RebUilt quadrajet problems HELP

I have a rochester quadrajet carb for my SBC that I just had it rebuilt and it is worst than before.
My carb started leaking from the gaskets.
The float was getting stuck
Gas was getting stuck in the carb and not going down into the intake,
My truck would start and shut off after a mile at normal temp.
I decided to get it replaced or rebuilt.
I found a place in Las Vegas with really good reviews.
I called them and they said they would give me a Reconditioned carb for 245.00 if I left them mine as a core.
I agreed and they told me it would be 2 hours for them to get the replacement from their warehouse.
I come back later,they tell me they are testing the carb.
They were so nice I decide to pay before i saw the "new reconditioned".
He brings it and it looks like they cleaned my old one and put new gaskets in it.
I ask if that was my old one and they say that yes it was.it was rebuilt and show me the receipt and indeed it said rebuilt.(my fault for no reading the receipt)
I have a 90 day guarantee if I install it my self.


Forward to earlier today,
I install the carb and crank it.
The carb starts leaking like crazy from the spacer/gasket.
I take the carb off to see if I left anything inside.--nothing was blocking it
I blow where the fuel line goes and its clogged
I turn the carb upside down and a bunch of gas falls off
i check the carbs fuel filter-its new
I blow where the fuel line goes and its clear now that there is no gas in it.
I install it and i crank it and this time it leaks from all the gaskets.
I remove carb and flip it- There is more fuel inside the carb than before.
I shouldve bought a new one for 400 but now I get to call them and tell them that is not fixed,drive 100 miles to take it in and hope that it is fixed for good.


THe QUESTION IS:
Should i spend all that time and gas money to take it back to them and have it fixed or could I fix it my self with your help and save me all the grief going back and forth dealing with one more pos mechanic???

 

eat it as a lesson learned and order one from summit.

 

I thought (myth?) that your not supposed to turn a Quad upside down...something to do with check balls falling where they are not supposed to be? Someone else chime in?

 

You can check if the needle is leaking, if you have a line you can attach to the inlet, that you can blow through.

Drain the carb. Have the carb upright, blow into the inlet, and it should blow through.

Flip it upside down and try. It should not blow through at all, not even a tiny bit.

If it does, the needle is messed up, or the float is hanging up, and then needs the top taken off.

 

There aren't any check balls that will fall out of place.
Larry T

 

Look up Clark Holroyd Carburetion in Chino, Ca. he'll take care of you. Tell him Ric @ CP Pistons sent you.

 

Do I roast it,grill it,boil it,bbq it or just eat it in pieces????

Thank you I tried it and it leaks or i blew air through it.

I called the guy and he said he would fix it.
If is still fucked up I will call Carl,thank you guys

 

Make sure he seals the main wells at the bottom....the early ones leak.
Also have him replace the float.

 

do you know how to take the top off your carb?

 

i am pretty sure he sealed them wells i will post a pic tomorrow

the problem is putting it back together correctly

 

I would go somewhere else, if they knew their stuff, you would not have got a piece of junk back, using your core or not. Several things should be checked if you decide to try rebuilding it your self, make sure the top piece ( air horn) is not warped, they often are. Bottom piece that holds the throttle plate can be worn, and need rebushed or replaced. Float should always be renewed on any rebuild, power valve can be a little finicky. Quadrajets are good carbs if redone by someone who knows them. They usually are not for the novice.

 

I have had shit luck rebuilding my QJs in the past and the rebuilds I was getting weren't much better. Carter used to make a good re-pop of them, not sure if they're still available.

I do have a local shop here on the Island, Allstate Carburetor, that does a very nice job and included in the price is carb tuning at their shop once it is installed.

Bob

 

I gotta disagree with taking it somewhere else. I've been rebuilding carbs as part of my job since the mid 70's. Not very often, but sometimes you have a comeback. Let the guy you paid to do the job try to make it right. If he can't, then take it somewhere else.

And I would take the car by there and let him see what's going on with the carb. I usually like to pull and reinstall the carb myself. That way I can check everything out and make sure it's ok before the car leaves. On a comeback, I ALWAYS get the customer to bring the car, if they can, to see what the car is doing.

