It was the ground to the battery disconnect, again. I had it pointed upside down and it fell off. I moved it and now have it on top of the disconnect now. It should be the right tune now, according to graphs and parameters and raised the 4th shift points again. This is what happens with the Oldcursedmobile. Marks tune looked and ran the best it has. I was seeing nearly 36 timing and high 12's WOT. A couple of half hour runs on Cutlassefi tune did help it quite a bit.

 

So, I have had fun with this POS Holley Terminator X Max. It will not load tunes through handheld on a SD card. Even the basic shitty Wizard tune won't load. I took the saved tune that I added a 4L80E tune to Mark about a month back, loaded through the laptop. It completely lost any tune with the battery disconnect turned off. So I left the ECM connected overnight. Still had a tune, so U just removed the battery disconnect all together. I also had to add key on power to prime the fuel pump, changed the relay, no trigger power. Not sure why that stopped working. You can tell the tune was a month old, cold start stall and idled lower. I decided, just buying an accurate sensor for the oil pressure and not the 5" display, screw Holley, this system in meh at best.

 

Well, I was thinking the cold start was the pulley's, nope, maybe flex plate bolts, nope they were tight. I even added two washers, to space out the converter snout, no real difference. Nothing obviously warped, watched the flexplate running. I am thinking it is detonation at cold start. When I move it out to move the Dakota to do a thermostat, I will pay close attention to cold start timing. Mark has a max 41 degrees, it may need a couple less degrees at cold start. He has it so it decreases as temp increases. On on cold start, it has 80ish psi oil pressure, just under 40 psi hot idle just under 750 rpm, quiet beside initial start up.

 

You and Mark will get it figured out……..someday. it could be another year or two like it’s been, I have faith in you guys. 😉

 

Yeah, on tune 5, closer but I think it is a touch much timing at 700 rpm, 37.8 is what it showed. I think putting the Holley Terminator X Max ECM under the hood was a mistake. I think it will go in the glove box. It will be much neater that way. A Winter project and will take a video in the morning of the sound it makes.

 

I took a few videos, it really does sound flex plate related but may be detonation. I will check the actual crank to flex plate bolts. It may be this Speedmaster flex plate. I don't think anyone else has a neutral balance flexplate for a 330 crank. Just weird it gets quieter, the longer it runs and timing drops. Running 91 Octane, the last of the non ethanol available, now will all be 10% with STP additive and stabilizer.

 

 

 

Hopefully that isn't the sound of liquid fuel in a cylinder!! Have you tried videoing down the throttle body while it's doing that? Could have one injector just dumping fuel.

 

No, I haven't. I do have a 100 micron just after the tank and a 10 micron just before the fuel rail. Yeah, it could be that, never thought of that. I will pull all, the plugs, one I pulled was lean looking, should not be according to my AFR. I did have a plug wire that nearly got severed somehow, plug was sort of firing by the looks of it. I will also disconnect the flexplate from the converter and check the crank bolts and run it without the converter connected this weekend. If it is flexplate related, a $400 ATI US made neutral balance flexplate will go in. It sounds external to me, hopefully it is. I can feel something in the trans area, slowing down.

 

it’s also making the noise during cranking. pull one plug wire at a time to see if the noise changes when it’s at its worst . to me it’s a mechanical rotating assembly knock .

cut the filter open

 

No obvious metal in the last filter. Yeah, I will cut open the filter, really disect it this time and change it again. It could be a bottom end knock but seems external to me. Why it is so much quiter after running a few minutes? Listen yo third video, like a minute later. Hopefully it is external or this car is done and so is me with Oldsmobile V8's for good. I would put a Coyote in this car before a LS.

