Anybody knows where I can get a Thermoquad Carburetor for my 77 Clipper?
Has anybody replaced theirs and want to sell me the old one?
The previews owner replaced it with a Edelbrock and tossed the original. I'm trying to recondition my 77 Clipper as close to original as possible.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ruben
I may have one, I'll take a look this weekend.
Dennis
Ruben-
Thermoquad Carbs. - There are several articles on this web sight concerning ThermoQuads and Replacement carbs. (//images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif) Also in the older news letters there is a wealth of information on the subject. I personally am an advocate of a PROPERLY PROFESSIONALLY REMANUFACTURED Thermo quad. Other than newer racing equipment, properbly prepared units, I know of none of the substitutes that will work better than the origonal QUAD. (//images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif) Bob # 10
Thanks everybody, but I've already found one through Dave at www.thermoquads.com. (http://www.thermoquads.com.) Dave seems to be very competent and knowledgeable on thermoquads.
Best regards
Ruben
Hi Ruben #456
If you get a rebuilt TQ from Dave's, Please let us know how satified you are. A stock rebuild using your core is $175.00 and he claims a possible increase of, Gulp!, 15 horsepower and 2/3 mpg increase. That's a mighty claim. Again, please let us know. (The heck with the hp.increase, I'd be happy with the mileage gain.)
Thermoquads.
Dave at thermoquads .com sounds to good to be true.Hopefully this is not the normal "If it's to good to be true,IT IS " (//images/smiles/icon_mad.gif) situation.We on the websight are waiting anxiously on this one.Bob #10
Hate to pile on the "negative" karma here - but an increase in 2 to 3 miles per gallon, AND at the same time an increase of 15 horsepower is virtually impossible without EXTENSIVE adjustments to other parts of the engine/drivetrain - and even then, in my humble opinion - highly unlikely - unless the unit was running horribly, and only getting 5 or so miles a gallon (I've seen em that bad folks...) well then an increase in horsepower and mpg in the range claimed by this rebuilder are probably attainable.
But to take a 440 Dodge that is running good, and getting 7 to 8 mpg, and say that after this rebuild it will get it 9 to 11 mpg - and increased horsepower - I have trouble with that - physics don't add up.
On another note - my Edelbrock carb is FAR superior to my OEM Carter - which was a two barrel - and the jets on those Carters are huge - so you burn a lot of gas simply idling. On my Edelbrock - the primaries are smaller and more eficient - so if you cruise easy and stay out of the secondaries - you're mileage is indeed much better - in my case about 1.5+ mpg improvement overall.
I just had to give this one a try, since I had the stocker kicking around. Will let you know. Dave is rebuilding as we speak.
Dennis
JuneBob, have you had any work done on Thermoquad in the Portland, OR area? I live in Vancouver and don't know of any around...
Tyler
ACOC #3441
First report on my new carburetor.
I received the carburetor a week after the day Dave promised it.
Installed it today, and run great! all I had to do was adjust the idle down a little bit. So far it's running so much better than the old carburetor, with plenty of power and no hesitation. I'll report later on road performance and mileage.
Ruben
After 1,123 miles using 142 gallons, my rig is getting very close to 8 miles to the gallon.
I can tell you I'm Happy, not only with the gas mileage, but with the performance. It climbed so much better than before.
I don't know what Dave did to this carburetor, but I'm really happy with my Clipper now.
I think Dave's claims have some merit!
Thanks for the report Ruben.
8 mpg is pretty darn good for a 440 Clipper - with the 4.11 rear end and the weight we carry around - you'll be hard pressed to improve on that without gear splitters, etc.
How fast do you typically cruise on the freeway?
I should have my DAVE'S carb back this week, and hopefully installed this weekend.
Den
P.S= Are gear splitters really that great ? :?
There's arguments both for and against them.
You'll have to drive your Clipper about 72,000 mostly highway miles to get a "return" on your investment. This is an in my head, very rough estimate, based on:
-Gas - $2.00/gal
-Gear Splitter from Gear Vendors (www.gearvendors.com) - about $3,800 (the unit, tax, installation)
-An improvement of 1.5 miles per gallon at highway speeds
That being said - if I had the money - and I was taking my Clipper on my dream "see the USA" journey, and there will be many days where I'd be logging 400-500 miles per day on our nation's great highways - heck yeah I'd get one! Not so much for the mpg gains - but for the RPM drop of 22% at the same speed - saves a bit of wear and tear on the drive train (although this is in fact a point of contention, because you move out of the sweet spot of the torque curve, etc. - some of the gear-heads here will comment on this I'm sure.)
In any case - you would drop about 600rpms - so if you're normally cruising at about 3000rpm on the freeway - now you're cruising at 2400rpm or so - quieter, smoother, more relaxing. Also, the "extra" in between gears (1.5, 2.5) are great in certain hill conditions - both going up and coming down.
correction - you'll have to drive your Clipper 100,000 to get a return on your investment (I did the origianl calculation based on a 2mpg improvement - but Gear Vendors claims only a 20% improvement in mpgs - so at 8mpg for a Clipper - a 20% improvement is 1.6mpg - which I rounded off to 1.5.
I'd still like one though!
I talked to a guy who ownes a RV/Hot Rod shop and he said that he had installed a few gear vendors with mixed results. He said that some people complained that the shifting is very hard after the install.
Like Horst said, it will take lots of miles to justify spending $3,800. My engine has 44K. I figure I'll leave things like the are and when the engine dies, I'll replace the engine and transmission by going with fuel injection, Overdrive and the whole nine yards. Don't tell my wife I said that!
I'm with you Ray. Wife even agrees to spend between 5-7 grand instead of buying newer motor home. We have all ready remodeled this one past what we would ever get out of her. we love her so she's staying. This ones paid for and just the right size for getting around to all those fun places. Just would like more power and always better gas milage. Thought of changing out motor and tranny, only thing is wouldn;t the rear end need to be changed also ?
Den
New to this site.
Recently, we were given a 1975 for our future Church mission. Before it was given to us, many things were stolen from it.
Looking for help in getting parts.
The intake, carburetor, distributer needed to get running.
Intake was donated to us just a few days ago.
Looking for information on this engine.
Anyone who can help please let us know.
Glad to find this site and to know that others have this make.