Found a Quadrajet

[Mr. Machanic]

I agree. This carb is a hot mess.
But, it is doing exactly as intended and that is to serve as a teaching tool.
I did not want to tear into mine, having never tore into one.
The goal is to make a reasonable effort and possibly have a usable carb.
I have done quite a few motorcycle carbs from early 70's big bikes and there has been plenty of times when one turns hopeless. It took a only a couple of carbs to learn when it's junk.
I even made jets for one of my bikes.
I really enjoyed that learning process.
A few have said, just throw a holley on it, but where's the fun in that?..lol

[Mr. Machanic]

Hot Digitty X2.
I love craigslist.
I found 2 more QJ's for $20 each.
One has numbers the other looks identical but lacks numbers.
Again, these are just "teaching tools".
I have no desire to rebuild either of these, just learn from them.

When I played with bikes, there was a bike salvage yard about 10 miles from me.
They would let me rummage thru the rows and rows of bikes and unbolt whatever I wanted, as long as I didn't make a mess. Great times for sure.

[Mr. Machanic]

Finally, after the businesses opened back up, I went to my local bearing house and picked up some bronze cintered (a.k.a. Oilite) bushings for the primary shaft.
About an hour-ish later, the plate was done.
It went very well and was not at all difficult.

[Mr. Machanic]

After a little clean up, the shaft was slid in to check fit and alignment.
Boy, did that make a huge difference.
I am super tickled with the results.
Now for a good careful cleaning and it will be ready to go back together.

BTW, of the professional carb rebuild guys I spoke with, the one mentioned they don't resleeve the secondary shaft at all. Apparently, there has been binding issues with the shaft after a few months on the road.
So this one won't get the secondary shaft resleeved.
We'll see how that goes.

[JohnnyPopper]

That's a lot of heavy lifting Mr. M! Understandable on secondary  bushings, not used very much relative to primaries.

[Mr. Machanic]

JohnnyPopper,

I'm not familiar with the term "heavy lifting" but I'll assume it means "not easy work".
If so, I understand. But, to me it is not hard or difficult at all.
Honestly, If someone came to me and asked if I'd toss a couple bushings in that plate, sure, not a problem and $40 would make it worth my while, and I even have the bushing.

Having a hobby of small steam engines, installing bushings and bearings is pretty basic stuff.

[JohnnyPopper]

I can see where your hobby skill set comes in handy. Good to know!

In '79 I came across a Fairbanks Morse Z gas engine, pre-spark plug, complete.

I restored it and got to run. My autoshop teacher called them 'johnny poppers'.

[Mr. Machanic]

J.P.
Was that Fairbanks the one with firetube ignition?

A friend had a MayTag washer engine that had a firetube ignition.
You heated the tube with a torch until it glowed then it would act like a glow plug and run the engine.
Cute little engine.

[JohnnyPopper]

Wow never heard of a firetube! Sounds ingenious.

No, this had a set of spring loaded contact points that were mechanically closed by a linkage arm from the gearing off the crank.

It had a centrifugal governor that would expand when the rpm was correct, cancelling the spark till it retracted, then the next POP.

The firing was intermittent, POP---PO PO POP-POP

I don't think this is the exact model but close.

[JohnnyPopper]

Wow never heard of a firetube! Sounds ingenious.

No, this had a set of spring loaded contact points that were mechanically closed by a linkage arm from the gearing off the crank.

The points were inside the combustion chamber.

It had a centrifugal governor that would expand when the rpm was correct, cancelling the spark till it retracted, then the next POP.

The firing was intermittent, POP---PO PO POP-POP

I don't think this is the exact model but close.

[Mr. Machanic]

Oh...
A Hit-n-miss engine.
Them be kewl too.

[Mr. Machanic]

Polishing the bores.
Not that I'm certain it makes much difference, but someday, somebody may look down this carb and recognize the fact that somebody spent some time on it and "loved" it...lol.

[JohnnyPopper]

I don't know Mr. M...

May be the pics but it looks like what I commented earlier, 'found at the bottom of the pool' with all the surface pitting.

Are you going to use a bore hone to clean up the secondaries?

[Mr. Machanic]

LOL...
Actually it's cleaning up very nicely.
Wait till I get the one on the truck off...it looks like a racoon took a pooh in it.

I'm using a flex shaft handpiece with 180g round wrap cartridges. My first career was as a Journeyman machinist/moldmaker, so blending uneven edges is no big deal.
The secondaries are very smoof and shiny.

I'll post pics tomorrow.

[Mr. Machanic]

Before and after.
Took a bit over half hour.