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Originally Posted by davepl
Depends on what you mean. One man's "works fine" is another mans "what a POS to drive, I have to use two feet and it stalls when cold and bogs in the winter" and so on.
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When I say "works fine" I mean a Quadrajet properly tuned starts easily, runs trouble-free, and gives good economy and power. In other words, exactly as I would expect it to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by davepl
GM didn't put all the other stuff on because someone dared them to lose money!
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The cast iron manifolds are cheaper than aluminum, and that's why they were used when weight wasn't a primary consideration. Same with cast iron exhaust manifolds. AIR pumps were an early attempt to improve emissions. I don't think any of it was a dare to lose money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by davepl
When I say "it drives fine", I really mean "Your mom, who drives a Camry, cold-started my truck in the winter and drove it and thought it ran really well".
Switching to an aftermarket intake usually means losing the heat crossover (though not always) which makes them ugly in the cold. Same with an open filter element and no heat stove, it's bog city.
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A Quadrajet is no worse and may be better than other carburetors under these conditions if it's properly calibrated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by davepl
Removing smog equipment usually just screws up the carb calibration without improving performance, so I never do that. I mean if my truck originally had an A.I.R. pump I wouldn't seek one out just to have it, but I sure wouldn't take one off to save 3 horsepower unless I was in Pro Stock. And the PCV is an important anti-wear device, so I wouldn't remove that. And that's about the entire extent of smog equipment on these.
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A.I.R. pumps have absolutely nothing to do with carb calibration. That would only happen in a feedback loop situation, such as with the electronically-controlled Quadrajets introduced in 1982. A.I.R simply pumps fresh air into the exhaust manifold to help burn unburned hydrocarbons.
On the other hand, the PCV system is important on all engines, and there would be no reason to remove it when replacing a Quadrajet with another Quadrajet. All factory Quadrajet installations had PCV valves. But all you need to run a PCV system (aside from the PCV valve) is engine vacuum, which you can do with any carb.
So I'm still not seeing how a Quadrajet is in any way inferior to an aftermarket carburetor whether in a stock installation or in a modified engine. The original poster was asking about a replacement for his stock carburetor, and the Quadrajet is the best choice in my opinion.
And I agree with James III on the block heater. I'm putting two in the engine that's going in my Blazer (one will be a spare) because winters here are pretty cold and I like getting warm as fast as I can.