Rochester Quadrajet to Edelbrock 1410 Conversion?

[1980Coronado]

Ok....the motor is out of the boat and the boat is at a shop getting new stringers. In a previous thread I was discussing what if anything should be done to the motor while it's out and Bond-o suggested a splurge on a new Edelbrock 1410. The boat runs fine but has an issue sometimes when the engine is shut off after being worked and then started backup after 10-15 min. It dies when you try to accelerate.....and doesn't always start right backup. I have been informed that the quadrajet is known for leaking fuel from the cross drill plugs in the base and Bond-o believes this may be the issue.

http://forums.iboats.com/mercruiser...mie-330-advice-suggestions-wanted-577990.html


So....here is what I just removed from my 1980 or 81? Mercruiser MIE330 S/N 5652430

Rochester Quadrajet (no electric choke)
Number on Mercruiser Tag 1347-7366
Number on body of carb 17059287 0230

My questions:

1) If I upgrade to the Edelbrock 1410 is this a drop in replacement or are there other things that need to be changed like the intake manifold?

2) Will my existing fuel line need to be changed or modified to connect to the new carb.?

3) Is there a performance benefit to making this switch?

4) Should I just forget it and swap it for a re-manufactured QuadraJet?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

I personally am a big fan of the Edelbrock carbs. Having said that, you will have a few issues and modifications when switching over. The Edelbrock is a square bore, while the QJet is a spread bore. You may or may not need an adapter - depending upon your intake manifold.

You will more than likely need to modify your fuel inlet line as well. A reman Q-Jet will be the easier route... but if it were me, I would go with the Edelbrock.

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

I personally am a big fan of the Edelbrock carbs. Having said that, you will have a few issues and modifications when switching over. The Edelbrock is a square bore, while the QJet is a spread bore. You may or may not need an adapter - depending upon your intake manifold.

You will more than likely need to modify your fuel inlet line as well. A reman Q-Jet will be the easier route... but if it were me, I would go with the Edelbrock.

Thanks for the input......I'll post some pictures of the intake when I get a chance.....If you see it will you know if I need an adapter? I don't think this engine has been touched since it left the factory...it's the "standard" intake for a big block Chevy 454 with the Rochester.

Bond-o feel free to jump in here since it's your fault I'm even considering this

 

[Bondo]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Thanks for the input......I'll post some pictures of the intake when I get a chance.....If you see it will you know if I need an adapter? I don't think this engine has been touched since it left the factory...it's the "standard" intake for a big block Chevy 454 with the Rochester.

Bond-o feel free to jump in here since it's your fault I'm even considering this

Ayuh,.... I know, the carb in question is a dual mountin' pad carb, 'n I Believe it might fit yer manifold, without an adapter...
but I could be wrong on that...

Not alota saltwater in Indiana, really Splurge, 'n get a nice aluminum hi-rise dual plane manifold for it too...

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

The car in my avartar is mine. I have an edelbrock performer intake. It is a spreadbore intake that I had a Q-Jet on for awhile. I bought and installed an Edelbrock square bore and did not need an adapter. There was enough "meat" there to bolt right up with no issues. I do not know if I (or anyone else) can really tell by a picture. You will not know till you get a square bore gasket and see. But go ahead and post a pic and maybe someone will be able to tell.

EDIT: I see Bond-o posted while I was typing. The big issue isn't the bolt pattern, but the amount of metal at the spread bore. You want enough there not to cause a vacuum leak.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Or, you can fix a leaking fuel bowl with marine tex or jb weld. It's a known issue with a simple fix. Then rebuild the carb with a kit from Cliff Ruggles. He's the man on Qjets.
cliffshighperformance.com

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Thanks for the help Bond-o......how much more do ya want me ta spend? Seriously though I appreciate the expertise guys.


I'll get a pic tomorrow...it's not like the motor is going anywhere!

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Ok...I'm liking this photobucket thing...I take a picture on my phone an automagically it apears in photobucket.

