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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / September 2006

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4bbl carb disable the secondaries

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chevyengine - 03 Sep 2006 02:37 GMT
I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.  I
have not found any information on how it's done.

I looked at the carb and saw linkage coming from the vacuum diaphargm
going to the secondaries.  Is this the linkage?

Is there any information on how to disable the secondaries?

Thanks in advance
Steve Walker - 03 Sep 2006 02:49 GMT
> I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.  I
> have not found any information on how it's done.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance

This is a Rochester Quadrajet. The vacuum diaphragm is a delay mechanism
to keep the back two barrels from opening too soon and bogging the
engine down. You can zip tie through the part that comes out of it to
keep it retracted all the time. The bottom butterflies will still open,
but the top air valve will stay shut, and the venturies will see no
airflow, therefore no (or VERY little)fuel flow in the back barrels.
However, your engine may run very lean during high demand, as the front
jets cannot flow enough to feed the engine properly at times of high demand.

Doing this WILL NOT increase mileage as much as you think. It's better
to change driving habits to keep from opening the back barrels as often.
Also, talk to a local gearhead about recurving the distributor, keep it
tuned properly, blah, blah.. Before any carb work on a Q-jet, replace
the float, set it properly, and check the bottom of the carb for leakage
arount the plugs. You will also have to remove the caps for idle mixture
control, as by now the engine is worn past the point that the factory
sealed and set idle screws will work properly.

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Steve Walker
fusion640@verizonwallet.net (remove wallet to reply)

Don - 03 Sep 2006 08:40 GMT
>> I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.  I
>> have not found any information on how it's done.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>but the top air valve will stay shut, and the venturies will see no
>airflow, therefore no (or VERY little)fuel flow in the back barrels.

This is a really bad idea.  If you try it you will find that the car
belches black smoke from running very rich with full manifold vacuum
imposed on the secondary jets.  Take my word for it,  if you even
adjust the spring too tight the car will flood.   You are correct that
there will be little air flow but the will be LOTS of fuel flow as the
secondaries are essentially fully choked.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

>However, your engine may run very lean during high demand, as the front
>jets cannot flow enough to feed the engine properly at times of high demand.
>
>Doing this WILL NOT increase mileage as much as you think. It's better
>to change driving habits to keep from opening the back barrels as often.

I agree with you fully here.

>Also, talk to a local gearhead about recurving the distributor, keep it
>tuned properly, blah, blah.. Before any carb work on a Q-jet, replace
>the float, set it properly, and check the bottom of the carb for leakage
>arount the plugs. You will also have to remove the caps for idle mixture
>control, as by now the engine is worn past the point that the factory
>sealed and set idle screws will work properly.
Steve Walker - 03 Sep 2006 21:52 GMT
>> This is a Rochester Quadrajet. The vacuum diaphragm is a delay mechanism
>> to keep the back two barrels from opening too soon and bogging the
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Don
> www.donsautomotive.com

Dang. What a brain fart I had. I forgot about engine vacuum, I was just
thinking about airflow through the venturies. You are correct. Any
opening of the secondary butterflies without opening the air doors will
suck fuel. Good call Don.
Signature

Steve Walker
fusion640@verizonwallet.net (remove wallet to reply)

Steve - 05 Sep 2006 15:25 GMT
>> I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.  I
>> have not found any information on how it's done.
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> jets cannot flow enough to feed the engine properly at times of high
> demand.

Wrong, wrong, and WRONG.

Disabling the secondary air-door WITHOUT disabling the butterflies below
it will result in, effectively, a closed choke on the secondaries.
Massively over-rich, huge clouds of black smoke, enormous fuel
consumption, fouled plugs, etc.

If you want to disable the secondaries (why on earth WOULD you? It won't
really help mileage and will remove your ability to safely merge on an
interstate) the way to do it is remove the linkage from the main
butterflies to the secondary butterflies so that the secondaries never open.
jeffcoslacker - 05 Sep 2006 15:49 GMT
Steve Wrote:

> >> I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.
> I
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
> butterflies to the secondary butterflies so that the secondaries never
> open.

It's not as bad as you might think...we had two wreckers at the shop
that had secondaried disabled (because the boss was the cheapest
bastard you ever met), and both would tow adequately, albiet not very
swiftly...but when I opened them up on a trial basis, fuel mileage
plummeted, and he made me change them back...Tried to convince him that
a large 2 bbl would be a good compromise, but that would cost MONEY,
see, and well, that just wasn't going to happen...

At least it was good practice. Towing a full sized conversion van with
a 350 breathing through the primaries of a Q-jet only was very much
like driving the 80,000 lb GVWR rigs I currently run...very slow
accelerating and use your gears wisely...:lol:

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jeffcoslacker

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silicon212 - 03 Sep 2006 02:56 GMT
chevyengine Wrote:
> I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.  I
> have not found any information on how it's done.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance

Why do you want to do this?

