Quadrajet fun!

Yesterday I drove the '36 into work for a computer update class (who'd think bedside nurses have to be computer experts?) in the afternoon. It was hot, but I've happily been driving it all summer in 90 degree temps with no worries.

On the way home, I felt it "hiccough" a couple of times, but that seemed to be an isolated thing. At least, untill I got into the village of Hickory Corners, and had to slow down to 30 and stop. It stumbled, coughed, ran ragged untill, at the stop sign, it just laid down and died. Of course the guy behind me pulled up right on my bumper so I couldn't roll it back away from the instersection, and started honking his horn.

I opened the hood and there was about half an inch of gas on the intake, happily boiling away, around the carb base. This can't be good. I let it set a couple of minutes, after whacking the carb with a pair of pliers (the only tool I carry, and use to twist the little fasteners for the top) a couple of times, and after a LOT of cranking, it started, and was obviously flooding. It hadn't burst into flames yet, so I figured luck was on my side, so I headed for home, 5 miles away, in second gear so as to keep the rpm's up.

Happily, I made it without flames from under the hood (I wonder if an engine fire is what prompted the first guy to paint flames coming from hood louvers on an early Ford?) and got it in the garage. Lucky me, but I did let it set outside untill the new accumulation of gas on the intake evaporated.

I figured the neoprene float was the culprit, and sure enough, that's all it is. These carbs are, I guess, notorious for the floats eventually getting soaked with gas, and they sink into the bowl, letting the carb flood. That was definately the problem, when I pulled the carb just now to find the ID tag, the intake manifold has gas setting in the plenum. I guess 52+ years is a long time for something like that to last, so I can't complain.

This carb is an early '68, and it took a little searching (don't ya love the internet!) to find that the ID #'s are in a little round tag, not stamped on the carb body, but the local NAPA store will have a new, brass this time, float for me tommorow morning. $10!

I think I'm pretty lucky that the thing got me home, and didn't catch fire doing it. I've smelt gas in the garage the past few days, but blamed my little gas engined bicycle for that, as it leaks a little. Another happy ending, but lesson learned. Replace those Quadrajet floats when rebuilding one, it's cheap insurance. This could have had not such a happy ending, I'd rather not have to get Hagarty Ins. involved in replacing this car.

 

Yes that is correct, I did a rebuild on Dad's 1970 buick Q-jet but opted for the nitro fill float rather then the brass. Do you have any preference for what type of float material to use? I kinda was worried about the brass and the possibility of a leak in the future.
Thanks

 

Bedside nurse? With any luck maybe you'll see the jackass that sat behind you hitting his horn in your professional capacity one day.

 

If your Q-jet has the 90' fuel inlet, there is a "soft plug" at the very front of the carb, "scratch" it up with and awl or something sharp and put some gas resistant epoxy on it. They can leak also and "Flamo"!