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Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » quadrajet 1978 -1979 (air valve movement)
quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355678] Sun, 14 June 2020 16:17 Go to next message
Wayne is currently offline  Wayne   Canada
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I have a 1978 engine and carb in my 76 Birchaven. The carb has a rebuilt sticker on it.
My secondary air valve only opens about 1/3 (hard stop) of the way.All the adjustments are close, but does any one know how far the air
valve is supposed to open?


Wayne Lawrence
76 Birchaven
Bellflower CA
w.lawrence@verizon.net
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355679 is a reply to message #355678] Sun, 14 June 2020 16:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JohnL455 is currently offline  JohnL455   United States
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All the way, conditions permitting. Reving it in neutral will not meet those load conditions. The vacuum dashpot, wind up spring and downward air flow are a balancing act.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355681 is a reply to message #355679] Sun, 14 June 2020 17:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne is currently offline  Wayne   Canada
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Thanks John,
That,s what I thought. The vacuum rod hits the end of the slot on the air valve lever @ about 1/3 of the way open.


Wayne Lawrence
76 Birchaven
Bellflower CA
w.lawrence@verizon.net
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355683 is a reply to message #355681] Sun, 14 June 2020 17:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
6cuda6 is currently offline  6cuda6   Canada
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Is that when driving and going to WOT? Or just trying to open it with your finger or at idle?

BTW there are a couple really good QJet videos on you tube about proper tuning and setup.....i forget what the guys name is, he swears alot but he know his stuff and talks about all the things people do to the secondary air flaps thinking it makes the QJ work better when it doesn't.

Wayne wrote on Sun, 14 June 2020 18:02
Thanks John,
That,s what I thought. The vacuum rod hits the end of the slot on the air valve lever @ about 1/3 of the way open.


Rich Mondor, Brockville, ON 77 Hughes 2600
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355684 is a reply to message #355678] Sun, 14 June 2020 18:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JohnL455 is currently offline  JohnL455   United States
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If OFF it won’t fully open by hand with choke open, something is wrong. I’ve seen them where all the parts were there but assembled incorrectly. We might need a picture.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355686 is a reply to message #355678] Sun, 14 June 2020 19:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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When the Secondarys on my coach would not open all of the way I discovered that the arm on the gas pedal had bent. Maybe that happened to you also? Just grab the gas pedal and pull hard on it and bend it back up to where it belongs. Simple, the throttle pedal was simply hitting the floor before the throttle plates were fully open. A simple fix.

Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355691 is a reply to message #355678] Sun, 14 June 2020 21:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne is currently offline  Wayne   Canada
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The rod from air valve and the pull off diaphragm was backwards . installed it correctly and now they open all the way.

Does the secondary lock out have a lever to move it out of lockout when the choke is open or does it depend on gravity to unlock it
when the choke opens?


Wayne Lawrence
76 Birchaven
Bellflower CA
w.lawrence@verizon.net
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355697 is a reply to message #355678] Sun, 14 June 2020 23:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne is currently offline  Wayne   Canada
Messages: 106
Registered: August 2004
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The rod from air valve and the pull off diaphragm was backwards . installed it correctly and now they open all the way.

Does the secondary lock out have a lever to move it out of lockout when the choke is open or does it depend on gravity to unlock it
when the choke opens?


Wayne Lawrence
76 Birchaven
Bellflower CA
w.lawrence@verizon.net
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355699 is a reply to message #355678] Mon, 15 June 2020 07:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JohnL455 is currently offline  JohnL455   United States
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You should be able to play with choke by hand and see how it opens the lock tang. Basically gravity closes the lock and the mechanism moves it open. So I guessed right on that secondary air valve linkage. I had bought a $750 winter beater a 77 Monte Carlo with 350/4 in Vegas and drove it back. It had same misassembled issue. Easy fix no cost.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355700 is a reply to message #355678] Mon, 15 June 2020 07:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JohnL455 is currently offline  JohnL455   United States
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Also in addition to what Larry said, you can get more throttle pull by slightly sliding rearward and slightly bending rearward the throttle cable bracket at left rear of carb. Engine OFF Hold the air valve open and operate pedal with your left foot as you shine a light down secondaries. The lower throttle plates should go vertical.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
Re: quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355701 is a reply to message #355678] Mon, 15 June 2020 07:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jhbridges is currently offline  jhbridges   United States
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Someone - Lenzi maybe? - removes the secondary lockout on his rebuilds. He says it iosn't really necessary in this service and as you're seeing can create troubles.

--johnny


Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons. Braselton, Ga. I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
Re: [GMCnet] quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355706 is a reply to message #355701] Mon, 15 June 2020 08:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
powwerjon is currently offline  powwerjon   United States
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Not Lenzi, Dick Patterson does the rebuilds on the carbs. They are like brand new and have the correct parts. The real problem is whether your carb is a actual GMC carb and the numbers are correct.

http://www.springfield-ignition.com/gmc-motorhome/carburation/

JR Wright

> On Jun 15, 2020, at 8:25 AM, Johnny Bridges via Gmclist wrote:
>
> Someone - Lenzi maybe? - removes the secondary lockout on his rebuilds. He says it iosn't really necessary in this service and as you're seeing can
> create troubles.
>
> --johnny
> --
> Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> Braselton, Ga.
> I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
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Re: [GMCnet] quadrajet 1978 -1979 [message #355707 is a reply to message #355706] Mon, 15 June 2020 09:11 Go to previous message
Wayne is currently offline  Wayne   Canada
Messages: 106
Registered: August 2004
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As usual you guys have saved me a lot of time and I really appreciate it.

THANK YOU


Wayne Lawrence
76 Birchaven
Bellflower CA
w.lawrence@verizon.net
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