Thermoquad Rods

-
Ricks70Duster340

Ricks70Duster340

Child of the King
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2021
Messages
1,277
Reaction score
1,002
Location
Sisterdale, TX
What are TQ users doing these days for rods & jets? Last time I saw a strip kit for sale it was like $500!
 
Well, back in the bad old days, it was not unheard of to solder the jets closed and redrill them to your desired orifice size. Metering rods would either get sanded down until they mic'ed where you wanted, or built up with solder and then filed/sanded down to where you want them.
Not that I would recommend such a thing, or ever admit to have done it myself... :rolleyes:
 
I have also heard that newer (Street Demon?) rods and jets work- maybe someone else will chime in on that.
You could also check with @Dana at Woodruff Carburetor Specialties (a site sponsor over on the sidebar) ->>
 
If anyone finds new rods and jets, please post detailed contact information on them.
 
I would NOT solder jets, especially jets that have a met rod that can rub on the solder, which is a soft metal.

I made a fitting that allows me to mount rods in a lathe & remove metal using emery paper.
There was a large number of TQ rods that were close in size. I [ I= butt meter] have never noticed much difference in performance by changing rods.
 
Most need larger jets.We would hand drill with number bits. Also made rods from AFB rods as the TQ are shorter.
 
Hell, if I wanted more fuel I just file the end of the rods flat on one side and ended up with the last step looking like. “D”
Then I would fail emissions and have to buy a new carb to get thru and pass.
Lol!
Syleng1
 
Yep, have also filed the rods. That is what hot-rodding is all about!
 
Tuning kits come up now and then on Ebay. I paid $500 for mine. Buy it once.
 
I love my TQs and have a few to play with. Sadly because the bow tie group could not figure them out, they went away.

If they were popular and parts were still available, we would not be in this question. But like all MoPar related things, we have found away to “make it work.”
Syleng1
 
Syleng1 said:
I love my TQs and have a few to play with. Sadly because the bow tie group could not figure them out, they went away.

If they were popular and parts were still available, we would not be in this question. But like all MoPar related things, we have found away to “make it work.”
Syleng1
Click to expand...
The GM guys had the QuadraJet. You could get them for next to nothing. If you knew what you were doing they are the next best thing to a TQ. Chevy guys are cheap.
 
Hysteric said:
Tuning kits come up now and then on Ebay. I paid $500 for mine. Buy it once.
Click to expand...
I dug through my stash and found the TQ strip kit (10-203) I bought back around 1980. It still has some good rods & jets. Will play with those & try to backfill with jet sizes I need but don't have.
 
Many years ago, when my local speed shop was selling out-going out of business, I got a new 10-203 Strip Kit for like 20.00. Those were the days.
 
Yeah, about 20 years ago TQ’s and parts started getting stupid expensive. Before that time I bought up stuff that I thought was reasonable. Sadly I wish I had bought more at the unreasonable price cause it’s all 3-4 times that now.
 
I used to pick up nice early TQ's at swap meets for 5 or 10 bucks. I got to know alot of the numbers and watched for them, any electric choke TQ, any truck TQ. I never buy one that has a remanufactured tag on it. I bought very few Lean Burn or later carbs. My first NOS is a 6322, it didn't have the box anymore, but was in a plastic bag. The seller told me if I ever wanted to sell it-he would buy it back for the same price.. A NOS TQ is like beautiful jewelry to me. When swap meeting I had this guy at work make me up some carb handles, a long 1/4" coupling nut welded to a 4" smooth rod in the shape of a T handle. I carry 3 or 4 of these with some TQ air breather studs, along with a bunch of Zip Ties. On time I bought 4 TQ's from someone. I screwed studs in 2 of the carbs, zip tied 2 more carbs base to base, along with the T handles was able to carry all 4 easily. I got a lot of funny looks.
 
Friend just picked up a TQ for $50. It is off a local Ford. These were used here right at the end of the carb era, when emissions were really tight. Some had 098 sec jets with 101 pri jets! So lean.
All these carbs needed to wake them up was some work with drill bits....
Buuut, they got removed & a properly jetted Holley was fitted and....surprise, surprise...performed better! Idiots.
So many of these carbs are in near new condition...& cheap.
 
I got a few 9801’s that look to be very little used and one 9800 if I ever go to the dark side.
 
You will be richly rewarded, with a permanent smile, if you go to the dark side.....
 
About every guy I knew took the ThermoQuad off their 340 and on went a LD340 with a 780 Holley.
I scored a new intake and the ThermoQuad for nothing from a guy at the dealership.
I installed it on my 70 340 Duster.Never looked back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top