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silicon212

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chevyengine - 03 Sep 2006 20:28 GMT
The carb uses fuel, has to be rebuilt every year because the power pin
sticks and the jets have to be rejetted in order to get proper fuel
milage.

The engine does not have many miles on it.

I am looking for an alternative to the 4bbl quad.

Thanks in advance

> chevyengine Wrote:
> > I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.  I
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> http://www.automotiveforums.com
bowgus - 03 Sep 2006 21:42 GMT
> The carb uses fuel, has to be rebuilt every year because the power pin
> sticks and the jets have to be rejetted in order to get proper fuel
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> I am looking for an alternative to the 4bbl quad.

Well if the carb is the problem ... has to be reuilt every year ???,
disabling the secondaries e.g. insert a thin metal plate between the
carb and the manifold, is not going to fix that. How about a new_to_you
manifold (2 bbl) c/w 2 bbl carb ... or fuel injection?
chevyengine - 03 Sep 2006 21:57 GMT
I have looked for 2bbl carb for 1979 Caprice and have not found any.
Then putting fuel injection on the car sounds expensive.

Would you happen to know the approx cost for intake and 2bbl carb and
the approx. cost of fuel injection?

The car body otherwise is in very good condition.

> > The carb uses fuel, has to be rebuilt every year because the power pin
> > sticks and the jets have to be rejetted in order to get proper fuel
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> carb and the manifold, is not going to fix that. How about a new_to_you
> manifold (2 bbl) c/w 2 bbl carb ... or fuel injection?
Nate Nagel - 03 Sep 2006 23:42 GMT
one of the new Edelbrock AFB's or AVS's might make a nice choice.
Holley makes a spreadbore that should theoretically be closer to your
old QJ in terms of throttle response and economy... but it's a Holley.
tuning it could become a hobby in and of itself.  Alternately you could
have your present carb completely gone through instead of just kitted by
a carb restoration shop, in which case it will probably be good for
another 200K miles or so.

good luck,

nate

> The carb uses fuel, has to be rebuilt every year because the power pin
> sticks and the jets have to be rejetted in order to get proper fuel
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>>
>>http://www.automotiveforums.com

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replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
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Don - 03 Sep 2006 08:36 GMT
>I would like to disable the secondaries on the 1979 Chevy 4bbl carb.  I
>have not found any information on how it's done.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Is there any information on how to disable the secondaries?

Don't depress the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

>Thanks in advance
jeffcoslacker - 03 Sep 2006 23:06 GMT
Just remove the link rod between the primary and secondary
linkages...then they are inoperative.

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chevyengine - 03 Sep 2006 23:43 GMT
I see linkage on the driver sider at the bottotm of the carb.  It looks
like the crab might need to be removed from the car to remove the
linkage.  There looks like there is a spring assembly where the linkage
is.  If the linkage is removed the spring assembly would need to be
reassembled?

Thanks in advance.

> Just remove the link rod between the primary and secondary
> linkages...then they are inoperative.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> http://www.automotiveforums.com
jeffcoslacker - 04 Sep 2006 01:37 GMT
chevyengine Wrote:
> I see linkage on the driver sider at the bottotm of the carb. It looks
> like the crab might need to be removed from the car to remove the
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> >
> > 'http://www.automotiveforums.com' (http://www.automotiveforums.com)

It's been a while...but yes, I think you have to pull the carb off the
manifold, flip it over and perhaps remove the throttle plate (bottom
section) to be able to disengage the linkage...they have a little ear
on the ends that will only allow removal from certain angles...that is
without bending the rod, which you can do if you don't want to mess
with all that, but no guarantee the rod can be straightened correctly
if you need it again.

I'm trying to think which spring you see...if it returns the
secondaries to rest position after opening, it has to be there to keep
them closed. If there is no spring tension closing them with the link
removed, you'll have to block the secondary throttle plate closed
however you can, or they'll try to slowly fall open, and cause
flooding...

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http://www.automotiveforums.com

jeffcoslacker - 04 Sep 2006 01:46 GMT
jeffcoslacker Wrote:
> It's been a while...but yes, I think you have to pull the carb off the
> manifold, flip it over and perhaps remove the throttle plate (bottom
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> however you can, or they'll try to slowly fall open, and cause
> flooding...

The link in blue is the one you want to drop...there may be one side or
the other a screw holding the bellcrank (the part the link fits into),
so you can remove the bellcrank, move it around to where you can
disengage the link, then put it back on...like I said it's been too
long, you'll have to look.

Is the red circle the spring you spoke of? That's part of the cross
shaft, it stays put...

Make sure you completely remove the link, don't just drop one end, or
it will jam your throttle open (don't ask how I know this:banghead:
:lol: )

[image:
http://www.intruderalert.com/cafe/load_image.cfm?image=quad%20(600%20x%20398).jpg]

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http://www.automotiveforums.com

chevyengine - 04 Sep 2006 16:16 GMT
The red circle is what I was talking about.

> jeffcoslacker Wrote:
> > It's been a while...but yes, I think you have to pull the carb off the
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
>
> http://www.automotiveforums.com
 
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