inlet,

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cb/full.aspx?Page=53

and install a fuel filter in the carb inlet like it is supposed to have.

Most importantly, You need to find someone who actually knows how to correctly rebuild a Quadrajet.

Your other option is to replace it with a new carburetor like a Holley or Edlebrock 1406 with electric choke. If you go this route, You will also need an adapter to run a square bore carburetor on your Quadrjet spread bore manifold.

What is the fire hazard? Is it that I'm using any fuel hose at all, or is it where the hose is situated? Is the stripped thread adapter a bad fix and the carb must be scrapped?

I am in the middle of Plano near US-75 and Parker Rd.

[jdw]

Get the proper fuel hard line. Invest in a flare nut wrench set. They'll help prevent stripping those delicate fuel line nuts. If you're gonna use an inline fuel filter, put it between the tank hard line and the pump. Get that carb proper rebuilt, not tinkered. The q-jet sounds perfect for what you want out of it. There's plenty of wiring and whatnot to clean up in the meantime. Also, some more pictures would be nice. That's a good lookin truck from what I've seen.

[jdw]

It should be rubber between the pump and the tank hard line for vibration, like you said.

[Eddie H.]

It looks like you have some sort of adapter that was made as a repair for stripped out fuel inlet threads. As long as it doesn't leak, it shouldn't be a hazard. You will have to run an inline filter of some sort though, since you can't run the correct one in the carb anymore. Rubber fuel hose from the frame rail to fuel pump is ok on the suction side. When it is used on the pressure side is when it becomes a fire hazard. In some applications, it is necessary to use short lengths of hose between the pump and carburetor, in those cases, I always use "fuel injection rated hose" which is much higher quality.
If you want to stay with a Quadrajet, you might look around and find a later model core with the fuel inlet not stripped out, and rebuild it. Many of these also had electric chokes which I think are much better than the old divorced choke setup like you have now.

You're in Plano, that's still a long way from me since I'm northwest of Ft Worth. I thought if you were closer, I might be able to help you out.

[geezer#99]

You might be able to save that carb inlet with a self tapping fitting and do away with that 'McGuyveried' one.

http://quadrajetparts.com/quadrajet-...-c-128_27.html

[Gromit]

Quote: "are we talking about buying off the shelf 2 general purpose springs, or is it sold as an accelerator return spring? Universal one or buy one specifically for the C-10 or Quadrajet?"

Yes, you have the right idea; the ones I use are just general purpose "nested" dual springs. (photo attached) Sometimes the kit comes with a mounting bracket that you can put under a convenient bolt that is in about the right spot to give you reasonable tension on the spring at full throttle; and enough to keep the throttle butterfly closed at idle.

If there is too much tension on the spring I would worry about the throttle bushing getting worn so there is a happy medium somewhere that you will know when you feel it.

I have seen these same springs described as Holley springs and Quadrajet springs.. you can google "carburetor dual springs" and see what you get but the type in the photo are usually hanging on a peg in the auto parts aisles.

Oops I just noticed Grumpy was way ahead of me in mentioning the high arc in your fuel supply line.. sorry Grumpy, I didn't see it before I posted.

One other observation I notice your spark plug wires are touching ground or metal in many places and sometimes moving parts. - That may or may not cause an issue - but I would keep that one that looks to be touching your temp gauge wire at least 1/4 inch from the wire.. (maybe I'm paranoid)..

[un4gvn!]

That brass piece your holding looks to be forced into what is called a reducer. They are common in any Lowes or hardware store. If you look at the threads, you can see they are crushed or stripped. Someone forced those two pieces together.

[notsolo]

On another. thought...did you pull the fuel sender. Check the sock at the end of the float / sender. If the truck sat a long time the sock would get gummed up, causing erratic fuel starvation.

[dmjlambert]

geezer#99 that is neat info about the self-tapping fitting, thanks, I did not know that sort of thing existed.

OK folks, here's what I'm thinking:

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cb/full.aspx?Page=53 fuel line #1 from this page
http://quadrajetparts.com/self-tappi...ing-p-130.html self tapping adapter
http://quadrajetparts.com/inlet-fitt...ack-p-123.html gasket
http://quadrajetparts.com/short-pape...lter-p-78.html filter
http://quadrajetparts.com/spring-car...lter-p-84.html filter spring
http://quadrajetparts.com/return-spr...al-p-2185.html return springs

I am concerned that the fuel line specifically says 71-72 for that fuel line I need, and I have a 1969 truck. I have factory air conditioning, so I have some extra brackets to navigate through or around.

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by notsolo

On another. thought...did you pull the fuel sender. Check the sock at the end of the float / sender. If the truck sat a long time the sock would get gummed up, causing erratic fuel starvation.

I ordered a new one with the new tank. So, the only thing I am using from the old truck is the metal fuel line from the tank to under the cab, and the metal fuel line from under the cab to the fuel pump. And I flushed those out.

[geezer#99]

Did you know the auto parts stores have flared lines already made in various lengths.
Buy a tube bender and bend up your own line. Here's a bender. Most hardware stores have them too.
http://www.harborfreight.com/tubing-bender-3755.html

[mike16]

Originally Posted by jdw

It should be rubber between the pump and the tank hard line for vibration, like you said.

\

Good call.

there are actually two lines. one from the tank line to the frame and the one from the fram to the fuel pump. few people know of them and fewer still are willing to climb under the truck and replace them. My 72's lines crumbled in my hand when I went to replace them. dripped lots of fuel contributing to my lousy gas milage.

went to inspect the same ones on my 68...not so much just to inspect them but to replace them. they were as bad or worse. plus I got those two saddle tanks. hoses crumbles, leaked and fittings did too.

[un4gvn!]

You ordered all the right parts. I found one in my garage but saw you ordered the exact same pieces. When you go to thread that new adapter on, be very, very sure it is square on the threads or you will open a new can of worms. Is that the oil pressure line almost touching the dizzy (distributor)? When you get your truck running, leave it run. Turn off all your lights in the garage. Now look towards the back of the engine and see if you spot any arcing. You can see them really good when it's dark. You might want to shorten and tuck the oil pressure line more down behind the engine. The arcing will hurt the performance of your engine.

[jdw]

Unless the fuel line bend by the inline filter is starving the motor of fuel, none of those parts should correct the problem. Address the choke issue described above and report back. Also if you've been sucking up a bunch of gunk, you may yet need to dig into that carb. Try starting it as described above. It sounds like you've taken care of the motor, the old tank and the fuel lines... Why not show the carb a little love?

[dmjlambert]

Yes, thanks, I will get to that. Right now the fuel line problems and state of disassembly mean the fuel feed setup and filtering will be next, then the choke and other carb stuff, if the carb survives my installing that self-threading adapter.

[Eddie H.]

It looks like you're heading in the right direction now. Just take it one problem at a time.

[dmjlambert]

I figured out more about this device. It appears to be specifically made to fix stripped inlet carbs by squeezing an o-ring to make it seal. Red arrow points to a nut, and blue arrow points to the o-ring. quadrajetparts.com has a squeeze-type repair device that does the same thing but looks a little different.
http://quadrajetparts.com/ring-inlet...ing-p-382.html

This type of repair device requires an in-line filter since it occupies the built-in filter housing.

I have a fat barb adapter for hose, but it appears to accept a standard steel line flare fitting.

[geezer#99]

Don't fool yourself!
That's a cobbled togethor bunch of parts to cure stripped threads. Done by someone who didn't know there were repair fitting in existence. That one from quad parts and the earlier style of it has been available to fix stripped fittings for over 30 years.
Put the right self tapping one in and put that pile in the trash.