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Rochester Quadrajet 4MV Carburetor: Removal, Disassembly, Rebuild (Rookie Level)

151K views 144 replies 18 participants last post by  lt1silverhawk 
#1 ·
**If anything is mislabeled or the information is incorrect, please let me know! Thanks!


- Background -

I have a '77 Chevy pickup that became victim to water and debris in the gas tank (you can read up on that story here.)

At this point, due to the debris getting in the carburetor, it has to be rebuilt.

This is my first time rebuilding a carburetor as well as taking apart and putting together anything on a large scale.

The posts in this thread will be written in such a way as to provide a complete step-by-step documentation of everything I do (aka, sorry if this seems lengthy). This is for two reasons: 1) the other forum members who help out have all necessary information available and, 2) anyone of similar mechanical apptitude as me (which is very minimal) who finds this will be able to follow along without getting lost or intimidated.




- Research -

I began by searching all over the internet as well as local libraries for any guides that can walk me through this process.


I started by decoding the carburetor so I could purchase the proper repair kit. For Rochester, I used the following website: http://www.holisticpage.com/camaro/parts/carb.htm.


The code on this carburetor is 17057525 APP 3356. Based on the information provided by the website the carburetor is:
170 – Built: 1975 and onward by the Rochester Division of GM
5 – Decade produced: 1976 - 1979
7 – Year produced: 1977
5 – Model: Quadrajet (4bbl) California Standards
2 – Division: Chevrolet
5 – Transmission: manual (truck is an automatic)
APP- Customer code
3356- Build date code


With this information decoded, I moved onto to looking for guides on rebuilding these carburetors. Amazon carries a few titles on Rochester carburetors, but the most highly reviewed is “How to Rebuild and Modify Rochester Quadrajet carburetors” by Cliff Ruggles. It was also recommended by another forum member in another thread.


Aside from the book, I also found a couple of forums and websites where a rebuild had been documented. I found this one to be the most informative: http://www.vetteprojects.com/kstyer/quadrajet.htm


Another resource that may prove helpful is the original Delco manual that was uploaded online: http://www.tocmp.com/manuals/Carbs/Rochester/QJet/


Lastly, the one place that everyone can go to learn how to do practically anything is Youtube. Again, a few people took the time to create several videos to show how to rebuild a Rochester carburetor. Due to videos being constantly removed or updated, its best to go look for the newest materials.




- Removal -

The carburetor's removal comprised of the following steps:
1. Take pictures of the carburetor from every angle as it sits.
2. Label all hoses and connections to be removed. In this case, used masking tape since its easy to write on it.
3. Take pictures from every angle of the hoses as labeled.
4. Unbolt the carburetor and remove all hoses and connections (throttle cable, springs).
5. Remove the carburetor and take close-ups shots of everything.




Step 1:





Steps 2 and 3:





Step 5:










- Rebuild Kit -

I purchased a Hygrade brand rebuild kit and float. As warned in the other thread, the instructions do leave much to be desired.

 
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#2 ·
That nut on the backside of the carburetor base plate, do not overtighten it. Use a thread sealant tape or paste on it and don't wrench down hard on it, the casting is thin and will crack if over torqued. you can pretty much get it tight by feel, the sealant allows you to tighten it with less torque and still have a good seal.
 
#3 ·
Hey Torque,

cyclopsblown34 said:
That nut on the backside of the carburetor base plate, do not overtighten it. Use a thread sealant tape or paste on it and don't wrench down hard on it, the casting is thin and will crack if over torqued. you can pretty much get it tight by feel, the sealant allows you to tighten it with less torque and still have a good seal.
Glad you mentioned that because I have a bad habit of overtightening. Any idea what that hose is for?
 
