Moose

I looked on the big block forum and it looks like most of the thread's are about broken cars so i guess i'll post my problem. i have a 1976 olds 98 regency with a 455 and me and my dad rebuilt the carb replaced the coil, plugs,cap, and rotor and the car still cuts out and pops and bangs and all that good stuff, when we rebuilt the carb i ordered an aftermarket accelerator pump but i needed the long stem and i got the short stem accidentally but we installed it anyways and it travels as it should but could it still be causing me problems? any help would be greatly appreciated, i'm about tired of being late for school because i'm on the side of the road trying to get it started again.

76 Regency

Hey Moose, I just saw this post. When it is running, is it smooth or choppy? The pops and bangs to me sound like a timing issue. Have you checked the timing? Start there and I would also check that all of the spark plug wires are in good shape and are on in the right order. The firing sequence is cast right into the intake manifold. Have you checked or changed your plugs and fuel filter also?

Moose

if you can get it started it idles perfectly smooth after about a minute of really lopey/choppy idling and if you are really easy on the throttle sometimes it contiues to run smooth for a while, but if you romp on it, it may or may not stall out and not start back up. i'm pretty sure it loses spark which leads me to think theirs a loose wire in the distributor but i don't know for sure me and my dad are going to tear into it this afternoon

Moose

i worked on it some today and cleaned the contacts and bare metal bottom of the solid state module and now it runs great sure am glad i didn't have to pull the carb thanks for all the help

oldave55

One other thing to check. If the engine is still all factory and has around 110,000 to 130,000 miles on it, the trouble may be that the factory cam gear is disintegrating and the engine is losing timing. The factory alum gear has plastic gear teeth which tend to come apart in the 100K mileage range. I have had two engines do this to me. That is why any time that I have an engine of unknown history that I want to run, I install a new all-metal cam gear, timing chain and crank seal. It is not much more than a water pump job.

MDchanic

I believe there is supposed to be heat sink grease under the electronic module to help cool it. If you cleaned it up, be sure you put down new grease, or the module will go soon.
And it's heat sink paste, NOT dielectric grease (which is for spark plug boots).

- Eric

Moose

thanks for the advice, i have been told by my boss (he knew the last owner pretty well) that the motor was replaced at about 100k and it shows about 20k now so if that's true i think it will be alright and also my dad picked me up some heatsink grease from radio shack and i'm going to put it on before i take it anywhere again. i have only driven it on the backroads alittle to see how it runs. the car runs great it has never been smoother or more responsive, i'm glad i farted around with it before i pulled the carb for the second time. lol

76 Regency

Great job Moose! Glad your 98 is running smooth as it should now. Do yourself a big favor and make sure all of your fuel line connections are nice and snug. There was just a recent post about an owner of a beautiful '74 Royale convertible that had carb and intake work done on his car and then it went up in flames the next time out on the road...most likely from a leaking fuel fitting.

Moose

wow, never can be too sure about those things. i have been checking the fuel fittings almost everytime i stop lately and they seem to be well sealed. i put on the heat sink grease tonight and it still seems to be running well now only if i could afford to put some gas in it lol

Fastbrianman

If you get concerned about your timing chain just pull the fuel pump off and check it for wear.