first i would like to say that all input is appreciated and my problems go as this my cutlass keeps backfiring sorta like losing power then you hear a little popping sound i wonder if its the carb (4bbl q-jet) or could it just be a bad wire and if so how do i tell what is doing it ive heard it was a sticking vavle and the engine was skipping thats why i mean what kind of diagnosis on my car would i have to have to find the problem cause i dont wanna just shell out cash and the problem still be there so what should i do
can any1 help a fellow olds lover
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what motor and how many miles might help us help you more but the fist thing I would check would be the timing
If you have the 307 (non roller) engine, something to keep in mind, there was a problem with the camshafts being soft on these engines, causes the lobes to wear which then cause a misfire. I went round after round with a friend of mines 85 cutlass trying to figure out the problem, turned out to be the camshaft, dumped that engine in favor of a 350. A collasped lifter will give a similar situation as well. Timing chain slack? Basic tune-up, when was the last time, and were "good" quality parts used? When's the last time that Q-Jet was rebuilt and is it still the electronic one? I would start with the basics first, find the cylinder that's dropping off, then find out why (plugs are a good indicator).
ok its 307 and i dunno if the carb has ever been rebuilt but would i take the car to a shop and ask them 2 do what to diagnose it correctly cause i dont know anything about fixing cars oh yea the carb is electric
have had 3 - 307 olds in the past all have had a bad camshaft. Misfires really bad. You could have the early signs of this happening but not 100% positive that is what it is.
I wouldn't recomend taking it to a shop just yet, you have remember your car is almost 25 years old, most shops will either avoid it or just throw parts at it until it's right or you run out of money. What you can do even with limited experience- Check your spark plugs, are they a nice light brown color or black, covered in carbon deposits, or does one more have carbon tracking, etc. Look at your plug wires, do they look old, are they cracked? On a rainy night with engine cold, open your hood fire up the engine, if you see arcing from your wires it's time for new ones. Look at your cap and rotor are they carbon tracked maybe a crack in the cap, these are all very simple things to check, anyone can do it, all you need is basic tools nothing special (other than maybe a 13/16 spark plug socket). If a basic tune up, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, pcv, air and fuel filter (should be around $100) doesn't make any difference, then you may want to seek professional help. Honestly, 9 times out of ten the first thing a shop is going to do is sell you a basic tune-up for 3 times the amount it would be if you did it yourself. Just think they buy the parts from the same supplier you can, then mark them up, and then charge you 2 hrs labor on top of that, you could be looking at almost a $300 bill or more. So if you get that factor eliminated, even if it doesn't solve your problem completely, you at least won't have to pay a shop to do it, Olds V8's are exectionally easy to do this on, everythings right on top, still worried? pick up a repair manual, it will guide you through it.
Never have seen Olds cams go bad, sbc is a different story. I have owned only non roller 307's, one went nearly 500,000 km.
I also believe that there was a problem with non-roller 307 cams . . .
I had a lobe rounded at 50,*** miles on a stock, unopened 5A-headed 307. Eventually made a knock that sounded like a spun bearing. The whole engine was tore down, the last thing pulled out of the block was of course the camshaft.
I had a lobe rounded at 50,*** miles on a stock, unopened 5A-headed 307. Eventually made a knock that sounded like a spun bearing. The whole engine was tore down, the last thing pulled out of the block was of course the camshaft.
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