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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 11:03 AM
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Alright so I decided I would give my 75s qjet a rebuild and attempt to fix Bubba's zip tied choke job and the **** poor starting and idling. I picked up a rebuild kit and ordered an electric choke conversion kit.

Some before pictures
Attachment 48363400
Attachment 48363401
Attachment 48363402

Disassembled
Attachment 48363403

Cleaned up and rebuilt minus the new choke because I didn't have the right tap to thread the holes
Attachment 48363404

That brings me up to last night. I installed the carb onto the car and it fired right up without having to crank and crank like I used to have to do. It was quite refreshing to turn the key and have it fire right up without having to feather the gas for 10 minutes. The issue now is that it is idling too high now. With the idling adjustment all the way down I'm idling at about 1200 rpm. Pictures below show this.

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I'm trying to figure out the high idle. Someone mentioned a possible vacuum leak. I used a guage and I was holding a steady 17 on the guage. I did feel a vacuum pull at the front of the carb. In the picture below there is an arrow pointing to where the vacuum pull was at. I do not have a tube at this spot, only a hole. Is this normal?

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My other thought is that the timing may just be off. Any input would be appreciated.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 11:09 AM
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The hole needs to be plugged, that's one thing. The throttle not closing all the way could be caused by the primary throttle plates not centered in the bores. Loosen the screws a bit, close the throttle...they will center themselves. Hope this helps.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 11:09 AM
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did you install the choke? is the choke fast idle cam causing the high idle? did you adjust the choke fast idle speed?

Last edited by MelWff; Mar 29, 2016 at 11:10 AM.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 11:10 AM
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Where did you set your idle mixture screws? You should lightly screw them in until they seat, and then back off 1.5-2 turns. Screw each one in just a little (like 1/8-1/4 turn at a time) until you get the highest vacuum reading, right before killing the engine. Then set your idle down to where it will go.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 11:52 AM
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Originally Posted by COOLTED
The hole needs to be plugged, that's one thing. The throttle not closing all the way could be caused by the primary throttle plates not centered in the bores. Loosen the screws a bit, close the throttle...they will center themselves. Hope this helps.
I'll have to pick up a small plug for that. I'm pretty positive that the throttle plates are centered. I checked that before reassembling the rest of the carb.

Originally Posted by MelWff
did you install the choke? is the choke fast idle cam causing the high idle? did you adjust the choke fast idle speed?
I did install the choke. I did not adjust the choke fast idle at all. This is my first time adjusting a carb so it's a learning process.

Originally Posted by Kubs
Where did you set your idle mixture screws? You should lightly screw them in until they seat, and then back off 1.5-2 turns. Screw each one in just a little (like 1/8-1/4 turn at a time) until you get the highest vacuum reading, right before killing the engine. Then set your idle down to where it will go.
They are right around there now. I will readjust them when I am at the garage again.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 02:53 PM
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I have also seen that secondary lever mis-adjusted holding open the primaries before. That lever that sticks up with the spring around it...if it is bent wrong it can hang up the throttle.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 03:31 PM
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Wow, that thing was a mess before. The EGR valve was hooked up to the choke! Quite something. The original hot air choke is supposed to be hooked up to a line that connects where there's a rectangular void in the intake on the passenger side on your car. Is this still open? Post pictures of both sides of how the carb looks now.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 03:35 PM
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Do you have a manual or some source to show you how to adjust the choke fast idle? Does the choke completely open after a couple of minutes of running?
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 03:53 PM
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Here's a picture of my bone stock 76 L-82 right before I rebuilt the original quadrajet. Might give you an idea of the way things were originally on your car.

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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Brcmpbl
Wow, that thing was a mess before. The EGR valve was hooked up to the choke! Quite something. The original hot air choke is supposed to be hooked up to a line that connects where there's a rectangular void in the intake on the passenger side on your car. Is this still open? Post pictures of both sides of how the carb looks now.
Yeah bubba did some work under there huh. I have a block off plate for the hot air choke and the egr valve at my house. They will be installed soon.

