Thread: '79 Olds 260 where do I start?

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Hi

Sorry if I'm taking your time with stupid questions, but I'm a complete novice when it comes to cars.
I got my car a couple of weeks ago and it would stall every time it was put into gear, altho' accelerating at the same time would get it going and once it was moving it was fine until I stopped completely with it in gear and it would stall again if I didn't use the accelerator. I've checked that there weren't any vacuum leaks to the carb and the vacuum advance was working. Increasing the idle speed didn't help. It had a new fuelpump when I got it because the guy I got it from thought that was the problem and I've put a new fuel filter on as well. My dad suggested I try to advance the timing and that has made it run when I put it into gear.

According to the sticker on the car, the timing should be at 20 but it is now on 22. The car is also idling too fast. It also fires slightly after switching off the ignition which it didn't do before, so I guess thats because the timing is advanced more than it should be. It also lags behind slightly when I've been stopped at junctions etc, like it's not getting the fuel through properly when I accelerate, but it's not a problem as long as give it time to get going.

So my questions are:
where do I start to get it running properly?
Does the timing have to be set right first? Because it says to adjust the idle speed to 500rpm with it in drive, but this is difficult if it's not running in drive. So do I try to set it with the timing its got now?
Then it says to adjust the fast idle screw so it runs at 800rpm in park. Nothing happens when I adjust the fast idle screw.
I was also wondering if it is possible that the idle control valves could be blocked a bit so it's not getting enough fuel when on the idle circuit?
My dad has sent me a carb service kit (yeah he's in Norway, so can't help me with any "hand on stuff" here in Scotland). If that was the problem how difficult is it to go over the carb myself? It's a Rochester dualjet 210.
Everything seems to be original on the car.


Just some pointers in the right direction would be great! The car runs no problem, but just a bit concerned that I might damage something with it not running as it should

Thanks

Kirsti

get the timing set right first, next rebuild that carb, it sounds like its most likely your problem, make sure to give it a proper soak in carb cleaner for a day, and then use the spray carb cleaner to blast it down after taking it out of the soak.... let it dry and assemble... i dont know neccisarily how difficult that carb is to rebuild though, i'm not a GM guy but that should get you in the right direction

How does it stop?

Thanks "thesals"! I shall give it a go, but might wait a few weeks as I've got a couple of car shows coming up. Will it harm the engine if I drive it as it is at the moment

NTFDAY...when I put it in gear it's like it's too much effort for the engine to keep going, it turns over a few times, gets slower and stalls. Like the extra load is too much for it, but it'll keep running if I accelerate at the same time, then once the car is rolling it's fine, even if it's rolling along without me touching the accelerator, until I'm at a standstill and it will die again if I don't help it.
It doesn't do it anymore now I've advanced the timing, but don't know how healthy it is for the engine to run 2 degrees over what it should be? As it's only a 260 I'm obviously not driving it like a maniac 'coz it doesn't go fast anyway, lol

Cheers

if it runs advanced a few degrees and its not pinging its ok..... if does ping a little all you have to do is up the octane fuel you're using... i dont know what octane availability you guys get out in the UK but i'm sure its similar to what we get state side

My thought was possibly a leaky brake booster as vacumn leak there will also cause you grief.

yup thats true a leaky break booster could cause a problem... then again that vintage of olds as i remember has a bazillion vacuum lines running everywhere and anywhere that could be possible.... and could be leaking vacuum just about anywhere... gotta love that mid 70s to early 80s stuff, all that vacuum nightmare trying to get a quest towards fuel efficiency and smog crap up to par.... and to think a few years before that one people couldn't care less about gas mileage

Thanks again guys Now I've got some tips as to what I start looking at.
You're right about the zillions of vacuum hoses
It's running on 95 RON at the moment, but going to fill it up on 99RON as a lot of people have recommended it saying it's better for the engine and you apparently get more mpg, so makes up for the extra cost.
Fuel here is that expensive anyway, so it's not worth worrying about the pennies if you want to drive a car. Was looking at your fuel prices....between $3 and $4 for a gallon . Wow. Her you pay $7.5 for 95 and $8 for 99

yeah but our 3.5 is getting us 87... 95 cost 7 and up.... 110 cost us about 11-12... at least thats what its like on the left coast... the midwest guys have it a little better... sad thing is we have a few refineries close by, yet we have higher gas prices than places 1000 miles from a refinery.... i thought trucking that stuff long distances cost more money... maybe i'm wrong

Oh well, it's not so bad here after all

oh its still bad... should be like it was before Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter screwed it all up.... about $0.25 per gallon.... but thats what happens when people out there elect idiots(no offense to our current paper lion of a president)