The lever shocks can work surprisingly ok-ish (oh a modern shock will outperform it for sure, but it's not utterly hopeless), they just won't do it for very long at a shot (heated up fluid), which doesn't matter too much for this application. Remove them from the car and put them in a vice and move the lever to see if there is resistance. The oil may need filling and tuning can be accomplished somewhat playing with viscosity. If they leak, they are shot.
classicJackets (FS) said:Got a video uploaded, sorry for vertical!
Okay, so the connection to throttle cable is on the "near" side of the carb.
Pulling the cable does "pump" a little lever (has to be fuel?), but doesn't affect the two controls for the blades on the opposite side of the carb. The way it's set up right now, it can't quite reach full throttle (spring is set up really poorly), and there's no pedal it's attached to yet.
I need to watch a few rebuild videos and see what everything looks like.
The lever is your accelerator pump. It gives an extra squirt of gas at full throttle. Maybe this picture will help you.
I made a video for you. No Angry not that kind of video.
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
Stampie, thanks a ton! Helpful to see how it operates. I am going to try to get my buddy whose garage it's in to help me get it fired up this week. If nothing else, knowing it runs will be good motivation and assurance of a "decent" mechanical starting point from the engine side.
In reply to classicJackets (FS) :
No problem. I thought about it this morning but was in a rush to get to work.
Well, first Recoup is in the books! I sold the Hurst shifter it came with for $60.
I am going to try to go get my Autozone clearance Dipstick/tube hooked up this week (Probably Thursday evening) and check oil level, as well as buy some starting fluid and charge up my "spare" battery in the BMW so I can be ready to test fire (Sunday or Monday?). Been making great progress on the Courier sheet metal, so I've been hesitant to pop over to the Austin.
Stampie (FS) said:In reply to notsafeforwork :
You can find bad stuff on anything all over the internet. Most of that bad info is the result of user error or lack of knowledge. Yes a Qjet might not get the max power levels of some other carbs but I find for a street driven carb they are better when properly rebuilt and set up. Now I'm not a carb guy but I let National Carb rebuilt mine and since I'm local it's easy to go in and discuss all the options that I want.
I have to agree with you Stampie. They work decently if properly repaired. To those of us brought up with them, we can rebuild them ourselves cheaply enough.
Most of the issues with them are due to sediment blocking things. Because it's not exactly a precision made piece we are sort of used to driving around until whatever passageway unplugs itself. And then it continues on its way.
The lump underneath it was built the same way. Plus or minus a lot. Where functionality and reliability is paramount, way down on the list is power and emissions.
Those carbs were used in the days when a new car was completely worn out by 100,000 miles. Working with old stuff a different mentality is required. You don't approach rebuilding a Ford Flathead with the same mindset you do a modern engine.
classicJackets (FS) said:Well, first Recoup is in the books! I sold the Hurst shifter it came with for $60.
I am going to try to go get my Autozone clearance Dipstick/tube hooked up this week (Probably Thursday evening) and check oil level, as well as buy some starting fluid and charge up my "spare" battery in the BMW so I can be ready to test fire (Sunday or Monday?). Been making great progress on the Courier sheet metal, so I've been hesitant to pop over to the Austin.
Please just change the oil. Don't check the level and add if needed. That oil can have 20+ years of sludge and acids in it. Put a new oil filter on and add 5 quarts of oil. Don't use that oil too long. A few hundred miles at most there will be a lot of sludge and gunk knocked loose as the engine warms up.
In reply to frenchyd :
Get back to me when you discover that the throttle shaft is worn to E36 M3 and you can't re-bush it. I have a nice Holley doqn cellaralong with a piece of E36 M3 Quara-bog as well. You can have the quad and the Holley is for sale cheap . . .
notsafeforwork said:In reply to frenchyd :
Get back to me when you discover that the throttle shaft is worn to E36 M3 and you can't re-bush it. I have a nice Holley doqn cellaralong with a piece of E36 M3 Quara-bog as well. You can have the quad and the Holley is for sale cheap . . .
Why get with you when he can just order the stuff to do it here?
https://quadrajetparts.com/quadrajet-throttle-shaft-bushing-c-128_34.html
In reply to notsafeforwork :
I frequently see various Holley carbs for sale cheap. They are fine carbs but the world has moved on. Are they better than a Quadrajet? Yeh, I'll give you that if they are properly tuned for that application. ( which isn't always the case, in fact based on my experiance, rarely the case )
As I've said before the world has moved on and left us Luddites behind. EFI (especially for domestic engines ) has replaced carbs.
However, when working on a fixed budget you tend to work with what you have rather than replace it for a slight potential gain.
In reply to frenchyd :
Do you have any experience with the after market EFI set-ups? I would dearly love to fit one onto my 302 Ford engine (currently half way into the MGA, but am fairly gun-shy, and as most here have already mentioned, the internet isn't all that reliable when it comes to induction choices or info. Wondering if you've heard about or found out anything?
Any info, suggestions? Would be a help to me AND the originator of this thread I'd imagine.
Thanks—
I do have experience. Lots of it.