Also, carb problems often turn out to be something else, like trash in the fuel lines. I know a filter is supposed to catch it all, but sometimes it doesn't.
Larry T

 

Larry T I thought about taking a video and showing it to the guy Its a bitch to take my truck and it gets expensive when you pay 160 bucks for a half a tank,in that case i shouldve bought a new carb but I am a broke sob!!!
but you are absolutely right,it would be better for me to take the car

 

i guess if your broke then its up to you to fix your carb, a couple pics of your carb would help, i stopped buying kits for q-jets and only buy a new needle and seat, ac pump and float, i'm careful and don't rip the gasket taking the top off, if i can leave the vehicle sit for a week and the carb doesnt leak dry of fuel then i dont take the bottom plate off, only the top plate, there is never a reason to turn a q-jet upside down if your not taking the bottom off, sounds to me you have a bad float and one was not put in when the kit was installed, you should be able to go to your GM dealer and buy one, take some pics and lets see what your dealing with.

 

It sounds like they didn't replace the throttle shaft bushings also, I would take it back since you paid them already and don't take it apart as it will void your warranty with them. Q-jets are either hate or love, I'm on the love part....they're GREAT carbs (putting one on my FORD 390 now). They are no big mystery, if done right they will work for a long time and you can tune them for performance or stock.

 

I am A dumbass,talking shit about a shop that might did their job right and it was me who fucked up.
I am at work right now and I was thinking about my carb and I remembered that i never hooked the ground wire from the coil to the points,and thats why i would not start.
The question is:If I hook the coil and it starts,will the gas be sucked down the intake and will stop leaking????
I had a bad starter before and I never had fuel leaking and overflowing like this before but what do I know.
here is some pics of the carb:

 

I think I know the exact cause as it has happend to me several times. The new replacement floats are a weird black molded plastic. If you remove the top of the carb with the floats still in place you may find they have a bit of extra material that just touches the carb body towards the back of the bowl causing them to stick.

Just very lightly file, or sand off this excess and they will be fine if that is the case. Just make sure the floats do not contact the bowl anywhere. Good luck.

 

The engine has never run since the carb was rebuilt? I'd get the engine started (if there is a wire left loose) and see what happens.
I don't see anything wrong externally with the carb. If he sealed the external plug on the front of the carb, he probably sealed the main well plugs too.
Larry T

 

The fuel overflowing is probably the needle and seat sticking or it has some loose crap in it. If it overflows again, have someone tap the top front of the carb with a soft hammer while you crank it. This will usually help it pass the crap thats stuck in it.

 

Larry the truck was running fine but the carb started to give me problems and started leaking so I decided to get it rebuilt.
I opened the top and took a sneak peek at the float and its brand new.
on the first picture where I am pointing with the marker,I assume that those are the main wells.?????am i right???
Also I did the "let it dry upside down and blow it""and I am able to blow air thought it.
I will re-install the carb and wire the coil and see what happens.
Thank you for being patient with me,I wasnt born with mechanical skills like a lot of you but I am willing to learn.
I would have loved to pay someone to do it right but oh well
Thanks again

 

Will try that thank you.

 

No, the main well plugs are about an inch further back on the main body. They are covered by the base plate when it's bolted on.
Larry T

 

If you can blow through the fuel inlet with the carb upside down , then there is something wrong with the float or needle/seat. And by "blow" I mean with your mouth, not a blow gun hooked to a compressor.

 

there is a reason they were nick named qudra junk!

for 245 bucks you could have had a brand new holley spread bore replacement

 

I tried it again.
And it stillfucked up.
Im going to take it back and let hi fix.
I will work on somethng else in the meanwhile.

 

What are you running for a fuel pump?

 

Tell me more about it.
If I got the holley,would I have to get a different intake??
I knew I should have asked before I went ahead with this shit

 

You can use the same intake either way. If you get a Holley spreadbore it should bolt right up and if you get a standard Holley you can get an adaptor to use with the spreadbore manifold.
Btw thanks for posting this thread. I recently bought a Q-jet & cast iron manifold that came off a '66 Chevelle sbc for $35. At that price I don't really expect much, but I used to do warranty work on these carbs in the late '70s and I think I still remember a thing or two. Your thread brought some of the memories and associated cuss words back. I'll stay tuned to see how it goes.

 

the quadra-jet is alot better carb than the Holley, you just have a needle and seat or float problem. I've changed filters (Fram) that were full of paper dust causing flooding