Need help w/my new 1967 Sedan DeVille

[Cadillac Bill]

Hello!  I recently purchased a 1967 Sedan DeVille from a friends dad who lives about 150 miles from me.  I drove it home and got 30 miles from home before the tow truck had to bring her in the final 30.  Since I got her home, I have been having one heck of a time getting her to start.  I have replaced the top 2 fuel lines going from the glass dish to the carb as they were pinched and I replaced the blown top radiator hose that caused me to overheat and get towed home.  The car still will not turn over, she sounds like she wants to, but will not.  Any suggestions?  I am not much of a mechanic, but I used to work on my old 1978 Coupe DeVille some, so much of it is coming back to me.  Also, I got the old Chilton's guide for 1967-1989 DeVille and was pretty disapointed, there is not much on this car in that book, much more geared towards my old 78 than my new 67.  Any suggestions on where I could find a real comprehensive book on working on this car?

Thanks, any help is appreciated as this car is worth every minute put into her.  I am 3rd owner, and the last owners had her garaged and covered so the paint is pretty good and the interior is just SWEET!

Also, what is the deal with the two battery spots in there, one on either side of the grill?

Thanks!

-Bill

Here are some pics of my baby for you all to see.....

[Porter]

Bill,

Not sure what the problem is but if you want to start from scratch do a compression test on all the cylinders to verify the engine is good. Over heating can cause all kinds of damage.

Crack the throttle open and look down the bore to see if the carb is shooting gas into the engine.

Remove the distributor cap and turn the ignition key on-opening and closing the points with the breaker points cam on the low point should yield a spark.

You either have assuming full engine compression:

No gas or no spark.

Troubleshooting is up to you or get a pro to check it out for you.

I could tell you what the problem is with the basic tests outlined above-not sitting here in front of my keyboard.

Dual battery setup for limos, whatever. They had seperate rear AC and heat. Can always use a spare bettery just like marine use. Two is a backup.

Do the fuel / ignition tests and better yet do the engine compression test to see what you really have under the hood.

My old 67 429 with 45K starts with the touch of the key, if yours doesn't we have a problem here-it wants to run.

Good luck.

Porter : 66-67 CDV's.

[TJ Hopland]

By not turning over you mean its not turning or it turns but you dont get any sense its going to fire and start?

My 73 eldo looks like it has 2 battery trays but the drivers side one has the charcoal canister on it.  Maybe it was just easier for them to make both sides the same?

The ONLY way to go as far as manuals is to get a factory shop manual.  They come up fairly often on Ebay and there are always people selling manuals at larger car shows.  Used ones will go from $5-75 depending on condition.  Repros are going to start around $45.  I have never paid over $20 for a used one but I dont mind a few stains and finger prints.

Here is one (of several) that are on ebay right now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-CADILLAC-Factory-Shop-Manual-All-Phases-of-Repair_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ34212QQihZ014QQitemZ330152845728QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[35-709]

Overheating an engine is never good, especially so it seems with a 429.  Hopefully you noticed the overheat and shut it down right away, and didn't try to coax it home.
If the engine turns over readily but will not start, follow Porter's advice.  If it is seized or will barely turn over with a good battery, cables, and starter, then you may well be looking at serious internal damage that will ultimately require an overhaul.  You should definitely have Cadillac's '67 Shop Manual for your car.  Best of luck with this one!

[Guidematic]

Best bet is to put a breaker bar on the crankshaft and try and turn it over. If you can't do that. Make sure all the belts are tight and you can use a 15/16" wrench or socket on the alternator. If the engine is not siezed. it will turn over fairly easily. Make sure you are watching the crank pulley when you do this.

If it does turn over, then you will need to ascertain that the battery and starter are in good condition. If this car has been sitting for some time, put in a fresh battery.

If you are not mechanically inclined, it may be of some help to have a person that is familiar with these old points type systems and diagnose it for you. If you feel you can get through it, purchase the proper GM manual, and use the Chilton's manual in your fireplace.

These old cast iron engines could take an overheating much better than the new aluminum engines. They are often scrap if they are overheated. But, the 429 does have some propensity to oil burning, and an good overheat can contribute to cylinder warpage that can make the problem worse. But it is not likely that you siezed the engine unless you really cooked it.

Mike

[Kiwi Ron]

Good luck with the motor.

The second space is for accomodating an electronic eye device (oncoming head light dimmer) that was an accessory.

Looks like pretty straight example.

Ron Melville, CLC Member, New Zealand

[Davidinhartford]

The second battery tray was intended to hold the second battery used on the Commercial chassis vehicles.    The Ambulances had so much equipment it was required.

Cadillac was the only company producing a factory commercial chassis.    So many of the heavy duty features were designed right in, like the dual battery trays.

The regular series 75 Limousines did not use a second battery.   Nor did the passenger models, that is why you will see other things above the empty spare battery holder like the Guidematic dimming sensor on older models.