1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham

[gdouaire]

The car cranks and runs on starter fluid. It runs ok, no backfire, that's cool. But no fuel from the pump when I check at the carb. Needs to be investigated.

I distinctly remember having checked that the OEM 87 GN camshaft I used for this engine had a fuel pump lobe. So maybe the pump is bad, or air need to be bleeded out the fuel line, but I don't recall having to do that ever on a car with a mechanical fuel pump... 🤔

 

[olds307 and 403]

Yeah, usually just priming the carb is enough. On my old 77 Dodge van, I actually had to stick a rag in the tank to pressurize it to get it to pull fuel with the 318 swap. Of course that was a Dodge with a shitty BBD Carter carb.

 

[gdouaire]

...so the trick was to disconnect the fuel line at the carb and crank the engine, until fuel burped out of the line. Some sort of air purging. Then, reconnect the fuel line and crank the engine, ran fine-ish for a good 15s. Shut it because no coolant in yet. That is the next step.

 

[gdouaire]

...progress is not visible (yet).

Every wire and sensor and vacuum hose will be there, just like the General (Motors) wanted it (or almost).

 

[gdouaire]

 

[gdouaire]

so the engine has its coolant, running ok with the ECU & etc. But no final exhaust system.

 

[gdouaire]

 

[gdouaire]

so it looks like the standard hood will clear the carburator with the turbo bonet [ ... we will see once I am sober.. ; ].. next steps will be - get the car ready for a short drive, with the hood on.

 

[gdouaire]

I had a small concern about a clicking noise - turns out, it's a normal cycle for the mixture control solenoid that lasts a good 20 seconds after setting the ignition and then stops. I guess it shows that the ECU works ok.

This being said, the engine really revs at idle, 1500 rpm. Runs fine, but far too fast. And it's out of adjustments, the screw for the throttle position is at -5

Thinking, this may be the fuel pump: all I got was a mechanical fuel pump that had a fuel return port, but the car has no return line so I plugged it... I likely have too much fuel pressure. Fortunately, I have a spare pump with no fuel return, so I guess I am in for a fuel pump change (sigh).

Still waiting for a few exhaust parts to hook the new engine to the old exhaust (in a very temporary way) so I can drive this thing.

And there's no way the carb + the air duct fits under the stock hood. (re-sigh).

 

[gdouaire]

Fuel pump replaced, very tight exhaust job in the works.... Created a heat shield under the turbo outlet to protect wiring, will have to do the same for the transmission oil lines and the ECU wiring near the firewall.