 

Pulled the plugs, they all looked like the same. It definitely sounds external or totally different that the last few rod knocks my Olds have developed, almost tinny in person. If the motor isn't screwed, I am considering going to my Qjet, Performer and manual control of the 4L80E and putting the Terminator X Max on my Dakota, for a few reasons on both vehicles. I had to move it to put the Dakota in the garage. I finally changed the Dodge factory tiny 6 gauge battery cables to 1 gauge cables. It didn't like -40 despite a 850 CCA battery, factory mini starter and our Coop full synthetic 0W30. Even they look tiny compared to the 4/0 cables I put on the Olds. We have a snow storm coming, other than moving snow tomorrow, I plan on a more through inspection tomorrow, including disconnecting the torque converter, running it disconnected and really inspecting that area. I have never seen a real knock go away after initial start up, usually the knock gets louder as oil pressure goes to nothing, not 40 psi at 750 rpm.

 

Well, I finally fired up the heat in the garage early this morning, -28 point something on my weather station. After many hours of stalling, watching our new 55 RCA smart TV, I finally got outside. I unboxed my new 3 ton floor jack that can lift 24 inches, $100 off, $250. It is ridiculously heavy, talking 100+ pounds but actually rolls around really nice, unlike my other 90 pound 3 ton jack. I got it up, pulled the cover and checked the torque converter bolts tightness only moved slightly and even slid a 5/8" wrench to check flexplate to crank tightness. I got the torque converter bolts slightly tighter, held for checking both with a 1/2" swing bar. I also noticed barely touching the gas the sound got quieter last time it ran, talking a 50 rpm change, at idle. Then while spinning it by hand, I found it, knew it was external! I see a slight chunk out and the edge with a crack just below one of the flexplate to crank bolts. It explains why it is there only a short time after first start and gone when hot and at higher rpm, the opposite of a bearing knock. Same with the oil pressure, 70+ to 80 cold and just below 40 at hot idle, talking 750 to 800 rpm. The fix to replace this Speedmaster POS is a $400 Canadian ATI internal balance flexplate for my 330 crank. I am still waffling on dumping the EFI altogether and going old school on nearly everything except maybe a Progression ignition and a controller for the 4L80E. I may just move the Terminator X Max ECM inside the car instead of under hood and clean it up some.

 

As Bill T says- "cheap parts do, in fact, work for a while."

 

Yeah, Cutlassefi have had the ring gear seperate on the Speedmaster manual flywheels on the dyno. Mark got this balanced, can be out by as much as 20 ounces and it wasn't expensive but like a lot of their products, questionable quality. Hopefully the ATI is much better, the only other option I have found for a 330 crank that is internal balance.

 

I got my neutral flywheel from Science Friction, which I think was a division of American Powertrain. I run a 425 crank, same early bolt pattern. Of course, that was 2015; i don't know their current situation.

 

did you use a TQ converter snout adapter to centre the converter in the crank?

 

No, I shaved the torque converter snout, my 330 crank is tighter than my 350 or 403 cranks for some reason. If I didn't, it would binded in hole. Even the holes needed enlarged to bolt to the 4L80E converter, didn't figure that till after installation. Mark did have it balanced. Not impressed with the quality, will check on that other option.

 

the ring gear isn’t the problem. Customers of mine have used that cheap ring gear and the SFI ones behind pretty good 455’s without any issues. bolted to 400T’s and sticky tires. lots of hard miles and some track time

as far as I know, when using an adapter between the trans and engine of any non LS engine with the 4Le you need to use a snout adapter. LS cranks do not measure out the same distance from the block face as non LS engines.

Your first clue to a misalignment problem was your TQ converter bolts coming loose on you multiple times. You said you had a bad vibration right? Shaving metal off the snout and then also re drilling the TQ converter mounting holes in the ring gear should not be needed.

didnt you also have to stack a bunch of washers in the mounting bolts too?

Ive never had any problems with the crank hole in 330’s being small.

 

This one is, measured and small compared to the other cranks I have. Another member on here found similar. You have to use at least the two thick washers on each bolt between the flexplate and converter MINIMUM, due to the thick adapter. It was going into overdrive at below 40 kmhr, fixing that eliminated the vibration.

 

look at your trans alignment dowels … what do you think is wrong?

 

Yeah, I will order the extended length dowels. Good thing the Speedmaster flexplate couldn't even drill the torque converter bolt holes correctly. After buying this and their throttle body, you couldn't give me anything they make. Probably me forcing the big 10mm bolts in the improperly drilled holes twisted it and cracked the flexplate, only drove a couple of blocks like that before enlarging the holes. Either way it is junk and as usual, hundreds more dollars need to be sent in the Oldsmobile money pit.

