Right drum was a bear to get off but I got it. I don't see anything amiss but I loosened the brakes a bit and they turn pretty smoothly now. Which begs the question, why did that side get so tight?
Can I spray some silicone on a couple of the pivot points or is that a no-no? Will the centrifugal force get it on the shoes?

 

Don't spray anything in there. Make sure the adjuster arm is in contact with the adjuster wheel correctly.

 

I think I found the problem. Although I don't know what I did wrong or how to fix it. It appears the side of the shoe was rubbing on the inside of the drum. But only on the driver's side wheel? The mechanism appears to be correctly placed. The shoes just a little too wide?

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I don't see the adjuster in the pictures. Nor the parking brake lever. I always adjust the shoes to where the drum will just barely slide on.

 

Pics coming up....

 

The adjuster seems to be working fine. It clicks when I turn the screw to tighten the brakes and I have to pull the lever out a little in order to loosen them. The parking brake lever is hard to get a picture of.

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If the shoes are too wide you may have shoes for a Vista Cruiser. They are like 2 1/2" wide and regular Cutlass shoes should be 2" wide (I think I am correct on the widths).

 

And the adjusting barrel on the bottom...?

 

Shoes are 2"....whew!

Adjusting barrel? The exploded drawing doesn't list that. But I have everything in the drawing and hooked up correctly. And most of it cleaned and lubed. And I used anti-seize on the backing plate.

 

It's on the bottom labeled star wheel adjuster
brake.jpg

 

Yup, everything looks copacetic. Thanks for the pic.
It appeared to me to be a manufacturing error. I didn't exactly buy the most expensive shoes. The steel plate the shoe is riveted to is much wider at that one point than the same point on the shoe on the other side of the car and any other point on the same shoe. I ground just a smidge off of there and everything seems fine now. I adjusted the parking brake as well and it seems good.
Thanks for all the help

 

Glad you got it, now take the family for some ice cream.

 

And now you know to give the tire a spin or two when you bolt it on to check for binding.

 

Oh man, does ice cream sound good right about now. We've been having 98% humidity for a week.

Live and learn....and learn..and learn some more.

 

Mac, it may well be your greatest legacy to the Olds community ... your willingness to document all those little things that are only ever learned through experience. Whenever we'd get a new employee, I'd always have the last rookie train them instead of the senior guy with years of experience ... because that last rookie still had those 'whoops' moments firmly in the front of their minds ... us old guys do so much on automatic it would never occur to us that you'd need to mention such and such double check (such as, giving a wheel a spin after bolting it on to check brake and bearing drag).

 

Yes, and kudos to you for being just as willing to show your failures as well as your successes. Most guys only want to show the good stuff.........

 

If I didn't show my failures, I'd have nothing to show!
Lol, jk.
Thanks guys, I guess it's the teacher in me that is willing to document everything. "Hey everyone, here's what NOT to do."
Like today for instance, I learned that 1/8th of a tank really means empty. Glad I was only a couple miles from the house. Humid out but a good day for a run

So, a couple of things:
1. The trans doesn't feel right. Today it was slipping in 2nd but the stick read low (again, but no leaks), so I added about a pint (again), and gave the modulator it's own vac source (I had it teed for the sake of aesthetics) and it now shifts fine. However, if I stomp on the gas it feels like the tranny slips for a second before kicking in.
2. And this one isn't great; I have a small oil leak at the front of the motor. It has to be the front seal but I replaced that, and thought I did a good job of it too. And yes, I used the sleeve on the crank. So, do I have to yank everything back off or can I replace that seal with the cover in place?

 

Today I spent:
1. Moving the fuel filter - it had ended up against the lower radiator hose which I figured wasn't too great
2. Playing with idle mixture - the screws are about two full turns out (which is where I started).
3. Setting timing - and here are the results;
-Initial is now at 16*
-the centrifugal appears to be 15* which gives me 31* at around 3500 rpm (this is a guess; I had to return the tach I barrowed)
-All in is 56* so it appears the vac can has 25* built in
-And I still feel I have an intermittent miss so I started testing the plug wires with my ohm meter. Nothing so far but I only got through the left side bank. I guess I didn't/don't have a lot of confidence in my spark plug wire making abilities.

OH! And I discovered why my idle was too high (900-950?). I had the dash pot cranked in too far. When I built the engine I had it set so that the throttle would fully return but I think after adding the return springs to the carb, that changed it up a little and it wasn't settling all the way back down. That was certainly a "d'oh!" moment.

The carb still needs tuning. There's a guy in town that's supposed to be good with Q-jets so I might take it to him. It's still bogging out when I jump on the throttle.

Anyway, that's today. Getting closer.

 

Is your vacuum advance connected to manifold or ported (no vacuum at idle)? Is the advance stopping at 3500 or will it advance more say up to 4500?

