Carbs, Mountains, fuel/air mixture... lets talk

[WorkinLonghorn]

Hey!!! I happen to like dumb broads. It's the smart ones that worry me.

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by WorkinLonghorn

It's the smart ones that worry me.

[stllookn]

Andy, Your two steepest climbs are going from Issaquah (200ft) to the top of Snoqualmie pass (3010 ft) right after you hit I-90 in about 40 miles. Another 100 miles or so from Vantage (mile marker 137 elevation 360) to the top of the plateau (mile marker 147 - elevation 1060). After that you will not really notice a thing. I just did that run last week. Seattle to Missoula and did not even remark about the Coeur d' Alene to Missoula leg. Coeur d' Alene (2187 ft) to Lookout Pass (4738 ft) is nearly 90 miles with an elevation gain of about 2551 ft...I did not really notice it that much. You can coast 104 miles from Lookout Pass down to Missoula (3200 ft). You climb from Missoula up to Butte (5549 ft) the highest city on your route in 118 miles. It is all downhill from there to Columbus.

[CCCC]

I'm sittin' here at 8K high in the Rockies - down at the tail end of the chain in New Mexico - and am pretty sure we're drinkin' water that runs all the way down here from Lake Louise up around Banff - so am thinkin' it must be uphill all the way to the top end of the chain - and that must mean some really high passes up north - even too high maybe for a Chev BB. Maybe Longhorn Man should re-think his route and take a more southern path - then we could host him down here in the low country.

[special-K]

Just get a souveneer totem pole for the dash.You`ll be aight.

[Longhorn Man]

well, since stllookin JUST drove the SAME route I'm lookin at.... I'll listen to the majority here.

[Scott68-93-97]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

Vehicle;
Bone stock 72 burb, 402/TH400/quadrajet carb. only mod, brand spankin new HEI. Fresh tune up, plugs wires, whole dist with cap/rotor/coil.
Will be towing about 3000 pounds of spare parts, gutted parts truck, and mountain dew.
I'm having concerns of the air to fuel ratio getting too rich when I go through the mountains. I'll be leaving from Seattle, which is pretty much sea level... give or take a few feet, going through the mountains and the high plains, and ending up here in Ohio, which Columbus area is 900-ish above sea level.

Questions;
1. Would I make it through the mountains without messing with the carb? I know it won't be optimized, but would it do it without fowling out the plugs every 10 miles?
2. Been recomended (by non car guys) to travel at night, cool air = dense air... makes sence, would it be enough though?
3. Same guys as above, said ditch the stock restrictive air cleaner... even go without for a leg of the trip, let it take in all the air it can
4. Lower octain fuel would be better in a rich condition right... les resistant to ignition, try and get a quicker burn out of it?

Is there anything I am forgetting?

I have NEVER messed with a quadrajet, I could probably screw one up in short order, so i'd rather leave the sucker alone if it'll make it through the thin air and just get worse MPG.

You are correct on the lower octane fuel but the carb should have a diaphram that compensates for elevation

[StingRay]

CCCC that 69 Longhorn we had went up through the Rogers pass at about 4500 ft. The village of Lake Louise is about 5000 ft. The water you're drinking comes from up above then where I went skiing many a time in my younger days. Ya know skiing and beer drinking go hand in hand and beer drinking and having to take a leak are pretty much synonymous. I often wondered where all the yellow snow ended up

[GMC Jim]

again, I have driven the route you have planned many times thruout the years.... you will not require any carburetor adjustments etc,,,stillookin sums it up very well........ Jim

[eedgell]

Originally Posted by Stocker

I have read that the Q-jet is very adaptable, and that has been my experience.

Years ago I took my stock truck (in my sig, with q-jet) from NorCal to eastern Kansas and back, in winter... thereby crossing the Rockies twice. No issues at all, just normal loss of power at higher elevations.

My bad. Did'nt catch on to the NOCAL thing. When I briefed over the post I thought you were coming from North Carolina. [dont ask why] That would be the reason for my post. Just a miss read.

[CCCC]

Good facts there StingRay, and good skiing too, but those are Canadian altitudes you are citing - so who knows how high? Hey - can't figger' out what kind of a "mouse" yer talkin about. We have deer mouses and field mouses up/down here, but no synono mouses so far.

[brak]

Are you taking 90/94 across?


if so, once you get past the ID/MT border, it's flat flat flat...

As you pass through Minneapolis, Feel free to stop by and take a break

[Cannon007]

You could take a 5gallon gas can of E85 and use that in case you notice any odd changes, it will lean out the A/F a little since to run on straight E85 you need a 6 - 8:1 AFR. mix it no more than 70%gas/30%E85 to be safe, its also 105 octane rated so dont worry about pinging, it will run slightly cooler too.

[WorkinLonghorn]

You could take a 5gallon gas can of E85

That sounds like good advice.And it can go right next to the 5 gallon Mountain Dew can that he'll need to stay awake through some of that route.