I'm out at the garage dialing things in today. I readjusted the idle mixture screw, the choke and the fast idle screw and got the idle dialed in right around 750.much lower and she wants to die.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by chazde3
Yeah bubba did some work under there huh. I have a block off plate for the hot air choke and the egr valve at my house. They will be installed soon.

I'm out at the garage dialing things in today. I readjusted the idle mixture screw, the choke and the fast idle screw and got the idle dialed in right around 750.much lower and she wants to die.
I'd bet on vacuum leaks from several spots. That hot air port is one if not blocked off, and any unused vacuum ports without plugs will also draw a considerable amount of air. There's also a small tube between the choke housing and the body of the carb that can be a vacuum leak source.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 06:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Brcmpbl
I'd bet on vacuum leaks from several spots. That hot air port is one if not blocked off, and any unused vacuum ports without plugs will also draw a considerable amount of air. There's also a small tube between the choke housing and the body of the carb that can be a vacuum leak source.
Vacuum leaks could have been causing the high idles issues from yesterday. I taped over that hot air port as a temporary fix to adjust everything until I can get a plug for that hole. The tube between the choke housing and carb body shouldnt be too big of an issue because I switched the choke housing over to the later one for electric chokes.

Thanks for the pointers everyone.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 07:02 PM
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A BB fishing sinker woks well to block off the port on the carburetor behind the choke housing when converting to an electric choke.

Last edited by ykf7b0; Mar 30, 2016 at 06:31 AM.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 09:27 PM
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Originally Posted by chazde3
Vacuum leaks could have been causing the high idles issues from yesterday. I taped over that hot air port as a temporary fix to adjust everything until I can get a plug for that hole. The tube between the choke housing and carb body shouldnt be too big of an issue because I switched the choke housing over to the later one for electric chokes.

Thanks for the pointers everyone.
Vacuum leaks actually can cause both of the issues you're experienced––high idles and idles that can't sustain themselves. The latter is actually the more common, especially when you're dealing with a low idle that will seemingly be alright but then stumble and die.

Check all over for vacuum leaks and eliminate them all, and then have another look at your mixture and idle speed screws.

Last edited by Brcmpbl; Mar 29, 2016 at 09:28 PM.
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Old Mar 29, 2016 | 10:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Brcmpbl
Wow, that thing was a mess before. The EGR valve was hooked up to the choke! Quite something. The original hot air choke is supposed to be hooked up to a line that connects where there's a rectangular void in the intake on the passenger side on your car. Is this still open? Post pictures of both sides of how the carb looks now.
About as many angles as I could take pictures of.

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Old Mar 30, 2016 | 08:11 AM
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What are your idle mixture screws currently set at (in terms of turns out from seated)?
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Old Mar 30, 2016 | 02:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Brcmpbl
What are your idle mixture screws currently set at (in terms of turns out from seated)?
Mine are 2 complete turns.
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Old Mar 30, 2016 | 04:50 PM
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The throttle blade is not closing all the way. I suspect the choke linkage is either hung up, or you have the new electric choke set way too tight. Try holding the choke flap all the way vertical and flicking the throttle blade.

Have you got your electric choke wired in so that it heats up and opens the choke yet?
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Old Mar 30, 2016 | 04:52 PM
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Also, there's only one hole in the choke system that pulls a vacuum - the one between the carb body and the choke housing itself. This one should use be plugged with RTV or epoxy to prevent vacuum transfer. If it isn't, though, it's a very small vacuum leak, not enough to cause a 600RPM delta.
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Old Mar 31, 2016 | 08:02 AM
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As others have noted are you sure it's off the fast idle cam? How's you timing? A change in timing could drop the idle speed which in turn will allow you to turn the idle screw in.

I believe Lars recommends starting at 4 turns out on mixture screws.
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