83 350 runs horrid starting when cold

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

CoMtGuy

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Posts
19
Reaction score
4
Location
Colorado
First Name
Gregg
Truck Year
1983
Truck Model
GMC K2500
Engine Size
350 M Code
You can drill them out and use self tappers to adjust it.

Here is my adjustment sheet that has a little section on chokes. It might help.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ht38b7uknu0yuwc/quadrajet power llc adjustments.pdf?dl=0

Thank you! I had a priority this morning, but tomorrow morning I'm working through this and the other posters advice. My carb is rich (stinky exhaust all the time), so I definitely will use the sheet. I did start leaning it out, by adjusting each side to drop 200rpm (leaning, screw in) then resetting the idle speed, one side at a time, but stopped there due to other life priorities and I was riding the motorcycle most days - but now with snow soon to fly it's time to get this carb much closer to right.
 

CoMtGuy

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Posts
19
Reaction score
4
Location
Colorado
First Name
Gregg
Truck Year
1983
Truck Model
GMC K2500
Engine Size
350 M Code
Well guys, the choke was fully closed when cold, fired up, had the nasty stumbling for a couple minutes requiring throttle management to keep running until it smoothed out after a minute or two. Checked and found about 1/4" choke plate open, fast idle was good, once warm I kicked it down and choke plate was open almost vertical.

So my rich fuelly stink problem, and the cold start stumble, is not related to the choke. I plugged off the dist vac line and closed down one idle screw at a time, one was out about 3-1/2 turns, the other 2-1/2. Here's the odd part... I turned each in until the stop and only a minor reduction in RPM, no stumble. Yes both in, completely shut, and the carb was still fueling the engine. Backed each out to 2 full turns and left them.


So the float is soaked, jacked, or something else is wrong internal. I'm about done messing with this Q-Jet, I got better things to do than turn a wrench on a carb, I see National Carb has a rebuild for $275 or so, or maybe I send it to Mark for rebuild, when I can ride the motorcycle again in the spring.
 

rich weyand

Full Access Member
Joined
May 28, 2014
Posts
964
Reaction score
162
Location
Bloomington Indiana
First Name
Rich
Truck Year
1978
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
It sounds like the well plugs are leaking. This is a known problem, with a known solution.

Do not buy one off the shelf. There are lots of little air bleeds and such inside that are adjusted (drilled) for the vehicle/engine application. Either have Mark rebuild it, or get one built for your setup by Sean Murphy at SMI.
 

mistaake

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Posts
651
Reaction score
17
Location
SF Bay Area, California
First Name
Michael
Truck Year
1999
Truck Model
Crown Vic
Engine Size
4.6
Well guys, the choke was fully closed when cold, fired up, had the nasty stumbling for a couple minutes requiring throttle management to keep running until it smoothed out after a minute or two. Checked and found about 1/4" choke plate open, fast idle was good, once warm I kicked it down and choke plate was open almost vertical.

So my rich fuelly stink problem, and the cold start stumble, is not related to the choke. I plugged off the dist vac line and closed down one idle screw at a time, one was out about 3-1/2 turns, the other 2-1/2. Here's the odd part... I turned each in until the stop and only a minor reduction in RPM, no stumble. Yes both in, completely shut, and the carb was still fueling the engine. Backed each out to 2 full turns and left them.


So the float is soaked, jacked, or something else is wrong internal. I'm about done messing with this Q-Jet, I got better things to do than turn a wrench on a carb, I see National Carb has a rebuild for $275 or so, or maybe I send it to Mark for rebuild, when I can ride the motorcycle again in the spring.

Have the "quadrajet power" on this forum do it. I was gonna buy a carb from him but I ended up selling my truck... But if I ever need another quadrajet he would be my first thought. He is very knowledgeable about them.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,177
Posts
910,753
Members
33,673
Latest member
jcuriel512
Top