Thermoquad - Secondaries

[Shayne]

At 50-55mph with my foot on the floor, the butterfly plate over the top of the secondary section should open up, right?  Mine doesn't move at all.

But maybe this is good news.  Because I don't think it has since we've owned it because I'm not noticing any different power, I've always assumed that it was just a little guttless due to the weight.  So getting this fixed will be like putting a great power upgrade for climbing hills  

Anyone know any good carb shops in the Monterey Bay area?

[handyman]

Shayne open the throttle all the way and try opening the secondary plate it could just be stuck if it opens then your not geting vacume to the secondary plate, if it wont open then check on the throttle arm theres a lock out that wont allow the secondarys to open unless the chock is all the way open if this is the case it might need to be adjusted let me know what you fined or write me at petzoocando2@aol.com  

[handyman]

Shayne forgot the most impotant thing to check sence you got it used look at the secondarys shaft and plate and see if the last owner wired them shut I'V seen this many times people trying to save gas what they don't know is they just turned there 440 into a 22o sence over half the power comes from the secondarys thats why you can stick both your fist in them let me know

                         Jim  

[Shayne]

They are not wired shut.  I can flip them open easily. And I kinda figured out that the little vaccum actuator is supposed to pull them open.  When I try to work the shaft on the actuator, it's a little stiff.. it moves, but requires a little effort.  I wasn't sure if this is some sort of normal buffering or if the actuator is gummed up or something.

I asked one shop today about it.  He said with the top off the air cleaner, that it wouldn't be able to draw enough vaccum to get the secondaries to open, and chances are that everything was working just fine because the engine seems to run just fine.  BUT...  if that was the case, I would think that the power would be way down while I was testing it... it felt the same as usual, even with the secondary not opening.  s I said, the engine runs great.. but I could sure use the power on those steeper grades, I might not be so hesitant to take it some places.

[handyman]

everything should be ok then the only thing that could be bad is the vacume valve it's self Im not near mine to look but see if it has a vacume hose going to it or does it get it's vacume from inside tha carb if it has a hose check the hose and then put vacume on the valve and make sure it's not leaking

[Shayne]

I know there is a hose going to it.  I think the hose goes and plugs in at the base of the carb.

Should that vaccum valve be gummy like that, or should it move freely?

[handyman]

it should be free try puting a peace of hose on it and suck on it then if it opens then plug the hose with your tung if it stays ok if it leaks change the valve and the tubing lets hope thats it make sure the chock is open and the lock out is off

[handyman]

one more thing start it up and put a vacume gage on the port then goose the engine several times and make sure you have vacume if not the base plate could be blocked with carbon it's happend before

[Shayne]

I checked the vaccum valve and it was OK.  But while I was trying to figure out how the thing worked, I noticed a little spring that was just loose, not sprung on anything.. so I looked it up in the manual and was able to determine how it needed to be hooked up.  So I did that.  Tested again and now the butterfly valve will pull down about half way when I get on the gas hard. So for now I'm going to leave it that way and see how it runs next time I pull a hill, but the initial impression is that it's got a little more power.