Giving up the wagon! Going to trade for a Cadillac (try)

Right, you need to make sure the Distributor is in correct. You will only need a 2nd person to crank the engine till the Piston is up on the Compression Stroke (as described above, post #52).

Also, how does the exhaust sound? And do you have good exhaust pressure out of the Tail Pipe?

 

Thank god for the folks here who are mechanically-inclined! I am not one of them, but I can totally empathize. My mood is affected too by my car's well-being. These wagons are near to my heart and I would be as frustrated as you if it were me. If I could, I would "adopt" every wagon out there, lol.

I'm going to "go out there" and ask a few dumb questions; forgive me, these crossed my mind and I'm only trying to help...

It sounds like you're fine at start up and idle, but that your troubles start when you throw it into gear. Is it possible that the transmission is causing the problem? Was your engine or transmission ever rebuilt or changed out by the previous owner? Maybe something was replaced with something incompatible?

Again, just trying to provoke some new thoughts of what to examine...I really hope you don't have to give up. Good luck with everything. Keep us posted.

 

Thanks Bill. My dad said he had checked that and it was correct... we didnt go into detail, but perhaps I can get someone else to help me do it. I even had removed the spark plug (naturally it was the hardest one to get to.. lol). Oh yeah, alot of air from the tailpipe.

Thanks. Well my dad was wondering if perhaps it was starting out in 2nd gear, so I went out a little while ago and backed way down the driveway, gunned it and had it in low, then shifted into 2nd and it changed, so apparently the transmission is working OK.

Yeah, it idles fine and smooth... just when I gun it to check the power it will lug down some, start back up, but still not any oomph so to speak. I even tried going up the steep part of my driveway from a stop and even at full throttle, it would not do it. It wont get the rpms up.

Dad suggested I take it to one of the local repair shops... mainly one that has been around since the 40s and they still have alot of old machinery and tools from the 70s. He said they could probably check everything there and know exactly whats going on. I just have to decide on whether or not to have it towed there or take a chance on driving it.

It will be awhile though... I have to get mor money back in my "wagon" fund.

I tell you... I waited 9 long years for the old woman that owned this car to call me and tell me she would sell it to me... she finally did (and made alot of $ off of me I might add), but now I regret I ever answered the phone that day.

 

Tony,

Two more questions:

Did it have power when you first bought it?

Have you taken a Compression Test?

Bill

 

I so feel your pain, I wish I could help you

 

Hey Tony,
Sorry your wagon is still giving you trouble.

I consider you my forum friend...you are one of my favorite guys on here.
You have been seeking advice, so here's my two cents:

Stop with this flailing around in the dark! You are not a mechanic, and it is no wonder that you are so frustrated and discouraged.

DON'T give up on your Kingswood Estate, but DO give up on the idea that you can properly diagnose and fix this vehicle yourself!

You had a dream for this wonderful wagon, coveted it, waited for it and finally bought it.
Now, because of the misguided idea that you are going to be able to troubleshoot and fix this yourself, you are going to let the frustration kill your dream.

I know you have already spent money on this car, and you are reluctant to spend more, but guess what! You will have to spend more! Accept it!

Take a break from your clamshell. Try to store it so that it is not in the weather.

Sell your Lexus and pay off a bill or two.

Save your money. Use the time to research the best mechanic shop in your area.

Take your wagon to the mechanic and have it properly diagnosed and repaired.

Pay them, and finally start to enjoy this wonderful wagon.

Your bud,
David

(hope I wasn't too harsh, but I believe what I wrote you is the best course of action)

 

Bill... nope, it was very low on power when I bought it too. So, thats when we had the cam replaced... it had four worn lobes. Thats when I thought for sure a new cam would solve the problem, as it did on my 69 Caprice when I had a worn cam.

Yeah, they checked the compression and it was OK.

When me and my dad went out earlier this evening to do more diagnosing, he had me depress the brakes and accelerate... I could put it in low and floor it with my foot on the brake and you could tell how weak it was. It will kinda sputter at about 2000 rpms and clear out some, but still no power. I never imagined I would have this problem with this car. I mean, how complicated can a early 70s Chevrolet engine be? Hmmm. I will say I wish this car had a 400 or a 350. I have not had anything but bad luck with both of the big block Chevys I have owned... never a problem with the big block Pontiacs, Oldsmobile and Buick I had. My Buick Electra (1972) would scream! However, I always babied it, but the power was there when I needed it! Where is that car now?! I want it back! (Last I heard, somewhere in South Carolina).

Thanks Wix. No, not harsh and its good advice I will try to take. Unfortunately, I have no where to keep it out of the weather... all I have is a tarp to keep it covered and thats not the best, because it still dont work as good as a garage. We really dont have the room for one. We once had a car port attached to the workshop/shed, but starting having septic tank problems and thinking that was part of the problem, we tore it down. Plans are to build a garage... when, I dont know.

