OK.
Please forgive me.
I've Googled trying to find vacuum diagrams, and pictures, but since I've got a Tornado intake, a Chevy or other carb, and who know what else, it's hard to know what to reference to.
I've been out of the carbureted world a long time, and am relearning a lot.
I've got a 455 in my 71 Vista, and it was taken out, rebuilt, and for some reason was put back together with a non-olds quadrajet, and a Tornado intake.
I don't know any history of this engine, and it doesn't sound like the guy I got it from does either.
It runs, but not well.
I know the choke is missing some parts, so rigged it so it was always open, for now.
Put in a new fuel filter
Some of the plug wires were in pretty bad shape, so I replaced them, the plugs, cap, rotor, and coil. (NJK plugs and wires, Delco cap and rotor, MSD Blaster coil)
Vacuum lines were a mess, and I've straightened them out as best as I could from pics and diagrams I could find. I still need to cap off some ports, or figure out what should run to them.
There is a vacuum tree at the front of the engine with some open ports, but I covered them with my fingers, and there is no vacuum, and it didn't affect the engine idling or revving.
I've also double checked that the rotor is in the correct position when the number one cylinder is at TDC. I was having trouble keeping my thumb in the hole while turning the engine over to make sure it was on the compression stroke, but it does run, so I'm pretty sure that it is.

So running, it has a miss, or sputter.
When accelerating, at part throttle it will start to take off, then a little more throttle, and it stumbles and spits and sputters.

Going to replace the positive wire going to the coil. (very crusty, and had a bare spot that shorted out last night) and check the timing.
I think I need a ballast resistor for the MSD coil, according to the instructions. (Which I read after installing it. LOL)
So, to give me some advice, and issues to eliminate...
I was told it "has a cam" but not much else. I think he thought it had a cam because it had a lumpy idle. I found a plug wire that wasn't connected. LOL
I read that some aftermarket cams swap a couple of the cylinders firing order. How common is that? Maybe I'll swap those wires just to test.
I also read that the Toronado distributor mounts 180deg. from other Olds engines. Would it even run if I was 180 off?
I'm also unsure with this combination of parts if the vacuum advance advances from vacuum, or if it is normally vacuum, and retards when vacuum is taken away. Is there a way to tell by looking at the distributer?
Eventually I will get the correct intake and carb, or aftermarket, but want to get it running as good as possible with what's there, for now.

Thanks for any help. Can't wait to get this thing running good!

 

Wow, that's a good one. Never heard that before. And no, that is not true.

 

Good to know. Can't find where I read that, but I had my doubts, and just wanted confirmation.
I'm more curious if it has a cam that swaps the firing order...

 

Isn't that kind of obvious from the wire routing on the distributor cap? If the firing order didn't match the distributor, you'd have two cylinders not firing. I suspect you'd notice that.

 

I highly doubt you have such a cam. They are available but extremely rarely used. I am betting you have a multitude of problems. Try to narrow down whats happening or not happening and why.

 

I would start by going over your tuneup specs. I see you replaced most of the ignition parts, however no where was it mentioned if you change your points and condensor.

 

Well, They'd be firing, just out of order. I'm sure it would still run. Just not very well.
It was just something I want to eliminate as a culprit. Sounds like they aren't very common, so I won't worry about that.

 

Added some pictures of what I'm working with.

 

The plugs would be firing, but the cylinders would not, since spark would be nowhere near TDC on the compression stroke. Thus my point about "you'd know it". Swap two plug wires and note the difference. It's not a "miss" or a "sputter". It's a crappy, barely running rough idle. You'd know it.

 

You might want to start by throwing away all those randomly-connected vacuum lines and replumbing the vacuum correctly. I can't tell if that's a 7042210 or 7043210 carb, but either way that's off of a Chevy truck 350, either 1972 or 73 depending on what that number really is.

The modulator line from the trans connects directly to manifold vacuum. Use one of the ports tapped into an intake runner.
The TVS with the unconnected ports just needs to go away. You obviously aren't running the Transmission Controlled Spark system.
The distributor vacuum advance line connects to either direct manifold vacuum or ported vacuum, depending on which one makes it run better. If you want ported vacuum, use a vacuum gauge to figure out which of those ports on the front of the carb is ported. I can't tell which port you have it connected to right now.
Depending on which heater control valve you have, the vacuum line from that valve to the intake manifold is either holding it open or holding it closed. Since you don't have A/C any more, remove that valve and replace it with a nipple with an orifice. Plug that vacuum port in the intake runner.
The hose from the front of the carb to the vacuum tee on the intake is doing nothing. If that carb port is a ported vacuum connection, the hose is screwing things up.
The hose from that vacuum tee that goes out of the photo is connected to what?

Plug every port that isn't being used. Your current vacuum lines are a mess, and that's possibly part of your problem.

 

"Plug every port that isn't being used. Your current vacuum lines are a mess, and that's possibly part of your problem"
That's no joke...
Thanks for all of that info...
I do plan on reinstalling the A/C eventually, but can make those changes for the short term...

As for a replacement carb...
I am looking to make a badass ratty muscle wagon out of this car...
Would you spend the money on a rebuilt stock carb, or just go straight to an aftermarket performance carb?
I'm also going to replace the intake, most likely with an aftermarket one.

 

In a heavy car like that wagon, I'd go with a Performer 455 and a Qjet.

 

Got all of the vacuum lines sorted out.
Turned out my carburator was dirty, which was probably the main cause of my cars stumble.
Sprayed down both the promaries and the secondaries, and now Crusty can roast the tires!
I'll still get a Performer intake and a more correct carb eventually, but this will do for now.
Thanks for all of the help on this