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New replacement 4bbl Carb for 394 V8


Moin

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I'd like to know if there are any aftermarket new replacement 4V Carbs I could purchase for my '63 Olds 98's 394 V8? Right now it still has its original Rochester 4bbl carb which I'm having rebuilt, but if there are any nice new replacements available out there which are direct bolt on replacements with no major modifications required, I wouldn't mind getting one.

I checked the Summit catalogue and found the Rochester Quadrajet 750 cfm Stage 1 Carb for $349.95. Stage 1 is for stock factory performance. Would this fit my application? They also have the Edelbrok 750 cfm Smog Legal Performer Q Jet which is considered a stock replacement and costs $389.95. Then they have various other Edelbrok and Holley, but I don't particularly care for Holley's as I heard they require constant tuning. Any help would be appreciated.

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If the carb that came off of your engine would be a Q-Jet, the butterflies will all be the same size. If you order a Rochester Quadrajet from Summit, you will need an adaptor plate. The secondary butterflies are larger than the openings of you intake. Hope this helps.

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An Edelbrock or Carter AFB carb will bolt onto the 394 intake but WILL require modifications to the accelerator and transmission throttle valve rod linkage to make it work properly. If the TVR is not set correctly, the Slim Jim transmission will do all sorts of hateful things.

A QuadraJet will not bolt onto a 394 intake without an adapter, and you will run into the same linkage issues with it.

If you were lucky enough to find an NOS Rochester 4GC (not so far fetched, they show up on ebay from time to time) odds are you would have to at least put new gaskets in as the originals would have dry-rotted or shrunk.

This leaves a rebuilt 4GC as your option.

I ordered one from Fusick (rebuilt by Daytona Carb in FL, supposedly to factory specs and showcar appearance) to replace a leaker I had on my green Starfire, and damned if it didn't leak worse than the original. There were no problems returning it though, Fusick is really good about standing behind their products.

I ended up getting one thru AutoZone of all places. They carry Holley's "Factory Reman" line, think it was about $200.00 US. It's an original Rochester carb, not a Holley. Rebuilt, flow tested and recolored and other than adjusting idle mixture just a hair, it was pretty much a bolt-on. www.fusick.com and www.holley.com

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Current production carburetors will have linkage and fuel line issues. Also, the original air cleaner will NOT fit current production carburetors. Best bet is to rebuild your original carburetor, then you KNOW it is the correct one for the car, not a "generic" replacement. Parts are readily available for you to rebuild your own.

Jon.

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  • 5 months later...

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