Adjusting the Quadrajet on my 68 CdV 472

[Steve W]

Can't believe I've had this car for 13 years now! Wow, time flies! She's still running strong...but lately, Ive noticed a stronger fuel smell after coming home from the Sunday drive, or when she's just idling in the driveway. Yes, I know some is to be expected, but she smells like she's running rich, so, to start, I wanted to adjust the two main air/fuel adjusting screws on the front of the carb. But with the a/c compressor, coil and lines in the way, its impossible to get at them. Is there a special tool that you guys know about that'll reach those screws? (The one on the right, as you're standing at the front of the car and looking at it...drivers side... seems, do-able maybe...but the one on the left...passenger side...no way to get a tool in there!) And what size are they? (at the tip of them, there's a thin slot for a skinny srewdriver, but it looks like I could get a small socket on the base of the screw, if I knew what size it was?)  Do people just take the a/c comressor off just to do a simple carb adjust? 

[Steve W]

BTW, I used the search function, but all I found was my similar post from 2012! I guess I was at it back then too!

[CadillacFanBob]

I use Blue Point # TM-64 purchased from Snap-On Tools, there is another similar one I also use with a flexible shaft TM-65 to adjust carburetors and has another attachment for 1/8" alan to adjust ignition points on GM, and another attachment for adjusting electronic carburetors the have a odd shape head on the adjusting screw for the carburetor,  but here is TM-64 one on e-bay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304460850141

Bob

EDIT: TM-64 & TM-65 are 1/4" Drive.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Here is another one on a similar vein.

Bruce.

[Jnacy]

a flexible shaft screwdriver for carburetor adjustments from the local auto parts store should work fine.  it does for me... the adjustment screws are 1/4"
best of luck

[signart]

Thinking I would do a tune up before adjustments on the carb, but maybe you already have done so.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Hopefully your well plugs in the carb aren't leaking fuel. This can dump a lot gas into the manifold and cause the engine to run super rich as well.

[Steve W]

Thanks guys...great advice all around! 
Well...turns out the gas smell wasnt the carb after all! I was able to make some finite adjustments on the air/mix screws. Not fun, but do-able. Got it to 19 on my vacuum gauge (it was around 17 when I started). Car still runs great!(knock on wood!)
But I still smelled a little gas. Looked under the car and, saw a small leak from the vacinity of the rubber fuel lines near the fuel filter and the fuel pump. So I replaced all the rubber lines! Nope...it seems to be leaking from the actual fuel pump itself! (it's around the back side...can't see the actual leak, but I CAN see the dripping! There isn't anything else there that it could be! And the top of the fuel pump is bone dry. In all my years of messing with old cars, I've never had the fuel pump itself leak! Learn something new every day!

So...any advise as to what fuel pumps are the best..or which ones to avoid? I'm running the stock mechanical fuel pump, stock quadrajet, stock 472 engine. I'm going to start a new fuel pump thread as well, just in case.

[hornetball]

I simply bought the AC Delco one from Rock Auto when I replace mine.

Make sure to do an oil change in case the diaghragm leaked fuel into the engine.