The torque converter bolts went right on the new flexplate and everything is all together. Fluid and will double check the shifter linkage before fire up tomorrow. The cooler lines no longer touch the body, which is good.

 

So I went to fire up the Olds on Sunday, no go. I did have the battery unhooked for months. No communication from the Terminator X Max with either the handheld or laptop. It showed no firmware file. Talked to Mark and said unhook the battery and try again, I already had. He said look up unbricking the Terminator X Max. I needed to download and unzip then put the Terminator X V2 SD card contents on said SD card. That part is done. It should read it on boot up, is my understanding. I will try it this weekend. If that works, I will also reload my tune and do some flexplate and 4L80E testing on the jack stands.

 

So no communication, no matter what I tried with the Terminator X Max. So here is my solution.

Honestly I don't feel like spending more money on this EFI. Plus not too thrilled to send anything South. I also found corrosion on the EFI distributor cap and rotor. I have a cheap Amazon manual transmission harness and box for the 4L80E. I just need to see if I can get first on my Fastgate shifter to reach all the gears. The huge spread between park and reverse might make it very difficult. Performer intake is on, new Carter fuel pump is on running fuel lines and I put the distributor to #1 TDC before I pulled it. I want to actually drive my 70 Cutlass this Summer.

 

Did you try unzipping the Brickware from the firmware file?
that always works for me.

if not, call Mark again..he’ll get it figured out one of these years .

 

I did all that, new firmware loaded but failed. Power everywhere there should be, all the lights on. No communication with laptop or handheld. Almost positive the ECM needs to go to Holley. I may not put it back in this car. Maybe it will end up in my Dakota.

 

Well, the car runs great, not surprised with the Qjet I custom built. I am running the ported vacuum source for vacuum advance, don't need a ton of timing. The rear air door was really loose for some reason, had to set it twice tighter. Boy does the posi rear work. The $50 Amazon manual trans controller with the Fastgate makes easy driving. I still need to figure out the torque converter lock up. Need to make sure the switch works. No instructions except the pictures on Amazon from that seller. Even without, 2000 rpm at 60 mph is very comfortable cruising. If Edelbrock ever releases the new heads, it will go on my nice 403 block. It looks really nice in the cylinders, had 160 psi compression. The stock crank needs turned, The local machine shop did fine with the crank grind. Hopefully will go.010" on the mains, have them and whatever on the rods, didn't spin but they down to copper. I threw bearings in it, knock went away but oil pressure was still awful. With the .040 Mr Gasket MLS head gaskets, it would be 8.87 to 1. Cometic .027" MLS would give an even 9.1 to 1 but not worth $350 for a pair shipped. The mild 218/218 roller cam would work great with this 403.

 

So I found this diagram.

If I move the toggle switch to the one position, it instantly pops the fuse. In the two position, it does nothing. I will double check the trans plug orientation, can be put upside down. I may bypass this controller all together for lock up. I am also sure, not getting first gear on the shifter. Just by the rpm, can do 30 mph in that gear, would be screaming in first. I can feel all the gears except second, 3rd and 4th are reallyclose together on the Fastgate. I don't know why GM has such a big sweep between park and reverse on the 4L80E.The car was almost stalling yesterday morning from stops, ran perfectly today, same time of day and drive, weird. Other than that weirdness and after adjusting the secondary, other than an occasional pop driving, my Qjet runs great. The gas is non ethanol premium from last fall. Other than that weirdness and the occasional slight pop under harder acceleration, it runs great. Another issue I found is the vacuum advance is delivering 29 degrees if I put manifold vacuum on it. I adjusted it 5 turns counter clockwise, no difference. I thought they put our 20 degrees max, almost 30 to my dial back So I ordered a new Petronix adjustable vacuum advance. So I put it to the factory ported advance port for now. I figure first gear and about 10 degrees vacuum across the board will make a big difference and probably with fresh gas will eliminate the occasional pop back, probably from too much timing.

