Hillbilly fuel injection?

Oatmeal · Jan 1, 2011

I always liked that nickname for the Q-jet;D. I just recently got my Bronco on the road again after it being a driveway ornament for the last ten years. I had planned to do a DIY GM TBI conversion (already have everything but the harness) on my 351W and had my old Edelbrock Performer (Carter AFB) on there for the time being. Well, a friend gave me an old Q-jet he had laying around and I said, "what the hell" (I had one on my old 302....may it rest in peace or should I say pieces

) so, I bolted it on via an upside down square bore to Q-jet manifold 4 hole adapter and.......man, dose it ever run great it, flat out romps! I remember how well that thing worked offroad and how it returned really decent gas mileage (if I kept my foot out of it). Now I'm rethinking the whole EFI thing?:? I based my 351 build on an old Hot Rod magazine article called "Junk Yard Wars" where they pitted a salvage yard 350 Chevy against a same 351W and got 300HP with just some freshening up and a few bolt ons (they used a Holley, though)......my 302 was no slouch but, it was never this quick! Anyway was kinda excited and just thought I would share

---------Hans

fungus · Jan 2, 2011

Funny you say that! I'm running an $8 junkyard QJ thats running so damn good I'm on the fence as far as installing my sploderstang efi conversion that I have every single part for including a new RJM harness...

75junebug · Jan 2, 2011

I had a "hillbilly" EFI as well. Really liked it, and the GM HEI dizzy. About the only thing GM did right engine wise. Went to Ford Factory EFI, and now considering going back to the Qjet due to simplicity and economy.

JohnT · Jan 2, 2011

Please I need more information , I maybe wrong but I thought you had to have a computer to run it . Yes ,no ? Let me see some picutres. It would be a great upgrade for sure.

blubuckaroo · Jan 2, 2011

That's a great carb for a Bronco. The adapter makes it too tall unless you have the hood bumped or a body lift. It would be great if there was a spreadbore manifold available for a SBF.

Oatmeal · Jan 2, 2011

blubuckaroo said:
That's a great carb for a Bronco. The adapter makes it too tall unless you have the hood bumped or a body lift. It would be great if there was a spreadbore manifold available for a SBF.

Offenhauser used to make a line of manifolds for the small block Fords called the "dual port" and they had a few that mounted the Q-jet. I had one for my 302 but, it never really ran that well with it. The rear cylinders were some what starved as, the ports had to snake around the huge secondaries and were pretty constricted. I had great luck with that same adapter (Trans Dapt # 2034.....Edelbrock makes one as well) on an early Mustang cast iron 4bl manifold. In my experience, the more common open adapters don't work as well as the four hole variety. And yes, I have a 1" body lift and my 351W with a Performer intake, adapter, Q-jet and with a drop base 14" open element 3" tall K&N just fits under a stock hood

---------Hans

Oatmeal · Jan 2, 2011

JohnT said:
Please I need more information , I maybe wrong but I thought you had to have a computer to run it . Yes ,no ? Let me see some picutres. It would be a great upgrade for sure.

Here's a great write up: http://www.emotoman.com/qjet/qjetinstall.html --------Hans

fungus · Jan 2, 2011

Offy still makes a spreadbore for SBF. They're fairly pricey though in comparison to a Performer + adapter. Gotta do whatcha gotta do if you need the clearance though...

Oatmeal · Jan 2, 2011

fungus said:
Offy still makes a spreadbore for SBF. They're fairly pricey though in comparison to a Performer + adapter. Gotta do whatcha gotta do if you need the clearance though...

Wow, you're right (just looked them up). I thought they stopped making them?:? but, the only ones listed are either single plane or the Dual Ports and.........really expensive

When I bought mine way back, I paid about $200 for it and I ended up giving it away.....doh! You know, the best mileage I ever got was with that 302/Q-jet......I once got 17mpg!.....on level ground with a light foot and my rig sits on 35s (w/4.11s) I'm hoping it will return decent mileage with the 351W----------Hans

kb6677 · Jan 2, 2011

From the guys who started it on this coast anyway back in the late 90's- You are not reallllly running "hillbily fuel injection" unless you have turned the qjet around backwards!! Is yours backwards? seriously!!!!

Oatmeal · Jan 2, 2011

kb6677 said:
From the guys who started it on this coast anyway back in the late 90's- You are not reallllly running "hillbily fuel injection" unless you have turned the qjet around backwards!! Is yours backwards? seriously!!!!

Ha, ha that's right. I never had any issues with the steep climbs having it cut out so, I leave it as is.....makes throttle linkage hook up a lot easier

---------Hans

kb6677 · Jan 2, 2011

Oatmeal said:
Ha, ha that's right. I never had any issues with the steep climbs having it cut out so, I leave it as is.....makes throttle linkage hook up a lot easier---------Hans

Good deal-you would be amazed how many people over the years have looked at me like I had lost my mind when I told them about turning it around backwards for steep climbs. You have to have the linkage out of a late 70's early 80's, 350V8 Chevy van-enough cable to run around to the front of the engine and then to qjet- just in case you start "hill climbing"

Oatmeal · Jan 2, 2011

kb6677 said:
Good deal-you would be amazed how many people over the years have looked at me like I had lost my mind when I told them about turning it around backwards for steep climbs. You have to have the linkage out of a late 70's early 80's, 350V8 Chevy van-enough cable to run around to the front of the engine and then to qjet- just in case you start "hill climbing"

Now that there is some good info, that would be a lot cheaper than a fancy Lokar cable setup

Junkyards have been the source for almost all of my modifications on all of my 4Xs......Bronco, Toyota p/u

and Jeep Cherokee

------Hans

72Sport · Jan 2, 2011

The starving on a steep hill maybe a float problem. Trucks and cars have different floats. The truck float is molded different so it keeps the jets flooded a little longer than the car when going up steep hills. I haven't found an auto parts store that sells the truck float. They want to sell you the car float and say that's all it shows in the book.

The Edelbrock adapter moved the Q-jet toward the firewall to improve flow according to their old catalog.

fungus · Jan 2, 2011

Mine's off a 79 Buick & has NO problems whatsoever on steep climbs or off camber facing forward. I do have the Edelbrock adapter, not sure if thats helping or I'm just lucky.

72Sport · Jan 2, 2011

Sometimes with an older vehicle the vehicle it ended up on is not where it started out. Glad you got lucky.

Hillbilly fuel injection?

Oatmeal

Sr. Member

fungus

Bronco Guru

75junebug

Sr. Member

JohnT

Full Member

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey

Oatmeal

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Oatmeal

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fungus

Bronco Guru

Oatmeal

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kb6677

Bronco Guru

Oatmeal

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kb6677

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Oatmeal

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72Sport

Bronco Guru

fungus

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72Sport

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