Could use some advice please on carb replacement...

[MGood777]

I have a 1989 Mercruiser Alpha 1, 5.7 liter 260 hp version. The carb is a Rochester QuadraJet 4 bbl that I'm looking to replace. I'll replace it with the same model carb. Assuming I get a good quality rebuilt carb, how difficult is it to get a new carb running on that motor?

I'm a decent mechanic and can do the carb swap no problem, but tuning a carb like this is *not* something that I know a lot about. I'm just worried about how difficult tuning the new carb will be. Is it a pain in the you know what kinda job that is best left to professionals? Is it something that a carb rookie like me can fake his way through it?

Any advice very much appreciated. Thanks in advance...

 

[littlebookworm]

Re: Could use some advice please on carb replacement...

If you're skillful enough to change it, you're probably skillful enough to adjust it. It's not complicated. Just follow the directions in the manual and you should be fine. Good luck, Hy.

 

[MGood777]

Re: Could use some advice please on carb replacement...

No special tools required to adjust a Rochester Quadrajet?

Also...

And maybe this is a silly question....I haven't bought a rebuilt carb like this before (at least not for a marine application, and it's been years and years since I did it on a car)...Is it safe to assume that it's gonna come with a manual? If not, can you get one from someplace?

 

[John_S]

Re: Could use some advice please on carb replacement...

Get the Mercruiser manual for your engine and it will have all the carb adjustments in it, plus everything else about your engine you might need some day.. The marine reman q-jet I bought, did not have any manual. Only special tool needed was for the idle mixture screws. I need a flex handle with a special socket. Many are just phillips or regular slot screwdriver.

Please note that the Merc manual will refer to a gram scale for adjusting the air door. If you purchase the right carb, you should not have to adjust that. Other standard tune-up tools like tach and timing light, etc.