Hi everyone, Turns out the rebuilt 1972 Buick 350 Rochester Quadrajet that I have is still causing problems on the Buick - will be taking it back to the carburator shop to see if it can be fixed. In the meantime, I am borrowing a friend's Buick carb (which works excellent), but I have to return it so I am looking for another 1972 Buick 350 Quadrajet carburator hopefully in already good working condition - anyone have one for sale?
>>The Buick ran great - I took it out to the library as well later on and did notice a little hesitation but the car starts right up every time and also no more smoke out the tailpipe. I'm going to drop off the '72 Quadrajet at Allstate tomorrow after work and let them know the issues I had with it. Will probably buy that '73 Quadrajet on ebay as a backup though.
I think I have a couple of Q-Jet main bodies from my blue 72 GS I had. I should go to that garage and see what I can find. I had a couple of boxes of parts left over.
If you have an extra Quadrajet main body that might come in useful. I'm going to call Allstate tomorrow morning and explain the situation with the carb. If they just want the carb I'll drop it off tomorrow - if they want to see the carb on the Buick then I'll have to swap them back and bring the Buick to them on Tuesday.
They shouldnt need to. Frankly, its running so poorly with your carb, I would hesitate to drive it over there. And its not like they can adjust that out anyway. The problem has to be linked to that hole in the back that they plugged.
Yeah, I would not want to keep driving the Buick around with the other carb - too much trouble getting the car to start up. I'll definitely ask them about the hole in the back and will let you know what they say.
I dropped off the carb at Allstate a little while ago and explained the problem - he has a test motor there and will run the carb on the motor first and then will let me know. I asked again about the hole in the back of the carb - he said someone probably drilled it, he also said Cadillac carbs had a hole there which would have had a metal tube pressed in. And check out the back of this '73 Quadrajet I am looking at - quite different from mine!
Thats the hot idle compensator valve thing back there. I didnt think it was in use on the 72 carb. On the earlier models (68, 69) it has a bimetal valve in the depression with a cork gasket that opens a passage to manifold vacuum. It definitely should not be getting vacuum at the bolt hole for the cover. If it is, then something is wrong. It will be interesting to hear Allstate's take.
Hi Ken, The spot where this carb's pic has a square indent, mine has a hole which was causing a vacuum leak. Jason threaded the hole and put in a screw which improved the carb, and Allstate took out the screw and welded in a brass plug in its place.
Thanks Ken, I couldnt find any info on what that was used for. There was also fuel coming out of that hole. When I put my finger on it to plug the massive vacuum leak, my finger was wet. And I dont think that carb started life off as a 72 Buick carb. The casting numbers looked fishy to me. Chris- Did you get in touch with the Ebay seller you bought it from? You should ask for some sort of compensation. Someone told me they blasted him on the RealOldsPower site.
here is a pic of the back of a 7042244 carb. 72 350 auto. It has the provision for the Idle compensator valve, unlike the 73. Although in this carb's case it is not drilled open. EDIT: yea things would have to be off a bit for you to get fuel there. hard to say. It could only come from 2 places to get back there, either the large secondary well plugs or the secondary circuit itself.
The hole that was leaking wasnt the large hole in the square opening, it was the bottom hole where the screw would go to hold the plate on. That was the wierd thing about it I didnt have any plug that would fit and the hole didnt have any threads, so I took a 10-32 tap and made some so I could use a machine screw a temporary vacuum plug.
10-4. It shouldnt be doing that. may have been drilled, or maybe a crack? The fuel is still a tough one though.o No:
Lucky thing for Chris I have a few spare carbs laying around! Then again, I have a few spares of pretty much everything laying aroundou:
>>Hi Jason, Yep, got in touch with him and this is what 1-Catman said: " I would have changed the jets and all shops that get carbs that are not running right say they are a mess that carb was all New inside so it was not a mess they just make it sound that way did you adjust the idle screws to its highest RPM ? and you don't know what happened in shipping dropped, they could have throwened it who knows well I am getting out of this because the parts are to much and they are junk nothing works right like it use to."
The only thing thats junk is his effed up carb. He would of changed the jets? What kind of a response is that? It was supposed to be ready to go for a 72 350 Buick. I dont think he has an appreciation of just how bad it was. Tell him your glad he's getting out of the carb business because he sucks at it. :moonu:
Yeah, you are right Jason - this guy put god knows what into that carb that may never work right. Hopefully Allstate can make the carb usable but we shall see.
Well, it was an interesting day - got stuck in some meetings after work and so missed the auction for the '73 Quadrajet - will have to keep looking for another rebuilt spare. I got a call from Allstate as well and they bench tested the '72 carb with no problems - no smoking at all. I took the carb home and put it back on the Buick. Started the Buick up and sure enough, no smoking. Took it out for a small trip and still no smoking - but when I got out of the store the Buick would not start right up and I had to give it gas as before. Jim from Allstate said I could bring the Buick in so he could check it out in person - this will be next week though.
