Replacing the carb on my 72 cutlass s... any hints/tips?

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Old June 19th, 2013 | 03:10 PM
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JamesRustle's Avatar
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Replacing the carb and intake manifold on my 72 cutlass s... any hints/tips?

How hard would it be to do both? I have minimal mechanic skills.

I was thinking the Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold and the Edelbrock Performer Carburetor (600CFM 4 barrel).

Any idea on how much HP increase I would see over stock?

Last edited by JamesRustle; June 19th, 2013 at 03:26 PM.
Old June 19th, 2013 | 04:59 PM
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Hey James most of us use the assembly manual for reference, it makes it easy to see what a job will entail and what tools may be needed.

If you don't have one you should try to get one ....you can access an online one free at wildaboutcars

Why is your current set up on your car ? Qjet? Many like the qjet for better throttle response and better gas mileage. Many others run an edlebrock because in general they run ok right outta the box. If there is any HP gain I think will be small assuming a stock engine

Last edited by RetroRanger; June 19th, 2013 at 05:02 PM. Reason: I will choke the guy who invented auto incorrect
Old June 19th, 2013 | 05:14 PM
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replace what? a 2-bbl?

You can shed ~40 lbs of weight if you go to aluminum intake from iron.

If your skills are minimal you might wish to recruit a veteran to assist. TEST FIT before applying gasket goo. Select the right gasket sealers. Proper torque sequence and figure- requires the instrument... Rot like that.
Old June 19th, 2013 | 05:35 PM
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Originally Posted by RetroRanger
Hey James most of us use the assembly manual for reference, it makes it easy to see what a job will entail and what tools may be needed.

If you don't have one you should try to get one ....you can access an online one free at wildaboutcars

Why is your current set up on your car ? Qjet? Many like the qjet for better throttle response and better gas mileage. Many others run an edlebrock because in general they run ok right outta the box. If there is any HP gain I think will be small assuming a stock engine
When you say "run ok out of the box" do you mean less tuning involved?

I dont care about gas milage. I want to build this engine up for performance.

Thanks for the link!

Originally Posted by Octania
replace what? a 2-bbl?

You can shed ~40 lbs of weight if you go to aluminum intake from iron.

If your skills are minimal you might wish to recruit a veteran to assist. TEST FIT before applying gasket goo. Select the right gasket sealers. Proper torque sequence and figure- requires the instrument... Rot like that.
Its a 4-bbl. Thanks for the tips!
Old June 19th, 2013 | 06:02 PM
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If your not going to change the cam and/or add compression, I'd stay with the stock or performer type intake with the q-jet. I'd work on the tune of the carb & ignition & a low restriction dual exhaust. Sometimes putting an rpm intake on a stock engine will decrease the engine performance, basically loosing your low end torque for little top end.
Then there's always rear gears & a higher stall converters too.
Old June 19th, 2013 | 06:06 PM
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Originally Posted by M-14
If your not going to change the cam and/or add compression, I'd stay with the stock or performer type intake with the q-jet. I'd work on the tune of the carb & ignition & a low restriction dual exhaust. Sometimes putting an rpm intake on a stock engine will decrease the engine performance, basically loosing your low end torque for little top end.
Then there's always rear gears & a higher stall converters too.
Thanks man! So because my existing carb is generally $hit and leaking air from the throttle shaft (and I don't trust myself to rebuild it properly) would you suggest me buying this and putting it in?:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ur...FSzhQgodQCQAfQ

The tech at Summit said that it would fit my stock 350.
Old June 19th, 2013 | 06:24 PM
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It'll fit your intake but its jetted for a 455. It'll run too rich.
I'd try to have your carb rebuilt, they can fix the throttle shafts, plus it jetted( close already) to your engine. Do you have any carb gurus around your area?
Old June 20th, 2013 | 06:37 AM
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If you're not doing anything else, I wouldn't swap the intake. There's minimal performance to gain on a stock motor (other than weight), and there's a funny learning curve on getting intakes to seal properly.
You can just swap a carb onto the stock intake. I'm a big fan of the qjets, but there's a lot to learn about them to get them right. If it was me, I'd go for the Street Avenger carb.
Old June 20th, 2013 | 07:19 AM
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The problem you have is your manifold is for a spread bore carb. You primary choice without an adapter is a quadrajet. Since your engine is basically stock, why not just go to an autoparts store and purchase a carb specifically for your engine. This way if it does not work right you can exchange it without a bunch of freight.

I would also tend to believe that there is a carb rebuilder somewhere close to you if wish to rebuild yours.
Old June 20th, 2013 | 09:59 AM
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Originally Posted by oddball
If you're not doing anything else, I wouldn't swap the intake. There's minimal performance to gain on a stock motor (other than weight), and there's a funny learning curve on getting intakes to seal properly.
You can just swap a carb onto the stock intake. I'm a big fan of the qjets, but there's a lot to learn about them to get them right. If it was me, I'd go for the Street Avenger carb.
What do you mean a funny learning curve on getting them to seal right? I think Im just going to replace the base gasket with this one: http://quadrajetparts.com/rochester-...516-p-728.html

The shop said I was losing air from the base of the carb when they tested it which is probably causing my hesitation start from stop.

Also, can you post a link to the Street Avenger? Im curious as to what you are talking about.

Thanks.
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