xjcamaro89

Hey guys, i feel out of my element here, im usually hanging out in the TBI section, but anyway, my freind has a 85 Z with a 305 Quadrajet engine, the engine is out of the car and we are going to rebuild it, but we were going to put on a aftermarket carb, intake, and cam. I dont know much about carb cars and was looking at carb, intake, cam kits on summit. Which kit or which jumble of parts would be the easiest to install and give me a little better perfomance over stock. We already have hooker headers and cat back exhaust. Im just worried about how easily everything in going to hook up to the stock wires and hoses, or do i need to even use alot of the wires if i replace the quadra-crap with a holley 4 bbl? And how easily would the fuel lines connect? Thanks alot for your help guys, and if you guys need any TBI answers you know where to go, thanks!

Air_Adam

If you want good street performance, but want to do away with the Qjet, then I'd suggest either a Holley 1850 (600cfm 4bbl VS) or a Holley 3310 (750cfm 4bbl, VS, dual feed) for fuel metering, and a Performer RPM or Holley 300-36 Street Dominator intake manifold.

However, both Edelbrock and Holley make manifolds (including the Perf RPM and Street Dominator) that will work with the Qjet, and thats really not a bad carb to continue using. Its one of the best carbs out there for street/strip.

None of the fuel lines would "bolt right up" you'd have to make your own.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

If you want the easiest swap with the best performance for the least amount of money, stick with the stock carb. Hands-down, it wins in every catagory (with the possible exception of full-out drag racing or manual transmission, in which case a Holley double-pumper will win the "best performance" catagory).

Don't fall for the normal magazine mechanic routine and think you need an aftermarket carb for performance. It just ain't so. Get it out of your head, listen to reason and experience.

As Air said, stick with the stock q-jet, get a cam that will play well with the computer (easy to do - such as the Comp XE262 or XE268), an aftermarket manifold to which I'll add the Weiand Action+ to the list, and you'll be good to go. The fuel lines will even bolt right up.

Dual snorkel air cleaner (either factory or homemade), headers, 3" exhaust, head porting - that 305 will make passengers beg for mercy (okay, maybe that's a little over the top, but hey, I'm allowed a little lattitude around people who say "replace the carb" and don't have a clue why, don't I???).

xjcamaro89

Is there an aftermarker Q-jet, im just wondering because I know my freind isnt going to be happy if I tell him that we are going to keep the old carb (he is young and has too much money and nothing to do with it) anyway, if i can find a good aftermarket q-jet, what would be a good setup complete q-jet, intake and cam options, maybe with summit part #'s. Also what tuning would i need to do once I get everything bolted on, any computer work, or can everything be done in the engine compartment? Sorry for all the ?'s guys, im more of a Fuel Injection guy and I know in that feild you can't do anything without having to mess with the computer, thanks again!

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

There are no aftermarket q-jets available. There are aftermarket spreadbores, such as the Holley 6210, but it doesn't have the computer controls, and will defeat the purpose of sticking with the stock carb.

There are aftermarket rebuilt computer controlled q-jets available, but again, no reason for it unless the current carb is FUBAR. Cost is about the same as buying a new aftermarket carb, typically.

The computer only controls the primaries of the carb, and as long as the cam doesn't throw the computer for a loop, no adjustments are needed there. About all the computer does is keep the mixture at 14:1, and adjust the timing curve based on engine speed, vacuum, and throttle position - so other performance improvements don't really affect any of that. The secondaries work just like the original non-computer controlled q-jet, and tuning there is all done under the hood, just like the good ol' days.

xjcamaro89

I did find remanufactures q-jets on summit (which is probably what ill end up doing) And even if I put a different cam in the car (a mild one- little better over stock) the computer will be fine, any suggestions on cams or intakes, that i can get from summit?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

(I had an answer all typed out 5 hours ago, then got a call from my son that a girl had run into him in the Micky D's parking lot. So, let's try again.)

Go to summitracing.com, click on online cstore, then click on these links/choices: Engine & components, camshafts & valvetrain, camshafts, then go through Chevrolet, 1985, Camaro, V8, and "show all" under camshaft usage, then computer compatible, and look for p/n CCA-12-402-4. That's a decent upgrade cam, won't give the computer fits, and will wake up the 305. You'll also want new valve springs, Comp 981's should do the trick - get new retainers, too.

Intake, get a spreadbore type, either Edelbrock Performer, Weiand Action+, Holley Street Dominator, or GMPP ZZ4 (such as a take-off on eBay).