#5 ·
lt1silverhawk said:
Hey Cyclops,



Glad you mentioned that because I have a bad habit of overtightening. Any idea what that hose is for?
My Bad! Sorry, I meant "Hey Cyclops" (so I fixed it here). Just got confused while responding and getting ready for work. You and Torque have both been very helpful though! :thumbup:





dinger said:
with your permission, when you have finished the project, we'll put it in the knowledge base. Dan
Yes, please do :)
 
#7 ·
Something you'll need to know for disassembly, on the driver side front, the accelerator pump, there is a fulcrum the actuator arm rocks on, there are I think two holes in it, note where the throttle linkage attaches to it. The instruction sheet will probably tell you where to attach it depending on which engine too. To remove the lever, just use a small diameter punch and push the roll pin out of the fulcrum point and lift the lever off. I did several Q-jet rebuilds, all the while cursing the way I had to twist the top of the carb to remove it, once I realized there was a removable pin, it made disassembly and reassembly a breeze.
 
#8 ·
cyclopsblown34 said:
That hose from that fitting generally goes to the brake booster. If it doesn't go there, somebody may have chosen to use it for the PCV. I'm not too certain about the way Mexifornia emissions are routed though.
Hmmm, I know I removed a rubber hose from the carburetor that ran to the booster. And the hose from the PCV is rubber as well. Will give this one another look.

On a side note, I realized one of the gaskets in the repair kit was ripped. I was able to see it through the plastic cover and, even though I don't know if it is the one I need, I'll be exchanging it for another kit today.

By the way, any tips on how to properly disassemble a carburetor? Any particular way the parts should be organized or grouped when taken apart?
 
#10 ·
cyclopsblown34 said:
Something you'll need to know for disassembly, on the driver side front, the accelerator pump, there is a fulcrum the actuator arm rocks on, there are I think two holes in it, note where the throttle linkage attaches to it. The instruction sheet will probably tell you where to attach it depending on which engine too. To remove the lever, just use a small diameter punch and push the roll pin out of the fulcrum point and lift the lever off. I did several Q-jet rebuilds, all the while cursing the way I had to twist the top of the carb to remove it, once I realized there was a removable pin, it made disassembly and reassembly a breeze.
If it is the part I think you are talking about (it was the only part that came close to making me cuss poetically), I believe I've got a picture of it up top labeled "Throttle Cable Location". It is held in place by a nut and screw. Otherwise, further guidance is needed.




cyclopsblown34 said:
The line from that fitting is usually a steel tube that runs over to the booster.
Disassembly tips? Take lots of close up, well lit pictures of the linkages.
Good point, I may have to reshoot some of the pictures because they are rather dark.

My main concern is organizing everything properly before disassembly begins so the small parts are not lost or mixed up. At this point, I am planning on using a few one-gallon milk bottles, cutting off the top and using the bottom portion to hold parts. They may even be good for washing and soaking parts. If there is a better way to do it, please do mention it.
 
#12 ·
Hey Matt,

matts37chev said:
a cupcake pan works really well for organizing parts
i also use an old silverware tray for parts
That is actually a very good idea! Thanks for sharing.




matts37chev said:
nice post, alot of people will be able to use this :thumbup:
Thanks man :D. I do hope this comes in handy, especially for other rookies like me.
 
#13 ·
A Note On Carburetor Removal: Upon removal, be sure to turn it upside down to get any fuel out before placing it anywhere. Placing a couple of paper towels underneath it when setting it down on the work area is a good idea in case any left-over fuel pours out. Lesson learned.




- Disassembly Prep -

cyclopsblown34 said:
Disassembly tips? Take lots of close up, well lit pictures of the linkages.
I took as many pictures as I could from every angle before I start taking apart the carburetor. I still expect to take more because Im sure I may have missed something (or it could just be the jitters of nervousness :sweat: ).





For cleaning the carburetor parts, I went ahead and invested in a gallon of Berryman Chem-Dip Carburetor and Parts Cleaner. This is an example of "researching before attempting " paying off: My initial thought was to buy a dozen cans of carb cleaner and spray the gunk off 'em :D .