 

because the dowels don’t extend past the adapter plate the trans is way off , it’s below the centre line of the crank. that’s why the ring gear holes didn’t line up with the converter..and probably the reason the snout wouldn’t fit into the crank…. then the grinding of the snout and re threading the TQ converter threads..that TQ converter needs to come out. start over or you’ll risky losing the trans or worse, your engine because it’ll eat the bearings

once you tightened the TQ converter to the ring gear in that position, it’s now causIng your vibration and why your TQ converter bolts kept coming loose.

don’t blame the ring gear…you messed up. I’ve seen those ring gears. And I’ve told you I know they work behind 455’s making way more power than you make and these have been down the track with sticky tires.

you blame all the part manufacturers for all your issues. it’s not them, it’s you..until you understand that and start listening to some of the advice given to you..that car will ever see the road

 

The bolts have not come loose since. It is 100% my fault. I didn't add the longer dowels and checked to see if the flexplate was drilled for the larger Metric bolts, 3/8" bolts would worked. So a bad out of box expensive conversion TPS from Speedmaster was my fault, got it. What about the 20 oz out Mark has found on some of these flexplates? He has also had 2 ring gears come off the dyno with their manual flywheels. I have their neutral balance flywheel, yours for the price of shipping. I will probably move my Terminator X Max probably inside my glove box, from the passenger fender to clean up wiring under hood before I tackle this. Thanks, won't be doing this till bonus time in February, about $500 shipped for both.

 

I’ve never seen them 20 out. hope you guys know their dual pattern ring gears and manual flywheels need the removable weights moved to the appropriate spot , depending on which bolt pattern used. so each one has four available configurations, early pattern external, early pattern internal, late pattern external and late pattern internal.

the weight , if used for a different pattern, it goes about 160deg to the other side . see the other bolt location for the weight here

 

I have three on the way, one like yours, one SFI flex and one SFI manual wheel.

that’s how much I trust them

 

Good to know, interesting the weight needs moved, did not know that. Like I said, NIB, just shipping and it is yours. I can't just buy one, can't wait till the year 3000 for a machine shop to check one around here, plus nothing Speedmaster makes is original, all copies..

 

I received my grommets last night.


I am going to find a spot on the passenger firewall to drill a 1.5" hole to route the Holley Terminator X Max wiring through the firewall and mount the ECM in the glove box. It will just look so much neater. When I drop the 4L80E to replace the flexplate, I need to clearance the floor pan more for the cooler lines, some dimples, still super tight. Also now that the 68cc Olds Edelbrock cylinder heads are finally released, I need a set! When I put this motor in the car, it was all put together to easily add these heads. For example, I used RTV only on the block side for the pan gasket, same for the timing cover gasket. I have all the gaskets, including Mr Gasket MLS 4.100" head gaskets going on, if the other gaskets do get damaged on removal. I also have a Cloyes 9 way billet timing set, thrust button, Lunati custom 218/218 on a 112 LSA hydraulic roller cam, with the Harland Sharp roller rockers made for these heads in a 1.65 ratio, .541/.541 lift. Also the ridiculous expensive Comp Evolution hydraulic roller lifters, hopefully the live up to the name. So only the only thing needed besides heads, is push rods, have a checker push rods. These new heads will put me at 9.4 to 1 fine for any octane but will continue with non ethanol Premium 91, should be in 400 HP range with the cam swap and more importantly 450+ ft-lbs probably, not to far off my 2100 stall. Exciting, need to make it happen.

 

Well, I started moving the Terminator X Max inside the car. I just removed the glove box liner, didn't really use it and, drilled two holes and bolted it in the liners place. When I pulled it out, I realized, I didn't completely remove all the mouse house up in there. I scraped, vacuumed and hit with Spray Nine then painted. I expanded the original heater wire grommet hole to 1 3/4", the 1.5" ID grommets that fit the hole just fit the Terminator big connectors and relay connectors just fit. I added a second hole beside it the same size, plenty of wires to come inside. Also sprayed Tremclad professional gloss black on all the rust.