I bought a brand new holly for the duster after my megasquirt failure.
As far as the quadrajet vs others argument going on here. Its a challenge car. Not a car with a street life at this time. A working fairly ok carb is all thats really needed at this point. Sure, a razor tuned one would be awesome, but right now every penny counts. Hes got a whole lot of hackery to fix, a car that hes never heard run, a transmission hes never felt shift, brakes hes never felt make pressure....
Lets help him with the basics: running, driving, safe and reliable as cheap as humanely possible.
In reply to notsafeforwork :
I'm a Luddite. I understand carbs but stumble with EFI. Holley seems to be a good source for bolt on Aftermarket EFI. I suggest you contact them for input.
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) :
Yup ! I can see your point ! Totally lost sight of this just being a challenge car, thought that it was evolving in something that might end up on the street . . . I ALWAYS seem to be over-doing/over-thinking/over-engineering things on my own projects and tend to impose this sort of thinking on others. Shouldn't bother . . . sorry.
In reply to notsafeforwork :
No worries man! I do believe i read somewhere in here that lofe AFTER the challenge will involve street car status. And we also know that classicjackets is starting from square one on carbs of the quadrajet variety. Maybe all carbs.
So, don't walk away! Stay here to help. Cause i sure don't know everything hes going to ask about!
(And i do the overthinking as well. Ask me sometime about that "simple " efi swap with the "easy" megasquirt that i have up on after five years. Or the gm powered miata that i still can't get the oxygen sensor to work in. Or...."
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) :
Thanks, Michael!
Yes, looking forward to hearing it run and then fixing all the "hack" that went into putting it together! Since I have (effectively) zero carb experience, Starting with the Q-jet will probably be like starting with anything else, to a point.
I have no clue what life will entail post-challenge. Street Legal would be fun because it would mean I could cruise Woodward, which is less than a mile from my house. Otherwise I think it would be fun to autocross or try to find some places to race.
In reply to notsafeforwork :
Don't worry, I will 100% overthink/overengineer very much of this project, but the Carb isn't going to be where it begins!
This is one of those youll have to redo everything projects, ambition, but as a bug eye owner im in haha. As for the Q-jet, they are fine, they arnt the end ll be all. But I can tell you from experience, if its old worn and tired, which is most likely is, dont bother with it. For the time and $$ you can pick up a basic edelbrock or a holley and bolt it on. Most liekly wont even have to change the jetting. A couple hundred $$ it will be on, done and easy to tune and get parts for, anywhere. anywhere. Any race day where people run a v8 of any kind there will be someone with carb parts for a holley or an edelbrock. Most every part store across the country will haev a tuning kit and basic parts for a holley or edelbrock. Your not guaranteed they will have carb rebuild kits for a quadrajet, and then you gota be sure you know what that came off of to be sure you get the right rebuild kit to get what ever parts you need. Yes, its not that big of a deal, but long term, its a one time purchase that will make the carb a non issue. IMO
Make sure the rockers and tunnel and whats left of the crossmembers are sound, get that motor bolted in properly. Holy crap ive never seen a driveshaft so short, thats a joke haha. Ive seen big blocks in a bug eye I wonder how long the driveshaft is in those. Shocks, they do make racing levers....you can also put tube shocks on. There are a few different wayss to do it, and if this a super budget car you can do it and leave the lever shock. Little googling you'll find what you need. Im not a fan of the levers personally. Ive done the tube conversions and I think the ride and handling is superior. My bugeye has levers however cause for what ever reason my car and the wonderful quality control over at BMC in the 50s means my car is out of wack as far as the front end. I have front end camber issues and the way things sit I couldnt bolt the sweet frontline kti on my car and in the end just decided to put rebuilt levers on. my car has never been hit, and im not the first one to find with excessive + camber issues, but anyway...
Doesnt haev to look nice, but some time getting everything put in right so its safe should be fun. That will be a hoot to blast around a course.
Dont go efi unless you want efi to be your new hobby.
NOHOME said:Dont go efi unless you want efi to be your new hobby.
Agreed, you can make it run easly and cheeply with a new carb as i mentioned before, thats the least if your issues
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
"Why get with you when he can just order the stuff to do it here?"
'Cause I had a decent running free Quadrajet off of my Oldsmobile or him . . .
In reply to notsafeforwork :
Is the FMV of that QJet higher than some bushings? It's a Challenge build so you do things like fix what you have if it's cheaper than replacing the item.
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
Good point !
Picked up some free 14" gm style wheels today, and the guy threw in a hose kit - pics for posterity.
Before that - here's a new chunk of Bondo off the front end of the car.
I tried to install the dipstick/tube today, but it turns out I'll need to hack a hole near my ankles/the pedals if I'd like to use a dipstick lol.
I'm going to run the BMW for a while tomorrow to charge the battery, and then go buy some oil and starting fluid to do a change/fill before trying to crank it over the long weekend.
Found the pic I was looking for. This would let you keep the "Blind" bonnet center but still have lights for street driving. I'm almost surprised this was not the original design.
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