my dads has a 455 with 2bbrl, can't do it. I would think with a 455 it should right?

 

Huh?

 

What's the matter, you don't pay enough for tires now? Does dad know you're running around beating on his car?

Seriously, it all depends on the year, the weight, the rear axle gear ratio, the tire size and compound, the surface you're on, driving technique, etc, etc. Are you power braking or not, for example.

 

A healthy 455 in anything lesser than a heavy truck should do a good rubber roast, unless it has posi and very good tires...
Whay year are talking about

 

neither of mine do, unless the street is a little wet then watch out

 

Burning rubber is a lack of traction. Do everything you can do to lose traction. Jack the rear end up, put skinny tires on it and pump them up.
You do know the object of more power is not to stand still? That is a Chebby thing.

 

its a 1970 delta 88, totally stock. Yes my dad knows because he is the one driving it and he wonders the same thing. We were just expecting more torque, that's all. It has a set of cragar ss. Trying to power brake, but nothing. Even on wet pavement. I'm not saying the motor isn't healthy, i was just concerned because i would think a 455 would have more torque.

 

I would think a 70 would be EASILY able to spin 'em! Does it have posi?
My 72 with a 350 & peg leg will roast at least one of the new tires.
Of course your Delta is about 1000lbs heavier...

 

yeah the big body cars are hefty gals.... my wagon especially is something like 5200 lbs, but I'll tell you, when the light turns green and I hit it, it gets up and goes. And that's a 76! You should have lots of pep. Burn rubber? Doubtful on these big boned gals. They're heavy!!! But on the highway if I step on it and the secondaries open up it takes off like a rocket!

 

One thing burning rubber doesn't prove the car is fast are has a lot of power. It does draw attention from others like cops.

My guess is that it is more or less technique then anything else.

 

Yea that's, true, they are quite heavy beasts. Same here, once at cruising speed and we floor it, it really moves. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have posi. But i think although its heavy, the motor should have enough power and torque to spin the tires right? Doesn't a 455 come with at least 300 hp? I forgot how much torque. Ahh well, gives us more of an excuse to build the motor right?

 

The rear brakes are probably properly adjusted. Either that or you might be holding the brake a little too hard when you try it. Who knows? Maybe just old age setting in and it's tired! But if you really wanna kill it you could advance the timing a bit and squirt some WD-40 under the tires!

 

Reminds me of my first car, a 1968 Vista Cruiser with 350 2bbl, TH375, and open 2.78 rear. The only way it would leave rubber is if I went in reverse for a short distance then slammed it into Drive while still rolling backwards and nailed the gas.

Kids, do NOT try this at home.

Surprisingly, the trans never broke. I first swapped the intake and carb to a Qjet. When I got tired of being beaten by my friend's 67 Mustang, I went for a 425.

MUUUUUCH better.

 

As Joe said, lots of variables involved. I wouldn't expect too much from a 455 with a 2bbl and those highway gears. I owned a '69 Delta with the same kind of set up as the one in your dad's car. It wouldn't burn rubber with the 2bbl carb in original configuration. After replacing it with a 4bbl carb and manifold it was better. After rebuilding the engine with a few goodies here and there it roasted 'em any time I wanted it to.

 

Hey,

Joe and I have something in common.

Only, I ripped the rear end out of a 69 442 do'in just that. [Only down hill in reverse ]

Course this was in my youth [right after the Civil War]

 

Advance the total timing to 32 degrees all in by 3000rpm and it'll light em right up. I've never had an Olds that won't smoke a tire.....even the 307's will. A 1970 2bbl motor definitely should with at least 9:1 compression and bigger primaries.

 

A 442 horse and buggy burning rubber, you were a wild one back in the day

 

My 68 Delmont 88 with a 350/2bbl has NO problems lighten up at a stop sign, Just ask the PSLPD! They'll tell ya. LOL!

 

My first..a '66 Cutlass with a 330 2bbl, couldn't chirp the tires unless I was going from gravel to pavement. Nice to know that I wasn't the only one doing the reverse thing! ('68 Delta Custom)

 

LOL, i done the opposite in a 23 T bucket. the shifter was on the left side and reverse was all the way back. i was going 45 and nailed it and tossed the shifter into "R" for race. oops. the transmission survived that also but i did not think i was when i was going sideways and backward down the highway at 45 MPH.

 

That Delta can't be tuned properly. My father had a 1970 98 with a 4bbl 455 and it would smoke the right rear very well. He also had a 1968 Delmont convert with a 350 2 bbl and it would do about 5-10 feet of rubber as well. Like J said check your timing.

 

Joe: That's the way!!!

It worked every time...
It worked with my Dad's '69 Mercury Marquis, his '71 Pinto, his '74 Mercury Marquis, his '77 Chrysler Imperial, my '74 Gremlin-X, my '77 Dodge Streetvan, and many more! lol!

Way Cool!!!

Vaarrroooommmmm!!!!!!

Huh? transmission? "What's that for?... Motor mounts... Oh, that's why it's making that noise!"