 

Well, interesting and frustrating couple of days with the Oldsmobile. I pissed around forever with the shifter, so many hours wasted. I have all gears finally except park. Probably if I remove the cover and grind either the top of the range or add another square notch to get low and keep park. Also took off the carb spacer, somehow the back two bolts, popped loose and stripped. Then somehow the secondaries stuck wide open, had to tow it home. I had to play around with the linkage with the carb off. The secondary bushings were done not that many miles ago, no real reason to stick open. I figured eliminating the spacer remove a possible cause. I also installed the Pertronix adjustable vacuum advance, it has 16 degrees total advance I set it at 8 degrees and now run manifold vacuum. If I remember correctly, it will be mid 40's part throttle timing, about perfect for 9.5 to 1 with a small cam on 91 non ethanol. I also loosened the secondaries better but slightly delayed, will go slightly more.

 

Well, I tell you my car clearly telling me, leave me alone, I want to look like sh*t, inside and out. Of course I couldn't find a bunch of rocker arms studs and guide plates I just had, hopefully somewhere. I want to do the roller cam swap this Winter, have a feeling a lobe or two is leaving this cam. So I decided to clean up the TCI Fastgate shifter. The lockout release broke in half, actually used a sink pull, looks OK. I had foam and RTV on the bottom. I exacto knifed all off and painted the cover, which looked like hell. I had to find longer screws and drill a new hole in the front support. I also added rubber grommets to increase the release spring pressure, worked great and looked so much better. The bad? Somehow, adjusting nothing, parked moved down and all I have is Park, Neutral and Overdrive and nothing else! I had all the gears before this! I feel like, I am stuck in a weird dream with this car.

 

Here is the aluminum valve tall valve covers with baffles and a billet PCV. I glued on Mr Gasket valve cover gaskets with Optimum Black to the covers. I also moved the Gbody washer bottle I had lying around to the passenger side. When I ordered the rear window package tray panel, they sent a convertible/Supreme one. There waz a beige carpet back there, Wife hated it. I dyedit and combined the two, much better.





HHete

 

Well I ordered a dingle berry cylinder hone for the 403. Cylinders have no ridge and had 160 psi compression. Also a rear main seal. I have all the gaskets including Mr Gasket MLS head gaskets. Just need rings, bearings and high volume oil pump. Speaking of that, the crank definitely needs turned, rods were especially bad but nothing spun. I dropped it off at the machine shop, just over $300 with taxes to grind. With the roller cam and lifters and other parts, will only have to put about $600 more into the 403 short block. I took the 70 Cutlass S to drop off the crank. The 358 is running nice, has about 30 psi at 180 at 750 rpm in gear, 60 psi at 2000 rpm with 10W30 VR1 in the pan.

 

Good to see you finally enjoying the 70. That thing has put up a fight, for sure

 

Yes, it has. I think a 403 with the new Edelbrock 68cc heads would put about 100 HP/TQ over the 358. Also regular gas with 9.5 to 1 vs 9 to 1 compression running much more expensive 91 Premium.

 

Well talked to the machine shop, they are hoping the rods will go .040", one is particularly bad, still surprised none spun very cooper. The mains are much better they might go .010" which I have. I knew the journals were pretty bad, new bearings eliminated the knock but had lousy oil pressure with 20W50. I talked to Mark, .040" are in stock but only through King which are only good for mild builds. This 403 will be right at 9 to 1, Hydraulic roller 218/218 .541/.541 with 1.65 Harland Sharp rocker arms on a 112 LSA with Comp Evolution hydraulic roller lifters with Edelbrock heads. I take things as a sign, if the crank is junk, so the low dollar 403 build dies as well. If it grinds, I push on.

 

Stop, don’t use the 403 crank! they’re like a wet noodle.

those cranks can’t handle any kind of power..that’s why it was bad to start with in that stock motor. find a 350 Nodular crank or a 330.

 

Don't worry the crank won't go .040", it is junk. Doing it ultra cheap or not all. I have better parts but requires balancing. So the Edelbrock heads and roller cam on the 358, if I do any upgrades. Since I put on a properly reading oil gauge, 80 psi cold and 30 psi hot idle in gear with 10W30 VR1 on this Olds 358. The 358 sure runs nice and cool, has barely hit 190. Not that the 403 ran much above 195 with this big two core aluminum rad.

 

Well the new oil pressure gauge started dumping oil on my carpet, got another new one. I finally spent the time to get the shifter adjusted properly. It took lots of pissing around to get Park and Low gear. For some reason it was popping back through the exhaust. It might be time for different plug wires, they test fine but the they don't fit tight on the plugs anymore.

