Help me decipher what carb I have

[ratty65]

So when I bought ny truck the previous owner told me that if I punch it I need to stay on it or my secondaries will flood it and the truck will die. Fast forward a month and now Im having problems getting the truck to idle properly and stay running. I looked at my carb to see what was on there so I can decide whether to try and rebuild it or replace it. Low and behold my 454 has an Edelbrock Performer 2.0 intake and a Q-Jet with part number 17055635. I have searched all over the internet and the numbers do not match anythingI have found.

Can someone help me decipher this number and hopefully help me find the correct rebuild info and kit so I may get this thing running right again. I figure ill try rebuilding it my self for $30 bucks before I go and spend the $300 or so on a new carb.

Oh yeah the truck in question is a 1985 Crew cab dually just in case this matters and was orignally a Washington truck.

[tucsonjwt]

Those numbers don't seem to square with the Quadrajet decoder tables I see on the net. 1705 means 1976-1979 model years, but the next 5 means built in 1975?. Maybe you could double check the number and the date code and contact one of the Quadrajet rebuilders to see if you have the correct carb for your truck. Sometimes the numbers stamped on the carburetor are not formed very well - 6 could look like 5, etc. I remember reading that GM did not always follow the rules they outlined for identifying carburetors. Also, your truck may have had an original carburetor replaced with one from a different vehicle - very common in old vehicles. My 454 C20 has a carburetor which should be in a California Oldsmobile.

[ratty65]

So I go ut today to double check the numbers on the carb and they do match what I orginally posted. I even had my brother check to make sure I wasnt seeing things. To top things off I go to start the truck to get ready to go to work and it wouldnot stay runing no matter what. After 15 mins of trying to get it to stay running I shut it off and ccall in sick to work. I pop the hood and the top of my intake manifold along with my carb looks as id someone took a bucket of gas and poured it over it. My ony option at this point is try to find a carb to replace this one ut still need to find ot what it is I have so I can find a similar replacement.

[tucsonjwt]

I would start with this website to find an appropriate number for your Qjet.

http://www.recarbco.com/technical/rochester/qjet.html

However, like this website says, you can't always go by the code numbers.

For your vehicle:

170 After 1976
85 1985
2 Emissions code 49 states
0,1, or 2 Chevrolet
Odd or even # Manual or Automatic Transmission

So, 170852XX would be the range for your vehicle.
The real factor is what your 454 requires for CFM, accessories, etc. So, Check the rebuilder websites to see what they offer for your vehicle(engine, trans, etc.)

The street rodders seem to like this Qjet rebuilder, so you might contact him for info - but I have no experience with this source.

http://www.cliffshighperformance.com/services.html

I would check your fuel inlet nut (where the fuel filter goes on the front of the carb) to make sure you are not leaking fuel there. On my carb, the inlet nut was not tight, and the fuel would leak slowly and evaporate on the intake manifold so I would never see the leaking gas. When the leak got bad enough I could see the puddle of gas on the intake. (If you have never tightened a fuel inlet nut before, use extreme care and two proper sized wrenches to tighten it. There is a special open crowfoot wrench with an open slot to fit over the fuel line for this purpose.

[ratty65]

The fact that I am having problems figuring out what carb is on there I think I am going to replace it but now amd unsure if I should go with the Summit Qjet replacement or go with an Edelbrock replacement. If I go withthe Summit/Qjet I only have one option but if I gowiththe Edlebrock I am unsure whether to go with the 1407 series or go withthe 1411 series. Anyone have either of these onthere 454BBC and if so any suggestions or info???

[tucsonjwt]

I never had any luck with an aftermarket replacement. I think the Edlebrock needed an adapter plate for the spreadbore, which raised up the carburetor so high that the snorkel tube to the exhaust manifold and other attachments did not line up correctly. So far, I have had the best luck with a quality rebuilt OEM Qjet and a manual choke conversion. Others posting here will disagree. If you can find a competent Qjet rebuilder in your neighboorhood, I would take it there for an estimate of what is wrong with the carb first, or if it is worth rebuilding. Or, if you have the time, you could send it in to a good online rebuilder to get a professional opinion. Here is a guy on youtube who makes rebuilding a Qjet look easy.

YouTube - Carb Rebuild Two Guys Garage

[ratty65]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

I never had any luck with an aftermarket replacement. I think the Edlebrock needed an adapter plate for the spreadbore, which raised up the carburetor so high that the snorkel tube to the exhaust manifold and other attachments did not line up correctly. So far, I have had the best luck with a quality rebuilt OEM Qjet and a manual choke conversion. Others posting here will disagree. If you can find a competent Qjet rebuilder in your neighboorhood, I would take it there for an estimate of what is wrong with the carb first, or if it is worth rebuilding. Or, if you have the time, you could send it in to a good online rebuilder to get a professional opinion. Here is a guy on youtube who makes rebuilding a Qjet look easy.

YouTube - Carb Rebuild Two Guys Garage

I already have an Edelbrock performer intake on it so I dont think ill neede the plate or anything else.