It is not necessary to completely take the Quadrajet apart to perform these tasks, and the steps are also the same if someone wants to remove and replace the primary jets, for example.
By the way, even though I specify 1975 through 1981 Corvettes with OEM Quadrajets, the procedures for pre-1975 carburetors will be similar—if not identical—in many instances. However, I only have experience with 1705 Rochester Quadrajets so keep that in mind if your carburetor is for an older model C3 Corvette.
After lots of research and some experimentation, I decided to go back to basics and stop trying to reinvent the wheel. As I mentioned in one of the videos, I am not an engineer but the folks who designed these carburetors were, and they knew what was required to make them work optimally for street purposes.
And that's what I am after. Making my car a pleasure to drive.
I like performance as much as the next guy, but I am not willing to compromise streetability for it. I spent plenty of time and money buying aftermarket components that may give the L-48 a little more punch, but that was wasted money in my opinion and I wish I had saved some of the old parts such as the factory intake manifold.
The Edelbrock Performer intake manifold my engine currently has is okay, but a lot of my issues started when I replaced it. Had I been smart and kept the factory manifold I would have reinstalled it a long time ago, but I digress.
Based on my research, I decided to replace the "windowed" needle seat with a solid one (the one on the left in the photo above). And after driving the car for a little while I did not experience a lack of performance, quite the opposite.
The car seems more responsive and a lot of previous issues, such as rough running while cold, were greatly diminished if not completely eliminated.
Now keep in mind that I also adjusted the float to 13/32" (I know I kept saying 15/32" on the video. That was my mistake). And even though I did my best to determine the right spot to measure the float angle, I am not saying that I did it right.
Having said that, the proof is in the pudding as they say and the car runs great.
Other items, such as metering rods and the accelerator pump, were left unchanged.
The one other item I replaced was the carburetor-to-intake-manifold gasket. The reason I chose to do this was since the original one looked really worn and tired and I feared a vacuum leak.
If you follow my blog, you then know that I also re-sealed both primary and secondary well plugs. Having said that I am not sure if my repair was one-hundred percent successful.
Apparently, these fixes are temporary at best and the only effective and permanent solution is to remove the old plugs, tap the holes, and then use a threaded plug to take care of any potential leaks.
However, for the time being, it seems my repair was successful and the hot-starting issue has been mostly resolved.
And once again I want to stress that I am just a do-it-yourselfer with no formal training in car repair. I enjoy working on my car and solving some of the problems that "real" mechanics have been unable to figure out or, in some cases, made worse. All at my expense, of course.
Anyway, take my ramblings on the subject with a grain of salt.
Having said that, if you decide to work on your Quadrajet I made a Disassembly and a Reassembly sequence available, which have proven invaluable to me as I am always forgetting items that need to be either removed or reinstalled and at which point. Just watch the video and you'll see what I mean.
HOW TO REMOVE THE QUADRAJET CARBURETOR
REPLACING THE NEEDLE, NEEDLE SEAT
AND ADJUSTING THE FLOAT
The next Quadrajet project will involve fine-tuning the idle-mixture screws with a vacuum gauge and the Maxi-Tune Ignition Analyzer. I may also try to find stainless-steel idle mixture screws since I hear they are far better than the brass repops available, which I've been using.
Until then I hope you'll find the next two videos helpful if you decide to remove your Quadrajet and tear into it.
Thank you for following my '76 Vette Blog!
Product Links... (#sponsored)
• Gumout Carb and Choke Cleaner | Spray 16 oz.
• Rochester Carburetors by Doug Roe
• How to Rebuild & Modify Rochester Quadrajet Carburetors by Cliff Ruggles
• Dorman 55143 Carburetor Inlet Gasket Assortment - 10 Piece
• ACDelco Carburetor Repair Kit: Ball, Clips, Gaskets, Screws, and Seals
• 1975-1985 Rochester Quadrajet Hot-Air Choke Remanufactured Carburetor