 

So I finally got the TCI Fastgate shifter to shift to all the gears. I actually was finally able to install as the manual showed. I needed multiple washers to seat the lever solid and have the cable on the outside. I needed to cut the indicator and move reverse down one notch. I am not sure why GM made such a wide sweep between Park and reverse on the 4L80E. I painted the indicator to see it better was kind of bronze and hard to see.​​​​​​​

 

So I bought two sets of these no name universal Ceramic boot spark plug wires. One set with a coil wire, one without. They are 8mm and 500 ohm per foot. At $55 CAD each, about 1/4 the price of the Accel wires which are pretty much identical. These said they were 135 degree boots but were straight like pics, which actually what I wanted and fit nice and tight on a plug. I assembled the coil wire for the Dakota, just under 3 ft, 1450 ohms. I didn't shorten it all, coil is on the front of the 5.9 Magnum. The Dakota has 15+ year old MSD Superconductor wires with partially burnt boots and were ran on my overheating Olds 403 before the 5.9 Dodge. The 7mm wires I have on my Olds 358 fit tight but are actually way too long, not sure why I made them so long. Plus they have silicone, Copper and Optimum Grey which makes them look shitty along with being tiny. I have the spark wire crimper on my wire strippers. I was going to use the MSD vise crimper but the inside piece went missing.

 

So I picked a voltage regulator that plugs in to the back of this 10 DN alternator $60 shipped. I thought this chrome 80 amp 10DN alternator and my billet pulleys were stolen. Apparently I hid it in one of my aluminum 14" inch rims I kept off my 88 Cutlass. I also bought a BOP manual trans flywheel cover off Amazon. After cutting off the bottom piece it fit my 4L80E perfect, even the holes aligned for $48. And the stud looked fine that was loose. Put in the new one, still loose and spins. So I hit it with brake cleaner and mixed up a bunch of JB Quick Weld, did the splines, a touch on the front of the drum and a big glob on the base piece. Obviously the drum with eventually need replaced but at that point, it may be front disc brakes time.

 

So I ended up adding a spacer to the front wheel as well due to the 3/4" side to side difference. They are 5/8" steel spacers with 12x1.5mm pressed in studs. I slightly stripped one stud. I beat it forever only half way. I actually separated the hub from the drum beating on it. I cut the bottom off tapped right out the top. I had to redo the JB Weld on the stripped stud to hold it. Of course it dropped down had to cut the taller open lug nuts in 1/2 and studs ends so my wheel will sit properly on the spacer. Also fired up the motor, the cover hit, needed one thin washer in between fixed it.

 

I have been busy the last few days. I found my serpentine belt is still eating itself. So I found the power steering pump off the 88 Cutlass, I have a 80 amp chrome 10 DN alternator, I picked up an internal regulator conversion, also have a 78 amp 12 si alternator, about 6 of the long 6" water pumps. The best two are the cast iron, closed impeller water pump that was on the 260 that came in the Cutlass. The other is a Flowkooler aluminum water pump, old enough it doesn't have a billet closed impeller, just a plate riveted on the open impeller. The iron is just about 10, 9.4 pounds, the aluminum is half the weight, maybe 5.1, could only get the scale to read once. I stripped the crappy Duplicolor Gold off if and used Mother's metal polish, then clean with carb cleaner, then decided to used Rust Check clear corrosion protection for aluminum paint. I also have billet triple top pulley and double non A/C bottom pulley. I have similar in steel and the small triple and large overdriven triple A/C crank pulley. I painted all the steel, including passenger side, non A/C passenger side alternator bracket. I painted all the steel parts in VHT Black. I also did this, hit with 60 grit to remove the Vice Grip Garage clear coat and then used the Scotch Brite pads in the low spots. I did the bottoms of the doors and rotten spots with rust conversion. After hitting it all with brake clean, it will get aluminum reinforced filler next to level it. Also my new air filter and Accel 8.8 25 ohm per foot wires with 90 degree ceramic boots that I added on.

