yep.. I think you have other issues going on here. Sometimes they get compounded and exaggerated with a few smaller things all adding up to seem like one big thing. I will say this though. I have NEVER EVER had a motor run as badly as your mentioning here simply because the timing chain is sloppy. If it's really that bad.. you'll likely jump a tooth and you'll know whats up right away. You can of course get a bit of timing chatter and slightly reduced throttle response.. but sloppy chains tend to run better when you rev the snot out of the motor due to retarding the already rpm challanged cam that's in it. I've had motors with chains so loose that they hit the timing cover and cause small cracks to form. Besides the small weeps of oil caused by that.. they still run decent enough. Biggest problem with removing the front cover is the need to redo the oil pan gasket..besides removing the balancer.. or potential leaks if you don't do it all as it should normally be done. Although.. if you replaced the oil pan gasket with a nice one piece unit?.. it's much easier to just slacken the bolts and drop the front edge of the pan down a bit to get er' done without too much hassle.
Sloppy chain is easy to find out. Pull the distributor cap. With a breaker bar on the crank bolt, move the crank back and forth and watch the rotor on the distributor as you do that. If you have to crank the breaker bar (rotate the motor) quite a bit before the rotor moves...you have a sloppy chain.
Everett, check the trans moodulator valve and the vacuum line to it. Just a check before getting deeper, can`t be too thorough. Hope all is well with you and theknee is better.
Yes, definitely plug off every vacuum line not needed to run the engine for diagnostics - all that A/C vacuum controls under and in the dash can leak and make an engine run bad. Do the A/C cars have the "soup can" vacuum reservoir on these cars? Those things can rot out and leak too.
Yes! It has a resrvoir on the pass side in the corner nr the hinge. I guess that is the one u mean. I blocked the vac off at the rear of the intake man. The only vac frm the engine was to the dizzy. Did'nt get a chance to wrk on it today but, my guess is a leak somewhere arnd the intake or the spacer tween carb and intake.
I am going to replace any hose to the trans once the wx gets warmer. Im not really using the car now and at my age, not inclined to crawling under a car this time of the year - in this part of the country. What I have done is block off the vac frm the rear of the intake so don't have to worry abt any leaks going to any thing op'd by vac. Once I get to the source of the problem I can change hose and modulators. The knee is coming along nicely. I had problems w/ continuous swelling. It had to be drained 3 times, the last time it was injected w/ Cortizone and that cured the swelling - so far. I wud say I am abt 70 % of where I shud be, mobility wise. I am most grateful for that. Thanks for asking...
The weather has finally warmed enough to get back in the garage. I did a compression check and here is the results: all cylinders on the drivers bank 5,6,7 & 8 had 140psi. Cylinder (#1) 135; (#2) 145; (#3) 150 and (#4) 120psi. Obvisouly I have a problem on the pass bank at #4. All spark plugs are dry and no unsual smoke frm exhaust. I suppose the nx move wud be leak down or just remove the heads and have them inspected and rebuilt.
Yeah #4 is down a little, but nowhere nearly enough to make it run poorly, maybe if it was under 75 or 80 lbs.. My Comet's low compression smogger 302 will only produce between 95 & 110 lbs on every cylinder, runs fine... When I got mine it was skipping on #7 at idle, turned out to be a bad PCV valve that plumbs into that intake runner...
Everett, have you checked for leaks in the vacuum advance diaphram? Easiest way is to use a hand vacuum pump (maybe $35?). Pump it up and see if it holds a vacuum. You said earlier there were no unusual noises. If there is any lifter noise I'd pull the valve covers and check things out. Eliminate possibility of wiped cam lobe(s).
Vac adv dia. wud be inside the Dizzy? I have a vac pump. I plan to pull the valve covers soon. I need to look under the covers; if for no other reason to see the head casting #'s to figure out what I have. Guy I got the car frm had no info on internals -- If he did -- he did'nt share w/ me. I need to pull the intake to look in the valley? I have not had valve covers off since acquiring the car 3 1/2 yrs ago -- no need it was running fine. Want to get it bak on road now wx is gettin warm. Will keep at it till get it right. Thanks for suggestion -- will chk it B4 turning any wrenches.
So your only pulling 5-10" of vacuum? That would be a large vacuum leak to get that low. Did you try another gauge to verify. Vacuum gauges go out of spec a lot. Even my snap on gauge failed. Is the gauge is bouncing from 5-10? A steady bounce is bad news no matter the numbers.
Vacuum advance is on the side of the dist. Just pull the hose off and attach your vacuum pump. If the cap is off you can see it move the plate to advance the timing. If you can't pull a vacuum, the diaphram is ruptured.
The vacuum pot could be frozen. That is what happen to mine. It would hold vacuum all day long but wouldn't move.
Yes if vac is that low, you have a major leak... Since you've plugged the vac lines, the dist won't be the cause unless the base timing is badly retarded...
Ran a vac test on the diaphram @ 10" vac and the gauge dropped to zero in abt half hr. I did'nt know how much I shud put to it so only did 10". Anyway, pulled the valve covers and it's obvious that PO had recently had heads done B4 I got the car. I saw somewhere on the net abt doing an oil injection "squirt some oil in the cyl" and if the psi rises dramaatically - indicates rings or cracked piston. If the psi remains the same - most likely a valve issue. Anybody done this test? I gess my nx move is to see how much oil shud be injected? Don't want to hydro-lock and break something. I will have a friend come over and get his ideas on what to do nx; he's a long time GM guy but knows his stuff.
