78 Grand Prix SJ with 307 Oldsmobile (Vin Y or Vin 9 with 5a heads, early 80's), is having some issues with doing anything under load. I have been working on the brakes, got a new caliper/pads/line on the front driver side, bled that side (I plan on refreshing/bleeding them all and have the passenger caliper/pads) and decided to check for leaks in my handy work. I shifted to drive and since the car is on a drive way that has a significant slope at the end, just shifting to drive let it roll forwards about 15 feet. Brakes barely stopped it, still working on that, but it did not leak. I shifted it into reverse and now, the car has the front tires lower than the rear and I needed to actually make the engine work to move backwards. Well it bogged and stalled as soon as it got to the "hump" in my driveway and needed some throttle. Put it in park, tried to start it up and it really did not like that. It refused to start, so I was messing with the choke cable and managed to eventually get it to idle, but it was also idling a lot slower than normal. Gave it some throttle, it perked up, so I dropped to idle and then shifted to reverse. It is a small space, so I gave it maybe half throttle, and the engine felt like it was trying to shake itself apart and no power. I gave it more throttle, the RPM increased and I just barely got it up over the hump and threw it in park.
I asked around and I was told it could be a few things. I know for a fact the trans, kick down cable is disconnected and fully shot, so that is on the list. The plugs are fouled and the previous owner messed up the firing order when doing "repairs", so the timing is probably off. Most days it starts the very first time, idles really smooth, but depending on the choke cable adjustment, it will idle very low and stall or it seems to idle fairly high. As I mentioned, timing is 100% going to be adjusted when I can get a timing light, plugs are being replaced and I am considering a re-build of the AVS2 1905 650cfm carb. I did spray carb cleaner, with an extension straw, around the base of the carb and any lines that may have a vacuum leak when the engine was at operating temp, but I didn't notice the idle speed increasing. Someone here suggested ripping out any and all, ancillary lines that are not required for the car to run, which I plan on doing, but maybe I am over complicating things.
If you did read that wall of text, I appreciate you putting up with my rambling train of thought. Otherwise I have a 307 Olds with an AVS2 1905 650cfm carb, disconnected kick down and under the slightest of loads the engine shakes stumbles and stalls.
I asked around and I was told it could be a few things. I know for a fact the trans, kick down cable is disconnected and fully shot, so that is on the list. The plugs are fouled and the previous owner messed up the firing order when doing "repairs", so the timing is probably off. Most days it starts the very first time, idles really smooth, but depending on the choke cable adjustment, it will idle very low and stall or it seems to idle fairly high. As I mentioned, timing is 100% going to be adjusted when I can get a timing light, plugs are being replaced and I am considering a re-build of the AVS2 1905 650cfm carb. I did spray carb cleaner, with an extension straw, around the base of the carb and any lines that may have a vacuum leak when the engine was at operating temp, but I didn't notice the idle speed increasing. Someone here suggested ripping out any and all, ancillary lines that are not required for the car to run, which I plan on doing, but maybe I am over complicating things.
If you did read that wall of text, I appreciate you putting up with my rambling train of thought. Otherwise I have a 307 Olds with an AVS2 1905 650cfm carb, disconnected kick down and under the slightest of loads the engine shakes stumbles and stalls.