 

[dan t.]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Rebuild or replace your q-jet, it is a far better carb, you will loose both power and fuel economy with a Edelbrock/Carter AFB/Webber/ POS. I would recomend going to an electric choke on the Q-jet, the choke system pictured can be very slow to come off.

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Rebuild or replace your q-jet, it is a far better carb, you will loose both power and fuel economy with a Edelbrock/Carter AFB/Webber/ POS. I would recomend going to an electric choke on the Q-jet, the choke system pictured can be very slow to come off.

No existing electrical to hook up for an electric choke.....not sure I want to mess with that.....you're the first to tell me the EdleBrock is inferior to the Q-Jet....is this a Ford vs Chevy type argument?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

you're the first to tell me the EdleBrock is inferior to the Q-Jet....is this a Ford vs Chevy type argument?

Oh yeah... wait till the Holly guys jump on board! The truth is any carb is going to work well if it is properly tuned and adjusted. With Q-Jets people either love them or hate them. Not much middle ground.

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Oh yeah... wait till the Holly guys jump on board! The truth is any carb is going to work well if it is properly tuned and adjusted. With Q-Jets people either love them or hate them. Not much middle ground.

Already been told to never put a Holly on a boat......here we go!

 

[Stamey]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Qjets are good, but complicated carbs. Other types are easier for the novice to work on. My 83 Chaparral had a 305 with a QJet. Ran like crap when I bought it, and I couldn't get it right. I ended up taking just the carb to a QJet guy and he made that sucker run perfect. I mean it idled at 700, smooth as silk, and after sitting all winter I pumped the gas twice and brought the throttle back to idle then hit the key and it was running smoothly, even with the motor oil I had dumped down the intake in the fall. There was lots of smoke, until the oil burned off, but that engine purred like I never though it could, being so old and with that Qjet on it.
So, I won't say that one carb is better than another, for fuel economy or performance, but don't discount a properly functioning QJet too quickly.
One downfall the QJet has, that I encountered on my carb, is that the throttle shaft hole wears out, and the vacuum leak caused by that gap by the throttle shaft prevents it from running right and you can't really tune around it. You need a new throttle plate or to install bushings in your old plate. I found a different plate for mine, but not before I bought the brass tubing and tool to put a bushing in my old one.

Chris

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Qjets are good, but complicated carbs. Other types are easier for the novice to work on. My 83 Chaparral had a 305 with a QJet. Ran like crap when I bought it, and I couldn't get it right. I ended up taking just the carb to a QJet guy and he made that sucker run perfect. I mean it idled at 700, smooth as silk, and after sitting all winter I pumped the gas twice and brought the throttle back to idle then hit the key and it was running smoothly, even with the motor oil I had dumped down the intake in the fall. There was lots of smoke, until the oil burned off, but that engine purred like I never though it could, being so old and with that Qjet on it.
So, I won't say that one carb is better than another, for fuel economy or performance, but don't discount a properly functioning QJet too quickly.
One downfall the QJet has, that I encountered on my carb, is that the throttle shaft hole wears out, and the vacuum leak caused by that gap by the throttle shaft prevents it from running right and you can't really tune around it. You need a new throttle plate or to install bushings in your old plate. I found a different plate for mine, but not before I bought the brass tubing and tool to put a bushing in my old one.

Chris

Thanks......the boat runs just fine.....it's only the intermittent issue when it's hot. We're not 100% sure it's the carb but it's the primary suspect. The scenario is you shut the engine off to go swimming after pulling a skier.....15 min later you start the engine put it in gear, apply throttle to get up on plane and it dies and sometimes won't restart easily. Once you get it started again, it runs and accelerates normally....and it doesn't happen every time.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

rather than buy, set up and tune a new carb to your engine, I might consider having the quadrajet professionally rebuilt. They are a really good carb. and very reliable when in good shape.