Sorry Dad! Love Yah!

 

my 68 will spin both tires and i have 2:73 gears and an open diferential, i do have old worn l-78's in the back though.

 

my 70 delta 88 would burn rubber until i put 20's on them now to much traction on the wider tires

 

Reminds me of a day about 10 years ago. I had picked up another 455 engine and had it hanging on a picker in my garage. I backed a rusted/wrecked 36,000 mi. 76 Olds Regency (I called her, mobil shed #1) into the garage. It already had one 455 short block in the trunk. I loaded it in. Two of my "Chevy" buddies pull in to drink beer and B.S. They always laughed at my collecting "Olds" engines. I started the 98 up to move it out and I power-braked it. No stumble, no hestitation, it lit up both tires smoking them out of the garage (even though it wasn't posi.) They were impressed! So, with a little foot braking, ya, they lit them up. Ken

 

I agree,
It sounds like late timing to me. My mothers 70 Delta 88 Convert with a 455 2 bbl would do halatious burn outs with ease. We did have a 72 Delta convert with a 350 that wouldn't do a burn out but it seemed like the torque converter was junk. Maybe it is a torque converter problem?

 

So what degree should it run at? I will double check everything next week like the ignition timing, dwell, and carburetor vacuum.

 

About 20 years ago I had a bone stock 75 Buick LeSabre and it could burn the stock width tires (235/15) no problem. this car has roughly the same weight as my current 74 delta. yours, being a 70 should in theory have even more power.

 

My first car was a '71 Delta 88 convertable. It had a 455 with a factory 4 barrel carb. It would definately roast the tires, especially with a brake stand. The car was pretty quick for what it was. Never should've sold that car, but I needed a daily driver at that age. Now the car would be worth quite a bit as it was in all original condition.

 

quote "Yes my dad knows because he is the one driving it and he wonders the same thing"
Am I the only one that thinks this line is funny?

Disclaimer: I don't condone that behavior.

That said, I would advise going through it until you determine what is wrong.
Then.....Smoke the tires as much as possible.

 

I'm laughing at this thread.

I'll add my input anyway:

Ease off the brake a little bit when gentley pushing down on the gas. Your rear brakes are probably good (but after reading this, I doubt for long)

 

sorry to kick this old thread, but my old 70 88 had enough cahones to leave 20+ feet of rubber from a dead stop. got my 72 on the road today and did a few jump offs too (tires are way too old to take any sustained punishment, their next on the upgrade list).

 

Holy cow

The title of the song "I'm gonna wash that man outta my hair" was so worth reading this entire post.

 

J, didn't you have a Radio Flyer that could fry the tires when you were like 5? I bet you did. Btw, the derby was an absolute blast!

 

These are the kind of things that make me wonder what's up with my 74. I've never been able to lay rubber with it, it'll get up and go fast, but from a stop there is no spinning the tires.

Maybe my timing chain is too worn and stretched, not sure what else it could be. I've spent a lot of time getting my carb just right, plus all new ignition components. Timing chain is next. The tires are new, but I figured the 455 wouldn't care about that. Does have a 2.73 rear end.... Anything else I should look at?

 

You have heavy wheels and good tires and very good rear brakes.

Here's what you do.

Ease into the gas, but don't have the foot down on the brake very hard, just enough to stop the car from rolling at idle, when the wheel starts to spin, the car maybe be moving forward a little bit, but once it starts spinning, it will spin until either the tranny gives up the rear breaks or you take your foot off the gas.

I've seen videos on YouTube of guys doing burnouts past the tire blowning up

 

I’m with the "tune" guys. You need to super tune this thing. Timing (all 3 events) plugs wires etc...Bump the timing up until it knocks then back it down...It most likely has points/cond replace them with high quality blue streaks (if still available) or Echlin’s. Are the centrifugal weights under the rotor free? The carb may need a rebuild. Hell toss the 2BBL and get a 4BBL. Even a 2BBL should break the tires if driven correctly and in an optimal state of "tune."

 

Yep, same here. I've got a 69 4 door hardtop with the same 455 2bbl and if I don't pay attention when I pull out of work I'll recreate a scene out of Tokyo Drift

 

Last summer I installed new points/condenser, cap, rotor, wires, plugs. The points were a cheap Napa set though. The weights are free, also running around 12° initial, not sure what total is at the moment though. Dwell is set to 30. Also I rebuilt the carb and it is a 4BBL. Only time I've broken a tire loose is going around a corner, or if there was some loose gravel on the asphalt. That is without power braking.

I know it's a big car and not a hot rod, also I don't want to destroy my new tires. But it sure would be nice to know it can...

 

I had a buddy in high school who learned a neat trick. We had his mom's Caddi Fleetwood out one night in the winter. In the subdivisions where there was packed snow on the road he would get going about 35 mph and throw the car in reverse. The rear end would go up and the tires would spin backwards. Very strange feeling. We did it one night and he hit a dry patch of road while the car was in reverse. Needless to say we could hear every trans part coming loose. He had a hard time explaining what happened to the new car...