Spenser

I have a 1973 350 and I ve been doing engine tweaks with it. I've replaced the valve covers, had the carburetor professionally rebuilt, and all new air filter products from base to cover. Now I had the engine sitting "carburetorless" for about a month. It just came back today and I removed the tape from the holes of the engine (I put the tape there so dirt wouldn't fall in my engine). Hooked up the carburetor with the new gaskets and everything! I put a little gas in the carburetor, cranked it, and it fired right up! But it was idling high. It use to idle high in the summer of 2014 in the beginning then once the engine warmed up it would start idling like it suppose to. So I figured it wasn't fixed? I record the gas hoping maybe it just needed to roar a second, but it reved up and wouldn't go down? I went into the engine compartment and there's a lever on the right side of the engine that lowers the idling, I went to push it and it wouldn't budge. So I quickly just removed the keys and shut off the engine. Now when i crank it though, it cranks, and sometimes you can hear it about to roll over, but it won't compleatly roll over? My dad thinks I've flooded the engine? But I've had a flooded engine before and I don't think its that. Any help would be much appreciated!!!

65GGvert

Compare the right side of your carb to this picture. Pay attention to the rod with the small V at the bottom that sits against the pin at the base. Is that pulled to the side and jammed, preventing the fast idle lever from moving?

PcolaPaul

Its possible it was flooded and killed the spark plugs. Remove a plug that is easy to get to and see if the insulator /electrode is wet with fuel. If so, put a new set of plugs in.

74modified

If you had the carb rebuilt and just replaced it, you will need to adjust the idle and mixture. It is a completely mechanical part, and needs to be adjusted on the car after dis assembly and reassembly.

68notray

Quadrajets have a host of adjustments to make. Very simple set of fixes. Since the advent of FI and computer controls the world has forgotten the days of manual carb adjustments.

Cold start a qjet needs both choke and a bit more rpm until warmup so it has a fast idle cam step. First, set the choke plate adjustment by the rod going to the bimetal spring. Then set the choke pulloff to spec for your year/model. Then set the fast idle cam step screw. This determines how much extra rpm on cold start. It's a personal preference but I like about 1000 rpm fast idle & about 800 hot idle on my car. It steps down a couple times as the choke comes off until you're at basic hot idle. Then you can set the idle rpm. I'd reset the idle mix now, then on next cold start you can recheck all these adjustments. Reset all these as the season changes too.