Perfect Running 365 & Jetaway Question.

[John Morris.]

My latest dry desert wonder is a 58 Sedan. I bypassed the gas tank, installed new fuel pump and cleaned the filter, and she fired right up, no smoke or lifter noise, runs like new. I could hardly tell it was running. The tranny has clear red fluid like new, though original 58 fluid was not red. My plan is to use this motor in a hotrod. My question is, were these Jetaways as dependable as the 55 and older Hydramatics? How do they feel when shifting? I had a 54 with Hydramatic back in the 70s and the tranny was so smooth it was amazing. But I have never driven a Jetaway and cant take this one on the road right now. Does anyone have any insights? If I use this one it is a zero cost option versus the adapters now available at high cost to install a later tranny. Thanks in advance!!

[John Morris.]

Now, the motor purrs like a kitten for 30 seconds to 1 minute anf dies. It seems the accelerator pump is bad as I must prime it every time it quits, I understand that problem, but the dying every minute, with new fuel pump and filter, and clean gas can? Help! Im better at pulling things apart than fixing them. By the way, dont forget the monster wave of 57-58 stuff ending in 4 and 5 days on Ebay, fabulous stuff!

[Geoff Newcombe #4719]

Will it keep running if you pour gas slowly into the carb?  If so then it may be an ignition problem, maybe the coil.  When coils go bad they can exhibit all sorts of different symptoms, some wont let the engine run at all, some will work until they get warm, or until they get hot.  Have fun :-)

[Geoff Newcombe #4719]

Hmmmm, now THAT didnt come out the way I intended.  Trying again, if you can keep it running by pouring gas very slowly in the carb, then you have a fuel delivery problem of some kind.  If that doesnt work then try checking the ignition system, i.e. the coil  or the condenser as per my first suggestion above.  Sorry.    

[Rusty Shepherd]

If you had a 54 Hydramatic that shifted that smoothly, it was unusual and was very carefully adjusted. The pre-56 Hydramatics provided excellent acceleration with very little slippage and were extremely durable. The only real complaint that anyone had with them was their relatively abrupt shifts, particularly the 2-3. The Dual-Coupling Hydramatic (this is what Cadillac called it, Pontiac called it Strato-Flight Hydramatic and only Oldsmobile called it Jetaway Hydramatic although that has over time become the most popular moniker for the unit no matter which car its in)was a response to the rough-shift complaints.  After very many teething problems its introductory year, it proved pretty dependable, but not everyone thought that the extra slippage was a good trade-off for smoother shifts (probably the same folks who didnt mind the jerkier shifts in the first place).

[John Morris.]

I was 17 and it was my 1st Caddy, a green 54 Coupe Deville. I bought it for 50 bucks during the first gas crunch. The interior and body was flawless except dull paint, and it was full of options. It had no brakes and the heater core was shot, so I drove it around a couple weeks using the ebrake with my head out the window due to steamy windshield, with no drivers licence. Finally fixed those 2 problems. I filled it with teens and stole all Moms bras and tied them on the antenna, and got pulled over by an angry huge cop. He yelled "Get the bras off the aerial!!" and I did. Then he screamed "Get the car home!!" and I took off. Boy, that car shifted smooth. Mom went to her drawer for a bra and found them all tied in a knot from the wind and could not untie it, hollered, and had to throw them away.

[Porter]

John,

Sorry to hear that you will be destroying a perfectly good 58 SDV. Such is life.

The accelerator pump has nothing to do with your problem, pull that carb apart and likely it has crud inside.

Did the same setup with my free low mileage 67 CDV, will run off  a one gallon gas tank until its empty.

Dont badger the restoration guys here, I feel their pain. Come over to the Modified chapter with your hot rod project.

http://www.modifiedcadillac.org/forum/index.php TARGET=_blank>http://www.modifiedcadillac.org/forum/index.php

We like bone stock Cadillacs, and maybe a few modifications performed on an old tired car that most people would just part out.

Always wanted a 1958 60 Special myself.

Porter

[Dennis]

It may be an electrical problem.  Check the balast resistor to the distributor (white ceramic block 3/4" x 2", mounted on the firewall).  I had this exact problem on my 57.  The problem was that the resistor would, over a period of about a minute, build up so much heat heat in the resistor,  and excess heat will reduce current flow which summarily choked the current down so far that there was not enough power across the points.  I replaced it (after rebuilding both carbs and new plug wires, replacing the coil) and it fired right up and hasnt given a lick of problems sense.

Good luck.

dd

[Greg 18360]

Dennis, Kids today dont know what fun is, or should I say they  dont know how to have fun.
           Greg

[John Morris.]

I GUESS that wasnt a disparaging remark.

[John Morris.]

Thanks Porter and everyone else for all the suggestions. I have a list to check, and mountains of spares to get this thing idling. I can take comments. I get a lot of flack because I part out cars that could be restorable. About "destroying" Cadillacs, I have provided thousands of mint 50s Caddy parts to countless owners, parts that are not being reproduced. Yes, many of my parts cars are restorable. Many are not. Im not rich and cannot afford to restore one of these beauties. I love them in their stock form more than anything. Im versatile and also like the 50s early 60s hot rod scene. Being a Caddy lover this 365 would be a great looking engine in a mid sized sleeper or rat rod. Its paid for and runs super. I was considering a Model A truck cab using the entire 58 Caddy chassis. Like the honest hard working lower middle class of decades ago I have to use whats here. $100,000 jobs are beyond my means. So, this 58 is currently in 66 Ebay auctions, ending tuesday and wednesday, beautiful stuff to help bring many other Caddys back to life, and feed us. The dry desert sheetmetal is going to a current 58 driver to bring it back to life, the guys very pleased. And the "Ghost", chassis and running gear, will be resurrected as a luxury Munsters rat rod. To simply say Im destroying Caddys is a little off. There are shiny Cads all over USA, Europe, down under, and more sporting parts from my "destroyed" Caddy parts cars. I try like the dickens to sell these motors and sheet metal on Ebay and CLC but its the little fancy stuff that sells. I have mountains of sheet metal, motors, and Hydramatics piling up with no buyers. None. So Im going to use one in a rod.