Carburetor options to consider?

[lowflight]

I have a 1972 project and am looking for insight as to whether to rebuild the quadrajet or change out to a good aftermarket carb. Any experiences with good carbs that would work for a direct replacement for a simple "daily driver" restoration. I'm not building a show truck--just cleaning up a truck we have owned since original purchase.

My Project: 1972 Suburban C20 3/4ton 350 CID V8 TH400 transmission. This is probably one of the cleanest originals in the country as my father bought it on my 9th birthday and he/I have owned it since new. It was a California truck and almost always garaged for nearly 40 years. Zero rust! The headliner is still original and has only one scratch! My father passed away and I've taken on the task of returning this truck to being a clean daily driver--largely original. I'm not making it a show truck...just a great example of an original '72 3-door Suburban. Most of my best memories of childhood include this truck. I also have dozens of photos of this truck at all our family trips, campouts, events, etc. While I am replacing or updating some components on the truck, most of the work is simply removing the original parts, polishing and cleaning, and returning them to service. I am looking for upgrades that will add to the efficiency or safety of the vehicle...so suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[bri68]

Very nice burb. If you have a 350 and still want good gas mpg I would use a 600 cfm Edelbrock. I just picked one up for my 68 and from everyone I spoke to for a daily driver it works perfect. I will let you know after I install it this weekend.

[BB72CHEVKT]

nice burb lets see some more pics

[CrewCab59]

If it was me I would Rebuild the stock carb , hate seeing a aftermarket carb poking out under the stock air cleaner.


Please post more pics !

[lowflight]

Thanks for the guidance. Keep your suggestions coming.

I know this website isn't for "stories of my truck"...but several of you requested some pictures. The following are just a few of the historical shots of this wonderful '72 Suburban that we have owned since day #1. I'll post some detailed shots of the current restoration including the interior soon. You'll be impressed to see a "near perfect" original cardboard headliner. The following shots are: 1) Home in San Diego 1980 after a fresh wash and wax. 2) Skiing at Alta Utah cerca 1979; 3)Silver Strand State Beach, CA about 1982; 4) Yellowstone about 1996.

I was 8 years old when my father was studying whether to buy an International Travelall or a Chevy Suburban. He clearly made the right choice purchasing a new 1972 Suburban as this truck has carried his family and grandchildren all over the US; and now it is carrying my children and even my new grandchildren. It is everything the Suburbans are known for--carrying a big group (usually nine of us and a dog); pulling a trailer; navigating rough terrain, and being 100% tough (and easy to repair when repairs are needed)! Within a month I'll have it back to daily driver status and then will start refining some of the subsystems and components. Thanks for the encouragement.

[C20-67_N_MO]

WoW!

What a great looking Suburban, along with some fantastic history behind it as well.

Only wish my 1967 looks as good as yours.

But I live in the Salt Belt in the Midwest so the body has not faired as well as yours.

I kinda agree with others are saying about your carb. Keep it all orginal and just have it rebuilt if its causing you problems.

My carb is messing up on mine as well. But since someone put an Oldsmobile 455 under the hood I am not worried about keeping it all orginal like yours currently is.

Keep the stories and pictures coming! They really make the vehicle specail!

[3drburb]

Wow, now thats a very nice suburban. I would rebuild the carb and keep it stock, maybe upgrade to a k&n air filter and add a 4oz Zinc (ZDD plus from Eastwood) to that engine at oil changes. AWESOME!

[Monty]

+1 on keeping the Quadrajet. great carbs for the small block chevys.

[bruin_d]

If you lived closer to me I'd give you a 500cfm edelbrock to try out for a few weeks. I ran it for a little while on a bone stock 350. I loved it.

[vectorit]

Very nice burb, and welcome to the best place on the web for classic Suburbans!

Your burbs life story is very similar to mine as well, plus the color of yours is similar to my 1968 K20 burb.

For me, I vote stock Q-jet.

Mine has had a Q-jet on it since day one, and it has never given me or my Father a problem in the 40+ years it's been in service.

[Blue Tank]

Mo pics! And history!
I vote Q-jet. I ran the earlier Edelbrocks and they function fine but i was missing ALLOT of power over the holley on my Chevelle. I realize your not looking for hp but i doubt you would gain anything and then you have to deal with fittings etc.

