Lil Help please...

gdmorey

New member
I'm a Scout II newbie. Just purchased this 1978 Scout II with a 345ci motor. I need a little help from the experts with the carb on my new project. here's a picture of the carb:
1. Not sure if this is oem - can anyone help me identify what kind of carb this could be?
2.any advice on whether to rebuild or swap for new?
There appears to still be a bunch of vacuum hoses (choke etc.) anyone in favor of keeping those versus scrapping? Just fyi this won't be a trailer queen or for car shows. Just something for father and son to have a good time with.
3. Any performance tips are appreciated.

Thanks for having a look.
- greg
 
Oem carter thermoquad. I don't know much about them, except the plastic bodies are known to warp.
 
Your 1976 Scout II came from the factory with the carter thermo-quad carb currently residing on your sv-345 engine.

It is the best carb ever built in my opinion and I still run the original t-q on my '75 truck.

The t-q can be rebuilt: rebuild kits, floats & vacuum pull-offs (if needed) are readily available.

Rebuilding data is also easily available on the internet for free.

As for having a "reputation for warped fuel body" ......this typically occurs when a 'mechanic' uses his bfh to disassemble and rebuild his carb. No need for hammer mechanics on carbs, please. The plastic fuel body should be fine if you disassemble the carb properly. Carb kits come with instructions, and we assume you will read them prior to and during rebuilding the carb.

Vacuum hoses are on the engine/carb for a reason. Removing them just for the point of cleaning-up the engine bay is counterproductive as these hoses actually accomplish things. Replace damaged or aged/leaking hoses with the same size/length is a good thing. Replace one-at-a-time to prevent having them all off at the same time and losing track of where the new hoses go.

There should be a vacuum hose diagram under the hood, possibly on the right hand cowl surface. It can be a bit difficult to understand until you spend some time looking at it and the engine hose routing.

Performance tips: 1) rebuild the t-q with a quality kit & new floats and vacuum pull-offs as needed. 2) full ignition system tune-up with high quality parts, then power timing the engine. 3) replace all vehicle fluids & filters with quality products. 4) Scout II is not a sports car and does not/will not provide sports car performance without major $$$ and major modifications. It is a 5,000 pound 4x4 multi-purpose utility vehicle. Accept it for what it is and you will enjoy it more.
 
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Awesome feedback - thanks guys. This is a beach cruiser to carry paddleboards and put a sailboat in. I want it to start and perform when I get in and turn the key to that end, I am happy to change out a vacuum for electrical if there are known problems. Sounds like I should be all set once I replace them. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.
 
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