Hey everyone, Question..I have an Electra 225 with the 350 4B, and If I am going about 45 and hammer it, it will downshift and you can hear the secondaries kick in..Question is once I get to about 60-65-70 it starts to shudder and won't pick up anymore speed after that "nor will the engine?" I can still hear the secondaries being used but nothings happening? Car won't accelerate, upshift, nor will the secondaries kick out "unless I let off the gas." I think the trans won't shift up because the car isn't going fast enough to shift out of second.. Whats going on here? Carb, Fuel pump or something more terrible? Thanks for the help.. Bill
I personally think it's a fuel problem myself. Sounds like the engine is starving of fuel at the higher speeds, isn't getting the gas on time/nor demand that it needs to exceed the speed it won't pickup upon. I don't know what it is, but I will take a good guess...Fuel Pump Problem? Maybe someone more educated will throw in some things it could be.
Did you check the exhaust system? I once had this happen and it turned out one of the exsisting head pipes was totally colapsed as he car had the original head pipes from Buick. GM used to use an inner pipe inside the exhaust system and if it colapsed you could not see it. When we took the head pipes off the drivers side inner head pipe was about the size of a straw! The car was only getting exhaust from the passenger side and it was fair at lower speeds but when you got on it you could hear the secondaires kick in but the car just lay down and shuddered and wouldn't go because she couldn't breath. :3gears:
Check your timing and dwell. Set the dwell first then check the timming. Of course only if your using a breaker point ignition.
Buick won't go? Hey guys, Ya the Electra has a 350..I guess this was an option in 76 and the only year this was an option..Just my luck..As far as it shifting into 3rd it doesn't..I think I can kinda hear it trying to, but the motor won't let it? High enough RPM? When the RPMS come up when it winds out it sounds like it has a govenor on it? Is their anyway to tell if their is an inner exhaust pipe without taking it apart? I have a catalytic converter on it, maybe that is plugged or something? Are they any carb settings for the secondaries alone "q-jet." I thought any of the adjustments on it were for idle.. Another question..What is that round deal on the side of the carb that says lean-rich and you can turn it..Right now it is more turned to the lean side? Thanks for the help guys.. Bill
What sort of RPM's we talking here? If you have full throttle, then try to back it off just a tad and see if the car will upshift. Sounds like a transmission issue, but when was the last time the car received a tune-up?
Exhaust No way to check the exhaust without taking it apart and yes it could be the catalitic converter. :3gears:
Bill- No offense, but this is the 400/430/455 forum. You're much better off asking the 350 guys in the smallblock forum, since that's the engine they focus on :TU:
Bill, Could be a fuel insufficiency or a plugged exhaust. First thing I would do is check the fuel filter. To check for a plugged exhaust, just hook up a vacuum gauge to the motor. Open the throttle to rev the engine. Slowly increase the throttle opening, and watch the gauge. The gauge should indicate at least what it read at idle, and probably more. If there is a restriction in the exhaust, the gauge reading will decrease. A stopped up catalytic converter is a real possibility especially if it is the original. Using leaded gas will clog it up quickly. I remember when I had a job pumping gas during the mid seventies, and this guy came in with a 75 Electra. He had pulled the unleaded fuel restrictor from the tank neck, and was using regular leaded because it was cheaper. A couple of weeks later he came in to the station complaining of no power. The converter was so clogged, you could floor the car in neutral, and the motor would not turn higher than 2000 RPM. Check the exhaust.
Buick won't GO!! Hey guys, I did post in the 350 section, but I seen it as not having anything to do with the motor size, it wouldn't matter..You could easily see this on a 455 as well..As far as it running I could kick it down to 1st from 2nd and as soon as I get to a certain RPM it falls down until I let off the gas a little and it shifts smoothly through the gears..Everythings been replaced..Plugs,wires,cap,rotor, fuel filter,air filter, but I didn't replace the fuel pump or anything..The transmission always shifts good..I drive the car all the time without a concern for the tranny..??Just getting some opinions..Thanks guys.. Bill
Bill: I've tried the vacuum gauge method and I can attest to its usefulness. I bought a 70 Stage 1 auto several years ago (for a whopping $100) and it would idle and run perfect. When it came to performance it wouldn't outrun a turd of hurdles or is that a herd of turtles............Unbolted the headpipes at the manifolds and :3gears: Does it rev good in neutral? What about will it shift through the gears smoothly (up through 3rd) at less than WOT? Can you apply part throttle and accelerate past the 65 or 70 mph limit and have it shift into 3rd gear? And then keep accelerating? Is it a 350 trans in that big car with the 350???? Or a 400? Kinda shootin' in the dark here without ruling some things out. Could be trans, fuel, iginition related...... Keep us posted. Dave
Hi, Gotta reply to some questions, Yup, it will sit all day in neutral and I can run it past 3500 without any stumbles..When I drive it normal it will run through all the gears smoothly all the way to 90 MPH "on the freeway going home.lol." It will accelerate good until I floor it, then it falls on its face..It always shifts good and hard all the way through the gears as long as its not WOT..350 tranny 350 4B engine.. Thanks everyone!! Bill
Seems like a general question to me. Could be useful on a 455 and if someone does a search in the future they might not see it or look if it's in the 350 forum.
Buick won't GO!! Hey guys, Update on the troubleshooting is as follows.. From a dead stop "SLOWLY pushing the pedal to the floor" it will go up to 45 then its like someone shut the car off until I let off the gas "still can hear secondaries", then it picks back up.. From 25 up to 45-50 "slowly pushing the pedal to the floor" same deal..It does it in the same spot everytime..Its exactly the midpoint between 2B and 4B where the pedal gets a little harder to push "we all know that midpoint"..It also seems to do it a little bit right under where the 4B kicks out.. 55 up "floor it hard" secondaries kick in for about 5 seconds and then someone shut the engine off with the secondaries going..dead dog..Thats about the best I can explain it without someone riding along.lol..Thanks guys. Bill
My guess is the fuel pump. As luck would have it, they are cheap, so I would replace it. In most cases of fuel starvation, the engine will seem fine in neutral but fall on it's face when asked to really move the car.
Have you tried the vacuum test or tried removing the exhaust at the headpipes? One quick way to check the fuel pump (as Larry suggests) is to clamp shut the rubber return line out of the pump. See if that helps. Dave
Buick no GO!! Hey guys, Thanks for the help..I will try the vacuum test "after I buy one" and then the pinching of the fuel pump return..What does that do anyway? Does it let the engine have the fuel that usually would go back to the tank? I'll give it a try!!lol..Thanks for the help.. Bill
