# My 1970 GTO is gutless, please help!!!



## silverjess (Jun 15, 2008)

Ok, now that I've got the body looking tight, I've been trying to dial in the 400ci (punched .60) over to run better. Its been sitting for around 10 yrs with minimal use. I put an electronic points unit, changed plugs, and put a new fuel filter into her. It has an Eddlebrock intake with matching performer carb. The car just won't get up and go, it doesn't kick down into a passing gear, and it definelty doesn't burn any rubber. I had a real good mechanic take a listen and he says its definetly not the carb, he says its gotta slight miss, and thinks its electrical.. He doesn't have the time to work on it right now.........is there anyone out there that can shed some light out there??????


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## 70455goat (Nov 5, 2007)

silverjess said:


> Ok, now that I've got the body looking tight, I've been trying to dial in the 400ci (punched .60) over to run better. Its been sitting for around 10 yrs with minimal use. I put an electronic points unit, changed plugs, and put a new fuel filter into her. It has an Eddlebrock intake with matching performer carb. The car just won't get up and go, it doesn't kick down into a passing gear, and it definelty doesn't burn any rubber. I had a real good mechanic take a listen and he says its definetly not the carb, he says its gotta slight miss, and thinks its electrical.. He doesn't have the time to work on it right now.........is there anyone out there that can shed some light out there??????


Looks nice though!! I know exactly what you're going through. When I bought my 70 with a 455, I was surprised when it just wouldn't get up and go. Here's what made mine wake up.

1. It needed the cobb webs blown out. I drove it to work (about 90 miles round trip). When I got off of the freeway, I decided to punch it and for the first time since I'd bought the car, it actually laid rubber! I took it home and sprayed carb cleaner down the carb with it running and it helped a lot.

2. The 4 barrel wasn't opening. I think it was Rukee who told me about the lever that locks the 4 barrel from opening when its cold. Only mine was never opening. So I cheated. I wired the lever open full time. Now my 4 barrel will kick in the second I start the car (I would never punch it like that when its cold, so I am not worried about the lever being wired to be out of the way). Take off your air cleaner and check the lever that is supposed to move out of the way when the car warms up, to allow the 4 barrels to open. "By the way, Rukee didn't recommend I wire the lever to bypass it. I did that all on my own!!!!!"

3. My transmission was doing kind of opposite of yours. Mine would kick down at the least little accelleration. Then it wouldn't upshift until I completely let off of the gas. Ended up being the kickdown switch down by the gas pedal. It has two electrical connections. Only one of them is supposed to have 12 VDC until the throttle is wide open (WOT), then they are both supposed to have power. When both connectors have power, it sends the signal to allow the tranny to down shift. Mine was adjusted where it had power on both pins with about a 1/2" of throttle, so it was downshifting as soon as I touched the gas, then it doesn't up shift until the 12 VDC disappears on the one connection. In my case, it wouldn't upshift until I completlely let off of the gas. I bent the bracket away from the floor and all of a sudden my shifting problem is gone. Maybe yours is bent the opposite direction, or it is never getting the 12 VDC on both pins at WOT.

The 400 tranny uses a combination of vacuum, and electrical to shift.

Possible causes:
1. Kickdown switch down on the right side of the gas pedal.
2. Vacuum. Should be somewhere around 18" going to the vacuum modulator.
3. Vacuum modulator (only costs $10),
4. There is a governor on the rear of the tranny that also affects shifting. Not real knowlegeable on its function.

Hope this helps.

Dale

Hey, still waiting on some pics of your Goat.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

If you`re using a Mallory electronic distributor, throw it away. I had one in my car and could not make it run right to save my ***. I put the original point distributor in and an MSD 6A unit in and OMG did it wake the motor up!!
Like 70455goat mentioned, check your kick down switch to be sure it has power and that it`s turning 'on' when you floor the gas. Check it with the key on but the motor not running.
Check the tuning thread and follow it for setting up the distributor and timing.
http://www.gtoforum.com/f50/gto-tuning-setup-tips-13052/


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## silverjess (Jun 15, 2008)

Thats some great diagnostic help, I haven't dug into yet, but here's some photo's of my set up, I'm guessing on the gas pedal area switch for the kick down. Couple photos of the carb set up............feel free to pipe in with any and all information.


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## silverjess (Jun 15, 2008)

OK, I checked the kickdown switch near the gas pedal, it works just fine.......but I can't find where any wires would connect to the transmission??? can someone post a pic of where on the trans I should be looking?? Thanks again guys!


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

The side of the switch that get`s exicted when floored is going to connect to the tranny on the drivers side about 8" behind the gear sellector shaft just above the pan should be a single male spade facing out.


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## silverjess (Jun 15, 2008)

Thanks guys, OK!! I took a look, and can see the male end, but there is no wire connected to it??? Where should I begin to find where it would be, from the fuse box area, or will it be near the firewall???


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I`m not sure were the factory wire comes throught the firewall, but if you can`t follow the wire from the switch you could always just run a new wire from the switch down to the tranny.


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## silverjess (Jun 15, 2008)

Ok, thanks!! Just so I got it right, my pic that I posted of the switch, it has 2 wires one red the other orange, do I run the orange to the trans???


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Which ever side get`s excited when floored, that side goes to the tranny.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I recommend getting a wiring diagram and going that route. Usually the female end has a formed rubber sheath around it. I would look under the car on the drivers side.....sometimes they get burnt by the exhaust, etc It just may be hanging around down there.


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## silverjess (Jun 15, 2008)

IT'S A POWER HOUSE NOW!! I had to rewire the kickdown from the gas pedal to the transmission, it now has the downshift/passing gear I've been striving for. I now get rubber in all gears, even at around 50mph!!! I also discovered the vacuum advance from the distributor wasn't working. So I plugged it off, and it runs 100% better. Thanks for all the help guys, I would still be wrenching if it weren't for you!!!!


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Sweet!! :cheers


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