my experience would indicate that 1410 is a little undersized on idle circuits and sometimes has an off-idle lean spot that's hard to tune out. (I have one as a backup and run it fairly often). I like Holley's better for all out performance, but maybe because I seem to have an easier time getting them dialed in. The Edelbrocks are a really good value if you're replacing a carb and often are pretty close on tune right out of the box for the average 5.7. They aren't hard to tune either, but they are really sensitive to fuel pressure. Also, for a stock 350, a 1409 (600 cfm) is probably a little better bet than a 1410 - especially if you're focused on fuel economy - but in either case you'll likely get the best performance by updating to a square bore manifold... Just my two cents... if you go with the edelbrock and need a spacer / adapter for square bore tro spread bore, hit me up, I think I've got a couple of them in one of the boxes ready to be "purged" from the attic. (not to sell, if you need it one and it's convenient to send it to you, you can have it...)...

Whatever path you take, I hope it works well for you!

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

rather than buy, set up and tune a new carb to your engine, I would consider having the quadrajet professionally rebuilt.

The 1410 is a little undersized on idle circuits and sometimes has an off-idle lean spot that's hard to tune out. (I have one as a backup and run it fairly often). I like holley's better for all out performance, but maybe because I seem to have an easier time getting them dialed in. The edelbrocks are a really good value if you're replacing a carb and often are pretty close right out of the box. For a stock 350, a 1409 is probably a better bet than a 1410, but in either case you'll likely get the best performance by updating to a squarebore manifold... Just my two cents...

Thanks...I'm not sure where you saw a stock 350...this is a stock 454. I am considering just buying a re-manufactured Q-Jet from these guys...Marine Carburetors – Remanufactured Carburetors For Your Boat Or Yacht

Anyone ever use them?

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edlebrock 1410 Conversion?

ok....now whats going on here?.....this re-man is $700 and the one I posted above is less than $300

Remanufactured Carburetor - Sierra - Parts Finder - iboats

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edelbrock 1410 Conversion?

And this one is over $600

Mallory Carburetor, Reman. 9-34005 - Parts Finder - iboats

Yikes!

 

[matt167]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edelbrock 1410 Conversion?

Not all carb rebuilds are created equal.. Sierra and Mallory are both very well known and accepted aftermarket marine parts companies. Once you get into some 'rebuild' shops, you'll find they are not tuned right, and in many cases are not put together with the right parts. The " if it fits, it ships " analogy.. Q jets are great carbs, but they are very hard to tune and get it right. Many just need rebuilt because they are worn out. Given Many of these carbs are 20-30 years old or better, throttle shafts start to wear and they get vac leaks. Fuel bowls start to leak into the manifold making very rich start ups. Most of the time, they need throttle shaft bushings and the mating surfaces of the carb need to be trued..

If you want to keep the Q-jet. Buy from Sierra or Mallory or just have your carb rebuilt by someone who knows Q-jets. If you want just a quick. bolt on and go carb, get an Edelbrock. Holleys are fine too, but you're fuel consumption will go up a lot because of the way they meter fuel

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rochester Quadrajet to Edelbrock 1410 Conversion?

Not all carb rebuilds are created equal.. Sierra and Mallory are both very well known and accepted aftermarket marine parts companies. Once you get into some 'rebuild' shops, you'll find they are not tuned right, and in many cases are not put together with the right parts. The " if it fits, it ships " analogy.. Q jets are great carbs, but they are very hard to tune and get it right. Many just need rebuilt because they are worn out. Given Many of these carbs are 20-30 years old or better, throttle shafts start to wear and they get vac leaks. Fuel bowls start to leak into the manifold making very rich start ups. Most of the time, they need throttle shaft bushings and the mating surfaces of the carb need to be trued..

If you want to keep the Q-jet. Buy from Sierra or Mallory or just have your carb rebuilt by someone who knows Q-jets. If you want just a quick. bolt on and go carb, get an Edelbrock. Holleys are fine too, but you're fuel consumption will go up a lot because of the way they meter fuel

Any experience with Marine Carburetors ? Remanufactured Carburetors For Your Boat Or Yacht

They send you a re-man carb that is already "pre-set"...you ship them yours back and you get the $98 core charge back.....$258 after core charge credit.