allyolds68

I apologize if I came off as sarcastic but having been through overheating issues myself (my boat, not my car) I can tell you that removing the thermostat is one of those things you do to just get the car home so you can figure out what's causing the real problem.

Octania (Chris) has been very helpful to myself and many others. He's also a great source for those everyday parts that we all seem to misplace. I almost bought a 400G block off him 8 or 9 years ago and he talked himself right out of a sale because he said it wouldn't be the right motor for me, and he was correct.

MDchanic

Sorry, but there's "informational" advice, like explaining how to set your timing to 30° (personally, I recommend marking a piece of paper with the distance between the 0° and 10° lines, then using that as a template to make marks every 10° on the balancer with a felt tip marker, by the way), and there's "Wise up, knucklehead!" advice.

Having a backwards-designed fan, mounting it, and then driving the car around with it installed, all the while scratching your head and wondering "Why is my car so hot?" is a knucklehead move. When you open the hood, lean over the engine, and rev it, the fan should blow your hair back, if you've got any. The way you had it, I'd bet there was no breeze at all.

No offense, we all do stupid things now and then (I've done my share), but when you pull a completely boneheaded maneuver like that one, there's no way not to bust your chops about it. Heck, I feel dumb for not having noticed it immediately myself, but since the only guy who did notice it is a fan engineer, I guess I can forgive myself .

Don't worry, it's nothing personal, and we're all glad to see you making progress on a great car!

- Eric

MDchanic

Sorry, I forgot to answer this half of your question.

The hole in the red circle goes right through into the manifold (if I'm correct - I don't have one in front of me), creating a giant vacuum leak.

The hole in the green circle is blind, and does not ned to be plugged with a bolt.





Also, the rubber hose from the fuel pump to the carburetor is a bad idea.

- Eric

68oldscutlass

Eric,

Thank you for using the picture to show me which holes. The bolt where the coil was was there when I got engine. I truly didnt think that the other one went through. Looked quick this morning but couldnt tell without climbing in there and I was all dressed for work already. Couldnt start it cause neighbors would kill me so early. I will check tonight. I also ordered the correct tee and steel line to rubber line that is supposed to go off back of manifold to booster. Think running that long rubber hose is a mistake and possible collapsing may occur. Going to switch pcv to front of carb, plug back of carb, put vacuum advance the the port closest to throttle then run the trans to the middle port or manifold. Not sure yet. Gotta get a vacuum gauge (not like I know what each factor requires for vacuum). Once that is all hooked up correctly I will start messing with timing again.
Any other tips are always welcome.
Thanks again!

brown7373

What effect does the breather vent filter on the drivers side valve cover have on the PCV system? On a 72, that is connected to a big vacuum on the front of the carb and the other side is cinnected to the air cleaner.

Did you determine the fitting on the front drivers side of the carb, angled down? Is that the one you said earlier you thought it was a vent? I am not familiar with that carb either, but it looks loke it would be a huge unfiltered air intake off idle to me. Unless indicated otherwise, I would assume that should be hooked to the drivers side PCV. Does it draw vacuum when you open the throttle?

68oldscutlass

I was told it is a vent but I have been curious of the unfiltered intake that you mention. It is definitely not a vacuum, no suction at all. Maybe instead of the filter I have on drivers side valve cover I should be going there with it. Going to look into that more unless someone can confirm this. Thanks!

Octania

Well, a certain amount of ball busting is in order for that snafu, and it was directed not just at the OP but all the folks who looked at that photo and failed to spot it. I can be more gentle I suppose but I am not going to sugarcoat the diagnosis. Last week, I went to degree a cam for a friend and found lobe lift of 0.257 on a cam that should have 0.312"... Your cam and lifters are toast sir... what? can it be something else, measurement error? No.

I personally have never done anything that ignorant...

[ALMOST said that with a straight face]

I'm just here to help a fellow '68 owner sir; please overlook my famously poor bedside manner.

The important thing is that you got the proper cooling pcs in place, and with that giant vacuum leak plugged, things should go much more smoothly.

Now, if you find my posts not at all helpful, or [gasp] incorrect, sure, bust my ***** over it. I can take it.

oldcutlass

dancutlass mentioned it after your hint! Good work guys, I admit I missed it!

68oldscutlass

Actually those holes surprisingly were not vacuum related 'ust be for a bracket. I appreciate your knowledge and the busting of ***** dude! It's all good just had to mention it.

oldcutlass

Instead of the filter, you can run a line to your air cleaner, you just have to have the fitting that goes in the grommet in the valve cover and a place to connect a hose to your air cleaner housing.

Octania

$40 dialback timing light I got

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350575331183...84.m1497.l2649

reviews were checked at amazon.com before purchase, some models are POS which are not worth buying. This one had good reviews. Worked OK for me. It'd be nice to have the model with tach built in, but $100+ for that feature.

70ConvCutlass

Any chance you can show a picture with the fan reinstalled the correct way, I'm experiencing a very similar problem and my fan appears to be installed like the pic you posted above..

