1966 Cadillac will not stay running!

[Vinny]

OK guys, you have helped me in the past and now I am in desperate need again.  I have a 1966 Cadillac convertible with a 429.  The only aftermart items I have done is an electric choke and a Mallory electronic ignition.  My car was running fine with no issues except a front and rear oil leak.  Motor was rebuilt about 6 years ago with no smoking or burning.  Turns out when I rebuilt the motor, I put in the front seal backwards.  I removed the front cover and the oil pan.  Cleaned them up nice and replaced the front seal correctly with a new one.  I also replaced the rear main seal.  When I put everything back together, The car would not start.  I took a mutlimeter and turned the distributor until the meter read I was good to start.  When I did this, the car started right up, ran for about 10 minutes, started to sound like it's missing,  and then started blowing smoke from the oil fill tube and died.  I tried to start it again and it keeps flooding.  (by the way, I replaced the fuel pump with a new one).  I have yet to pull the plugs to see if they are fouling.  What can this be?  I am thinking I shorted out my electronic ignition. I have no leaks, the oil pressure guage reads 30 psi when running.  I am stumped!

[Dave Shepherd]

If the carb is flooding this needs to be corrected 1st, dirt in the needle and seat, ot high fuel pressure are the usual culprits. When you correct this get a timing lite on it and set it up, make sure the oil is not overfilled or  gas contaminated. You are bouncing around shorted ign and flooding I would think it is one or the other not both.

[TJ Hopland]

Is the mallory ignition the one that is like a petronix that goes in the points dizzy?

Would not be the first time I have seen or heard of a replacement fuel pump being a little out of spec when it came to pressure.   I dont know how big the float is in a 66 but if its anything like the Qjets it does not take much extra pressure to get past the needle.

[Vinny]

Yes, the Mallory is like the petronix.  I got the replacement fuel pump from rock auto.  The problem i am stumped on is it ran fine for 10 min, then missed and died. If the fuel pump had bad pressure, it would probably flood from the beginning, right?

[Dave Shepherd]

Do you have spark?  Is the carb flooding still?  Have you checked the fuel preesure?

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Vinny,
Back to basics.
1. Check for spark by pulling a plug wire off it's spark plug, laying it on the exhaust manifold, close enough for the terminal to "ground" to the manifold, crank the engine and see if there is a spark between the end of the plug wire and the manifold.
If so you have spark. If not we'll get back to that.

2. Check for fuel by looking down the primary barrels of the carb (with the engine off and the key off), work the throttle from idle to full throttle, and see if you have a spurt of fuel in the primary.

Getting back to #1, look back under the distributor cap and make sure none of the components of the pointless ignition system have worked themselves loose or any wires have grounded.

On my '66 what I do when I feel the culprit is my petronics set-up is reinstall the points and condenser and see if that corrects things. On mine it usually doesn't, but you may find differently.

Vinny, one other thing, is your throttle set open enough to keep the engine running, or was the initial 120 minutes on the fast idle of the choke?
Also, if you removed the carburetor, did you replace the Stainless Steel shim under it?
Greg

[Vincent Ruggiero]

OK, I think I found the culprit.  When I put the front cover back on, in the gasket kit, there was a round cork gasket the same size as the distributor shaft.  I installed that between the distributor and the front cover.   When I re-read the shop manual, it said nothing about the gasket to be installed.  I took it out, cleaned up the distributor, and viola! it started right up.  I ran the car for 30 minutes.  No smoke out of the oil filler tube, no stalling or stumbling at all.  Oil pressure stayed at 30 at idle.  no drips, leaks, etc....Thanks again all for the help and support.  I have to re-join this club.  You guys are the best!  Thanks to all.

[quadfins]

I love a happy ending.

Enjoy your driving.

Jim