How do you remove the needle seat in a 69 Quadrate

[dmjlambert]

My engine runs fine when I fill the bowl with gas through the bowl vents. It runs a minute and quits. I have complete gas blockage going into the bowl. I am not experienced in carb repair but would like to fix this one thing so I can just drive my truck up to somebody with some experience and get the carb completely checked out. I am pretty confident if I remove the crud in and under the seat all will be fine for the immediate future. I have run into a disassembly problem, due to my inexperience I do not know how to remove the seat. It is not the same kind of seat that comes with my carb kit. The one that comes with the carb kit has notches that make it convenient to screw in with a screwdriver. The old seat has no such notches. It appears to be slightly mangled on the outer edge where somebody in the past may have messed with it. I'm not sure if they tried to use needle nose pliers or something like that to remove it. Is that what I need to do, just grab it with pliers an turn?

This is a 1969 CST-10 with 350 CI engine, Quadrajet carb number 7028219.

[dmjlambert]

Sorry about misspelling Quadrajet as Quadrate. Auto spelling check is messing with me. You guys are going to think I'm nuts.

[snipescastle2]

I always used a large flat blade screw driver to remove the seat, or a pair of channel locks(when removing them) depending on how the replacements are made, could be the exact reversal. The needle lifts out with the float.
Ben

[davischevy]

There are tons of video's on youtube.

[dmjlambert]

Ok, so my replacement has notches for a large flat blade screwdriver. But the old one that is installed has no notches. I have tried just grabbing the round surface but not able to turn it. I suppose I could cut notches in it with a dremmel tool or clamp down on it hard with something like vice grip needle nose. I suppose that is a one-way trip to the trash can for that part once I really tear into it to get it loose. Am I heading the right direction?

The needle does not lift out with the float, because it is a simple hex shaped needle with no knob or clip on top. I lifted it out with forceps as shown in the picture. But I suppose the new needle can be clipped onto the float. I will see when I get that far.

[dmjlambert]

I was not able to find a video yet that deals with removing one of these needle valve seats that has no notches. I am still looking for a video that covers it.

[dennislbrooks]

I have also looked at my Doug Roe Rochester book, Lars , and also videos on the web and I have not seen one like yours. I did find the carb number 7028219 as a 68 hipo in corvettes --not out of reason to be in a 69 350 c10.

Your carb looks rough, can you find a comparable one to rebuild in case the needle inlet extraction does not work out. Compatible ones should be plentiful.

I run a home rebuilt on my 67 - 402, my 70 442 455 -- I like quadrajets.

[dmjlambert]

Ok, now I have searched thoroughly and found obscure references online in PDFs made from scanned Rochester manuals, I find that they talk about using a seat remover tool number BT-3006M. So apparently it is a specialized tool to remove this seat, and a screwdriver to put the new (aftermarket) seat in. I now believe in my carburetor's past nobody has had one of these specialized tools and therefore nobody has replaced the seat. The people who have made youtube videos and encounter an old seat that has screwdriver notches and give instructions to simply unscrew the old seat and install the new are not old enough to know or haven't dug into an old carburetor with a Rochester seat.

It would be a crying shame for the failure of seat replacement to be the downfall of this carburetor, because it ran well until I recently encountered fuel starvation. I just got some crap under the seat and inside the fuel intake because of some old fuel filter and fuel line problems, and once I take that seat out and do cleaning that was missed the past, it will probably be fine. Now it appears to be time to get out the dremmel tool and make my own screwdriver notches. Yes, I can get another carburetor if I end up screwing this one up when removing seat. I was kind of hoping to get rolling with this carburetor, but it may not work out. I'm cussing, but hey, I'm learning... :-)

[dmjlambert]

Update: I put a #5 easy out in it and twisted. It turned when applying quite a bit of force, but it did not rise even after several turns. So I pulled on the easy out with quite a bit of force after grabbing it with vice grips. I pulled and twisted. I pulled some more. I pulled hard as hell. Then it came out and almost took off my ear. That was difficult. I certainly didn't find any videos on youtube like that.

So, this is what it looks like in picture 1, and I am browsing online and found picture 2 on eBay. I think I am going to check at O'Reilly's or Advance tomorrow and see what they say. Nothing like that in the carb kit, I don't think. I have not opened it yet, so I may just return it if they have another kit with my weird seat and needle.

