3.8 Buick
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Do you have any ideas on why it’s throwing that code? I replaced the HEI module, rotor, button and coil. I unhooked the battery for over 10 minutes. The code went away but now it’s intermittent. It runs pretty good except for at cruising speed there’s a hesitation. Maybe a misfire or fuel related
I assumeThe difficulty for your '84, like my '83, is that you're supposed to do a measured base adjustment of the air bleed (fairly easy), then a live adjustment of the mixture screws with the dwell meter (not so easy).
On the 3.8L Buick there are obstructions in the way of good access to the mixture screws.
You can get tools with long flexible shafts and "double-D" sockets to turn the screws. I found the best approach was to have 2 of the tools and install them both, one on each screw, snaked around and through things, before even starting the motor, with the handles wedged where convenient to prevent things flying around once the motor starts. It's still not the easiest job in the world, though. The sockets can get dislodged from the screws fairly easy, and even when they don't it takes patience just eyeballing the situation and turning them. More than once I dropped the driver's side tool handle and it bounced violently off the smog pump belt.
I also tried using a tiny 1/4" ratchet with a socket to hold a "double-D" socket, but this proved so difficult that I went with the method just described instead.
Just thought I'd offer some encouragement.
But seriously, I do believe this is substantially more difficult for the little crammed-together Buick than for, say, Clone's SBC and Qjet. It's doable, I've done it, but that's the best I can say for it.
And for that very reason, if you can even find a shop willing to do this, they would be unlikely to do it properly.
I assume that your car is original. Do You have any pics with the air cleaner off? I would like to see how the wires are ran. If it’s a big deal don’t tripThe difficulty for your '84, like my '83, is that you're supposed to do a measured base adjustment of the air bleed (fairly easy), then a live adjustment of the mixture screws with the dwell meter (not so easy).
On the 3.8L Buick there are obstructions in the way of good access to the mixture screws.
You can get tools with long flexible shafts and "double-D" sockets to turn the screws. I found the best approach was to have 2 of the tools and install them both, one on each screw, snaked around and through things, before even starting the motor, with the handles wedged where convenient to prevent things flying around once the motor starts. It's still not the easiest job in the world, though. The sockets can get dislodged from the screws fairly easy, and even when they don't it takes patience just eyeballing the situation and turning them. More than once I dropped the driver's side tool handle and it bounced violently off the smog pump belt.
I also tried using a tiny 1/4" ratchet with a socket to hold a "double-D" socket, but this proved so difficult that I went with the method just described instead.
Just thought I'd offer some encouragement.
But seriously, I do believe this is substantially more difficult for the little crammed-together Buick than for, say, Clone's SBC and Qjet. It's doable, I've done it, but that's the best I can say for it.
And for that very reason, if you can even find a shop willing to do this, they would be unlikely to do it properly.
I haven't had the car since about 2 years. (See "sig" below.)
What about the wires are you trying to figure out? (Other than that they're part of the mess in front of the carburetor that gets in the way of access to the mixture screws .... )
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Mostly how the plug Wires are ran. I’ve looked all over for descent pics. Every descent picture has the air cleaner on.
Do you miss your car?
Hey bro, my distributor has some play in it. So when I grab the rotor i can move it clockwise and counterclockwise about an 1/8th inch even either way. Is this ok And will it mess with the timing?
Not that one. More - than + with that particular car. But I learned a lot, and got a lot out of that. No regrets, either coming or going.
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