New to the square body scene

Welcome from the Tarheel State.

HS

Fitz said:

First off, Welcome aboard. Super cool looking truck you have. Like vonMinden said, Q-jets aren't that complicated. Either get that one rebuilt. Or, get on line (Summit Racing, etc.) for a new, or rebuilt one. I know Summit has Q-jets both ways. Been trying out their own (Summit) line of carburetors. Super easy to install. Our youngest son is running one of their 750 CFM carbs on a wildly built little Ford Ranger small block. Much better than the Holley.

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How do I know if I’m getting the correct carb? Are they all pretty much universal to a certain year or are there different types models to pick from?

iservin619 said:

Do they sell rebuilt ones already ?

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Welcome,you really don't want a rebuilt one as a general rule. The fast food rebuilders take too many one size fits all short cuts and you end up with a carbureator that's not as good as an original. There is of course exceptions. I'd trust one from national carbureator or mountain man. I think member @Doppleganger has a rebuild from mountain man he doesn't need. If so compare carbureator numbers and strike a deal. Your original q jet was built and tuned specifically for your truck and your options,not true for the generic demons,holleys,edelbrocks etc. Qjets perform great,are very reliable and deliver good mpg. That's why GM used them new.

carfanatic63 said:

Welcome from Texas! As others have said, rebuild your current carb. If it's original and a Quadrajet, they aren't that difficult to rebuild.

I got a kit from quadrajet power that included everything and they have videos on how to rebuild so you can follow on step by step easily.

I'm also a Quadrajet fan boy and if someone swapped a different carb on, I would say switch back to qjet. Great throttle response and power delivery and minimal tinkering once it's dialed in.

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After all the replies on the Quadrajet I think I will definitely buy a rebuild kit and attempt to take a stab at it. I am still probably gonna purchase a edelbrock as well to see which one I prefer. Thanks for the replies I gotta pump it up now and get this thing dialed.

Ricko1966 said:

Welcome,you really don't want a rebuilt one as a general rule. The fast food rebuilders take too many one size fits all short cuts and you end up with a carbureator that's not as good as an original. There as of coarse exceptions. I'd trust one from national carbureator or mountain man. I think member @Doppleganger has a rebuild from mountain man he doesn't need. If so compare carbureator numbers and strike a deal. Your original q jet was built and tuned specifically for your truck and your options,not true for the generic demons,holleys,edelbrocks etc. Qjets perform great,are very reliable and deliver good mpg. That's why GM used them new.

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So before buying any rebuild kit or attempting to rebuild me original I have to make sure the model numbers are correct?

The specific carburetor number is on the side of the carburetor - for your 80's truck it would be something like 17080213. Then go to a good supplier and get a rebuild kit for that specific carburetor so that it has the right gaskets and other internal parts.

Cliff Ruggles at cliffshighperformance.com is a great source for a rebuild kit and parts (and his book on the Quadrajet) .

Ricko1966 said:

Welcome,you really don't want a rebuilt one as a general rule. The fast food rebuilders take too many one size fits all short cuts and you end up with a carbureator that's not as good as an original. There as of coarse exceptions. I'd trust one from national carbureator or mountain man. I think member @Doppleganger has a rebuild from mountain man he doesn't need. If so compare carbureator numbers and strike a deal. Your original q jet was built and tuned specifically for your truck and your options,not true for the generic demons,holleys,edelbrocks etc. Qjets perform great,are very reliable and deliver good mpg. That's why GM used them new.

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Is mountain man a member or a supplier I can order from?

iservin619 said:

Is mountain man a member or a supplier I can order from?

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Mountain man carbs @Doppleganger has one he didn't use. Make sure the number matches yours

Welcome from the FL Panhandle! Might want to check out NationalCarbeurators.com. They are out of Jacksonville Fl. and are exclusively Q-Jets.

Welcome from Austria. Nice truck.

Welcome! My Q-Jet was unsalvageable, so I talked to the good folks at Summit, who got me dialed in to the right Edelbrock carb for my '86 C2500 Crew. The nice thing about the Edelbrock carb is that it comes with a booklet that explains carb tuning, and does it so well that I got the thing through CA's notorious smog check. Then I explained tuning to my nephew, and he was able to get his Weber through smog as well. Have fun!

Welcome from Montana. I, too, am a Q-Jet man. I've rebuilt several & have had great luck with them. Make sure you check the play on the throttle shaft, because if it's wore out, it'll suck in air and to my knowledge, you'll have to ****-can it. The carb numbers on the side tell the story, including the build date. You'll also need them to purchase the correct kit. CLEAN IT WELL!!! I've used laquer thinner and an old toothbrush in the past, but you can degrunge the bulk of it with a spray can of carb cleaner

Welcome from a fellow San Diegan. Good looking truck.

mtbadbob said:

Welcome from Montana. I, too, am a Q-Jet man. I've rebuilt several & have had great luck with them. Make sure you check the play on the throttle shaft, because if it's wore out, it'll suck in air and to my knowledge, you'll have to ****-can it. The carb numbers on the side tell the story, including the build date. You'll also need them to purchase the correct kit. CLEAN IT WELL!!! I've used laquer thinner and an old toothbrush in the past, but you can degrunge the bulk of it with a spray can of carb cleaner

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Mt man Bob, you can buy bushings and rebush the throttle shafts,really not difficult if you buy the special piloted reamer,alternatively the throttle shafts have a stepped bore the outer step would be untouched, you can make a bushing out of Teflon sheet. You cut the correct thickness Teflon to the correct length and width roll it into a bushing and push it into the stepped bore. No special tools required and the Teflon is supposed to hold up for years. If you relocate the throttle return spring so the cable is pulling the spring and the spring is pulling the cable.With the connection to the carb linkage just along for the ride,it takes the pressure off the bushi gs. I think the Teflon bushings would last forever in that case. Factory the return spring is pulling rearward on the throttle shaft,the cable is pulling rearward on the shaft also. So there is constant rear oreasdure on the bushing,now start rotating it and you get wear. Add some clearance with at wear now suck in dirt as an abrasive and the wear grows more clearance,more dirt more wear etc. Example on your step bore bushings, if you measure the step bore and the throttle shaft,now let's say there is .030 difference, if you roll a bushing out of .015 Teflon sheet it woukd fill the. 030 gap.