Please help. At my wits end

[Racerx12003r1]

Hello everyone. New guy here, so be easy on me. I am having some problems with a Q-jet that I just cant seem to figure out. From the numbers on the unit, it is off a 78 GMC. Right now it is on a Jeep J10. Anyway, my problem is this thing goes extremely rich after about 10 to 15 minutes of running. I pulled it apart, cleaned it, replaced the float and kitted it. The float was set at the speced level and I still got the same result. I had gas leaking out somewhere close to the primary throttle plate rod. At WOT it was fine and at a high cruise it was fine,but at low rpm and idle it would flood out and try to cut off. I pulled the air horn and lowered the float level some, just playing with it to see what would happen. After that, it ran beautiful at an idle and at low speed, but fell on its face on the road. I have had this thing apart numerous times thinking I have missed something, but I see nothing. The thought hit me that maybe the primary metering pins were not working, but the port is open, the piston moves freely, and I have found no vac leaks. (Even tried the old brake cleaner spraying) PLEASE HELP ME! If i had any hair, I'd be pulling it out.

[Cliff Ruggles]

What is the carburetor part number?

Did you put one of our kits in it?.....Cliff

[Racerx12003r1]

The part number is 17058213, and unfortunatly, I didn't get the kit from your company. It came from a local O'reilley's.

[Frank400]

the quality of the parts in auto part store's "kits" is questionable at best... 

[429bbf]

check if the plunger fell off the acc.pump my parts store kit lasted 20 minutes and about 15 miles. i got in a hurry and had a kit ordered from cliff but it didn't get here before the weekend so i went and got on from the store . ended up doing the carb twice.fwiw

[Cliff Ruggles]

At least 2 out of 3 of our customers who buy kits just bought a cheap POS kit over the counter. 

The first thing to do is to install good parts, and the correct parts, set the float correctly, pressure check the gasket under the inlet seat, and place the carb back in service.

99.99 percent of the time this is all that is needed to get it working correctly, at least from what I've seen here.....Cliff

[Racerx12003r1]

I figured I shouldnt have bought the kit I got. An old man I knew tried to teach me how to build carbs when I was younger. He worked for GM back in the 40s and retired in the late 70s. It's true that a master may teach you all YOU know, but NOT all he knows. Alot of good knolege died with him. I guess I'll start with a new kit. Cliff, do your kits come with floats too or is that a seperate item?

[brown7373]

Yes, Cliff's kits include the float.  I don't work for Cliff, but have been buying his kits for years and there is no comparison to parts store kits.  Years ago, before ethanol and other additives, almost any kit would work well.  Not so today.  Cliffs kits have the rubber parts impervious to ethanol and other additives.  And as the gas additives change, his parts change too.

All 3 of my old cars run perfectly with kits from Cliff.  Smooth and responsive.  My 72 Cutlass broke down a quarter mile from my house last Sunday.  Top was down and it wouldn't start after it cut out.  A 1970 442 pulled up and stopped to see if he could help.  We determined it was most likely a fuel pump, or a clogged sock in the tank, so he gave my wife and I a lift home.  He was talking about installing a modern fuel injection system on his 455.  I know why, too.  His car had all the signs of needing a carb rebuild with decent kit.  He had to feather the accelerator, because the accelerator pump was faulty.  A proper kit and an hour or 2 and it could be running like a 442 was designed to run.