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CarburetorsCarb discussion and questions. Upgrading your Third Gen's carburetor, swapping TBI to carburetor, or TPI to carburetor? Need LG4 or H.O. info? Post it here.
Hi from Australia, and this is my first post.... I have picked up a 1986 Pontiac Firebird 305 V8. The car has been sitting in a shed for 10 years so i am currently working my way through the list of issues this causes. The cars original carby has been removed and refitted with a holley. The original Qjet did not come with the vehicle, and the previous owner doesnt have it. From what i have read im guessing the standard carby would have been a E4ME ( correct me if im wrong ) All the electrical connections are still sitting next to the holley. The distributor is stock and hasn't been changed. Once again from what i have read - secondary's wont work and torque converter lock up wont activate. The car hasn't been driven yet either. Question time.... Can you confirm what connections go to the original carby, what Qjet would have been fitted originally. I am looking at replacing the holley with a stock unit if i can get one. Any recommendations where to get one? If i cant and have to keep the holley any advice on what distributor to install. Info and pictures appreciated. Cheers
Hey mate, from memory there is a 12v connection to the choke (usually a grey blade connect housing) the mixture control solenoid (blue ended circular plug that goes into the carb).
Throw a photo up and youll have a bit more luck getting assistance and accurate information. Where abouts in Straya are you?
Hello down under, the attached photos will show the Quadrajet E4ME computer controlled carb. You can see the electrical connections on it. This carb is on a 1987 Formula.
Louis
Last edited by Ct1987; Jan 20, 2019 at 06:40 PM.
Reason: edit
Thanks for the photos CT1987. Looks like 3 of the 4 connections go to the Qjet. Not sure about the White connection with the red and black wires though.EGR valve is disconnected, and currently working my way through removing the 80's pollution gear due to it being all damaged, parts missing etc. Im in Adelaide Zed-028
Ok, so youve got a big cap HEI vac advance distributor, something you'd chuck on there if you were putting a holley on. so in short, here is your situation
Someone pulled the Computer controlled carb and threw a holley on - At this point the vehicle would run like crap because the computer would have no reference to the carb sensors.
Putting a vac advance HEI big cap dizzy on there would have returned this to running absolutely fine - if you throw a computer controlled quadrajet back on there, youll have to revert back to a computer controlled carb.
This forum is basically 99.9% American, and they have various legislation regarding emissions and yearly testing. From memory, South Aus doesn't have any such testing apart from when you register the car itself. Even then, with some of the shitboxes my Dad has had registered in the Barossa, a tidy and clean vehicle with a half arsed tune will be fine. My recommendation would be (this is where i will cop some serious flack) to forget the computer system. Put a kit through the holley and get it up to spec, delete the electrics from the computer, and then setup a pressure operated switch for the lockout (i bought mine from rebel wires in the states) makes the lockout a non issue.
These things are over 30 years old now, get her clean, give it a refresh of vac hoses and fluids and then get her running, then see how you're going for money and time.
Cheers for the feedback. According to the previous owner he didn't change the distributor and he pulled the carby off so i was assuming that it was a stock unit- cant find any Vac lines running off it. The car idles fine and doesn't blow any black smoke, will backfire through carb if you kick it hard at idle. Haven't driven so not sure how it goes on the road. No vehicle testing here, so in the clear for removing all the emission gear... we until it gets defected and then would require a full check.
yeah thats another E4ME carb (computer controlled). any 80's holden with a 186ci-308ci was usually fitted with them (and the chev 350 option aswell)
if you're removing emissions then find a full mechanical one or stick with the holley. Also that distributor looks like there is a vacuum canister hanging off the right hand side (looking at the engine bay from the front) if theres no vac line attached then theres no timing advance under load. she will run fairly piggish.
2 options really -
1. Restore the original setup with computer control (looks like what you are angling at) and find a computer controlled distributor and hope the other sensors and switches and wiring are up to it (Exhaust O2 sensor, all the emissions switches, EGR solenoids and so on).
2. Go back to the 70's/80's and go full mechanical carb and vac advance distributor, ditch all the emissions crap and have it up and running in no time,
I had the original computer setup and just kept chasing gremlins for about a year and a half. then one weekend implemented option 2, that was about 4 years ago... never looked back.
