Oldsmobile ready for dynamite

9/24/11. Heard your show today talking about junk gizmo’s.
The only item I’ve found to work was a K&N air filter. Really woke up my sleepy '79 Mustang Indy Pace car (16,959 miles 2.3 turbo). You can hear the turbo working (paper type you couldn’t), and it cut back on lag.

Now the Oldsmobile 95 88 Royale, 3.8 non supercharged (121,000 mi on car, 82,000 on replaced engine.) Ran great until a fuel rotted in two. New lines,filter, and a sending unit were installed. A local shop did the work (I couldn’t because of a surgery to repair a shoulder). The car sat for 4 months until it was repaired. Now, it is hard to start, takes 3+ times to get it started, surges half to full throttle. Mostly cold, but sometimes when hot. The fuel gauge didn’t work after repairs, so figure a bad ground, maybe. Shop reported lower voltage than required in the signal wire to the gauge.

Took it back to the mechanic. Fuel lines removed and blown out, fuel pressure and regulator check and within spec, tank and sender rechecked for dirt (clean). I have installed new Delco plugs and wires, knock sensors (needed them), oxygen sensor, crank and cam sensors, used items (from previous engine that blew - the cracked plastic intake dumped coolant into the engine thing - ran good until that happened), TPS, IAC, coil pac and ignition module, EGR valve, junkyard MAF (from same year car, ran worse so they took it back). MAF has 12V to it, ground good. No codes in the ECU. Injectors working (stethoscope check and noid light check. So yes,very frustrated.

This is my mother’s car. Can’t afford to replace it with another vehicle (after the money spent so far). So any ideas? Good, bad, funny - accepted…

I so love my carbureted '79 and '82 5.0 Mustangs, easy and cheap to repair and work on, if needed!

P.S. I’m a locomotive engineer thought you’d be interested on a spec on the diesel engine in the older ones we use in our terminal, 10,320 cid V16 Diesel. The bigger newer road engines 11,360 cid V16. Some of our brand new ones larger yet, but V12’s (haven’t found the specs yet.

Love your show when I get the chance to hear it (usually working when you’re on) .