Well, the deal with the Lexus is that my dad is supposed to be buying it from me for my mom. I gave $4000 for it, but I told him he could have it for $2300, which is still lower than trade-in value on it. I have been told I could bypass that idle up valve and it will have no adverse effect on the steering and most gen 1 LS400 owners do this, because the $140 replacement valve normally starts leaking again... SO.... I am going to go that route tomorrow and see what I can do because not only is it leaking fluid on the ground, but the valve is also causing PS fluid to be drawn into the intake and burning it out of the exhaust.

I have really wanted to take this car (wagon) to one of the local cruise-ins this year before they end... the last one is Saturday October 31st, so there are 6 more this year. Well see.

Thanks again.

 

Hey Tony,
Storage problems! Argh! I have them also!
This works for the short term. It's not ideal, but better than leaving it out in the weather.
Store your wagon on a concrete pad or driveway, get a new 10 x 20 2 mil thick (quite thin) plastic dropcloth, and a new 10 mil one. Use your tarp if it is in good condition and you can bunge it down...if not, buy a new one. I like the silver 10 x 20 tarp from Lowes...it will last through the winter. Get good bunge cords. If you end up getting the new tarp, plan on spending around 40 bucks. It is worth it.
Put the thin plastic on it first, being careful not to tear it on anything, and use a tiny piece of masking tape to secure each corner of it to, say, your chrome bumper ends.
Then put the heavier piece of plastic over it.
Then your heavy tarp. Bunge it down so that wind is not a problem.

This is a short term solution...your wagon will stay dry, air can circulate and you wont have condensation problems.
Every few weeks, check the whole thing out, reconnect the battery, start it up and run it for a while...warm it up, shift it, brake it and then button it up again. Fuel stabilizer and good antifreeze is a must.

This will take you through the winter months, and when you have the money saved up, you can proceed.

 

Hi Tony;
I'm sorry to hear about all your frustration with your BB. If its any consolation My 400 SB is idling rough and blowing steam from the exhaust. I'm not worried because I can come back to later when I've got time to pull the heads off and change the head gaskets. My car isn't going anywhere, I feel really lucky to have it. Even if it has to just sit in the driveway and look pretty. Good Luck don't let the derbiers get it, remember Bi*gs last spring....Bob

 

Drove my wagon home with the new edelbrock 4 barrel today, ac blowing cold. She was very happy, and purred nicely as she got up to 85-90 mph pretty well. I didnt keep pushing it after that. I am pretty sure when I get dual exhausts it will help power/performance even more. I took her through a car wash and watched water drip/lightly pour through the top of the long back window. If I had the cash she would go to the body shop. Thank god I have a garage I'm renting in my apartments. 72 this last wagon fix up cost alot, and it could be argued I shouldn't have done it. My wagon does runs good for now though

 

I would endorse all advice to take the car to a proven repair shop, tell them you want it running perfectly, and prepare yourself for the bill.
I did this with a Land Rover Discovery V8 I used to own, which was very problematic, to say the least. Yes, the bill was silly, but, upon collection, when I turned the key and heard the 3.9 litre Rover V8 burble softly into life, I was hooked once again following lots of frustration.
I would give anything to drive behind a Chevy 402 right now (difficult in England), so take a deep breath and go for it.

 

Thanks. Well, I am having an onsite certified mechanic come and check the car. He worked on grandpas 1993 Mercury Tracer wagon (A/C repair) last week... for 5 hours and only charged $35!

He also worked as a certified tech at a local dealer for 15 years and just wants to be on his own now. He has a good rep too.

I am going to call or have my dad call tomorrow and explain what the car is doing so he will know what to bring.

Hopefully it wont cost me an arm and a leg. I will let you know as soon as I know anything.

 

Hey Tony,
I have my fingers crossed...hope he can solve your 402's problems, and you can start enjoying your beautiful wagon!
This will be you soon!
Giddy up 402!

 

lol.. thanks. I hope so too! The Super Chevy show is this weekend (and its only 5 miles from here) and I really wanted it take it this year, but it may not be in the cards.

This mechanic visit is only him checking to see what the problem is... if its something major and expensive, I may have to let it go.

We'll see.

 

Hopefully the mecanic can find it... Hang in there!!



Last thing I can think of is that the timing chain is one tooth off.... (did Chevy used those nylon teeth back in the days as Buick did ), but that doesn't explain when the engine idles nothing seems to be wrong.... wish you were a little closer, sometimes it is very hard to determine the problem from written words... I really wouldn't mind to drive long distances to help you out