CMNT's 1980 Turbo Trans Am. It's alive, it's alive

[b4black]

The Qjet is a little special for the turbo set up. The Power Valve needs to be externally referenced to the lower intake manifold after the turbo. Normally it's reference to the intake vacuum internally.

Confirm the number on the carb before going too far with it to make sure it's original. Should be something like 17080XXX. I'm sure google can get you the exact number.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Excellent, thanks. It looks like Friday will be the next time I can play with it.

First things first, I will fix the negative cable.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Sorry, been pretty busy so I haven't had time to look at it until today.

Fixed the negative cable end, then got it started. Let it run for like 25 minutes and all throttle things seem to work. Took it awhile to be able to settle down and idle nicely, but some of that may be the fact that the air cleaner assembly and the heat riser tube to it, aren't there to help get the carb warm. Anyway, I then moved it forward and backward, all seemeed well, so I mustered up the courage to take it for a spin... I drove it out the alley, down the street and around the block. Got to the end of the block where I stopped and it died. Took a little while, but got it started again, held it around 3,500 rpm and dropped it in to drive and away I went down to make my way around the block, as I braked, it died again. Rinse lather repeat 3x until I got it back to the house where it died again pulling in to the parking spot.

After this, it's apparent it needs a radiator. It was leaking out the bottom and the overflow tank was boiling over. The smell of boiling coolant... Ymmm.

After all that, I checked the oil and it was as clean as clean could be. Once the coolant stopped boiling, it was nice and green...

 

[CMNTMXR57]

So I've had the car running over the past few weeks. It runs great on choke, then it's a crapshoot once it gets warmed up as to whether or not it wants to idle or not, more recently, it won't stay running unless I have my foot resting on the pedal. Then yesterday, I couldn't get it to run once warm at all. So figured, it was time to take this carb off and get it cleaned. That's what I did today.

Here's the mighty Quadrajet. The part number I come up with online is 17080274 but I can not find that anywhere on the carb itself.



This bracket on the back of the carb is what holds down the back of the carb. In the picture, the smaller nut on top must be stripped because I can't get it to come off. I got the bolt out by jamming the bigger nut up against the bracket.



So, here is the intake manifold. All the write ups said the turbo blows in to the side of the carb. That is not the case. It blows in to the side of the manifold. Note, I had not cleaned out the manifold yet.







So now I need to get the carb rebuilt.

 

[Gav'sPurpleZ]

 

[Unitsn4]

Before getting too deep, double check that the air horn isn't warped. Those little spring clips that hold vacuum hoses tend to get lost easily. While I haven't used them, a buddy used a place called Chicago Carburetor when he came into some issues a while back with good results.

 

[The Beast]

Did you ever end up getting the title for the TA? Just curious on that process

 

[IceCreamAssassin]

Wonder how well one of those Holley carb efi’s is oils work on something like this? I’d think it would do well.

 

[Aircal]

Wonder how well one of those Holley carb efi’s is oils work on something like this? I’d think it would do well.

Still somewhat experimental but results have been great so far.

 

[b4black]

So, here is the intake manifold. All the write ups said the turbo blows in to the side of the carb. That is not the case. It blows in to the side of the manifold. Note, I had not cleaned out the manifold yet.

View attachment 62376

It's called a "draw-thru" set up. The turbo draws (sucks) through the carb. "Blow-thru" is when the turbo is before the carb.

The little manifold between the carb and turbo is called a "plenum"

In the draw thru, the turbo see air and fuel. In a blow thru, the turbo only pumps air.

A draw thru carb only sees atmospheric pressure/vacuum. A blow through carb needs to handle the boost pressure.

 

[b4black]

Here's the mighty Quadrajet. The part number I come up with online is 17080274 but I can not find that anywhere on the carb itself.

The number is on the driver's side, vertical, just above the secondary throttle shaft. (Might need to zoom in to see.)

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Before getting too deep, double check that the air horn isn't warped. Those little spring clips that hold vacuum hoses tend to get lost easily. While I haven't used them, a buddy used a place called Chicago Carburetor when he came into some issues a while back with good results.

How would they warp? And everything seems to move freely, so not sure how to really test it.

Did you ever end up getting the title for the TA? Just curious on that process

No SOS is only doing license and plate renewals is my understanding. So no. I'm trying to spend as little as possible, but I do want the vehicle to be movable to make it look like it's not an abandoned vehicle and raise the eyebrows of the city. They have a 3rd party contractor that comes around looking for violations and they've been real assholes to other neighbors recently

The number is on the driver's side, vertical, just above the secondary throttle shaft. (Might need to zoom in to see.)

View attachment 62448

I will try and look again tonight. I did clean a bit off of it with brakekleen, but it's still grimey.

