q jet
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
If you have the money and wait time (long backlog, I understand), Cliff Ruggles is probably your best alternative at this time. If the carb has always been on your car and hasn't be 'buggered' by a PO, then you can do the job with a good rebuild kit (NAPA) and by following Ruggles book on how to do it. From my perspective, buying the book and taking the time to understand how the carb works and how to rebuild it, is money and time well spent. And, it is less money and time than what it would take to have Cliff do the work himself.
Now, if that carb is not original to your car and may have been messed up by someone in the past, it would probably be best to have a reputable builder do the job.
Now, if that carb is not original to your car and may have been messed up by someone in the past, it would probably be best to have a reputable builder do the job.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,879
Likes: 38
From: Los Gatos CA
Racer
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 302
Likes: 2
From: Milton Delaware
Near Tampa Florida I had mine done. He came extremely rec. by all of the racer in Forida. Give me some time and I will think of his name. Maybe some one else know of the place. Comes completely tested and calibrated. Also he can give it the chrome look too. I swear by this guy and it was done in a week. But I did not have it chromed. My car runs great with great mpg and performance.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,668
Likes: 2,564
these are Cliff's thoughts on stripped inlets, maybe you should give him a call anyway
The only permanent reliable/effective repair is to install a heli-coil insert, it is stronger than the original material. You do loose a tiny amount of sealing surface for the gasket, but we've never had a problem with them sealing up.
This repair should only be done by someone highly skilled with the correct equipment to make sure the filter housing is in correct alignment with main body for even contact all the way around the seal.
Using the expanding fittings is NOT recomended, they can come out, and burn your expensive restoration or Muscle car to the ground. They also swell up the carb and make installing a heli-coil and getting a good seal at the housing more difficult.
Same thing with oversize fittings, they chew up good material used to seat the heli-coil insert.
We charge $45 plus shipping for this repair, and have done hundreds of them without any problems. The only carburetors which do NOT take this repair well, are very early 1967 units that have had an expanding fitting in them at any point, as they are extremely thin in this area to start with.
We can also "spot face" the front of the housing if the seal area is damaged (common problem), and can machine off a small amount of the casting if an expanding fitting has it swelled up to much to get an effective seal at the gasket......Cliff
cliffshighperformance.com
The only permanent reliable/effective repair is to install a heli-coil insert, it is stronger than the original material. You do loose a tiny amount of sealing surface for the gasket, but we've never had a problem with them sealing up.
This repair should only be done by someone highly skilled with the correct equipment to make sure the filter housing is in correct alignment with main body for even contact all the way around the seal.
Using the expanding fittings is NOT recomended, they can come out, and burn your expensive restoration or Muscle car to the ground. They also swell up the carb and make installing a heli-coil and getting a good seal at the housing more difficult.
Same thing with oversize fittings, they chew up good material used to seat the heli-coil insert.
We charge $45 plus shipping for this repair, and have done hundreds of them without any problems. The only carburetors which do NOT take this repair well, are very early 1967 units that have had an expanding fitting in them at any point, as they are extremely thin in this area to start with.
We can also "spot face" the front of the housing if the seal area is damaged (common problem), and can machine off a small amount of the casting if an expanding fitting has it swelled up to much to get an effective seal at the gasket......Cliff
cliffshighperformance.com
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 14,062
Likes: 602
From: Henderson Nv-Rohnert Park/Sonoma C o. ca/born in NY Rockaway Beach.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,922
Likes: 839
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
sorry posted too soon! may 2011 issue of super Chevy has an article on q jets and Jennings is the source of information. a stock Eliminator Guy i knew in Virginia who is now deceased was nuts with a q jet and sent his personal carbs to Jennings. nothing against the others but this Guy is good
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
From: Clinton TN
You do not need to helicoil that fuel inlet. Go to quadrajetparts.com and they have an extended thread filter inlet that will fit right in and grab the threads farther into the body and stop the leaks. I know from experience and the fitting is about $15.
