Should I use this Qjet? Or get one with electric choke? (Pics)

[JFetter]

I bought this quadrajet off eBay a while back, before I knew much about them. Turns out it's for divorced choke.

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I'm going to be rebuilding a Qjet with my dad in the future, but I need to decide what style of choke is best for me.

So my options are

1) Use this carb and set up for manual or divorced choke.

2) Buy an early 80 Qjet with electric choke.

How does this one look, as far as missing parts and linkages?

This is going on my 78, with a 350 in it. Probably order a performer RPM intake for it when I'm ready to start this project.
I live in Ohio (pretty cold winters)

Thanks!

[JFetter]

I should add:

I'm just looking for the simplest, most reliable solution.

Part of me is drawn to a manual choke setup, because of the relative simplicity and control I would have. But, I've never used a manual choke on a truck and I have questions about how you use it on a day to day basis.

Part of me is drawn to electric, because it seems to be the simplest of all, and clean without extra rods and cables, etc. But, then I hear that they aren't always reliable and sometimes have to be re-calibrated.

[Geb58]

IMO you're fine with the Manual choke. The only component would be a cable and the little clamp, so your engine compartment would still be clean. As far as using the choke, every engine is different, but a good starting point would be: pull the choke fully on, start the engine and push the choke back off about 1/4 then as it warms up ease it off gradually. Initial set up takes about the same amount of time... IMO of course.

[JFetter]

Ok, thanks for the reply!

[Telecasterjoey]

carb looks complete to me!

I had an electric choke q-jet and I got tired of adjusting the pull off and screwing around with it. I just picked up the manual conversion and I couldnt be happier!

Simple to start daily; I pump it once and pull the choke out at the same time (bout 3/4)

turn the key it fires right up and high idles nicely.... let her warm up a little give it a shot of gas and push the choke back in.

Super simple the only thing you have to remember is dont pull the knob on the choke without bliping the throttle because there is a a linkage lock stopping the choke from coming on until you give it a pump. Commonly called (setting the choke)

[JFetter]

After starting the vehicle, how long would you let it run on high idle before you blip it down to regular idle? In the wintertime, my garage stay around 50F. So maybe a minute or two?

That's one thing I never understood, even with automatic chokes. I'm never clear on when to release the high idle down.

Also, say you drive the truck to the store, pickup some groceries and start it back up after 30 minutes. Perhaps 20-30F outside. Still press the pedal once and pull choke out?

[Geb58]

I doubt you'd need to choke it again, but they can vary.

And yes, I forgot to mention the pump (blip). Thanks telecasterjoey.

[geezer#99]

Get a different carb. You're missing the choke pull off vacuum pot, the secondary damper rod, the choke rod and likely the clip inside the carb and the fuel inlet plug. Hard to set up a manual choke too with a divorced choke. You need to push the linkage arm vertically downward to close the choke and run your cable around the front to make it work. Looks ugly and most cables aren't long enough.
If you're getting another intake get an Eddy or holley 600 to fit it.

[rollin thunder]

I`d say different carb. My experience with q-jets and duel-jets are crappy and just a horrible carb. unreliable, choke not working properly ever. always having problems with adjustments and don`t take rbuilds very well. this is my experience with them. Best carbs I have ever had are rochester and edelbrock, had a rochester staged 2 barrel on my l6 never had a problem and a 4-barrel edelbrock on my 460 great carb all around.

[donut]

I'm with geezer#99 on this one, I'd almost prefer to pick up a q-jet off CL or a board member (classies) than mess with that one. That said, if you do a divorced choke, you need an intake with the boss on it.

My experiences with the q-jet are about opposite of rollin thunder's, so like anything else YMMV.

[SeanPaintsFlames]

I had a quadrajet on my 350 with a monkeyed-up choke as well, and I got one of summit's holley knock offs on sale. Oh man what a difference. I didn't think the big truck could pull that hard, but just the carb swap did it good.

I paid something like $220 for it.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/su...00vs/overview/

[JFetter]

SeanPaintsFlames,
Oddly enough, that's the EXACT carb that is on my truck I'm trying to get rid of! haha

Unfortunately, because of the time and work involved to rebuild my Qjet (or get another one), I think I'm going to have to try to rebuild this Summit carb.

The thing is running like crap lately, and only getting worse. It looks like the PO "left out" the fuel filter, so maybe this thing is just gunked up inside.

Either way, I have frequent starting problems with it.... and also now during curb idle it has started to "surge" very noticeably in RPMs.