Seff

Hold your horses - this isn't over. :P

About a tenth of the time, she runs like she should - nice idle, responds to throttle, lets me drive her. The other nine times, she dies, even with the throttle buried. Uploading a video of it in a few minutes.

Seff

This link should work in a few minutes: http://youtu.be/yEjCSTYj5oI

EDIT: here's the aforementioned distributor:

Seff

Decided to test spark on my entire left bank, since it seems to misfire. Disconnected my fuel line to check if there was behind the pump (no fuel in the filter, and my fuel gauge doesn't work.), and even then the far fired up with one spark plug missing, no foot on the gas or anything. Didn't expect THAT. O.O

MDchanic

You've got some kind of aftermarket electronic ignition in there.

Could be good, could be bad, but at least there's no dwell angle adjustment to worry about.

I'd scrounge up a timing light and check the timing.

Listening to that video, I would also re-check your firing order - you could have some plug wires swapped.

- Eric

brown7373

As far as the choke goes, you should also check the choke tubes coming out of the back of the choke spring assenbly on the passenger side of the carb. The smaller tube goes doen into the intake manifold and heats up. The larger tube that plugs in to the back of the carb supplies vacuum to pull heated air through the spring assembly that will heat the spring and relax the tension and open the primary butterfly. The tube in the intake can accumnlate rust and corrosion and block that tube. If that happens, it won't allow the heated air to be drawn into the chock spring assembly and the primary butterfly will stay closed, or partially closed. Most of the parts places sell the tubes if you need them. Fusick has the tube that goes into the manifold (and is most prone to deteriorate) for $36.50.

Seff

I checked and re-checked the cables, because I thought the same thing. No such luck, and the chugging stops when I get her warmed up. Strange that it's only in one side, though, unless an exhaust leak can make that kind of mayhem? Sticking valve?

I'm seriously considering HEI and injection at this point, since this is a daily driver, and for the sake of getting the most out of the fuel I pour into this thing.

Brown: Choke tubes were one of the things that I replaced between it initially not wanting to start, and retuning the carb. The tube that screws onto the choke coil housing was broken off from the manifold, which I suspect could have caused my initial woes.

I'm not sure I understand how hot air will do much of anything to the choke spring, though. :P

The situation right now: She runs a bit rich/idles high in neutral, possibly burning some oil (I'm above full on the dipstick, and have dark smoke, not blue), but idles smoothly and drives just fine. To start her, I pump the throttle a few times to get some fuel, then hold the throttle and crank until the coughs turn into rumbles, holding the throttle until I feel the brake pedal getting soft, indicating good vacuum, yes? I hear a distinctive sucking noise from around the carb when she idles - hard to tell if it's the choke pull off, or something else that's leaky. The choke pull off doesn't move much, maybe that's defective? Would explain the "hard to start, easy to drive" tendencies, no?

Oh, and something the inspector didn't notice - my blinkers didn't work, yet my lights do, and my trunk lid won't open, even with the right key. õ.O

Tony72Cutlass'S'

1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2

Also, i heard you say "injection" that usually means changing out your manifold and carburetor and could cost $$$.

You'd probably need a position sensor too, but Eric can probably fill you in on the details. But i know for a fact that my boomin' sentra has a Crankshaft position sensor. To know when to shoot the gas into the intake.

EDIT:

Actually i could imagine that an injection system could probably cost 1000+ Dollars. And i mean, there are "economical" 350's that do exist, i'm not sure how much more fuel economy you'd get from your olds. Anyone ever done the comparison?

Tony72Cutlass'S'

EDIT:

A sequential multiport cost cutlassEFI 3500 dollars.

Check out this thread.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...bi-better.html

I paid 225 dollars on amazon.com for a brand new OOTB Edelbrock 1405 manual choke carburetor. Works really great. I'm really happy with it.

Seff

I've heard people throw "30%" around. Combine this with a nice overdrive stick shift down the line, and I'd be good.

The small(easy) package for injection takes an electric fuel pump, HEI, and the unit itself. As far as I know. We're talking in a few months here, not in a few days.

I earn a lot from being in A-stan these six months, so $3000 is not THAT bad.

Rickman48

Maybe someone could send you a electric choke kit for a Q-Jet - It'd resolve 90% of your problem!
They were on the CCC carbs from 84-up, and easily adaptable!

Seff

Would be nice at some point, yes. :P

MDchanic

Makes me wonder whether the choke is adjusted correctly.

I would recommend holding off on modifications and add-ons until you have the engine running solidly as it is, or you may make your life very complicated.

