Looking for a cheap idea.

[GPster]

The quadrajet that I have that was part of my 350 package spent time under water during the flood of 2003. I never got excited about it because the Jeepster was so far from needing a running engine. Well now that it's back in my garage and that little V6 is in it, the Jeepster can at least serve duty as an engine stand. The V6 had been a throttle body injected motor so it has an intake that will except a quadrajet. Anyone that is following this journey will know that this V6 is of questionable quality that had been rescued from an eviction. It looked like a rebuilt short block that had the heads put on it incorrectly. I've straighten everything out to the best of my knowledge and the HEI has been set up to be used without computor control. What I'd like to do is soak this carb enough to get it apart and clean it up. I don't want to buy a kit for it until I can at least see if it will be worth a kit and rebuilding. It will also require what ever I would need to down-size it for 4.3 Liter use. I mostly want it just good enough now to see if the engine will run. Back in the days when I was motorcycling we used to be able to soak those carbs to clean them up after someone had stored a bike for the winter and left gas in it. What we used and where we got it escapes me now but something like that or some suggested cleaner that would work like that is what I think I want. I don't see well enough or have the coordination to try to rebuild a questionable carb for a questionable engine and the shop labor to re-build that 1 barrel of the truck project was $75.00. I could change the intake to an earlier 200 or 229 V6  but they seem to be scarce around here. I don't want to continue hunting parts for a questionable engine and it has been suggested that the vacuum secondaries of the quadrajet and the stock hi-rise style intake would not be a bad thing. So I'm looking for a CHEAP step up to the expensive. Some suggestions please. GPster

[rooster]

The quadrajet that I have that was part of my 350 package spent time under water during the flood of 2003. I never got excited about it because the Jeepster was so far from needing a running engine. Well now that it's back in my garage and that little V6 is in it, the Jeepster can at least serve duty as an engine stand. The V6 had been a throttle body injected motor so it has an intake that will except a quadrajet. Anyone that is following this journey will know that this V6 is of questionable quality that had been rescued from an eviction. It looked like a rebuilt short block that had the heads put on it incorrectly. I've straighten everything out to the best of my knowledge and the HEI has been set up to be used without computor control. What I'd like to do is soak this carb enough to get it apart and clean it up. I don't want to buy a kit for it until I can at least see if it will be worth a kit and rebuilding. It will also require what ever I would need to down-size it for 4.3 Liter use. I mostly want it just good enough now to see if the engine will run. Back in the days when I was motorcycling we used to be able to soak those carbs to clean them up after someone had stored a bike for the winter and left gas in it. What we used and where we got it escapes me now but something like that or some suggested cleaner that would work like that is what I think I want. I don't see well enough or have the coordination to try to rebuild a questionable carb for a questionable engine and the shop labor to re-build that 1 barrel of the truck project was $75.00. I could change the intake to an earlier 200 or 229 V6  but they seem to be scarce around here. I don't want to continue hunting parts for a questionable engine and it has been suggested that the vacuum secondaries of the quadrajet and the stock hi-rise style intake would not be a bad thing. So I'm looking for a CHEAP step up to the expensive. Some suggestions please. GPster

From the Cheap end: Junk yard mid 80's ,4.3 engines, s10, some full size Chevy pickups, Safari vans, Other GM products with vacume advance dizzys, 15 bucks around here. might find something on e-bay.

[GPster]

Most times I spend so much time and worry about taking someone's time answering my dumb questions I completely forget the obvious. I checked Ebay last night and the prices are certainly reasonable. Argueing with myself I still bother myself with the fact that I already have one carb and a $25.00 carb will more than likely have a $10.00 shipping charge. I did find one unique carb that I didn't know existed, it was listed as a 2 barrel carb from a '78 Chevrolet truck. That would probably put it on a small V8 but it was listed as for "stick shift". That might make it even harder to hook-up the turbo 350 kick-down linkage. Of course while on Ebay I also found carb adapters from the quadrajet base pattern that I didn't find before looking for carb adapters. If I quit typing maybe I'd get something done. GPster

[GPster]

OK I scored a quadrajet on Ebay that is supposed to be from an '85 Chevrolet 305. My thoughts were that it would be closer in size an year to what the 4.3 Liter V6  might need. After making a set of adapter plates to move the mounts 2" foreward on the V6 (and covering up the fuel pump) and a set that only moved them 1 1/2" (to put the bellhousing in the steering box) I made the commitment. I cut the 350 mount crossmember loose from the frame and slid it back to where there is not so much "Mickey Mouse" between the engine and the frame. This is the Ultimate form of trust because I don't know if the engine will run yet. The difference between a practical V6 and a "saleable" 4 bolt main 350 is a further commitment that this car is mine. If it dies it can at least do it in the shelter of my garage. GPster

[GPster]

OK my Ebay carburator came today. It looks usuable   but   the float chamber has some electrical connectins on it, 1 nylon block with termials in it on the top and another nylon blockwith terminals on the front of the float chamber on the linkage side of the carb. I hope they can not be plugged into something. Also I'll have to find an '85 Motor Manual and find out where all the vacuum hoses are supposed to go. Because the carb sits higher on the V6 than the 350 V8 and because the carb position is closer to the rear of the back of the block the "kick down" linkage is going to need some tending too. I don't imagine the fuel pump will arrive til tuesday so I'll have have time to worry about that. Tried to run a compression test on the block last night and the first cylinder I checked had nothing. I allowed myself the five minutes of despiration  but the looked and figured out that the valeves were mis-adjusted (after two tries). Maybe the reality of this situation is that I should just buy something already built and lie to every body about who built it. GPster

[1FATGMC]

..................Maybe the reality of this situation is that I should just buy something already built and lie to every body about who built it. GPster

Thousands of Hot Rodders probably take that approach .

I would have offered some suggestions by now, but I'm completly lost as to the exact parts you have.  It must not be the q-jets I'm familiar with if it will bolt in place of a throttle body.  I does seem like in my Rochester book they had a section about 2 barrel ones, but I'm too lazy to find the book unless you need to know something from it.

c ya and have a good Holidays Joe,

Sum

[tomslik]

you got a 'puter controlled carb...
if you're NOT gonna run a computer, it'll default to rich and no, you can't (to my knowledge) rejet and it won't have a power valve...
i'd keep looking..

[GPster]

you got a 'puter controlled carb...
if you're NOT gonna run a computer, it'll default to rich and no, you can't (to my knowledge) rejet and it won't have a power valve...
i'd keep looking..

One act of despiration after another. Any ideas of a site to get more information. Usually I react to information like this by crawling in a corner and crying but that won't go unnoticed with a house full of company for the Holidays. Back to the carb off the 350. One more piece to add to the puzzle of more spent than it will ever be worth. GPster