Quadrajet Help!

[GMC Guy]

so i bought a rebuild kit for the quadrajet on my 350. eventually i will put a new edelbrock or holley on there, but a $30 kit was just more in the budget than a $300 carb. yesterday i pulled it off the engine, and starting cleaning with carb cleaner, a toothbrush, and compressed air. worked great, you wouldn't believe the amount of crap that it had in there. so then i proceeded to carefully take it apart and further clean. then replace the seals inside along with a few other things that came in the kit. well that's where i'm stuck i can't for the life of me, figure out how this thing goes back together. i've looked up videos and stuff off google, no luck.
can anyone help me out? or is there someone that i might be able to send it to?
(a shop wanted around $400 to rebuild it )

[cowboy5683]

what carb number do you have..i have a 79 also..i can post some pics of mine and you can study the choke linkage and what not from there..prolly just the linkage that is throwin ya right?

[GMC Guy]

when i get home home i'll post some pics of what's giving me trouble. but yes it is mainly the linkage

[cowboy5683]

Here are the promised pics..Hopefully I got enuff angles clear enuff to help ya!

[cowboy5683]

Couple more!!

[GMC Guy]

thanks man, every little angle helps. are you going to rebuild that quad?

[cowboy5683]

I have already rebuilt it once as a novice..I am currently awaiting a accelerator pump and other goodies from Cliff's high performance so I can put it back together..the top airhorn has a slight warp to it which I am gonna fix tonight with a vise..and I have slightly drilled out the air/fuel orifices to help with the tuning at idle..I love Quads..They are a lil bit intimidating at first..but once you tear em apart a few times and do ALOT of research..They become quite easy to tear apart and tune.

[GMC Guy]

any way i can send mine to you? haha i'm not that far from you. at least you would know how to put it back together

[cowboy5683]

lol..If ya really wanted me to I could do it for ya..you just need to pay for the shipping and kit and a bucket of parts dip from the auto parts store..But I would recommend trying yerself and just taking before pics while disassembling so ya can slap her back together really easy..and ask questions..I will answer any that I can as I am sure many members on this board will also.

[GMC Guy]

ya, i mean it may take me like a year, but eventually i'll figure it out. it's just that putting it together is only the first step, getting it "right" is whole other deal. but i will definitely give it another shot

[GMC Guy]

well i got it put back "together" but i'm having a problem with the linkage or lever around the choke area. like with the carb sitting upright, the secondaries won't open at wide open throttle. i know it has something to do with the linkage around the choke...just can't quite get it together.

[cowboy5683]

Look at my third and fifth pic..Do you see the lil green colored shaft from the secondaries with the rod through it?..when you hit full throttle I believe the choke pulloff will work in conjunction with the secondary flaps and that green shaft lochout to allow you to reach full throttle..Is that what is holding yer throttle back?..whatever ya do dont force it..been there done that..lol

[cowboy5683]

I got it..it is becuz yer carb is cold right now..If everything is put back together properly once you hook it back up on the truck and the choke warms up it will twist the meachanism and not allow that tab to lock out yer secondaries.

[GMC Guy]

ok, so i may have done it correct after all lol and i'll know for sure after i hook it up and cruise it. so when i hit full throttle, if i did something wrong, i just won't go any faster? lol i'll give everything another cleaning tonight, and bolt it on tomorrow and give it a shot. say my prayers tonight, and keep my fingers crossed...

[cowboy5683]

you should be ok..let it warm up and you'll be fine..did ya remember to replace the lil chrome bee bee looking ball under the screw next to the accelerator pump?..and whatever ya do..DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN ANY OF THE SCREWS..just a smidge over snug and when ya bolt it on the truck only 12-15 ft lbs. on the four bolts..any more and ya risk warpin the body and air horn...as long as ya dont have parts leftover and ya got the float level just right you should be good..triple check that float level if ya have to..too high and it will flood everywhere..oh ya..make sure the seat that the float needle sets in has a new metal washer and is decently snug..too loose and it will allow extra gas in through the washer also..good luck!!!!!

[1970pelle]

Those are great pics you took the time to post Cowboy.Here are two of the best Qjet book out there.Should look in to picking them up.The prices are easy to.Starting at 14.00 to 18.00.

[GMC Guy]

UPDATE: last night i finished assembling the carb and this morning i bolted it back on the engine, connected all the vacuum lines and cables. went to fire it, nothing, tried a couple more times, nothing, poured some gas down the carb, fired for a few seconds. then i pulled the fuel line to make sure it's getting fuel, and it is, or at least the fuel pump is pumping gas. really don't know what else to try
Please help...

[donut]

Is the fuel getting INTO the carb? (check if accelerator pump is "squirting")
I don't remember if the filter is directional or not. Could also be crud blocking the inlet between the filter and needle/seat assembly.

[cowboy5683]

Sounds to me like yer getting fuel to the carb but it isnt gettin in the carb..check to make sure the fuel filter is installed correctly..the hole at the end of the filter should be at inlet side of the housing..meaning if you were to pull it out the filter hole should be what the fuel hits first..If that is correct make sure its a good filter the next step would be to make sure the fuel bowl is filling up and the float level is correct and the float is good and the needle and seat are instaled correctly and not clogged..The little hanger for the needle should NOT be hung in the float arm holes..just hang it on the lil metal bridge and it wil be fine..lemme know what happens.

[GMC Guy]

the filter is new, along with the needle and seat, and i made sure to hang it correctly. hopefully it didn't slip though. also i set the float level at 15/32" that's what the specs called for, but i did have to bend it down from about 6/32". i'll go check the filter to see it it's backwards and get back to you. thanks for all the great help and advice

[GMC Guy]

ok, filter was in correct, but when i pulled it out is was pretty dry in there. even the filter wasn't soaked with gas. shouldn't gas have come pouring out from the carb when i removed the filter?

[79gmcc15]

how long did you try to start it? from my experience it can take a little while to start a dry carb. try keeping it going with gas/starter fluid. you might need 2 people to help.

[GMC Guy]

ya i've been doing alone, now i'm just waiting for my dad to get home to give me a hand. you really do need another person to watch the engine while the other person cranks it.

[79gmcc15]

ya, When ever I've replaced my carb it has always taken longer then I "think" for it to fill up.

[GMC Guy]

could my fuel pump have gone bad? i'm going to pick up some starting fluid and keep trying i guess.