 

Vac can is hooked to manifold, it seems to idle much smoother with it. And I'm pretty sure I accelerated past the point of advancing. It's a little hair-raising standing over a motor that's revving that high. Well, one that I built, anyway

 

Basic question, but are you sure the front pan bolts are tight? It may not be the seal..........

 

I agree, clean off and see where the oil is coming from could be not enough sealer at the front of the pan or not tight enough on the bolts. Possible timing cover or front seal. I would try your best to narrow it down before tearing it apart.

 

The problem you may be running into is how much advance is provided by the canister. You might try leaving it disconnected and setting your timing to 18 deg at idle. That will put you at 33 at 3400 rpm and will probably creep up to 36 at the higher rpms. You need to buy an adjustable vacuum advance canister and/or a stop so you can limit your vacuum advance at 50 during cruise. Google hei 101.

 

Yeah, I had a good look and it's the front seal. It's barely leaking; a few drops on the shop floor the next day. But I can see dampness around the crankshaft where it exits the front cover. Could be that, even though I greased it when I installed the cover, maybe it dried out? I installed the cover before Christmas.
The oil pan and cover look dry and tight. but thanks fellas

Hey, any recommendations for front license plate holders? It doesn't look like this car ever had one. Do they clamp to the nose or do I have to drill into the bumper?

 

The can is adjustable but if I understand correctly, it only adjusts how quickly the advance comes in (like the mechanical weights?).
You're thinking that my bogging/stumbling is a timing issue?

 

You need to limit the vacuum advance to 50 or under. When you go over 50 the engine may be surging and/or sound like a miss at cruise. Also at idle, if you have too much vacuum advance, the engine will sound like its missing. That's why I suggested disconnecting it and see how it drives.

 

It actually idles more smoothly with the vac can hooked up...but faster. I haven't actually looked but maybe I'll get lucky and there will be a limiter on the can. Why do they give these things so much advance? Nobody seems to like/need it.

 

MSD has a limiter kit for their Street Fighter distributor pn 8362, it should work on your stock HEI. It has different stop settings, limit it to 10 degrees.


MSDheibolt.jpg

 

This.....

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-84281

 

They used to make 2 different ones. I'm not sure about that one Mac, but it says it's for both and uses 2 different screws. You may contact MSD just to be sure.

 

I think Fusik has the plate bracket. Maybe TPP, I know somebody has it! They came in the trunk of the car when shipped new. If the state required it they put it on. You have to drill, I think there might be indents in the bumper where you drill.

 

That all seemed really complicated....or I'm just getting lazy. So I made my own. It's in there good and tight, couldn't budge it with a screwdriver and hasn't moved after a couple of short drives. I should have made it adjustable though. I got the vac advance down to 12*. I'm calling that close enough for now.

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So I took 13* off the vac advance giving me an all-in at 44* (verified). She idles a little rougher now. I backed the idle mixture screws out to 2.5 turns. Can I go more?

 

I have been busy this last week, I see you made some huge strides, the engine sounds great Mac. Cheers !!! You have alot of patience I see, working the bugs out and resealing, awesome job. I hope you get alot of summer cruising in!!
Cheers Eric

 

Patience? Maybe. Definitely an obsession that borders on the unhealthy. But I just painted the underside of the hood. As soon as I can get it on I'm calling it done for now. Well, okay, after I get the new downpipes installed, THEN I'll call it done for now, lol.
Thanks Eric

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That will work Mac, does it cruise better?

 

I think so. Honestly, the down pipes are still inches from the ground so I can't do much yet. I'm hoping to get the hood on tonight so I can take it to the shop.
I also found a couple of small vacuum leaks; one at the pcv valve (hose a little too big) and brake booster at the manifold. That helped but I'm only pulling [barely]16 hg on the gauge, it's steady and acts as a healthy engine, it's just a little low.
Hopeful soon I'll be able to quit fussing and start driving

 

Ok now bump your initial timing to 18 with vacuum adv. disconnected and plugged. That should bring your total mechanical without vacuum closer to the 36 deg mark. Then connect your vacuum adv back where you had it and adjust your idle down to where it belongs. Hook up your vacuum gauge and adjust your carb a/f mixture screws for the highest vacuum on the gauge. Make sure they are turned out an even amount between the right and left screws.

 

Thanks for all the advice Eric. I'll get to it after the holiday. But as far as cranking down the idle, the curb idle screw isn't coming into play. I have it all the way out to get the idle down to where it sounds right. And it still hesitates when I punch it, but only from a stop (I think). I noticed there are two settings for the accelerator pump. Should I be hooked to the inner hole or outer?

 

The hood went on much easier than expected. Thank the gods I drilled guide-pin holes. When I took it off I didn't know about the spacers and they fell out with me not seeing where they went. I took a guess that they went under the back end of the hinges and I guess I got it right.

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I would first see if it were the linkage keeping the idle going any lower by disconnecting it. If it's not the linkage, then I would go back to ported for the vacuum advance.