I just got a 69 chevelle without a motor. It is a big block car. It has one single 3/8 fuel line. Does that indicate it is a 375 HP car? Does the 350 HP have 2 fuel lines? Is there any other things to look for that a L-78 has different than the lower horse model?

The 350HP does have a return line. Only the 375HP had the single 3/8 line. The Qjet motors had the return, Holley motors didn't. The only other thing that I think is different would be the lack of A/C. Of course you could have the 325 and 350 without air, but I don't think you'll find a single 3/8 fuel line with a factory air car. You're also 'assuming' that no one has ever changed the fuel line. How did you determine its a "big block car"?

It is a code 72 paint car. It is a non A/C car also. Car has been sitting quite awhile. The radiator also is stamped BQ in big ltters and IAXJ stamped in a square in smaller size letters. Any clue on the radiator code?

Unless you are sure it is a big block car, you may want to know that the 300HP/350 ci setup also had a 3/8" fuel line with no return.


This is the way that mine came from the factory.

If it is a paint code 72 and the tag is genuine, it probably was a 373HP car. You would be better off with a build sheet. Probably in the lower cushion of the back seat.

Also might want to look at the gas tank pickup/gauge sending unit to see if it has a single outlet or two (one for outlet, one for return). Just to see if possibly someone removed a return line without changing the pickup.

Jeff,

See the link to a 69 Chevelle radiator topic over at the Supercar website.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/107887/an/0/page/15#107887

Sounds like 'BQ' is indeed a high HP radiator graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Bill
thanks for the link. My friend has a 69 convertible that is a L-78 chevelle and his buils sheet says BO, but it is hard to tell if its a "Q" or an "O".

Also, the big block car will have the uppper rear frame brackets. THe 375 motor car will/should have a 6500 red line tach. But for all practical purposes, without the original motor, it is just another '69 Malibu with SS trim, unless you do the unthinking and restamp a block.

correction.....no 6500 redline tachometers in 69 !

375hp 396 would be 6000 redline

The factory in dash Tachometer was an option as well, so your car doesn't have to have one to be an SS.

Nate

No tach with this chevelle.

Tach and guages were an option, even on a SS. Not unusual to have lights.

What is the rear end code? Is it the original rear?

Also are you sure it is a 3/8 single line not a 5/16 single line?

Did only the 396/325 and 396/350 have twin fuel lines? Someone told me that the return was for the Qjet and that the 350/300 had a Qjet. Now this post has the 350/300 with a single line for the Holley. I'm just trying to see if the twin lines and 3/8" were a big block only item.

I always assumed the single 3/8" was a 375 car. The twin lines were for a 350/300, 396/325, or 396/350 and all others were single 5/16"

Is there an expert that can without doubt identify engine fuel line combos?

Thanks,

Mike

My 69 was originally a 350/255hp car, and it has a single 5/16 line.

Originally posted by Georgia69:
My 69 was originally a 350/255hp car, and it has a single 5/16 line. And the 350 255hp originally came with a Qjet, correct?

Joe
Original rear end is gone. It is a 3/8 fuel line. Gas tank is gone also so I cant tell about the line coming out of the sender. From the BQ stamping on the radiator i assume its a 375 HP.

350 255hp (LM1 option) was pretty rare from what I've read. That's what my elky had in it originally. Yes...it was a quadrajet. I guess I need to go measure my single fuel line.

My 72 coded car had a 3/8 line.

Originally posted by mike69ss:
Did only the 396/325 and 396/350 have twin fuel lines? Someone told me that the return was for the Qjet and that the 350/300 had a Qjet. Now this post has the 350/300 with a single line for the Holley. I'm just trying to see if the twin lines and 3/8" were a big block only item.

I always assumed the single 3/8" was a 375 car. The twin lines were for a 350/300, 396/325, or 396/350 and all others were single 5/16"

Is there an expert that can without doubt identify engine fuel line combos?

Thanks,

Mike Mike

I am no expert, but from reading on this site I came to the conclusion that our 69 is a 300 hp / 350 ci car. It has been in the family for some time but the motor is long gone. Car had been modded before it entered our families possession.

Things on the car that made me come to the conclusion that it is a 300 hp /350 ci.

1) no disc brakes, (has them now though)

2) (working) factory wiring and kick down set up for TH 400, (I always thought this was BB only)

3) uppper rear frame brackets (I am fairly sure that this is part of the F41 susp option which I assume our car has, it does have rear control arms set up for a rear sway bar)

4) car has all of the Malibu trim, no way someone removed all the SS trim just to add Malibu trim

5) original 12 bolt rearend, code dates match car (OFF TOPIC - by the way it is a single leg 2.56 gear, it will do 90 mph with your foot just barely touching the gas pedal, the is not BS)

6) car is a non-air car, (all though it does now have air thanks to my father in-law having no idea back in the 80's that malibu wagons would become so popular now)


I for sometime wondered if we had sometype of COPO car, really from the 12 bolt and the TH400. But from what I have read there is no possble way that a big block car was built from the factory without disc brakes. It is just as well as our Malibu is far from stock and that is fine with me!

Anyway from what I have read there was only 3 ways to get the 3/8" fuel line with no return and that was:

1) 300 hp / 350 ci
2) 375 hp / 396 ci
3) 425 hp / 427 ci

my 2 cents
graemlins/beers.gif

Originally posted by Bill Pritchard:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Georgia69:
My 69 was originally a 350/255hp car, and it has a single 5/16 line. And the 350 255hp originally came with a Qjet, correct? </font>[/QUOTE]Yes. It has flat top pistons and 76cc #441 cylinder heads, which probably delivers compression on the order of 8.5 or 9:1. I think the 350/300 is identical except for 10.25 compression. The 350/255 is a regular fuel engine, and the 350/300 is a premium fuel engine.

I’ve learned quite a lot form Jeff’s post. So..

Qjets did come with single lines

You could get a single 3/8 line with a SB 350/300

Only 396/325 or 350 had the 5/16 feed and a
return line.

350/255 had a 5/16 single line

Question: Was the return line only for the pump? Didn’t it end at the pump with only a single line continuing to the carb?

I believe the return line ended at the fuel filter, which was mounted on the front of the engine just above the water pump. It went from the fuel filter directly back to the gas tank.

The 396 325hp cars did have 3/8" feed lines not 5/16" and a return line. I know my 307 cars that I have had did have the 5/16" line and no return line.

3) uppper rear frame brackets (I am fairly sure that this is part of the F41 susp option which I assume our car has, it does have rear control arms set up for a rear sway bar)

Brent,
The upper rear frame braces were on all big block/SS Chevelles in 69. They were not specific to the F41 option. The standard suspension option for all SS Chevelles in 69 was the F40 suspension however you could get the F41 option (boxed lowers, rear sway etc.).

not sure but from what I read, the SS396 325hp and 350hp used a Q-jet 4BB carb which needed a return line system (2 lines) so I would think that the 350/300hp would have the two lines since it also used the Q-jet 4BB carb. The 2BB V8s and 6 Cyl cars used a single 5/16 line. Anyone have a documented 350/300hp car to check the fuel line?