theoUK

Can anyone tell me roughly what torque the four nuts at the base of the carb should be taken up to? --- The ones that bolt it up to the intake. I know these should be checked now and again, and i put a small torque wrench on them this morning, they weren't tight enough to even register...
Its an Edelbrock performer intake and 1406 carb, although i'm sure it's similar for most setups? I didn't fit them originally, and the literature i have on them mentions nothing for torque...
For the time being, I've nipped them up to 10 ft lbs - any advances on that?
:cheers:

72GACRZR

You could try e-mailing Lars, he knows a lot about carbs, or you could email the company and ask them, and since I am no expert, one may answer since this will send it back to the top.

dman535

What are you using for a base gasket ?

I use a thick heat insulating carb base gasket on all the carbs I have installed. For a square bore a 1969 Chrysler 440/383 application will usally get you one at the auto parts store. These are about 3/8 inch thick and help to insulate the carb from the heat of the intake. This also allows a little bit of give in the carb tighting process. You need to make the fasteners pretty snug or you will have vacuum leaks. You can see what I am talking about here:

bigvette1

Almost impossible to get a torque wrench in there. I use a "calibrated wrist" on the 1/2" nuts for a Holley or on the 1/2" bolts for a Q-Jet. Tighten criss cross so they are snug. Then come back a week later and snug them down again

theoUK

Thanks for the responses so far folks.
I have what looks like quite a thick "fibre" gasket (for want of a better description!), about 1/2 an inch thick. Luckily, I dont have to get my calibrated wrist out to nip the nuts up - its easy to get at with a torque wrench with the air filter removed. I just wondered if there was a rule of thumb for the torque, but it seems theres more to it than that. The cars running fine, so its not like i'm desperate to know, I may well give Edelbrock an email and get it straight from them.....
I'm just about to leave work to go on holiday for two weeks, so as long as the vette's behaving herself, I'm gonna put this one on hold for now. :cool:
Thanks again... :cheers:

70vert

I know for a 70 Q-jet, its 14 ft-lb

bigvette1

That 14 lbs sounds like a good figure for all Q-Jets. Bet the Holley nuts on the studs are the same.

Thanks

ldyoung

:iagree: with 70Vert. Definitely less than one grunt but not loose either !

ED DINAPOLI

10-14 lb/ft on Q-jet [Doug Roe's book]
100 lb/in on Holley [not lbs] Holley book
Ed