FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

i have an L31 mildly ported heads.... LT4 HotCam... performer rpm intake... Hooker 2055Rs into an SLP LoudMouth exhaust... using the stok e4me carb but i wanna know if anyone could get me in the ballpark with rods/hanger choice??? i have a few laying around ill get a list... also does anyone know what rods/hanger is already in my LG4 carb??? thanks for any help

Damon

Factory stock LG4 carb will have CH rods and an M hanger, if memory serves. Using a set of DR rods (stock in the L69 HO carb) along with a G hanger is usually a noticable seat-of-the-pants improvement. If you need to go even richer a set of DA rods on the same G hanger would be the next step.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

thanks damon... gotaa look and see if i got a g hanger in my parts box... pretty sure i dont have any of those rods... if i post a list of my rods could you tell me which that i have would be richer???

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

anyone have any rods/ hangers for sale?

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

also a buddy was telling me that the truck carb is better for high perf because the venturis are different??? doesnt sound right to me but, ant oppinions?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Not right. Some of the big blocks got larger flowing q-jets, but not on trucks to my knowledge.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

yeah thats what i thought lol... found a g hanger for $11 shipped, but the metering rods dont have the "letters" they have the "sizes"

Damon

I think you're looking at primary side rods- those have numbers. All QJet secondary rods have a 2-letter ID stamped on them.

Secondary rods are getting tough to find new, but I think you can still buy DRs from your local Chevy dealership. At least you could a few years back. Part number 17053659. Usually sold individually.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

you think those DRs, with a G will work with my combo pretty well then? how much is the stealership getting for them?? jamesc posted a link to a place online where they are 12$ plus shipping for both

scooter500

iTrader: (1)

I tried several conservative combos to save fuel and they all were disappointing. K and N hangers with CH and CK and something worse... AN secondary rods IIRC. I eventually decided G hanger and DRs. The idea on the bigger DAs might be worth considering but I think the G hanger and DRs are a much better combo.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

that is with a 305 correct?? im going to try g with dr's and see if its any good... gotta be better then the stock stuff

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

o and fwiw im not concerned about mileage i want to be rich enough to avoid detonation with my combo

Damon

Regardless of what secondary rods you put in once the secondaries on a QJet open up it's gonna drink some gas, bigtime! They are only there for when you call for foll steam ahead. The rest of the time you're driving completely on the primaries. So it's best to choose secondary rods for best performance- forget trying to tune them for any kind of economy.

$12 for a single secondary rod from the dealership sounds about right. I remember paying about $25 for a set of them (2) a few years back.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

yeah im not worried about economy even when cruising, its not a commuter its a toy

** damon im gonna go double check but i think it was 12 for 2... SMI said theyd ship me a set matched to my combo for 32 shipped i was trying to go cheaper lol

Damon

Yeah, GM has not always been consistent about whether the pricing is per rod or per pair. Most times I've paid $12 per rod (at the local GM parts counter). But I have heard others get them for $12 for a pair. I might even have gotten a set one time that I was only charged $12 for a pair, but it's been too long for me to recall exactly.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

whatever they think they can get from you at the time right ! LOL

Damon

Yeah, there's probably a lot of truth to that!

scooter500

iTrader: (1)

Yes, the dr/g combo is used in a 305. My use = daily driver 6 miles to work & similar short trips, so I consistently find it better to get up to speed and then maintain speed (back off to lower rpms to allow driving w/ highest vacuum at 15 or higher). My old 305 accumulates carbon quickly and gets worse mpg when slowly reaching speed. Fortunately there are mile-long streached of road and they help keep my motor clean. Overall with the dr/g combo I'm getting about 18 mpg if I keep from fully mashing the gas pedal more than once or twice a tank. There's no way I'd want to go back to the CH/K (IIRC) combo!

