The Quadrajet is a four barrel carburetor, made by the Rochester Products Division of General Motors. Its first application was the new-for-1965 Chevy 396ci engine. Its last application was on the 1990 Oldsmobile 307 V8 engine, which was last used in the Cadillac Brougham and full size station wagons made by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick.
Design
The Quadrajet is a "spread bore" carburetor; the primary venturis are much smaller than the secondary venturis. By comparison, a "square bore" carburetor has primary and secondary venturis of similar size. Most Quadrajets were capable of /min (cfm) maximum, but some rare Buick and Pontiac models were capable of /min for use on high performance engines, and most 1984-1987 pickup trucks were also equipped with the 800-cfm carb. Most Quadrajets use a vacuum operated piston to move the primary metering rods to control the air-fuel ratio, allowing the mixture to be lean under low load conditions and rich during high load conditions. A less-common version uses a linkage driven off the primary throttle shaft to mechanically move the power piston. "E" (electronic control module controlled) series of Quadrajets use a computer controlled mixture control solenoid that responds to electronic signals from the throttle position and oxygen sensors via the computer, ideal for precise fuel metering and allowing additional fuel under load. The solenoid-controlled metering rods allow the fuel mixture to be very close to optimum, then the solenoid is pulse width modulated at about 6 Hz to fine-tune the air fuel ratio under closed loop conditions. The electronic versions have a throttle position sensor that is mounted inside the carburetor body, actuated by the accelerator pump lever.
Quadrajet carburetors have mechanical secondary throttle plates operated by a progressive linkage; the primaries open before the secondaries, and use on-demand air valve plates above the secondary throttle plates. The air valves are connected by a cam and linkage to the secondary fuel metering rods. As the airflow increases through the secondary bores, the air valves are pushed down, rotating a cam that lifts the secondary metering rods. The secondary rods are tapered in a similar fashion to the primary metering rods, effectively increasing the size of the fuel metering holes as the rods are lifted and delivering more fuel. Therefore, the position of the air valve will control both fuel and air flow through the secondary venturis, even if the secondary throttle plates are fully opened. Thus, the Quadrajet acts like a vacuum-secondary carburetor and only delivers more fuel as it is needed.
Advantages
Significant positive features of the Quadrajet were: Economy. Unlike most other four-barrel carburetors, the Quadrajet has a drastically different sized primary and secondary bores. The much smaller primaries act as a small two-barrel carburetor until the accelerator is pressed far enough to start to open the secondaries. The small primaries allow the primary throttle plates to be opened wider, and thus making the carburetor more efficient than a large two barrel, or square bore four-barrel. Drivability. The small primaries also create better throttle response at part throttle application. The Quadrajet had a centrally located float that gave it excellent fuel control form the triple Venturi, boosters. Off Road. The Quadrajet’s centrally located float is highly resistant to level changes caused by cornering or acceleration.
The Quadrajet carburetor was actually a derivative of a variable venturi carburetor called the DOVE (diaphragm operated variable entrance) which was developed in the 1961-63 time frame at Rochester Products. Testing at the GM test facility in Arizona uncovered a hot engine percolation problem which resulted in hot start difficulties because of flooded engines. Production of the DOVE, which was underway in 1963 when the hot start problem was identified, was suspended and a crash project was initiated to fix the problem. Simultaneously a second crash project was initiated to develop a modified DOVE which became the Quadrajet. Prototype Quadrajet carburetors were in test at Rochester Products by the Fall of 1963. The DOVE hot-start problem was corrected but not in a timely enough manner; the production DOVEs were destroyed and the Quadrajet took its place.