Seems that almost everything Chrysler did to innovate in the later '60s and '70s was not received well by "the masses", by observation. About the only thing which most liked was their electronic ignition system?
As for TQuads, the ONLY problem area in the 9801 I bought new was the secondary spring tension spring ends snapping off. Which made adjustment of that spring almost impossible. I like the spreadbore orientation, for the better fuel metering dynamics it should have, BUT on my '67 Newport 383, with the allegedly matched pair of 9801 and Edelbrock Torker intake, it ran good, but nothing spectacular compared to other 383 4bbls I've had. Be that as it may.
IF you like the look of the TQuad and want something new that will bolt to the existing manifold, look no further than the Holley STREET Demon. Opt for the phenolic bowl and you're set! 650 cfm, elec choke, bolts onto spreadbore or squarebore manifolds. Might need to tweak the metering rods a little, if it turns out to be a little lean. But, that's all available.
I'll admit that I wasn't around as many TQuads as some claim to have been around back then, but at the local Chrysler dealer, I didn't see that they were causing the issues that many allude to. I've bought several at swap meets (wishing I had the cars those carbs came off of!), rebuilt them and they worked fine. Now, I did see one with a cracked float bowl once, but that was the only one.
The float bowls are still around and available. After all, the rebuilders have to be getting them from somewhere!
The problem with the remans/rebuilt TQuads on the open market now is that they have much more generic applications than when new. More of a one size fits most situation, by observation. Rebuilding what you have is the best option, to me. Get a quality kit, use the thick OEM-style base gasket/insulator, and follow the directions.
The later model TQuads had lots of emissions things on them. Idle enrichment circuits, altitude compensation, and other things to fine tune the fuel curve for particular parameters. After Carter kind of disappeared in the middle 1980s, Chrysler did use Rochester QJets in their place. To me, a good carb but a poor design, at best. Too hard to work on, but an extremely flexible carb for huge differences in engine size, like from 230 to 500cid.
The problem with Lean Burns is that few people understood how they work and why they work that way. The system can be diagnosed with a volt/ohm meter, as all of the sensors operate on voltage and resistance. Chrysler had a electronic box tester, which seeming failed many computers. Funny how everybody griped about that system, but it was a precursor of what we have now on current vehicles. Again, it seemed that rather than "embrace the future", learn about it, it was easier to complain and carp about "gotta take it to the dealer . . ." instead. Even by some dealership techs. And, of course, engine grounds' integrity was very important too!
By the time 1980 model year came around, it was just "Electronic Spark Control" and few people complained about it, although it was still pretty similar to the earlier versions in operation. Those provided links have a wealth of information and history in them, especially that last one!
CBODY67
