I am about done. New MSD and still same problem. I have replaced plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, crank sensor, carb, and MSD box. Have checked rocker arms, and valve springs. Compression is the same in every cylinder. Timing is on 36 degrees and I phased the distributor. It never varies up up 6500 rpm. I made 4 passes all perfect, parked it for a day and made a time run perfect. Parked it and went up to run and whatever is wrong appeared. You hit it and it sounds like it dropped 4 cylinders. I give up!

Fern,

As much as I hate to say it you might have to seek some professional help. Chasing gremlins and spending money on everything new doesn't seem to be working. Do you have a dyno shop nearby to go to?

Fern,in Phoenix one year for a divisional, one of their famous sand storms came thru on Saturday night,(you know about those) and Sunday morning started the car to go up for first round of eliminations and it would hardly get out of its own way. Even though I had the air filter on and the intake covered, I got sand in the air bleeds. Needless to say I was one and done that morning. Just a suggestion about it being fuel related.

Floyd it is already at another shop. qtrrcr since I changed the carb I guess that should eliminate the air bleeds. In all my years this is the first time I had to give up. I don't know what it is.

Yeah, eventually you have to say I give. Chasing gremlins can be expensive.

Check voltage at your ignition box. Try to move around all wires to it as you do and look for voltage changes. Also if you have an alternator take the belt off for a pass and see if it changes anything.

So it sounds like it is hitting the rev limiter? You put a new box on there, by any chance use same RPM chips? If so change or remove them and try it.

I had a crazy intermittent problem several years ago and it was a loose wire on the ignition switch.

Low power supply to the ignition box can do this. If you can not find the issue I would consider running a completely new hot wire and ignition switch so you know it getting good power.

Starting to sound like a wiring issue, bad connection or broken wire. A wire that may be shorting against the chassis or not getting a good ground.

If you have a deadhead regulator, take it and throw it far, far away. Especially if you are running gas. Or give the regulator to someone you really do not like.

Also I do not think it is a carb issue but I would still change carb just to verify it. Only takes a few minutes and can eliminate that variable.

While I have never seen this some have said that the tach can go bad and it may do something like that. You may try disconnecting the tach and see if it changes anything.

A few things to think about.

OK, it is a digital box--no chips. Not on purpose but did try it with the alternator belt off, no change. New wire from box to ground and battery. I rewired the on/off power switch but used the same switch. I have 2 tachs in there, one is digital and the other is a autometer needle type. They both get signal from the provided portal on the box BUT there is about e 3-400 difference in what they read. Might have always been this way just difference in tachs. I don't know what a "dead head regulator" is so I guess I don't have one. I did change the carb, no difference but not under power. I have checked and rewired about everything other than taking out the whole painless wiring switches. All help is considered because I still think its something simple and as of now I have not found it. Thanks Curley

Hey Fern,

Does the other shop have any suggestions or are they going to start from scratch and redo everything?

Late here but he just called and said it seems like one of the magnets in the crank trigger wheel is not magnetic. 3 will attract a feeler gauge but the 4th will not. I am going up there tomorrow. It is old but did anyone ever hear of such a thing? If so how did it act or affect the performance of the engine?

Fern,
That would be awesome if that's all it is. That's a simple fix and with what you have already done you should be good forever.
I have my fingers crossed for you.

quote:

Originally posted by ferndaleflyer:
Late here but he just called and said it seems like one of the magnets in the crank trigger wheel is not magnetic. 3 will attract a feeler gauge but the 4th will not. I am going up there tomorrow. It is old but did anyone ever hear of such a thing? If so how did it act or affect the performance of the engine?

Wow, that is crazy but that would make sense because it is not getting the signal to fire. Hope this is it.

So I go up there and he has marked where he THINKS the magnets are looking at the front of the wheel. Car is on the lift, I take a breaker bar and turn the motor over by hand and sure enough where one is supposed to be there is no magnetism. from the front you cannot see the magnets so I look at the other side of the wheel and sure enough one is GONE! Ever trying to find a part for an Oldsmobile?, good luck with that. So although I was told nothing else would work or fit I took a big block Chev wheel which measured 7in across and the olds is 7 1/4 and everything would bolt right up. Without doing anything else the timing was 4 degrees less. So I phased the distributor, reset the timing, backed it out in the concrete road and it hooked up just like before. It will get tried tomorrow at the track but I think it will work.

Hey Fern,

Are you going to be good with that or are you going to have to get an olds part from MSD?

Fern,

I looked them up on Summit. I had no idea there were so many different sizes.
Ford and Chrysler have 7.25" wheels.
Don't know which Olds you have so couldn't look it up.

Since the big block Chev one works I will use that. What bothers me is that I was always told that nothing would work unless it was Olds specific. BS. I am not a mechanic or even close and have always relied on those who claimed to be experts. Since I retired 20 years ago I have dabbled into taking care of my car enough to realize its not that complicated. The man that chased this down is about as educated as I am. He pinned down the area and I found the magnet gone. I thank everyone that offered help because I had hit the end of the rope. Many thanks to all

Fern,
Just glad you got it all worked out.
Can you send the other wheel to MSD to have new magnets put in? That way you will have a spare.

I have a couple up at my place in MD left over from the dragster days.....oh what a relief. Will test at Piedmont tonight I hope.

Fern,
Did work the way you want it to? Is it all fixed now?

Its Sat and haven't got to try it yet. Now sitting in the rain at Piedmont.

I thought you said you were going to Piedmont Thursday evening.
Where is Piedmont in relation to where you live?