[Average Joe]

Wowww! Beautiful burb! Is that color code 503? My vote would be to retain the original Qjet and rebuild. If it needs a complete rebuild you might consider sending it out to a reputable Qjet rebuilder such as Sean Murphy Induction in Huntington Beach CA or Cliff Ruggles (not sure of exact spelling or location) for a quality rebuild. A properly tuned qjet should yield best MPG. A taller rear gear (if available) for your for your particular rear end will also help with mileage on the highway especially if you dont tow much.

[Street Smart]

Before i did my LS swap I had an Edelbrock #1406 on my `67 for over 12 years, been all over the east coast, with/without a trailer. Very reliable carb, very resonable price.

[capev86]

+1 on keeping the Quadrajet. great carbs for the small block chevys.

http://www.cliffshighperformance.com/parts.html

GM put them on nearly all it's muscle cars. why would you want to go to the trouble of adapting an edelbrock when they only flow like 600cm? most Q-jets flow 700cfm (there were some early big block 800cfm units) and the "spread bore" arrangement makes for great economy and throttle response as well as a big kick in the pants when those huge secondaries start gulping down air.

the original 2bbl rochester on my 72 burb c20 was giving me some issues. i pulled it in favor of an early 80's q-jet on top of an edelbrock performer intake (idle-5500rpm range) that i got cheap locally. i changed the corp/eaton 4.57 third member out for a 4.10 unit from a pickup and now that 307 - 3 on the tree combo runs great. i may change out the intake for a proper gm unit some day for a more factory look.

as for ways to spruce up your burb without affecting it's factory fresh look:

grab the 1-1/4 front sway bar from an 80's 2wd dually or camper special. the brackets on the frame and everything is a bolt in swap since the front suspension was used in the 73-87 generation (73-91 blazer and burb). awesome upgrade even if you truck already has a stock sway bar. i went with CPP bars because i wanted a matched set. but i will have to drill to mount the rear bar and the front one uses end links instead of u-brackets at the end of the bar.

the car and truck shop has an add on kit to add the factory tachometer and vacuum gages. gives you everything you need all brand new, except fittings and a hose to connect vac gage to the carb. got this setup in my truck and i love it!

if you have a 4.57, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the 10% softer 4.10. you don't lose much off the line but it will make a big difference on the highway. my engine now turns at 3k rpm at 60 and gas mileage went up from 10-11 to 14-15. you have a 350 w/ 4bbl and automatic. due to the slightly taller tires on a 3/4 ton it will be like running a 3.90 in a 1/2 ton.

i know the 200-4r is practically a bolt in swap for a th350 and i think the 700-r4 will fit in place of the th400. an overdrive trans will help fight those insane gas prices and make long highway drives nearly as comfortable as a modern truck. i wanted to keep my 3 speed column shifter stick, so i picked a 66-69 saginaw with the borg warner o/d unit in place of the tail cone. but i would have gone the above route if my truck were an automatic.

other things i have done on my truck....poly bushings from CPP (suburban body mount kit, bushings for the larger track bar on the 3/4 ton, improved style tie-rod adjusters that eliminate those stupid clamps, etc), synthetic fluids-mostly from Royal Purple, and braided stainless brake hoses for peace of mind.

[dougo]

Very nice burb! I had a EB on mine... and went back to the Q-Jet and it's been running better since - so that setup works best for me. I vote Q-Jet.

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by Street Smart

Before i did my LS swap I had an Edelbrock #1406 on my `67 for over 12 years, been all over the east coast, with/without a trailer. Very reliable carb, very resonable price.

Ditto for me on the Edelbrock 1406. There is one on my 396/350hp truck that was on it when I bought the truck in 2001. I've been on long trips and do city driving as welland have never had a problem. Also my truck sits throughout the Winter months and sometimes its 8 months between starts. I get in pump the gas a few times and she fires right up.

[Suburban 72]

If you're still looking for advice, I'd rebuild the original. I rebuilt mine and the truck runs but I can't tell you how well since the engine has other issues and won't pull a consistent vacuum.

Side note: GMC Paul's has a tip section that explains how to tune the carburetor with a vacuum gauge and what the gauge readings mean.