Would not be the first time I went to remove a Q-jet off an early model Chevy and someone before me buggered up the Flair Nut going into the Fuel Filter Housing on my 1977 Corvette Quadra Jet.

I was going to remove the carb this evening and drain all the fuel out so I could rebuild it over the weekend.

Attempted to file down the nut to remove the stripped material and still could not get my 5/8 Line Wrench on to the nut.

Looks like I will need to cut the fuel line and remove the carb with it on there. Then when I get the carb on the bench remove the fuel filter housing and put the thing into my vise to get them apart so I do not damage the Fuel Filter Housing.

This seems to be a common problem with all these old Quadra Jet Carbs and most of the time they bugger it up then can never replace the filter again. I will install an inline filter once I get them apart

 

Before you cut the metal line, can you get a pair of vice grips on that nut? If you get it off you could cut the flare end off and try and replace it with a new nut. It may still line up depending on how much you cut off.

 

I thought about that but the Fuel Filter Housing is very fragile on these Q-Jets then it also is way to easy to break. I broke one once doing just that and it takes holding the fuel filter housing with a crescent wrench then wrenching on the flare nut with channel locks or a vise grip. Sometimes it takes a hammer to pound on it to get them apart depending on what the other dude did to it. In my past experience it is best to cut the line and replace it much less expensive than a new carb

I can purchase a new pre-bent fuel line to save myself lots of work on flaring the end than have a new one and have it here by next weekend to reassemble the carb onto the engine. Like many others before me the inline filter is the way to go and can be hidden somewhere in the fuel line down near the fuel pump or out where we can see it.

I was happy to see they did not strip the flare nut on the Brake Booster line on the back side of the carb. This one requires us to remove the 2 rear bolts and throttle/shift linkage bracket before attempting to remove. to remove it leave the 2 long bolts on the front of the carb still bolted down. Than remove the throttle/shift linkage then remove the 2 rear bolts holding down the carb and bracket. Only than can you put a line wrench on the brake booster line to remove it.

One thing I do not own is a flaring tool and other then this work needed probably will not need one again for many years.

Thanks for the thought

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1977-1981.html

 

Honestly it's not hard to get them off with vise grips. 1" wrench on the fuel filter nut and vise grips on the fuel line nut.

I did that for a couple years before I bought a new line.

 

Thanks for the thought but as you already know I have to buy a new fuel line

In my other three Chevy Cars from the early to mid 1970s I always put in an inline fuel filter so I never had to deal with that fragile Fuel Filter housing again On one of them I had to replace the Carb since I broke the housing at the carb during a rebuild. My 1977 Corvette only has a little less than 46,000 original miles on it and while I will probably never need to change the filter again since it is driven about 2500 miles a year I also like to see if there is rust in the fuel lines since now a days we are forced to use at least 10 % ethanol fuels and this causes many problems in older engines than with a clear filter I can see it the problems are happening in the fuel tank since it sits about 6 or 7 months out of the year.


I do take preventive measures before she sits for a long time like putting a mixture of StaBil fuel treatment to stabize the fuel, HEET fuel additive to cut down on moisture in the tank and a few ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil to lubricate everything and top off the tank full of fuel before I park it. Almost every time take her out for a drive I fill the fuel tank to the brim before she is parked.

 

I pulled the carb about Noon Thirty today and it took about 4.5 hours to clean it up then rebuild it. The old plunger split in 2 when I removed it from the assembly. Kind of figured this would happen since every time I stepped on the gas it would hesitate. 35 years worth of crud built on the carb was not bad and cleaning only took about 1.5 hours. I read thru Cliff Ruggles book twice before I performed the carb rebuild. He is a GOD in The Rochester Quadra Jet Carbs

http://www.cliffshighperformance.com/buy_book_2.html

It has been 25+ years since I rebuilt a Q-Jet Carb and reassembly all came back to me today when it took 3 tries to get the top of the carb back on. You have to align the metering jets while holding down the plunger and always took me a few times to because the plunger will lift the gasket and unseat the metering jets.

I had to torque down the screws in a pattern about eight times before the number 1 and 2 screws were tight. This I do not mind doing because it makes for a better seal to slowly torque them down over a few repetitions. Cranking them down hard on the first or second pass will almost always cause a vacuum leak. It is always better to take your time and than pass over them multiple times to get an even torque.

It took me about 5 beers to complete the job from start of removing the carb from the car to installing the carb back onto the manifold.

I still cannot get the Flair Nut removed from the Fuel Filter Housing. Since I cut the fuel line I was able to pound on a 5/8 boxed end wrench than I put this thing in a vise and pounded on it for about 10 minutes and still could not get them to part ways. So I am soaking it overnight with penetrating oil and beat on it again tomorrow.

A little over kill but on the Manifold bolts and coated the ends with Copper Anti-Seize compound and the brake booster flair nut. The Anti-Seize will do 2 things act like a sealant and prevent the parts from rusting and seizing together. If I ever get the flair nut removed from the Fuel Filter Housing I will use Copper Anti-Seize compound on it also.

If anyone knows where I can purchase a Fuel Filter Housing I would greatly appreciate it. I have been looking around and not found one yet. The fuel lines are sold every where but the Housing that mates to the fuel line is not

 

quadrajetparts dot com sells them, but their website seems to be down right now. You can call them at 908-362-7692.

I may have a spare as well...