i have a non cc q-jet and i dont no how to tune it i was wondering if someone could explain to me in steps.. i dont no if left is lean and right is rich or whatever....i dont no how many turns to go on the left or right side

 

also when my car hits second it hesitates and almost stalls and it sputters when u just cruise its bad and i cant figure it out my carb gasket also leaks a lil bit but it was running fine till yesterday and i put the carb on saterday..i dont think its the timing because it starts right up but it reall dont idle it will stall out please help

 

go buy that dam gasket......and get that fuel pump if u can....it deffinetly sounds like the fuel pump now that ur daddy said somthing

 

-Why do you think the carb gasket leaks? Make sure you don't over tighten the bolts holding the carb down, it'll only warp the carb. The gasket below a q-jet is about $3, you can get a new one if you want.

-I highly doubt your fuel pump is bad, rig up a means of testing the fuel pressure while driving if you want, but i'd do that before just replacing the pump.

-I've already given you a few steps to getting rid of the bog, but it sounds like that isn't the problem right now.

-You'll need a vacuum gauge to set your idle mixture screws. Also a "carburetor adjusting tool" that you can get from napa for $8, looks like a screwdriver handle with a 2' long metal extension. You use the "double D" attachement. It's my favorite

If it takes off in first ok, then bogs when it hits second, it might be the air valve tension, or it might be the float level. The air valve tension is by far the most common cause of a bog on the q-jet, since it "loses it's adjustment" quite commonly. It's also BY FAR the easiest thing to adjust/fix on a q-jet.
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So, have you done it yet?

 

no, i dont think he has.....he has the "carb adjustment tool" and when he hits 2nd and floors it, it just loses all power like there is no gas going into the carb

 

Well, if you want, go ahead and replace the pump then. Looks like you're in his neck of the woods, give'm a hand, it's an easy job

I paid $26 in connectors to test my pump, then $24 for a new pump. I still felt better knowing that i'm going in the right direction. Also, I can re-use my tester later.

A bad airvalve will drop in farrrrr too much air once you get into the secondaries, and it'll be a huge bog. Sometimes you won't even get into the secondaries in 1st gear, hence why this *might* be the case.

Other things are, it could be a low float level. But this doesn't just happen, someone has to set it wrong, so I doubt it's this.

 

no...one of his BIG problems was his secondaries kept getting stuck open...we fixed it earlier

 

Bingo, that was what I meant.
You adjusted the secondary air valve then? Or do you mean the secondary butterflies were sticking open?

Then he'll need a vacuum gauge to set up the idle.

 

im guessing butterfly's....sorry, i am new to cars they are the things on top that are like "flaps" kindof? if so yes

 

The top "flaps" are the air valve blades.

The butterflies are the round blades that you can see when the air valve flaps are open, these are in the bottom.

 

then the "air valve blades" were getting stuck open...i dont know about the butterflies

 

ok, yea. Like I said, that's the most common ailment on q-jets, and it causes a bog.

Here's a real cheeseball way to see if your fuelpump is bad (never tried it, just thought it up now) - Go WOT, once it stumbles and you *think* it's out of fuel, flick the keys to off, and pop it into neutral, and coast to the side of the road. Now, if the fuel pump (or a lack of fuel to the carb in someway), is what's causing the problem, then the float bowl should be empty right about now. So if you pop the hood, and lean down over your carb, and flick the throttle, you'll see twin streams of fuel. that's your pump shot. Now, once you use up the pumpshot, it'll try and refill from the float bowl - and if it's empty, then it can't. So if you only get 1-3 pumpshots, then it's "shooting blanks", then you may want to try a new fuel pump. If you get a good 5 or more pumpshots (indefinately many), then you're probably wasting your time.

This just popped into my head as theory, if any carb guys want to debunk this, be my guest.

 

ya its probibly the air valve tension when im in neutral and hit the trottle til like 4000rpms the open almost all the way i cant figure out how 2 ajust them i went to the tech article but it made me more confused..oo and the gasket leaks cuz i sprayed carb cleaner in the bottom of the carb and the engine revs

 

ok, replace that gasket first, take care of it. You've tested it right, but you've got a massive vacuum leak, and that's giving you a sh**&*& idle.

You'll probably want to add tension to the air valve, a 305 shouldn't be able to open it much if you're just revving it in neutral.
Do a seach on the boards for "air valve adjustment". Chances are you'll find a lot of posts saying "search!", but I know there's a few good pictures showing what you need to do. Small flatblade screwdriver and a small allen key is what you need.

 

ok..but is the screw inbetween the 2 blades

 

No, that's to remove the secondary hangar and rods.

Did you read the article?

The adjustment screw is on the passenger side. In the "hole" of the mechanism that controls that 2 blades. The lock screw to lock the adjustment is from the underside on the passengerside, just under the top "plate" called the air horn.

 

do u have any pics of it

 

ok so i changed the gasket and checked the air valve tension and its good and its still sputtering and hesitating while driving and the cat i dont thing is cloged cuz i can feel exhaust come out pretty good and i dont no what it could be besides the carb or the fuel pump

 

You've verified no leaks at the gasket, or in other places then? Using the spraying the carb cleaner trick ?

Now, it desperately needs to be tuned. Do you have a timing light (dialback preferred), a vacuum gauge, and the carb tuning tool? I think you have the carb tuning tool, but make sure you have all three of these. Once you do, i'll
let you know what to do.

Describe better the symptoms - sputtering and hesitating when? In what gear? at what speed? at what throttle percentage? can you ease into the throttle? only when you gun it? or...?

 

ya i got the tool and i did the carb cleaner trick.. it sputters at idle and when im moving, in any gear ,it bogs in 2nd its like its spitting bits of fuel or some thing everytime it sputter the whole car vibrates in a pulseating way and its slowwww it dont move its holds back...i got every but the vaccum gauge..it was fine 3 days ago and all of a sudding bam.. it might of bin my friend he touched my idle/mixture screws with the tool..should i try the stock specs on the screws.

 

Yea, you can try that. Tighten in the mixture screws all the way, then back them out 3 turns each. I put a black mark on the handle of my tool, and 180* off I put a red mark (using a sharpie). This makes it easy to know how many 1/2 turns i'm adjusting it.
If that doesn't help, you'll need the vacuum gauge.

 

which way?

 

o tighten k i get it now thanks man ill let you know tomorrow

 

i got a vacuum gauge and it says late ignition timing,but i put it to 8* btdc like u said so what do I have to do now

 

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Your gauge doesn't give advice, it gives a number, what vacuum level are you getting while you're idling?

hook it up to a full manifold vacuum port, not a ported source. ie, it should show like 18"hg, rather than 3-5".

Once you have it showing the high number, adjust your mixture screws, for highest vacuum level. So turn each screw out (lefty-loosey), one turn, and watch what the gauge shows. Play with it until you get the highest possible vacuum rating. May have to turn your idle screws back in a bit, 'cuz this might raise your idle speed. Report back what you get for the highest vacuum rating.