68oldscutlass

I do not have a pic and the car is at the body shop right now. Sorry about that. I will get one asap for you but I am sure if you google or look on here you will find something. I went back to the original stock fan clutch, not another flex fan.

oddball

The stock setup uses a small black filter canister on the passenger valve cover with a metal tube that goes up the the air cleaner. Unfiltered air goes from the air cleaner down the tube, through the filter, through the engine, out the PCV valve and into the carb. It's just a cleaner install for stock. Switching sides for inlet and outlet has no effect. Using a common breather filter is fine, too, and looks much better if you're not using the stock air cleaner.

Back to which side to use for the PCV and brake booster, the following is just my somewhat poorly informed thoughts. The PCV is pulling air all of the time, so you'd want that entering the carb near the idle circuit so it'll mix. If that carb has four corner idle, then you're fine, but that's unlikely. If just the front barrels do idle, and the PCV is on the back, then the back four cylinders may run much leaner than the front four.
The brake booster only provides air when you hit the brakes. The stock setup has that going to the #7 (IIRC) runner, so only one cylinder gets hit! I normally see that plug slightly leaner than the rest, but I'm also usually running a so-so booster.

68oldscutlass

oddball...very helpful (as is everyone else)..thank you. I do notice some cylinders spark plugs whiter than others. I will switch the pcv to the from of the carb and plug the back. I purchased the correct fitting and tube to go to the manifold for the booster. Big difference. Hose doesnt collapse now because it is a much shorter hose run.
Once the car is back from the body shop I will switch it up.
Thanks!

Octania

The stock PCV setup uses a small black filter canister on the passenger [exc. 1968] valve cover with a metal tube that goes up the the air cleaner. Unfiltered air goes from the air cleaner down the tube, through the filter, through the engine, out the PCV valve and into the carb.
==============
Correct first half of the story
that is during normal idle and part throttle operation
Under heavy loading such as WOT, towing, uphill, excessive blow-by and low vacuum to the PCV may result in the flow of blow-by gasses proceeding OUT the rocker cover. Now, with a breather vented to atmosphere, we are dumping that right to the air. The 1968+ factory systems directed that back to the air cleaner where it can be consumed by the engine.

Switching sides for inlet and outlet has no effect. Using a common breather filter is fine, too, and looks much better if you're not using the stock air cleaner.
============
Sure

Back to which side to use for the PCV and brake booster, the following is just my somewhat poorly informed thoughts. The PCV is pulling air all of the time, so you'd want that entering the carb near the idle circuit so it'll mix. If that carb has four corner idle, then you're fine, but that's unlikely. If just the front barrels do idle, and the PCV is on the back, then the back four cylinders may run much leaner than the front four.
================
ooooh GOOD POINT...


The brake booster only provides air when you hit the brakes. The stock setup has that going to the #7 (IIRC) runner, so only one cylinder gets hit! I normally see that plug slightly leaner than the rest, but I'm also usually running a so-so booster.
===============
and again, good point


As for Left vs Right, yeah, it's the CAR's, not the observer's, because that does not vary. Even "driver's side" varies depending on whether the vehicle is RH drive or LH drive. YOUR "right" and "left" vary with which direction you are facng and whether you are standing upright or hanging upside down. Your left is the car's left if you are facing backwards and hanging upside down. So, let's go ahead and define L and R as "the car's".

Your large tube fitting on the top LH side of the carb is the fuel bowl vent, for a remote charcoal canister. If not using said canister, that shold probably be capped.

If I were you I would investigate the benefits of hooking the distributor vacuum advance unit to manifold vacuum. My current 403 likes that VERY MUCH.

As for the fan reversal recent inquiry, all you have to do is imagine the fan spinning CW as viewed from the front- which way would if force the air? And, again, flipping a fan prop over DOES NOT alter the direction that it moves air with respect to the same shaft rotation. It only makes it incredibly inefficient. The only ways to reverse the direction a fan blows are to reverse shaft rotation or reverse the pitch of the blades.

If I read correctly, you assert that the red circled hole above is for bracketry, not vacuum related. As for that I will say that one hole orients the bracket [outboard or LH hole], and is a blind [closed] hole, and the other should be tapped for a bolt, and every one I have ever seen [several dozen] goes right on thru into the intake passage. Perhaps you have an unusual example. But, I recommend you "look into it" ha ha ha ha Oh I kill me... But seriosly, probe it with a wire or whatnot, see how deep that hole is, and/or feel for vacuum there.

Oh, and to pick nits, a fuel fitting is no place for Teflon sealing tape. The seal is effected at the tapered inverted flare within the fitting, NOT at the threads like NPT pipe threads. The Teflon tape cannot help, and may very well hurt. I was taught yrs ago not to use Teflon tape on hydraulic systems also, for small bits can dislodge and wreak havoc in the system. You will NEVER see the factory doing that.... for good reason. In fact I can't think of anyplace on the Olds where Teflon tape is a good idea. Coolant fittings- use sealer such as permatex Form-a-Gasket. Inverted flare fuel fittings- never. Vacuum lines [brakes]- pointless. It's a minor violation of good practices. Much like using rubber line in the pressurized side, between fuel pump and carb...

I hope this helps others who come to read.

75cutty455

This whole thread was music to my ears.

Good Stuff & Don't Stop