 

Ok so I got the Terminator X Max and all it's wiring moved. I needed three holes with 1.75" OD/1.5" ID grommets to fit all the wiring. It is neater under the hood but far from perfect. Good lord is there a ton of wiring between the EFI, ignition box/distributor, fuel pump and the trans harness. Also sending money to Mark to get a set of the new Edelbrock heads and a new neutral balance flexplate.

 

Ok, so I was going to buy the US made ATI flexplate. Despite being supposedly checked for balance, obviously not very well. Cutlassefi and others have had issues with them not being neutral balance out of box, double digit ounces out. So I sent Mark some more money for another Speedmaster neutral balance flexplate, that has been checked. If Dale and Mark don't have issues with these flexplates, good enough for me. I also ordered six All Star Performance 1/2" longer dowel pins. Also have 50% down on the new Edelbrock 68cc heads, hopefully mid February they are ready to go. Going check all fitment on this new flexplate and add even more cooler line to floor clearance when I drop down the 4L80E. It is nice to finally have an automatic not covered in it's own juices.

 

have a close look at your busted flexplate to see if it needed anything added or taken away to balance it to your neutral internal rotating assembly.

if it’s untouched, with just the external weight removed, then I would install the new one with no worries. if it’s had some work done to it, then call the place who did your balancing to tell them you’re changing your flexplate and want the new one matched to the busted one for balance.

they should keep your balance spec card on file and have given you a copy…just for this reason.
I received my three speedmaster Flex/flywheels I ordered. I have another four coming of the non SFI flex plate type. For $23.00 U.S. you can’t lose. I’m not screwing around with 50 year old stuff that has chewed up teeth or is bent.

these $23.00 ones are super thick at .190”

that’s thicker than the old Diesel ring gears which I use to collect and use for extra insurance..stock gas flex plates are really thin

 

Yeah, tough to beat $23 verse $200 US with no guarantee of the ATI actually being anywhere near balanced. Sounds good.

 

Here is the internal balance sheet.

 

Yeah, the flexplate is toast, broken all around the bolts. Mark is supposed to send me one next week.

 

I ordered a set of the aluminum welded valve covers with breather holes. They should provide slightly more clearance than stock. I like the separate outside ledge on the bottom. I also ordered the Transgo 4L80E HD2 shift kit, while the trans is out. Mark is supposed to send my flexplate this week as well.

 

So these arrived, Peyton's covers are super nice but triple the cost. These look really nice along with the welds, I like the short outside edge. The baffles look good and they fit 1.25" grommets. Similar height to stock covers but gain from the shape and no recessed gasket ledge.

 

Ok, so I installed the the Transgo 4L80E Transgo HD2 shift kit. The good, it comes with a new seperator plate. You do have to drill two holes, pressure relief and you actually add a spring loaded pressure relief valve and plate to the actual valve body. New bigger boost valves, stiffer springs, not only for the line boost but for the accumulator overall and 1-2 and 2-3. The bad, it could have used a 1-2 accumulator O ring, since it needs removed to change the spring. Mine was stretched, freezing didn't help enough and actually caught and pinched itself. It seems to do the job sealing, still but may pick up a sealing kit. There was a small bit of dirt or clutch material in the pan and the valve body. I used a shop vacuum then carb cleaner and rag to remove the drill shavings and dirt. See if it is any different. Was barely noticeable part throttle and firm at WOT. I set it at the base level, tweaked with accumulator springs, two vs either one large or small for firmer and very firm.

 

I test fit the replacement flexplate Mark sent me, fit as it should, torqued to 60 ft-lbs. I was going to pull the adapter and remove dowel pins to install longer ones. First bolt came out, second would not come, broke the bit. So to extend the dowels, I put hose over the dowels and used JB Quik Weld. I will make sure the flexplate bolts to the torque converter before snugging down the bell housing bolts. Will get the trans reinstalled and hopefully ran through gears this weekend.