 

[bimmer4life]

How would they warp? And everything seems to move freely, so not sure how to really test it.


No SOS is only doing license and plate renewals is my understanding. So no. I'm trying to spend as little as possible, but I do want the vehicle to be movable to make it look like it's not an abandoned vehicle and raise the eyebrows of the city. They have a 3rd party contractor that comes around looking for violations and they've been real assholes to other neighbors recently




I will try and look again tonight. I did clean a bit off of it with brakekleen, but it's still grimey.

Hrmmm not sure what you mean I have title 4 cars in past 2 months. One I mailed direct to sos and others through currency exchange. They are processing titles

 

[CMNTMXR57]

The issue is, he can't just apply, get it and get it mailed to him. We have to go through him doing the form showing he has a mechanics lien on it, and follow the procedures the state says.

 

[bimmer4life]

Sounds like you have not called around and tried yet

 

[CMNTMXR57]

The neighbor is the one that has to get it settled first, not me.

So I just went out, cleaned off the side some more and found the number 17080274. The something like 0430 CMC (or maybe it's GMC, just very hard to tell with the very light stamping).

 

[Unitsn4]

You'd take a machinists ruler (straight edge) and check to see if it's flat across multiple plains. There are pics on line that would help.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

So it's been awhile. Sometime in August, I took the carb off to send out to be rebuilt.

Before;

So I sent it off to Chicago carb. Anyway, my hopes were that they would rebuild it, send it back, and I would have time to get it back on before the long grey suck took hold. Unfortunately that did not happen. So sometime around Thanksgiving I called them to ask where the hell it was? The response I got was that they were waiting on one part that no one had. They asked me if I had it... I responded that I sent them everything but the hold down bracket.

Fast forward to a few days before Christmas. I get a call from them asking for my credit card number. Mine expired in the time they had it...

Anyway, a few days ago a big box came...

It's so nice, I don't want to put it on. Seriously, at this point in time, I won't do anything until spring. I already removed the battery and brought it in the house.

 

[Bru]

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

So it's been awhile. Sometime in August, I took the carb off to send out to be rebuilt.

Before;
View attachment 77637

So I sent it off to Chicago carb. Anyway, my hopes were that they would rebuild it, send it back, and I would have time to get it back on before the long grey suck took hold. Unfortunately that did not happen. So sometime around Thanksgiving I called them to ask where the hell it was? The response I got was that they were waiting on one part that no one had. They asked me if I had it... I responded that I sent them everything but the hold down bracket.

Fast forward to a few days before Christmas. I get a call from them asking for my credit card number. Mine expired in the time they had it...

Anyway, a few days ago a big box came...

View attachment 77638

View attachment 77639

It's so nice, I don't want to put it on. Seriously, at this point in time, I won't do anything until spring. I already removed the battery and brought it in the house.

Dang looks nice! Surprised you didn’t use everyday performance or quadrajet power. What’s that set you back?

 

[Unitsn4]

Maybe look into getting the adjustment tool on the way in the mean time. Might be easier than jamming a screw driver in there.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Dang looks nice! Surprised you didn’t use everyday performance or quadrajet power. What’s that set you back?

Earlier in this thread somewhere, members suggested them.

Maybe look into getting the adjustment tool on the way in the mean time. Might be easier than jamming a screw driver in there.

Once I get it back on come spring, being that everything is new, I would hope that I wouldn't need anything to hold the choke plate open with the screwdriver like I had been doing. Since this came out so nice, I will be dropping the tank, cleaning that (perhaps replacing it if necessary) and purging/cleaning the lines before I even start it.

$425 I want to say.

 

[Unitsn4]

The tool would be for the adjustment screws at the base plate. One should be directly below the filter in the center and another to the right. Idle is all the way on the right by the linkage and easiest of the three to adjust. That center mixture screw can be tough to get to.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Oh, got it. Thank you.

 

[1quick]

So it's been awhile. Sometime in August, I took the carb off to send out to be rebuilt.

Before;
View attachment 77637

So I sent it off to Chicago carb. Anyway, my hopes were that they would rebuild it, send it back, and I would have time to get it back on before the long grey suck took hold. Unfortunately that did not happen. So sometime around Thanksgiving I called them to ask where the hell it was? The response I got was that they were waiting on one part that no one had. They asked me if I had it... I responded that I sent them everything but the hold down bracket.

Fast forward to a few days before Christmas. I get a call from them asking for my credit card number. Mine expired in the time they had it...

Anyway, a few days ago a big box came...

View attachment 77638

View attachment 77639

It's so nice, I don't want to put it on. Seriously, at this point in time, I won't do anything until spring. I already removed the battery and brought it in the house.

Jesus they did a hell of a job restoring that carb