To try & keep the carbon out I'm going to try a little hotter plug than then an R43TS plug next time but that's another post. Anyway, I'm sure you won't regret the dr/g combo. Just save the mashes for the occassional times you need a big grin and the mpgs will still be there.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

man MPG IS OUT THE WINDOW!... im looking for power... if my tank is empty by the time i get to the track my car will be lighter!... my 5.3L 4wd ext cab truck gets 17mpg with me beating the brakes off of it all the time... scooter fwiw maybe you should do some more tweaking i was getting 21 with my old 305 with the stock carb, air filter assembly and exhaust, only adjustment i did was put the idle down to 500 it was actually the only adjustment i was confident i could do right at the time LOL it had a 700r4 and 2.73 gears though and i dont know what yours has maybe thats the difference
** i just looked and you have the same setup... maybe its the aerodynamics/ weight diff of a firebird vs the z28??? somebody else chime in here please

Damon

With 350 cubes and a HotCam you're probably not going to pull down that kinda MPGs.

On a stock LG4 305 with a 5 speed and 2.73 rear gears (85 Camaro- my brother's old daily beater car) he could get 27 on the highway. But, um, like half that around town. The motor had some miles on it but the tune was sharp.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

yeah thats why im thinking scooter may be a ittle off somehwere... i jus want mine to run right odds are i wont be using the primaries all that much anyway lol im 5 mins from wide open highway

scooter500

iTrader: (1)

I finished a basic tune up (wires, R45TS spark plugs @ 44*, cap/rotor & 195* thermostat) and that made maybe a 20% improvement.

Perhaps I'll get better mpg with the short trips I take throughout the week... can't be any worse and it's gotta be more fun, right?

Even so, I'm keeping the DR/G set up!

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

i would have went with a 180 thermo (your 195 may get better mpg not sure about that i just like mone to run cooler) but yeah i believe you should see some sort of difference

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

scooter its been a while now any documented change in mpg?

scooter500

iTrader: (1)

Flip, well, this is just from the first tank but got 18.25 mpg around town. That's with lots of lead foot to get what can be from an LG4. The old sparks weren't as bad as I feared, just number 7. It had a little oil booger.

What hanger & rods are you going with?

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

i ordered the DR rods for 10$ shipped... the G hanger will be on its way soon as i find one real cheap... after i get it running good and make a few base passes im gonna start going 1 step richer until i lose et/mph at the track then ill know im where i should be but DR/G for now just to get her moving and its gotta be better then the stockers cause they were barely adequate for the LG4 lol

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

My car came with the CH rods and an O hanger.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

just pulled the stock rods and hager from my carb... couldnt read the casting on the hanger but the rods are ch... i orderd DR rods, and evidently edlebrock carbs use a similar metering rod and they sent me some rods that wont work, so now i have to send them back and get the right ones ;( got the G hanger though

scooter500

iTrader: (1)

Really curious how DR G works on your engine combo.

What type of air cleaner assembly are you using?

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

yeah im curious too scooter LOL hope i can find out soon! i have a K&N extreme with a cowl induction hood

Damon

You might want to ditch the Extreme lid. Trust me. They only make tight hood clearance situations WORSE, not better. If you run it on top of a QJet with a typical 14x3 drop base air cleaner the free clearance over top of the carb is REDUCED versus a sheet metal lid (because the filter pleats use up about 3/4" of free clearance on the underside vs. a standard sheet metal lid). And that can cause weird metering problems and overall reduced performance. Carbs are very sensitive to the free clearance area above the venturis. If it's less than 1" bare minimum above the choke horn you're asking for trouble.

