I just picked up a rebuilt buick non comp qjet CHEAP. my question revolves around the throttle arm, after looking at the carb I reanized that the throttle arm is completely diffrent and will not accomidate the tv cable for the 700-r4. It doesnt look like I can swap the arm, but is it possible to take the entire primary shaft theat the butterflies are bolted onto and swap that? it is a 74 buick carb and an 87 305 ccc qjet. thanks

john

 

It can be done, BUT, you need to know the screws holding the plates in the shaft are staked in place - meaning if you don't remove the staked material, you'll mess up the threads in the shaft removing the screws. You can CAREFULLY dremel the end of the screws and remove them, then restake when you put the shaft in the carb you want to use. Be careful to support the back of the shaft while you do this staking so the shaft doesn't get bent. You must positively lock these screws in place, because you don't want the engine injesting them or those big secondaries sticking open.

You might also check to see if the entire throttle plate will exchange between the carbs, but I doubt that would be the case. Someone may even exchange their q-jet which is compatible with your Buick unit for your CC part.

Then, the standard questions/advice: You know you need to use a vacuum/mechanical advance distributor with that old q-jet, right? You also know your TCC lockup (if auto) will no longer function, and the SES will come on and stay on without the input from the CC pieces. Why are you doing this - a CC q-jet can be made to run well, get good mileage, keep your TCC lockup functioning. Probably for less money than what you'll spend to make the non-CC stuff work. Not to flame or second-guess, just curious.

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, World 305 heads, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat & 3" cat-back).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. 0.030 over 396, 9.7 CR forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlock header mufflers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, LT MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1/95.5 @ 5800' Bandimere.

 

You can simply Loc-Tite the throttle plate screws when you put the throttle plates back on the shaft. I have done it with no problems on several occasions. THey won't back out.