I was hoping someone would know where I could get different pairs of the 170 series primary metering rods. Apperently the rods in the 70 series are different than in the 170 series and I think I have the 70 series in my 170 series carb. I hope to try and get it back to stock so that I can tune it from there.

Thanx for any help

I think I know what you're asking, but it isn't quite the right terminology...

You're looking for metering rods for a E4M Q-Jet, right? Computer controlled as opposed to the original 4M or the later M4M (which also have carb #s starting with 170 but use the early style rods)?

The computer carbs use an entirely different style of rods and jets from the non-computer ones. The dividing line isn't between "70" (roughly 65-79) and "170" (roughly 80 up), it's by model (E4M vs all other 4M).

Go to your local AC/Delco dealer (not a parts store, but rather the guys that sell to parts stores) and they'll be able to hook you up, if anybody can. If you can't find one, contact Union Auto Electric in Memphis at (901) 345-1113 and see what they can do for you. You'll probably need part #s but you can get those from Doug Roe's Q-Jet books.

Its not the comp controlled carb. I junked that a few years ago. I found this carb at the junkyard and after I rebuilt it I bent the original rods and I don't know what happened to them. I ended up finding another pair of primary rods but according the Doug Roe Q-jet book, there is a difference between the primaries on the 70 and 170 series. "Q-jets beginning with serial number 170 have primary metering rods that are 0.080-in shorter and a different taper. These started in 1975 until the present...do not interchange 170 and 70 series metering rods" My carb number is 17059230 which means it came from a 79 caddy. Is there any more help out there?

Oh.... those.

I don't know, it never occurred to me to even try to take one of those ultimate smogger things and do anything with it besides just keep it working. Sorry.

But once you get part #s, try the above place as a supplier.

Unfortunately, old Douggie got it wrong on that point. 170xxxx vs. 70xxxx is not the correct way of identifying the primary rods you need. There are exceptions to that rule, I have found. Quite a few exceptions, actually.

The ONE AND ONLY right way of deciding what primary rods you need is by the style of choke on the carb. If it's an older style QJet with a remote choke, it takes the longer "B" style primary rods. If it's the later style QJet with the round, integral choke housing on the pass. side of the carb, it takes the shorter "K" style primary rods.

Here's another place you can buy QJet parts:

http://www.carbs.net/quadrajet.asp