And of course, there is a ridiculous amount of crud built up under that seat, almost 48 years worth, I'm talking 1/4 inch of sludge. The seat itself is completely plugged. No wonder I can't get fuel into the carb (except by pouring it in the top).

[Wrenchbender Ret]

Ive been in many Q-jets through the years & never have seen one like that. It probably is a replacement for stripped out threads that a rebuilder used. You might check with a carb rebuilder. It might be a special high flow that might have been used on the Corvette high performance. There is an old timer called Carbking that retired from rebuilding carbs to selling parts for them. He is very helpful. I will see if I can get a link to him & post a correction.
www.thecarburetorshop.com

[dmjlambert]

Thanks for that information and for the link. That is an interesting site. I am inclined to agree what I have is probably a replacement for stripped out threads.

I contacted the eBay seller for the listing I found, Carb Junky's, and asked this:

Hi, can you tell me some details about this part? I just pulled the needle and seat from my Quadrajet carburetor number 7028219 and it looks very similar to this one you are selling, with the double o-rings. Do you think I may have the carburetor's original style seat, as in this is they way they were made? Or is this style seat a modification done at some point later in the life of the carburetor, such as drilling out threads and using this style seat as a fix for stripped threads? I am finding little information about this style seat online, so wonder if you know more about it. Can you tell me if it is known to be the correct fit for carburetor number 7028219, or can you tell me what the size of the metal part that has the o-rings so I can compare it to mine? Thanks, David

They wrote back: It is a repair needle and seat. There is only one style, so if yours looks the same this will replace it.

So, I'm thinking about ordering that, and see if it fits.

[geezer#99]

These guys have them too.
http://quadrajetparts.com/quadrajet-...-c-128_30.html

[dmjlambert]

Thanks, I see. I don't know if both are for the same diameter hole. The one at quadrajetparts.com has in the description to chamfer the leading edge of the hole, and that is not already done on my Quadrajet. It may be just a good idea or recommendation for either part from quadrajetparts.com or from Carb Junky's. Since this is the very first carburetor I have ever opened, it is beyond my comfort level for a newbie, and I certainly don't have the ability to chamfer a hole with any precision and also don't have a caliper (I could buy one of those next, probably good to have).

[dmjlambert]

Now I see this other thread, which appears to be very relevant to this newbie problem of mine:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=710168

I much appreciate the discussion, you guys are the best. It is amazing the sort of stuff I have learned since getting into this hobby, thanks to you all and this forum. Today's lesson: there is a certain point at which you can just stop dinking around.

[geezer#99]

Are you thinking get yours restored or If you're thinking different carb there are better ones than national.
Like Sean Murphy.
https://www.smicarburetor.com/

[dmjlambert]

When I grow up and get something fancy, I think I may put a fuel injector on it. For now, I just want to get it drivable and get plates on it, and I have a limited budget. I think I like National's pricing, and the testimonials help. I have found it pretty hard as a newbie to decide what to spend money on and how much to spend, and which jobs to do myself vs. pay somebody to help me, or pay somebody to do it.

[geezer#99]

When you wrestled that fitting out, were there any threads visible in the bore?
If not, I'd guess the bore has already been prepped. Spend the 12 bucks on the one from quad parts and tap it in.

[dmjlambert]

The bore did not look like it has threads. I think it was drilled, but I don't know the bore size. I added up a list of all the various parts I would need to make the whole carburetor right, and decided to go with the $189 remanufactured one and quit messing with it.

[geezer#99]

Possibly a better choice!
Are you upgrading to an electric choke type or sticking with the divorced choke style?

[dmjlambert]

Divorced choke, just the regular stock thing.

[dmjlambert]

I changed my mind. Electric choke. It is also a few dollars less expensive. Perhaps it will be one less thing to worry about. I don't currently have friends in this hobby, at least not ones who live close and that have the time to help me learn. So I'm fumbling my way through this with help from you guys online.

[davischevy]

Hey, I think most understand about fumbling.

[dmjlambert]

Ok, that's another problem solved. Almost got this truck going. Thank you guys for your wisdom and advice. Posting pictures of what I got from National Carburetor.