 

Well, I used the metal reinforced filler. I ended up thinning it out a bunch with polyester resin for fiberglass. It needed a bunch of mixing, used a paint stirrer on my drill. Still some clumping of the aluminum and some stayed congealed on bottom of the can. Took two cans and two big resin cans to do the whole car. I treated the cracked filler areas, after grinding and rust converter then full strength metal filler. Not super impressed with it but after an attempted sanding, the stuff really stuck, cured just fine and is really hard compared to normal filler. Good part is, basically no new rust poking through, the Rust Destroyer Primer maybe actually does something, definitely not cheap.

 

Looking good!

 

Thanks! I actually like the silver more than I thought. I guess 68 H/O, which is iconic. Ideally, I would have been buying a fender and two rear quarters. Not a good enough welder and my Daughter's boyfriend is too busy at work and fixing all his family's crap. Either way, get this as straight as possible, then Rust Destroyer primer then paint mixed in the factory Sherwood Green and sprayed with my cheap gun. Plus most of my spare money is tied up waiting for Edelbrock cylinder heads, hopefully ship before the end of the year. Then hydraulic roller cam and head swap.

 

Great progress Christian, our money not worth much these days, taxed to death and tariffs on everything, when they ship don't be surprised with sticker shock lol..

 

Exactly why I put away an extra $1000 CAD, you know about $1 US. Will easily be another $1500 CAD plus push rods for these heads. I will have to decide if I ever go EFI again, will be wired from its own fuse panel, if I do.

 

Did some sanding, car is half done in 40 grit, will go grit by grit. I bought some Bondo metal reinforced filler, to fill a couple of low spots. They were out of the store brand stuff. Completely mixed, no lumps or none congealed in the bottom of the can. I mixed in more polyester resin. It even applied better than the other stuff. I also bought a 3 amp corded oribital sander. Lost the bag for the old one, this has both a vacuum attachment and a canister with a paper filter inside.

 

So after covering the whole body in in the aluminum based filler, I hit it with 40, 60, 80,120 then 220. Now hitting it with 400, will fill any remaining tiny low spots, basically porosity in the filler with the much better Bondo aluminum reinforced filler. Then Rust Destroyer primer and sand it before paint. I have to say there is less rust then I remember and definitely hasn't gotten worse.

 

Well, I got a not so good call, my Terminator X Max is toast. No warranty, should have sent it in right away. I contacted Cutlassefi for a replacement price. Honestly, with the 5" dash, probably looking at 2 grand, don't think it is worth it. I have my AEM Wideband somewhere. If I can't find it, will buy a new gauge. I finally have my choke set nearly perfect. I have full adjustable part throttle and will open the secondary door to the RPM Qjet to 1.270", currently 1.240", I believe. I am going to try and run my Performer intake with the new Edelbrock heads and hydraulic roller cam. I want a more classic look, my RPM has injectors in it. If it covers the intake ports, I will run a 1" open spacer. I will also go back to my V belt set up. I have a 80 amp chrome 10 DN alternator with an aftermarket plug in regulator and billet pullies. Honestly, there is an issue with the serpentine setup pulling the belt in on the passenger side. I even spaced the passenger out further, still pulling it in, on that side only, weird. I also got the body work done and primer on half of it. The car should have got rear quarters or patches, hit with rust converter and built up with the metal reinforced filler. Definitely got the body the smoothest I have ever gotten it, only two tiny spots, above the drivers front wheel and just in front. I will use a tiny amount of spot putty, talking 3 spots the size of a nail head. I also learned my heater likes blowing fuzz on the hood. I swear, I blew it out, apparently not well enough😒. Pics to come.

 

Well started tearing down my 70 for the hydraulic roller cam, Evo lifters and new Edelbrock heads and 7111 intake. I am going back to V belts. For some reason even after shimming out the passenger side, the belt the pulls towards the motor and only the passenger side. I bought a double groove chrome power steering pulley and the Inline bolt/stud and spacer kit. I actually installed it on the serpentine pump. I used the brackets off my 88 Cutlass, both have metric fasteners. I couldn't find my 70 pump and brackets for some reason. I went with the double groove pulley because I have six 6" water pumps. I know I need a 5.6" water pump with my pullies and my passenger side alternator brackets. Getting there.

 

I loosened all the oil pan bolts. Pulled the front cover with the water pump attached. Pulled the intake and distributor.