For you visual/auditory folks, I used this Youtube video as a guide while prepping. The author has done a disassembly and rebuild in several 10-minute segments.
 
#14 ·
Milk jugs will rapidly melt with carb cleaner. The muffin pans work great. As a technique, I use two pans and lable each "bin" and place the old part in one bin and at the same time, I place the new part in the other pan. Most kits are 'generic' so this is the best time to pick out the part that matches the removed part and set the residual parts aside. When it comes to little balls and seats, they can look the same, but it is a good ideal to mic the balls to make sure you select the same one. Soaking all metalic parts is the way to go but using small brushes lightly is a good ideal. Do not soak non-metalic items. You also need to use the correct size wire to run through all the jets and orifices. Be careful not to force the wire and score the surface. One last rinse with the cleaner and blow dry every thing. Make sure you use eye protection for this because the solvent can do serous damage!

I built a stand to hold the carb body so that I could functionally check all the linkage and clearances on the butterflies. It also makes assembly of the metering rods much easier. You can buy a stand, but hard to justify unless you plan on rebuilding lots of carbs. My Q-Jet book told me how to build the stand and it has been invaluable over the years.

Taking pics as you go is a good ideal, but my book is always open through out the process.
 
#15 ·
Hey trees,

trees said:
Milk jugs will rapidly melt with carb cleaner. The muffin pans work great.
I am glad you pointed that out. I was planning to use the plastic milk jugs to separate the parts only. Since the gallon-size carburetor cleaner comes with a handy dipping bucket, I was planning to soak the parts directly in there. Or is that a bad idea?




trees said:
As a technique, I use two pans and lable each "bin" and place the old part in one bin and at the same time, I place the new part in the other pan. Most kits are 'generic' so this is the best time to pick out the part that matches the removed part and set the residual parts aside. When it comes to little balls and seats, they can look the same, but it is a good ideal to mic the balls to make sure you select the same one.
I think that is an excellent technique, and especially beneficial for us first-timers who can easily get confused.




trees said:
Soaking all metalic parts is the way to go but using small brushes lightly is a good ideal. Do not soak non-metalic items. You also need to use the correct size wire to run through all the jets and orifices. Be careful not to force the wire and score the surface.
Buying the cleaning brushes is next on my list; no need to skimp out on the cleaning. Im sure the local parts shop has a good selection.




trees said:
One last rinse with the cleaner and blow dry every thing. Make sure you use eye protection for this because the solvent can do serous damage!
Garage door is wide open and goggles are ready to go! :thumbup:




trees said:
I built a stand to hold the carb body so that I could functionally check all the linkage and clearances on the butterflies. It also makes assembly of the metering rods much easier. You can buy a stand, but hard to justify unless you plan on rebuilding lots of carbs. My Q-Jet book told me how to build the stand and it has been invaluable over the years.
Speaking for myself, this is probably not the last carburetor I will ever build. Carb stands are not expensive ($20+), making one is a good idea too. One person made one himself using a 2x4, some long bolts and washers here. By the way, which book are you using?




trees said:
Taking pics as you go is a good ideal, but my book is always open through out the process.
There is just no substitute for a good book, but for now, I am making do with the online articles and Youtube videos. Hopefully I'll be adding at least one good title soon.




These are great tips trees and I'm glad and thankful you shared 'em! :thumbup:
 
#16 ·
**NOTE: This post specifically deals with the disassembly step only. I have already dipped and cleaned the carburetor and applied a coat of powder coating. I will post the pictures for those steps at a later time. This way, the members have a chance to comment on the disassembly portion first. Please do point out anything that doesn't look right or I should focus on before reassembly. Thanks! :D

-----------------

- Disassembly -

During this stage, I kept the camera close and handy. There are lots of little parts and linkages to track. Not much to mention here except I did my best to keep track of everything that was disassembled.

