currently, i have a leak in both hoses to my manifolds. the throttle bracket was put on incorrectly(need to get a new one). My tranny fluid looks like there is copper or something in it. My car is shifting awful an doesnt want to get into gear(hence my tranny fluid). My belt for my steering column is worn down and seems that it needs fabrication work to keep it on correctly. I need an honest mechanic in southern california, who want charge me and an harm and a leg and will do it with t.l.c. The parts shouldn't cost a lot but I need some good labor. She is my everyday driver and I don't want to keep hurting her, lol. Help me. Any insight or advice will be greatly appreicated. ???
G'day Lindsay,
The "Copper" colouring in the transmission fluid and poior changing gear would indicate that the transmission requires a total rebuild. At least the Filter could be blocked, but when you pull the pan to do this, you might be in for a bit of a surprise with what you might find.
What Hoses are you talking about to the Manifolds? Intake or exhausts? Shouldn't be any to the Exhaust Manifolds.
The Power Steering Belt problem sounds like an alignment problem to me.
Bruce. >:D
Bruce,
That sounds bad. But at least I know better. How much do you think it will cost (labor included) for tranny rebuild. I believe the leaks are the intake hoses. It is mis-firing as well.
What type of tranny? I'll assume turbo 350 or turbo 400. I don't know what the rates are out in SoCal but in Atlanta you're looking at $1200 - $1800 depending on the shop. Start calling around. You might also check prices for installation if you supply your own tranny.
Have it checked out first, though. It might not need a total rebuild. Unfortunately, with trannys, you sometimes don'tknow what's wrong till the whole things out on the bench and taken apart. At that point it's hard to get a second opinion.
Could you shoot some pictures under the hood so we can get an idea if this was a total hack job or just an aging resto mod?
What are the hoses leaking? The both hoses to the manifold makes me wonder if maybe this is an emissions engine? Perhaps A.I.R. tubes? Any idea what vintage the engine is? 350 Chev covers many many years and variants especially when its in a car that never had it as an option.
Copper the trans is not a good thing. The inner layers of some of the clutch packs and bands are that color. Being a chev motor there are a lot of options for the transmission but for any of them it dont sound good. Best you can hope for as far as parts cost is a 350 or maybe 400. The rest can get pretty spendy.
The chev drivetrain could be a good thing to some mechanics because most guys have worked on them before and parts are easy and cheap to get. If it was all done poorly a lot of guys may shy away just because they dont know what they are getting into. Have you looked into the 'hot rod' or 'street rod' scene in your area? Most of those people run chev motors in cars that never had them to start with so they are at least used to such things and may be able to point you in the right direction to find someone to work on it for you. Maybe find a local event that is open to the public and start chatting with people there as a start.
You may have more success with your trouble at the modified Chapter. Practically everybody there has Chevy power. They could probably help you with somebody in your town, too.
http://www.modifiedcadillac.org/
Not everybody Forrest.
Greg
I dont spend a lot of time on that board but I thought there were a lot of 472/500's there right in with some Northstars and modified original motors. Good thought though for a place to look for possible leads.
As an MCLC member I would have to say that most of the Cadillacs owned by other members are NOT Chevy powered, although there are a few. Chevy into Cadillac is an oft seen swap but not so much amongst the MCLC members. Most there appreciate the value and uniqueness of keeping the cars all Cadillac even if the engine is modified and/or from a different year Cadillac.
:)
I resemble that comment..... MCLC..
here is a poll from the MCLC... hmmm no chevy's WOW!!!!
Question: What's driving your Cadillac (or LaSalle)? Cadillac w/factory installed Chev or Olds engine 4 (21.1%)
Cadillac w/non-factory Chevy engine 0 (0%)
Original stock Cad/LaS engine as equipped from factory 10 (52.6%)
Correct Cad/Las engine but modified for performance, safety or reliability 4 (21.1%)
Different year Cad/LaS engine such as 472 in a pre-war Cad/LaS 1 (5.3%)
Non-Cad (Furd, Studebaker or other) powered by Cad/LaS engine 0 (0%)
Remove Vote
Total Voters: 16
Quote from: ottoskorzeny on December 15, 2008, 09:08:01 PM
You may have more success with your trouble at the modified Chapter.
Yes you might have more success with the Modified Chapter; they will persevere on a problem until it is diagnosed and resolved. Lots of good techies there and we have quite a bit of fun while doing it too. :D
Quote from: ottoskorzeny on December 15, 2008, 09:08:01 PM
Practically everybody there has Chevy power.
Forrest you are very wrong, virtually NOBODY in the MCLC has a Chevy powered Cadillac unless it came that way from the factory. :-\ Did you read the SS article a few months ago explaining what we are about? As Geoff indicated, the vast majority of members and registered guests pride themselves on being Cadillac powered. Many of us are driving cars that are no more modified than your Bismarck with air shocks on the rear, newer speakers and a stereo installed in the glove box.
It never ceases to amaze me how many of the 'purists' are actually driving 'modified' cars. ;) They
only change over the a/c system, install a Genernator or convert to 12v, add Pertronics, upgrade their pre-war Hydramatic to a post-war unit, add an extra ground to the starter or run dual 6-volt batteries inline, install an electric fuel pump, run on radial tires, add hardened valve seats, halogen headlights, retrofit a flathead tank engine, etc etc. Sounds like a modified car to me!
SMP 5125
My mistake. No offense meant.