I know they look like the perfect answer to a tight hood clearance air cleaner situation but they just don't work. At least not with a QJet. Personal experience, not theory.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

yeah im actually thinking about ditching the drop base because i do not need it with the cowl hood... but i cant find anywhere to buy just the base... i have a 3" cowl induction hood if that matters so i have plenty of clearance

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

update i ordered a set of dr rods when they got here they were obviously edlebrock metering rods... should have just gotten them from the qjet place but i tried to get them cheaper #doesnt always work... the guy advertised them as qjet rods... had a pic that wasnt the same as the ones i recieved blah... just ordered a srt of DA rods, which is the next step richer from DRs as damon said... seeing how i have a 350 with a medium sized cam i thought the next step up from a good 305 setup wasnt a bad choice... we will see, anyone got a raised 14" air cleaner base? ill trade u cash and my drop base

Auggie

Make your owen or go to Ramairbox.com.

Auggie

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

im not sure why everyone keeps telling me to get a dual snorkel air cleaner assembly... i have a cowl induction hood... that means air is pressurized at the "cowl" so cold air will be right at the top of the hood... if i use a dual snorkel and aim the snorkels to the front i will be negating the reason for having "cowl induction"... now i know its not ram air, but it has been used for years to feed large HP engines...
i want the raised base so i dont have the "reduced clearance" problem damon was talking about since i have plenty of airfilter to hood clearance... eventually i will fab a sheild up to "seal" the filter to the "cowl scoop" but for now it should get a decent supply of cold air

Damon

You can't buy just the base. Spend $20 for a complete 14x3 non-drop base and just use the parts you need. I've played mix-and-match with my pile of air cleaner parts for sol long I doubt any of them have their original matching bases and lids.

ramairbox.com also sells setups to make your cowl induction hood functional. Not without work (they're all pretty much "universal" kits), but they provide most of the difficult stuff you will need without having to do serious fabrication.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

where can i get it for $20 ? i found them for about 35ish... btw the G/DA is installed as of today... had a water pump failure so im dead in the water until the new aluminum pump comes in the mail ;(

jchaussee

So I am have either h or o hanger and dp or dr rods. Which would be best for my 327

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

im not sure about the hangers... but i think they go reverse alphabetically richer if that makes sense, so closer to A is richer... someone please correct me if im wrong... so id say H hanger and dp rods... i just installed DA/G and im expecting to need to be alot richer... i just wanted something better then stock until i can get to the track and get her tuned right... then ill make little increases until she doesnt respond

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

Is it me or has anyone else after they changed their rods and hangars have had better cold starting?

jchaussee

The dp rods I can't find where they came from. It seems the dr rods were out of HO 305s???

Fast355

iTrader: (2)

You can find DP/DR rods in 305s through the early to mid 80s. Mostly in Trucks/Vans with the HO 305.

Damon

DP rods are common in 305 truck applications. DR rods are used in the 305 HO motors (L69) and some truck applications.

jchaussee

So as stated earlier in the thread, are the dps a better choice in a 327

Damon

Depends what the motor wants at WOT. DPs are leaner than DRs especially on the power tip, but share a similar taper.

DRs are my go-to middle-of-the-road starting point. When in doubt that's what I start with. What it needs from there is anybody's guess. Try it and see.

scooter500

iTrader: (1)

Okay, I wanted wait before answering. After a few tanks I'm getting an average of 18 mpg of in town driving using the DR G set up. Sometimes a little more (just over 19) sometimes and little less (just under 18). Same routine just about everywhere... 2 miles at 25 to 35 mph then 2 miles of 45 to 55 mph followed by 2 miles of 25 - 25 mph. That's running Shell 87 octane, Mobile One oil and a fairly heavy foot.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

thats a little low but i wouldnt call it anything to complain about seeing how your are beating on it some and its a small V8

Damon

As long as you're not dipping deep enough into the throttle to open the secondaries it doesn't matter what secondary rods/hangers you have in it. QJet secondary throttle plates are completely closed in their bores until you open them up with more than about 1/2 throttle on the primary side.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

Damon, ive decided to just get a air cleaner spacer for now to solve the "choke horn clearance issue" what size would u recomend(the spacer is WAY cheaper then buying another air cleaner assembly as i cannot find one for less then $37)