nicole81

new to the vette world, i love it already. i have an 81, with a few problems, but a good solid start. what about the q-jet? everyone says junk it, but the vette mechs say i can't cause of emmisions, any suggestions :chevy

SanDiegoPaul

Qjets are good carbs, only problem they are prone to is a vacuum leak at the throttle plate shaft. A good rebuilder will put new bushings in the throttle plate and get rid of that problem.

A bigger MUCH bigger issue with that carb is finding a tech that really understands it. Not one that can tune it with a gas analyzer, but rather, a competent mechanic that knows Quadrajets. Lars, here on the forum has the rep for just that kind of thing.

I used the new version of that carb, the Edlebrock Quadrajet. Edlebrock now owns the tooling they purchased from Rochester, so they really do still make Quadrajets. They are available for many generations, just check Summit for pricing.

nicole81

summit huh? thanks, for some reason the edlebrock name makes me feel better. i'm not so mechanically inclined, but more than willing to learn and definatly apperciate any advice. thanks :flag

Desertdawg

Help might not be that far away,
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=785692

You just need to buy a six pack or 4 and go see "LAR's, Wizard tuner". He lives in your neighborhood.

And welcome to the Corvette Forum. :seeya

Yeller81USNRet

The Q jet on our 81s is computer controlled and you can not just junk the carb and install another carb without some futher modifications.. There are a lot of folks here that are a lot more qualified than I to tell you what else needs to be changed.
Be careful before you decide to Junk that Carb....
:steering:

71coupe

The best Q-Jet tuner/rebuilder in the country is in your state. His name is Lars and is a regular on the forum. I think he rebuilds carbs for beer :D

Welcome to the forum :cheers:

phxraptor

I emailed Lars some time ago about rebuilding the Rochester on my 81. Unless he has changed his stance he told me at that time he does not do computer controlled carbs. :cheers: :seeya

page62

In the '81 model, the carb idle mixture, the distributor advance, and the transmission torque converter lockup are computer-controlled. You need to keep all of this if you have emissions testing in your area. However, if you decide to scrap the carb, you need to think about how what you're going to do about the other computer-controlled components.

For example, I helped a friend replace the stock carb and manifold with an Edelbrock manifold and Holley carb. At the same time, the distributor was replaced with an Accel HEI unit. There was a significant performance increase, but the car would have a hard time passing any sort of emissions inspection...

Good luck!
:seeya