In retrospect, someone with a memory as bad as mine might do well to take notes as well. Also, try to do all this in a close time frame if possible (no long breaks in between). That way, one is more likely to have a good memory of how everything gets put back together. Lesson learned.

Below are the pictures of everything as it was taken apart. If anything is incorrectly labeled, please do point it out. :thumbup:

Several members suggested that cookie pans be used to separate parts. I ended up using an egg cartoon that was sitting around to organize the parts (not dip and clean).

For you audio/visual people, I used the following Youtube videos as guides: Rebuild Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4


























 
#17 ·
- Cleaning -


**NOTE: Use gloves, goggles and a full-sleeved shirt in a ventilated place when dealing with any chemicals. The dip will make it hard to breathe at times. Parts can also slip and fall back into the dip, which can splash onto your hands. Lesson learned.


The following steps were used in the cleaning process:

1. Dip all parts in Chem-Dip and allow to soak. I used a small baking tray within a larger one to avoid any spills or mess. I placed the smaller parts directly into the Chem-Dip can using the included plastic strainer

2. Clean parts using a cleaning brush.

3. Clean off the dip using a can of carb cleaner .

4. Wash off all parts with water.

5. Scrub and dry parts using rags/Shop Towels.

6. Scrape off the gunk at the bottom of the float bowl. I used a large flat screw driver, with the tip covered using a shop towel to avoid any scratches.

7. Bake parts in a dedicated oven (not used for baking) for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. This supposedly allows debris hidden in pores to come out. It also allows to properly clean a metal surface before powder coating.

8. Clean parts using acetone and rags/Shop Towels.













 
#18 ·
- Powder Coat and Paint -

Since I have the equipment available, I thought I would go ahead and spray a coat of powder coating before reassembly. In keeping with all the firsts for me in this project, this is the first time I've powder coated anything for myself.

I went ahead and reassembled the air horn, float bowl and throttle body without any bolts. My thinking was that this would make the masking easier and I could run a single ground wire to the throttle body. I then plugged all holes and masked off the top of the air horn.

I cheaped out and used regular masking tape. After the parts were cured in the oven, the tape left sticky gunk behind. It was easy enough to remove using the Chep-Dip and cleaning brush. However, painter's masking tape may be better. Lesson learned.

I really wanted to powder coat the smaller parts and linkages as well but due to time constraints, I chose to use high temperature metallic spray paint instead.

In retrospect, I would have really liked to paint the body a glossy black, and the logos and serials numbers red. Unfortunately, with the linkages in the way, it was too difficult, but still something worth trying the next time.

To be honest, the powder coating looks much better in the pictures for some reason. Had I done it all properly, I would've sprayed a second coat for the areas that were missed (minial). Overall, it looks good and does the job.




 
#19 ·
- Parts Match Up -

I went ahead and matched up as many parts as I could from the repair kit to the old parts. Some of them I haven't a clue if they would be needed or not, such as the small circular washer/gaskets. Hopefully one of you can chime in about that.

Below are the pictures from the match up. The new parts are on the left, and the old on the right.




 
#21 · (Edited)
- Reassembly: Phase 1 -


Sealing the Well Plugs

According to research, it seems that the well plugs at the bottom of the float bowls in Q-jets are prone to leak. The plugs on this carburetor were sealed with some sort of silicone (you can see it in the disassembly pictures), but it came off in the dip. I went ahead and sealed it again using 5 minute epoxy (it was recommended in the Youtube video series I am using).






Attaching the Throttle-body to the Float Bowl

Once the epoxy sealed up, I bolted up the throttle body to the float bowl using the two bolts, with a gasket in between.






Installing New Check Ball






Reinstalling Jets






Preparing and Installing New Float Needle and Seat






Preparing and Installing New Float

The new float was prepared by hanging the new needle and installing the pivot rod. The float was then installed by placing the needle in the seat and installing the pivot rod in its brackets.

