Hey Enthusiasts,
I have this problem. My 73' Cutlass (455) originally had an Edelbrock 4 bbl carb that has gone to pieces. At first I thought I just had to get a kit to clean it up since it was leaking fuel onto my intake manifold but after my mechanic worked on it and took it apart four times he said I should just get a new one. While looking around online I found that it would cost me $300!

While pondering whether I should shell out the cash (I am a college student! You know how many books that could get me?!?!) I was talking to some guys and they said that I could get a Carter 4 bbl carb. They took out my old carb (Edelbrock) and showed me the intake valves. They were a good size and then he showed me the Carter valves, the ones in front were smaller than the Edelbrock but the ones in the back where HUGE! It looks like it would be more fuel efficent but I still get the power when I need to. Plus it is only $100!

What do you guys think?

 

I am no carb expert, but do understand some of the basics. The small primaries will give good clean or crisp throttle response without using a ton of fuel. the large secondaries will let the car breath. stay out of the secondaries, and you should get respectable economy. otherwise you will probably get the performance you want. As an aside, I dont think GM offered anything but the qjet in the '70s so that carb is probably not stock. also before you buy make sure the carb is matched to the engine, ie jetting and cfm are correct. Just don't ask me what that would specificaly be.

 

hes right, what these guys showed you is a carter quadrajet. Its virtually the same as a reqular quadrajet, but is newer. The quadrajet is famous because of its "spreadbore" design, and is what originally came on your car.

 

Uh, "quadrajet" is a registered trademark of the Rochester Division of GM. Carter made a similar spreadbore carb called the Thermoquad, but it had a plastic float bowl (that had problems with warpage and cracks). Carter may be rebuilding Qjets today. Edelbrock's squarebore carb is the Carter AFB design with the Edelbrock logo on it.

 

I think that you could shop the web and find an original qjet for your car for a lot less. Buy a rebuild kit if needed and run it as stock on the car. It'll probably give you decent fuel mileage depending on whether your foot wants to take the rocket challenge every so often. Heck even college kids need to cut loose once in a while.

 

Holley is rebuilding Q-jets. Carter ceased to exist in '84.

Manufactured, for Edelbrock, by Weber.

Norm

 

Get yourself a new mechanic. If he can't fix a carburetor with a rebuild kit he is incompetent. You should be able to disassemble a carburetor and put new gaskets and parts in it and have it run like new. The cool thing about a rebuild kit is they are generally less than $30.

 

Amen. As I've said many times before, any repair shop is trying to maximize profits (especially in today's economy). I don't fault them for that, but since they typically make a profit on the parts they sell, their maximum profit comes from using minimal employee labor to bolt on new parts. This can usually be accomplished by a less experienced (and thus lower-pay) employee. Spending time diagnosing a problem (which usually requires an experienced and thus expensive employee) is NOT that profitable.

Again, this it not a knock on repair shops. As a small business owner, I fully appreciate the need for profitability. As an old car enthusiast, however, this is why I do all my own work.

 

I would go 750 vacum secondary holly if it was me,Ive never had much luck with Eled's or carters,I would check out ebay for a deal..........Jerr

 

Personaly I like the Qjet. reliable, economical, good throttle response,and they go like hell when you ask them to. That and they are underrated

 

carter also produced new quadajets for rochester/gm under license, when rochester was unable to meet demand. i've never seen a carter qj produced for an oldsmobile, it was usually poncho and chebby that got those. what is the number on the bowl, just above the secondary throttle shaft? this is the model number. i assume your manifold has the dual pattern spreadbore/squarebore mounting ability.

btw, i vote for the carter/rochester qj.


bill

 

What he actually said, was, he knows nothing about carbs, except how to replace the parts that come in a kit.

Only a novice would think so. Anyone who thinks he/she can fix all carburetors with a rebuild kit, has a lot to learn.

He has a spread bore manifold, and he is on a budget.

Norm

 

I agree with csstrux. First, check your intake manifold. Is it a spread bore or square bore? A spread bore has smaller primaries and larger secondaries. A Square bore will generally be two elongated slots for passenger side and driver side throttle plates or one large square opening for all four plates. if you have a standard spread bore intake (if it were me) I'd pick up a big block carb from your local salvage yard for about 25 bucks and rebuild it on your back porch with a gallon can of carb cleaner, a $30 kit and an air compressor, she'll clean up great and run like brand new. You'll also be restoring your original style of carb setup so your linkages and choke operate correctly. Just my opinion....gl

 

IMHO you should go to an electric choke. They are much more dependable and work more consistently.

 

Good thinking.

Is it worth $100 if it won't fit?

Norm

 

I have a spread bore Torker on my car right now also.........There not much meat keeping it from a vacum leak but you can bolt a Sq bore carb on a spread bore intake,Iam doing it right now(10.92@122MPH at Byron sept 6) ....................Jerr

 

Norm, you say he has a spread bore, but he has an afb squarebore carb right now. So either he has an adapter or a spreadbore manifold. Checking which you have, newkid8, is a neccesity.
As for carbs, I'm a big advocate of q-jets. I love the fuel economy, the sound of the secondaries, and the punch when you let into them. Your best bet is to get a knwon running q-jet, and either run it, or rebuild it. A rebuild kit is $30 and you can do it in a day. If the carb is a known running carb, all you should need are the gaskets and rubber parts that come in a rebuild kit.

 

I changed my mind after I re read it.

Norm

 

Congratulations.

Norm

 

Also keep in mind what transmission your cutlass is equipped with. I just had to weld a kickdown cable mount onto my qjet brackets for my th350 because the carb was meant for running with a th400 trans.

 

marcar, that wagon is really, really nice. Keep it forever.

 

Quadrajets are where it is at! Like people said they have good fuel economy and the huge secondaries give you that kick in the pants feel.