pearl83SS

hey all, i have a basically stock 83 monte carlo SS. i bought an Edelbrock performer carb #1406 to replace my q-jet about a year ago. i could never get the thing tuned right and it was always sluggish and the car bogged a lot. i decided to put the old q-jet back on to see exactly how much power the thing "should" be making but when i drove it, it seemed like it made even less power. it wouldnt rev very high, so i was thinking it was my secondaries. the vacuum that held the secondaries was working fine and not sticking, but if i held the secondaries open and revved it, there was no air flow. i looked down into the carb and revved it high but the (i dont know the technical term for it) round "doors" in the throttle body assembly were not opening. could they be sticking? or shouldnt i be able to see them move because there is no big load on the engine? would i have to take the carb off and try to free them up?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

There is a lock-out lever that is part of the choke mechanism on the passenger side of the carb that will keep the secondary throttle blades from opening until the engine is fully warmed up. That lock-out is disengaged by the green "weight" that sits behind the choke thermostat housing. Make sure that is all operating properly before you go tearing into something that may not have anything wrong with it.

Timing is a typical problem with low performance. Is this a computerized or non-computerized carb and ignition?

pearl83SS

well, it is computerized, but none of it is hooked up...we unplugged the computer because it wasnt working right with advancing the distributer. we then got a MSD street fire i think. this one is a vacuum operated distributer.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

And the q-jet is.... which type??

pearl83SS

so i guess now it is non computerized...

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

No, now it's a brain-dead, fuel-dumping brick.

You need a non-computer type carb if you are running a non-computer type distributor.

pearl83SS

ok so i basically should go back to the 1406 edelbrock carb i just took off? lol i was just trying to see how close i could match the edelbrock performance to the q-jet's, but since it wont work ill just have to tune till im happy. i think im getting the jetting kit today, along with a non computer trans(for free). i dont think ill use this trans till i get my 383 cuz its not worth tearing it all apart just to change the trans. thanks five7 for saving me some time and hassel

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

How do you know that?

The computerized system is highly misunderstood. If it's good enough for a mid-13-sec, highway-geared, fully equipped, daily driven Camaro I happen to know, it should be good enough for a whole lot of applications. No reason it couldn't run a properly-pieced 383, in fact.

Yes, you can put the Edelbrock back on with the non-CC distributor and tune it. But, you'll get better power and economy out of a properly functioning stock computerized carb and ignition, which most likely would have cost you less to fix (if there was anything wrong with it) than the cost of that Performer carb or distributor alone.

Sorry for the sermon. We all too often get distracted by our blind spots. Note I'm including myself in that statement.

hgffrank

In my opinion you will never get an edelbrock carb to perform as good as a properly tuned and operating q-jet. I ditched my eddy for a q-jet and actually gained considerable performance in almost every aspect.

pearl83SS

five7, we unplugged the computer because it was not working, which is why we had to go to a non computerized carb, which in turn led us to go with the msd non computerized distributer. the computer was shot. i do not yet have a 383, i was just saying i will now have a non computerized trans for when i do. so then all together nothing will be computerized