The height was adjusted according to the instructions. For this particular model, it is 11/32" of an inch. Once the float is installed, the height is measured from the toe of the float to the top of the float bowl wall. The height is adjusted by gently forcing the metal bar on the float up or down using some needle nose pliers.





----------------------




Power Piston Retain Cap Question

After setting up the float, I tried to install the power piston but, the retainer cap at the top of the piston that pushes into the tube will not stay in place. I can only assume that I somehow damaged it during disassembly. Of course, now the piston doesn't stay in place and the rods aren't sitting in the jets.

Is there any fix to this, aside from purchasing a new piston or a replacement bushing? New parts are sold here.






As always, all help greatly appreciated! :thumbup:
 
#23 ·
An OFTEN overlooked passage that needs to be cleaned, and is often plugged or obstructed, is the small, ~0.028" orifice that connects the secondary discharge port well to the main fuel reservoir.

Because it's on a 'ledge', it's prone to have deposits clog it, and it is hard to see if you're not specifically looking for it.

Be careful to not enlarge this orifice, it is also part of the secondary air/fuel ratio calibration and if made too large, will cause the secondary to go pig rich under extended WOT operation.

 
#24 ·
Hey Cobalt,

cobalt327 said:
Usually you would expect to see a plastic retainer (shown below). The plastic retainer is a tight enough fit to seal the PP, and retain it in the casting.


I was looking over the pictures from disassembly and it seems the power piston was held down in place using the gasket that lays between the float bowl and the air horn. I tried doing that and it works, as long as the gasket is held down in place and the air horn is quickly placed on top. Otherwise, due to the spring below it, the piston is prone to jump out a bit. I personally don't see this as ideal solution. Any thoughts?







cobalt327 said:
The retainer shown is a replacement of the original. It is 'split' to allow it to be installed w/o taking the PP apart.
I was looking at what's left in the rebuild kit and found three round gaskets, one rod for the fuel pump, and the accelerator pump cap. The small brown cork gasket fits perfectly in the area where the power piston is placed. However, it wasn't pre-cut in any way so I assume its not for that. Worse comes to worse, I order the bushing.





------------------




cobalt327 said:
An OFTEN overlooked passage that needs to be cleaned, and is often plugged or obstructed, is the small, ~0.028" orifice that connects the secondary discharge port well to the main fuel reservoir.

Because it's on a 'ledge', it's prone to have deposits clog it, and it is hard to see if you're not specifically looking for it.

Be careful to not enlarge this orifice, it is also part of the secondary air/fuel ratio calibration and if made too large, will cause the secondary to go pig rich under extended WOT operation.
I tried looking for these passages but was not able to find 'em. I'll admit Im not very good with the proper terms for different parts so that may be throwing me off. Below is a picture of what I was looking at. feel free to copy and mark as needed.






Thanks for the help and pointers! :D
 
#25 ·
While the photo I used isn't quite clear enough to make out the orifice, the black arrows point to the area where they should be found.



The outermost brass tubes that extend down from the top of the carb (aka the "airhorn") on the secondary side, enter the fuel-filled reservoirs (red arrows, filled by those orifices).

Fuel is picked up as the secondaries begin to open and enters the airstream through two small holes just beneath (usually- the holes can also be above) the secondary air valve. This acts as an auxiliary fuel circuit, as well as a passive accelerator 'pump' to enrichen the fuel/air mixture as the secondaries just begin to tip in.

Without this, a bog will occur when the secondaries are called on.
 
#26 ·
cobalt327 said:
While the photo I used isn't quite clear enough to make out the orifice, the black arrows point to the area where they should be found.

So, I removed the float assembly, and voila, found 'em! :embarrass The entire time, I was looking for orifices that ran vertically. Based on the "light" test, they seem open and unclogged. They are very very small. What would be the proper tool/method for cleaning them?





Thanks for the help! :D
 
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