I rebuilt my quadrajet and now it runs even worse. It cuts out and booooogggs bad. I left off everything on the passangers side of the carb. I think I realize my problem now that I think about it. They dont call it vacuum secondary for nothing do they??? Right now the secondary is just running off the the AV door spring so I assume its just slamming open (boggg). How I setup up the vacuum secondary but keep the choke disabled and make sure that stupid secondary lockout thing doesnt get in the way of my secondaries.

 

The q-jet isn't called "vacuum secondary". It's mechanical with an "air valve".

You must have the vacuum pull-off along with the AV spring. The pull-off keeps the AV from being shocked open. The spring controls the opening with respect to flow. The two work together to avoid bog.

The way you "make sure that stupid secondary lockout thing doesnt get in the way of my secondaries" is to remove it. You can disable the choke itself either by adjusting the thermostat lean, or (what I used to do at the track) tie the high idle cam down with a twist tie.

 

Ok I will put all that stuff back on minus the lockout and zip tie the choke open. Cant use it any because my Action + intake has no EGR/choke provisions or mabe I'll convert to manual. Would not having the "vacuum pull-off" make it stumble on the low end and make a real deep sucking sound on top end and not quite feel right "semi-bog" My idle is also fluctuating but calms down a little once warmed up.

 

Is this a stock computer controlled q-jet, or older style with hot air choke? If hot air choke, it can be converted to electric very easily. I did that on my '84 full size van.

I thought I was smarter than the engineers and took off the pull-off link to the AV on my Edelbrock 1901 q-jet on the '57, thinking I could let the secondaries come in quicker. The result was an initial stumble when nailed. If I tried to adjust the AV spring tension to eliminate the stumble, it wouldn't open fully under full power. By the time I figured this all out, I had lost that little link, and Edelbrock sent me the wrong one when I asked. End result was me giving up and putting on the Holley.

With a properly functioning choke, idle problems should be reduced.

 

It is an older style carb non-cc. How do I convert to electric? Is their any way to hook up the hot air choke with no manifold provisions. I think I have a choke assyembly off another carb that looks like a coiled up band of flat thin metal. Can I use that?
Thanks for all your help!

 

It's pretty simple to convert, actually. The thermostat housings are the same size, and the bi-metal coil attaches in the same way. And, no, there isn't a good way to make a hot-air style work without the proper manifold.

You need to plug the tube on the front of the housing body (it pulls a small vacuum, which will be an air leak if you don't plug it). Install the electric thermostat, hook 12v ignition-switch power to it (the car originally had that wire).

Presto, you're done!