TexasJohn55

Jon, if the idle speed is ECM controlled, how does a cam change make any difference?

I think that this has already been mentioned: I have an '88 98 with the 3800. I have noticed at highway speed, when I let off the throttle, it seems to coast exceptionally well. I have guage pack so I got to watching the tach and it never returned to base idle until I stopped. To test it, I would slip it into Neutral at speed and the tach still hung at fast idle, until I stopped and quit registering speed from the VSS. I surmised that the ECM was commanding fueling so I quit worrying about it. It NEVER required unnecessary braking or seemed to pull against braking. I never got the feeling that I was throttling and braking at the same time. Just my observations, I don't know if that info is of any use troubleshooting except that the ECM does command some fueling on decel when there is road speed input to the ECM. PS: The vss has been mentioned and probably discounted as not plausible BUT, I should mention here that I have seen VSS sensors that had metal shavings or cast iron powder stuck to the magnet sometimes cause problems, as well as vibrations causing a "dirty" signal and sometimes a signal while not moving. These instances were observed on heavy duty diesel trucks, not on Oldsmobiles. The point is, with electronics, I have learned not to disregard anything out of hand just because it did not make sense. Testing with another VSS would be easy enough when nothing else has done any good.

If it isn't buzzing it is probably the vibrator failed. Try this, bang on the dash at the same instant you turn it on, sometimes that will kick start it. Once it buzzes, it should produce sound in 30 sec to a minute after the tubes warm up. Sometimes you can look up under the dash at night and see the tubes glow, but the vibrator must produce an alternating current for it to work.

It ain't over yet, we haven't heard from the OP about what he found to be the cause of his horn blowing all the time, have we? There is still alot of beer on the table.

There is something fishy about that picture. Although it is certainly possible to transfer weight to the front wheels, why has the rear suspension not dropped the axles to the ground? The rear suspension must be supported by something unseen to prevent traveling to maximum travel. If the rear axles were not supported, the rear of the car would have to be another foot higher and the axles would be at full travel, not at normal ride height in the wheel openings. Those brake drums should be sitting on the ground unsupported.

HaHa! It can work the other way too! I used to pull a 17' travel trailer with a 69 Pontiac LeMans. Naturally I had an equalizer hitch with tensioning bars. To keep the car somewhat level, I had the spring bars pretty tight to compensate for the tongue weight on the relatively light car suspension. On a hunting trip in New Mexico, the back roads were rock and dirt and I found that I didn't have enough weight on the rear wheels to maintain traction and could not slowly pull grades without losing traction. That left me in a predicament to reduce hitch tension and drag the ground with my bumper or run at the hills faster than prudent pulling a trailer. I wound up busting the springs on one side of my trailer getting to camp and throwing all the dishes out of the cabinets onto the floor. I could overtension the bars enough to put nearly all the cars weight on the front wheels if I desired leaving the rear jacked up at a ridiculous angle. That is just an example of how efficient the equalizer system is. Naturally, I don't need that with my 3/4 ton Suburban, it has a more robust suspension to handle the tongue weight.

Silly Monkey!

I agree with Brian's assessment. Once you get a pit or crater in the bearing material, hydraulics on each firing stroke will continue the rapid destruction of the bearing surface. I would compare it to a pothole in the pavement filled with water, hydraulics quickly enlarge the pothole when a wheel runs thru it. With each firing of the cylinder, the rod and bearing slams down on the crank and high pressure continues the damage. Upper and lower bearings are easily distinguished to the trained and experienced eye, different load conditions leave different wear patterns.

Not so Barney. The only "filter" that could flow either direction would be a "screen". All others and all modern filters are directional and will restrict flow the other direction and fail the engine in short order.

Take both lines loose, pull the coil wire or disable the ignition, crank it over a couple revs and see which fitting squirts oil, that would be the fitting to use as pressure into the filter. NEVER flow oil thru a filter backward, it will restrict flow and fail the engine. Not being familiar with that engine, I can only assume that the other fitting is the supply to the engine to lube everything as filtered oil.

Hi Bob, I don't need no stinkin' wires to my choke!! But I have a 2bbl carb. I will wait for a reply to your post, I might learn sumptin.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/4723768463.html Looks like a real deal, original, some rust.

Copy that. Again, sound reasoning.

That seems to me to be sound reasoning BUT, a better choice would be to add a filter, even a by-pass filter as second choice, and benefit from the rest of the additive package besides detergents for optimal protection. Just my opinion.

There are 3 things involved with it all functioning properly. Idle mixture adjustment and idle screw adjustment, fast idle cam adjustment and choke adjustment. My only advice is to adjust all 3 by the book and then fine tune choke adjustment. You may want to be sure that the float bowl is full unless it has only set overnight. After sitting for a few days or weeks, the float bowl may not be full and this will cause a start and die condition which may seem like a choke problem when if fact it is not. If that is the case, it may start and die several times until the float bowl fills and then act normally and run ok.

But also a new hero to be proud of! That Sergeant at Arms did his job, a man to be proud of.

Keith, pretty car, pretty "colors" too..............TJ55

Bernie, I think she is "HOT"!!!!

Did you suggest a hearing test? maybe the stereo is turned up too high and she wears gloves!

Item C still needs to be looked at, nearly all original are going to have some splitting even if not failed.

That falls into the remaining 1%.

It took me 3 minutes to absorb and comprehend that statement but it is a convincing argument. None the less..............? How's that for riding the fence?

Keep us updated after you have driven it.

I don't go to Vegas and I don't play the lottery. This is a tuff one but I will go 51% Bob and 49% Mike. Do I win anything in this deal?

Nyuk.....Nyuk......Nyuk!!!!!!