All you fellas must be commended, as you all have great suggestions. Getting into the engine compartment again, here is one thing we came across.
One previous mechanic had installed a new ballast resistor. In addition, the plug on the driver side had its male keyway broken off. It prevents the plug from being installed upside down. He installed it upside down! I noticed signs of arching across one spade of the ballast resistor. I took the Ballast resistor off and found the internal connection intermittant. Very surprized the car ran at all. A new resistor has been installed and the plug properly attached. I do not yet know what electronic components may be damaged because of this stupid error. We're taking it slow and rechecking everything.

Someone had asked why the head was replaced. I believe the young mechanic who installed the resistor plug upside down, caused the serious driveability problem. His inability or anyone else's, to then diagnose the driveability issue, a valve job needed was declared. It was less costly to order a reman head, than to spend more labor $$ for a valve job. In hind sight, I doubt it was required.
Grannies Volare has only 54,000 miles on it. Granny loved this car bought new in 78. When gramps was changing oil, he left greasy fingers prints on the vinyl roof while getting in the car, (which did not come off)! Granny made gramps pay for a new vinyl roof. That was 15 years ago. The car is in miraculious condition. In our meticulous review of the engine compartment, we found this know it all young mechanic had used a fine threaded metric bolt in a regular threaded hole. Of course this did some thread damage. The hole had to be tapped. Its lack of attention to details that result in problems. I have not yet got things back together & cannot yet say if driveability has been resolved, but we are on track to getting to the bottom of these issues. The engine is very difficult to turn over by hand and Cold valve lash has been found to be set to tight. I have learned never trust anything a mechanic says. The only sure fire way is to do all the work yourself. As a disabled Veteran, this is not possible for me. A good friend has finally come to my aid. He is willing to take his time. My appreciation for MOPAR from the good old days, (though sometimes troubling), never dies. I'll keep you posted.

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Pet dog, loyal pal. Kick dog, get bit!

Does this Volare have the A999 by chance? I dont know what year they started dumping the lock-up torque converter transmissions in those cars, but I guess its possible that the lock-up clutch inside the converter is acting funky if it does have one.

You say bucking and hesitating, but you dont say misfire specifically, which is why I am asking. Generally, a severe bucking comes with a notable misfire, at least in my experience though I am aware that it can occur without a noticeable misfire. Hesitation and low power can come from a malfunctioning torque converter all by itself, lock-up or not.

Only having 54k on it means that its likely spent the majority of its life sitting, and most likely doing short trips to and fro, without the trans fluid ever really warming up. Ive seen this a few times back when I was in college.

~RDE~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Very good point Thor, '78 was the first year for lock-up transmissions,and they had bucking problems during 25-35 mph lock-up

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V8?? We don't need no stink'n V8!!

I think it must have been earlier, my Aspen is built in march '77, and I have the original auto transmission with lockup.

Olaf

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Aspenized

Hey, I'm just watchin' and learning, but having Thor come through with that kind of historic "institutional" knowlege is absolutely AWESOME!! Whether in this case the trans is the problem or not, to have someone on board with you guys come up with that historic trivia is truly priceless to all of us. THANKS THOR! And thanks to the good people keeping this forum alive. (sounds like DONATION time again ????)

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"Louise", a 1976 Dart Custom project, (now sadly reverted to being just an "organ donor" to our other project Darts.)

If you do happen to decide to burn the car to the ground, would you place make a video and post it.

Most modern mechanics don't have a clue on how to repair old cars. If you can't hook it up to a computer their diagnostic skills stop working. But, they are more then happy to take your money...

If it were me, I would do a cold valve lash adjustment, make sure the rocker arm shaft was installed right side up, make sure none of the rocker arm spacers were trapped under the hold down bolts, and then try starting it up. THen once it got good and warmed up do a true valve lash with it running.

Ditto what Kesteb said about new mechanics. If they don't have a trouble code, to look up, they don't know what to do.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

FIXED
#1.Old dizzy reluctor space was +.010. New old stock dizzy >reluctor set to .006. #2. Cold valve lash found set to tight. Valves never completely closed. #3. New ballast resistor was found bad, probably because the plug was installed upside down. Keyway had been broken off. Fortunately nothing else burned up. #4. A few small vacuum leaks caused by cracked caps.
No more bucking. Car runs fantastic!

It was a multitude of problems. some even caused by mechanics who can't diagnose engines without aid of computer. That would require thinking.

Thanks to you all!

Yay! Now go get a Factory Service Manual.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Hi LogansRun, it didn't come for free, you definitely owe us a photo!

Olaf.

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Aspenized

Yeah!

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Well at least pictures, but what grade of gas were you going to use to burn the car. You might offer some fuel for the advice others gave you

Richard

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Logan Run and friends with a burning sacrifice.




regards,Rod

Something about that photo is disturbing.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Popeye looks guilty.