Where in So Cal are you? If you're near Burbank I have a trustworthy mechanic for you... modified or not.
CF forgot to mention that a couple of us do own Chevy powered Suburbans although it was suggested to me that I would be better off putting a 500 in mine.
Stampie
1982 optional V6 (Credit Option) was built by Buick.
The only Cadillac engine in the early '80's was the (shiver...) 4100...
Wasn't the '77 425 a collaborative effort between Cadillac and Olds?
don't forget the 468.. :o I'm not sure on the whole old's caddy thing..
I assume you meant the 368. It was used in some of the 80's along with the EFI olds. It was the 8-6-4 that was standard in 81. It was a downsized (bore and stroke) 425 77-79. The 425 was the 472 stroke with a smaller bore. The 472 was 68-74. The 500 was a 472 with a longer stroke 70-76.
The 70's sevilles used olds motors and the 79 eldo. Then there was the diesels from 78-85. I dont think olds had anything in particular to do with the cad motors. Since they were both GM Im sure its was possible maybe even likely that they shared some designers. Until the 80's that was always a gm thing that each division still had their own motors.
that's it that's the ticket.. ;D
Ok... I'd like to say thank you to all the people who helped me in search for some answers/clues into what the probably may be. But I'm a little disenchanted that some of you wasted my time and yours being offended. I never modified this car, it was purchased this way. I'm not rich,, but in time I am hoping to put in the original 390 because I do very much appreciate the authenticity of a classic. Im not sure how you could get upset or assume I don't care for original parts. So, please just give me advice, suggestions, or leads, but no need to waste time putting your nose in the air with what you think is right. I will take all the great advice from the positive members and fix this problem.
Also, I believe it a 350 turbo and I am now bein informed it came from a 85 corvette. And I would like to inquire what A.I.R tubes are? (per TJ Hopland)... And I will do my best to get some pics under hood uploading by this evening. Thank you very much.
I'm sorry Lindsay if you took some of our comments wrong. The Modified Chapter is accepting of all Cadillacs modified or not and in whatever way you want it to be modified. The reaction you saw was because there was a lot of CLC members against the Modifieds and one of their FUD tactics was the 350 in every Cadillac argument. You actually have a lot in common with the President of our chapter. He bought a 60 that had a big block Chevy installed. He ended up converting it back to the orginal style engine. Please feel free to visit us at www.modfiedcadillac.com/forum/ , just be prepared for us getting a little off topic while we try to help you to the best of our ability.
Stampie
PS: Just in case you have given up on us I'm going to email you directly with the above post. I hope you don't mind.
G'day Lindsay,
Yes, I am the said person that removed a BBC and replaced a 390 in a '60 CDV, and I must say it was the best decision I made.
The weight of the 390 and Hydro made the difference in the handling of the car. The 454 and TH400 was too light for the standard suspension, and I wasn't rewally happy about the way the combination was installed either.
Bruce. >:D
President of the MCLC
PS. Come over any time, and have fun.
The A.I.R. tubes were part of the emissions system. On the chevs they were typically chrome looking tubes that went into the exhaust manifold that joined into a single tube with a valve on the end where it then transitioned into a hose that went through yet another control valve and then eventually into the belt driven AIR pump (commonly known as a smog pump). These can leak exhaust and or air. What usually happens is the check valves at the end of the tubes fails and lets exhaust through the whole system which starts killing expensive parts along the way. Usually stuff like that is first to go in a swap situation but maybe it was done as an emissions legal (at the time) swap in some state. The metal tubes look like steel fuel lines. The hose parts look like heater hoses. An 85 vette should have been EFI if Im not mistaken but I am not a vette expert. A 350 tranny would have been a common swap item and again I have no idea if that would have been in the vette. What I have found in the chev world is every chev motor is a corvette motor which I guess could be 1/2 true since there were a lot of years of 350's.
The Vette Expert Has arrived.... >:D In 1985 The Corvette had a Tuned Port Chevy 350 with a 700R4 Trans. This all can be installed in any car to look like the factory did it. I have installed a true 85 Corvette motor, factory wiring, and dash cluster, in a 89 K series Blazer. Im still working the bugs out because, I want to use the Corvette A/C controls as well. It look's like it came from the factory under the hood. except for the K&N filter.. ;D
My oem 1971 GMC pickup had a turbo 350 automatic. Cost me $300 for a complete rebuild back in 87 with 163k miles on it. The Napa rebuilt long block was $1,100.
I was thinking the 700 was about that time. The old bodies had the crossfire right? And there was no 83 or was it 84? Then came the TPI and the new body right?
Borrowing the above picture, I believe the big A.I.R. tube and check valve is circled in red.
The rubber hose is just visible to the left of the check valve.
If you look close you'll see the 4 smaller tubes that head down to the manifold.
Some of the engines the small tubes were more vertical and then joined the big tube and valve sort of angled over the valve cover. But they all look very similar. At least that photo should give you a clue weather or not its really an 85 vette motor with all the extras.
Quote from: TJ Hopland on December 19, 2008, 08:11:27 PM
I was thinking the 700 was about that time. The old bodies had the crossfire right? And there was no 83 or was it 84? Then came the TPI and the new body right?
I think the crossfire was in 82 ??? now your going to make me go home and look it up TJ.. ;D
I hope I can find another car to install the motor pictured... Just dont know what I wnt to do with it yet...