OT-Quadrajet 4MV question, My darkside teener carb prob Options

[HalfMoon]

Hi all,
While this is slightly off topic it IS at least in reference to a teener, specifically my v-8 converted teener.
It's a 350 sb and it uses a 1970 Qaudrajet 4MV carb. I know alot of folks don't like these but when they're dialed in right they give a good blend of economy and performance.

My question is twofold-
1. No doubt you're familiar with the secondaries "air flaps" that are visible on the top of the carb but down deep are the secondary "baffles". You can manually open them up all the way wide but on the car the linkage only open them a crack. I imagine further opening is a function of engine air flow and demand. Or am I totally wrong and they are in fact supposed to open wide via linkage?
2. Has anyone ever experienced constant vacum at the port feeding the secondary dash pot? It's the one that's connected to the secondary air flaps on top. It's supposed to stop it's vacum when you get out of the primaries and get into the secondaries thus allowing the air flaps (the ones on top that you can see) to open. For some reason mine has constant vacum and as a result I can't get my secondary air flaps to open (so I've had to disable that dashpot and cap the vacum port).
That dashpot is supposed to prevent the air flaps from "bouncing open" and I assume I'm gonna get a bog when I do quick shifts if I don't resolve this problem :-(

Your experience is appreciated.
David

[Maltese Falcon]

You are using a spread bore QJ manifold, right? The secondary baffles plates have always opened 100 % at full throttle on my QJ equipped 350 Chev.
Some tips that I've learned with this carb on my almost stock 3,300 lb. '69 Camaro...which finally broke into the mid 13s with the quadrajet :
The small primaries give you excellent low end response. The primary section has removable jets and metering rods, sourcing those today might be a local carb shop. The secondaries have no rear removable jets, but instead two cast-in -place bores in which the metering rods are suspended. The metering rods are removable (for narrower or wider dia. contours =mixture) , and the metering rod hangers (removable) are also made at different heights (stamped with various letters). The best spring setting on the secondary baffles is just a slight push on the baffles where they want to return without too much spring tension. A common defect on the QJ is the fuel chamber...they leak. A carb shop should have the fix-it freeze plug kit for replacing the oe leaky plugs. When these leak it makes the car surge, idle weird and sometimes undriveable. I also fine polished the big secondary venturis for better airflow. With Chevy cam #3863151, some port matching, open headers (colder spark plugs + bigger primary jets) and a 3 speed automatic, it ran bracket at consistent 13.5 @ 105 mph
Compared to the Holley or Carter 4bbl carbs, where I would be running high 13s to low 14s at 97-99 mph.
Hope some of this helps !
Here's a pic from Lions Dragstrip 1969,
Marty