Alright it's time to get a local HAMBer or two over to give me a hand...!

Still screwing with this '62 Olds. It WANTS to run strong and does until 2nd, then falls on its face. Is anyone free this Friday or Saturday?

 

Runs hard all thru 1st. Then dies on the shift?

 

Starts and runs well up to first, then starts spitting and carrying on like it's fuel starved. Might throw a backfire in for good measure.

 

No vac leaks either

 

So its not shift related, but its rpm/time related ?
Rpm/time could be fuel used per second vs fuel delivered per second.
Or it could be ignition componet failure.

It either dies in 2 gear or it dies after so many time units of throttle.

 

Crazy. Well here's the curve ball - and it's ran great since I've owned it so I never looked at this in the past 6 years: The timing marks are in the 10 o'clock position on the harmonic balancer!

About 3 years ago, I stuck a Pertronix setup in the dist. and it was smooth ever since. Thought it was a carb prob (bc I knew the carb HAD probs) so it's/ got a brand spankin new Holley 2bbl on it.

I'm not one to start replacing everything just bc there's a prob...the carb was a mess

 

Fuel tank / gas cap vent open ?

 

It almost sounds like it's shifting from 1st gear straight to third.... What type of transmission do you have?

 

It's the original Hydromatic. If it went from 1st to 3rd, it should be able to pick up, but it just dogs along the whole time. Sometimes shaking the car around! It's awful

 

Same problem with old carb and new carb ?

If so that eliminates the carb but Leaves:
fuel delivery to carb
Ignition components or adjusting
Trans malfunction

I can ask questions all day, but without answers or fuzzy answers it won't be much help.
There's at least a couple hundred very talented minds that can help you from hundreds of miles away.
Getting two in your driveway to fix it for you might be difficult.

 

I'd be happy with one HAMB buddy! This is really something that has to be experienced.

The filter on the engine was full gas today, and no obstructions from there to the carb. It shouldn't be ignition if it runs out good in 1st, bc RPMs drop on the shift.

I used to be able to run her down 270 at 100+ without a hiccup. Now I'm reduced to driveway cruising

 

I had a friend that had a Pertronix do that to him, acted like a governor at about 4500 rpm on his.

 

The absolute easiest thing to eliminate is fuel pressure to the carb in let.
Hook up a fuel gauge and see if your pressure remains the same when it falls on its face.
If its the same issues with old and new carb ( IS IT ? ) then the pressure test will eliminate the fuel side of it.

That leaves ignition or a trans that shifts from 1st to 3rd or 4 th.

 

I am starting to wonder about the Pertronix...It is an electric pump so maybe I can perform a pressure test somehow while driving it

 

Yea hook the gauge up, prop it under the hood & on the windshield where you can see it- tie it to the wipers and take it for a ride.

 

This is an inline pressure guage? I'm assuing tied in between the filter and the carb?

 

Well that's what happens if you take for example have a manual trans and shift from 1st to direct drive which is 1:1. The car will lug and sometimes make it jerk... Especially if you have numerically low highway gears (which sounds like what you have if you have no problem doing a 100 MPH) and lack of torque... The only other thing I could think of is a vacuum issue that's related to the trans.

Did you try shifting it manually through the gears? If so, what does the car do?

 

That's a good idea - will have to wait for the morning as I'm sitting at work hating life!
Still don't get how the timing marks are on the wrong side of the balancer. Isn't there a key that keeps you from sticking it on wrong? I have not rebuilt this engine, and am the actual second owner of it.

 

Yes, a diagnostic fuel pressure gauge. "T" it in at the carb inlet.

You'll want to do a compression test too. That's faster at determining mechanical issues.
There's a possibility that the cam could be going flat, put a load on the engine and it acts similar to what you are describing.

I still haven't been able to tell if the issue was there with both carbs.

 

50 year old balancers can slip on the ring.

 

Sorry yes, the prob was present with the old original carb also. This one is 2mos old and same probs. I'm going to see if Autozone rents out the pressure guage. I don't think I have one

 

Vacuum gauges usually double as a fuel pressure gauge. All you need is a reading at idle, or, in your case, with the pump 'ON'. Or, as soon as it koffs, shut down and pull the carb lid. Should be obvious if it's a fuel supply issue.

If you have the old points, put them back in for a test. Or get a spark tester.

Cosmo

 

Man I had a similar problem a couple years back and found the modular in the distributor
was braking down. it worked great until it was under a load then started to mess up I could shut it off and restart it and it would work fine until I i put the motor under a load. Don't know if this will help but it worked on me bad for a while.

 

These are good suggestions, and I may put in some old points to test with. I certainly can't run out and get a new elec. ignition.

 

i had a 74 ford van that did that..it was the tranny..

 

Man, don't tell me that.