The air is pulled from just inside the top of the carb (so that it is filtered by the air cleaner), goes through a pocket in the exhaust stream in the intake manifold crossover, through the round case containing the bimetallic choke spring, and into the engine through a calibrated hole in the carburetor.
The idea is that the air picks up heat from the exhaust, and is then blown past the bimetallic spring, heating it up and causing it to open the choke. If it doesn't get enough hot air, the choke stays on too long.

Makes me wonder about the choke setting / function, also whether the timing's retarded.

You need to check this. A vacuum leak big enough to hear can cause all sorts of starting, warm-up, and running problems.

It might contribute to them. If you suck on the little hose, the pull-off should pull. When you release, it should slowly go back.

Do your brake lights work?
If so, then you need to check your signal light flasher (hanging from a wire, not the one on the fuse block), and possibly your signal light switch.
Do you have the correct (2-filament #1157) bulbs in the sockets?

If the lock cylinder turns about a quarter of a turn clockwise, the trunk should open.
If it doesn't open, then it's stuck. Wiggling it a lot may free it, but if not, you may have to pop it open from the inside after removing the back seat.

I don't know anything about it, but they usually do have crank position sensors that bolt on to the front of the engine and read off the vibration damper

If you want to know more about this, Seff, contact Mark (CutlassEFI) - he sells and sets up these units.

- Eric

Seff

To do list for tomorrow:
- Disconnect choke pipe at both ends and blow through with pressurized air. Reconnect and make sure it isn't leaky at the connections.
- Check choke pull off for function, replace if necessary.
- Set Choke per chassis manual, again.
- Get her running and turn idle mix screws in until idle goes down, then 1/4 turn back.
- Contact buddy about timing light.


The EFI talk is wishful thinking,, worry not. I won't get that done this side of summer, at least. More likely to be done on the next engine, not this one. Have already spoken to CutlassEFI about it.

Bulbs are original or look just like it. I'll rummage about at see if I knocked something loose.

Figured that the trunk would simply take some fiddling and fighting. The key does indeed turn to three o'clock.

You've been a tremendous help, by the way.

Seff

She started right up for the first time, after I'd blown the choke pipe with high pressure air. Plugged vacuum hoses to the DVS, still works. When I'd gotten her warm and driven her a bit, I shut her off, then tried to turn her back on - she wouldn't start without a fight.

Question: Is my choke valve supposed to have about 1/4" play/slack? Mayhaps some of the linkage parts are work (out). When the carb sits after I've shut her off, her choke valve can be closer to ½" open at times, because of the slack.

Trunk just needed lube, no biggie.

Started a thread for the electrical problems here: classicoldsmobile.com/forums/electrical/49914-turn-signals-horn-dont-work.html

Seff

I bought a carb rebuild kit while I was abroad again, and finally got home and changed the gaskets and misc. parts on the carb, but she isn't starting again. Coughs. I adjusted the choke according to the chassis manual, but when it's set, the choke valve is barely open.

I really feel like I'm missing something obvious here. What are the basic/starting settings for fast and slow idle screws, and the two idle mixture screws?

Seff

Hot diggedy dogshit , we have progress! She starts slowly, like the choke is too closed or the vacuum break thingy isn't engaging fast enough, but once she is a bit warm, she runs like she should, and has no bog or anything. Does wheelies and so forth just fine.

Additional question: Can I somehow get my generator belt off without removing either the crank or water pump pulley? They almost touch, trapping said belt.

Oldsmaniac

If this is true the belts are not on correctly. The pulleys almost touch is normal but no belt should go thru there only on the outside!

Seff

Hmm, well, the generator does only line up to the crank pulley, and the water pump pulley is offset further forward than the crank pulley, which does indeed trap the belt.

Could I be missing a spacer on the end of the crank, or using a different-than-OEM water pump? It's a '71 350.

Oldsmaniac

There are no spacers. Most likely you have wrong pulleys or incorrect water pump length....

Seff

I'll dig out my spare pulleys and water pump, and see what can be done.

If all else fails, I can simply remove the crank pulley, yes?

Oldsmaniac

Yes 4 bolts and the lower pulley comes off but you should not be needing to do so.

Seff

I didn't think so, but if I can get a new belt mounted, then I can spend time on the road trying to figure out why my pulley setup is abnormal.

Seff

Ah, one problem I forgot to mention - it starts fine with the air filter off, but doesn't when it's attached. Give the idle mixture screws a turn or two inwards?