need help 78 caprice emergency

[outlawz_428]

hi i was driving my can and came to a red light and it just died and wouldnt do anything i opened the hood and it was smoking around the carb area(not sure if it was the carb) and the positive battery terminal i put some oil in it and after about a half hour or so after it died it started but sounded like crap like something was banging against the hood and draging on the pavement and after words it started with the same problems then died after about 5 blocks and wouldnt start just clicked and made a whirring sound please help me out as soon as possible

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by outlawz_428

hi i was driving my can and came to a red light and it just died and wouldnt do anything i opened the hood and it was smoking around the carb area(not sure if it was the carb) and the positive battery terminal i put some oil in it and after about a half hour or so after it died it started but sounded like crap like something was banging against the hood and draging on the pavement and after words it started with the same problems then died after about 5 blocks and wouldnt start just clicked and made a whirring sound please help me out as soon as possible

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PEOPLE! PLEASE USE GRAMMAR AND PROPER ENGLISH! It makes it soooo much easier to try to decipher what you are saying!

It's hard to tell what's wrong with it. Could be any number of things, can you narrow it down?

[outlawz_428]

Sorry about the poor typing skills.
Well, more specific it had an oil leak and i just repaired the fuel pump I doubt any of this will help, but I made sure the battery was charged up and the terminals will clean. Im not much of a mechanic, so I'm not really sure what will help tell me what could help you narrow it down. I really cant afford to take it to a mechanic and I'm pretty good with the basic things on cars but I really have no clue whats wrong. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by outlawz_428

Sorry about the poor typing skills.
Well, more specific it had an oil leak and i just repaired the fuel pump I doubt any of this will help, but I made sure the battery was charged up and the terminals will clean. Im not much of a mechanic, so I'm not really sure what will help tell me what could help you narrow it down. I really cant afford to take it to a mechanic and I'm pretty good with the basic things on cars but I really have no clue whats wrong. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Does it have oil in it now? Did it run dry on oil?

[outlawz_428]

Originally Posted by silicon212

Does it have oil in it now? Did it run dry on oil?

thats another weird thing when i check it, its says its full but when i had the oil changed they said there was no oil in the crankcase and i had noticed a periodic leaking of oil, if this is the problem im pretty sure the car is done but a few people told me it was most likely an electrical problem

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by outlawz_428

thats another weird thing when i check it, its says its full but when i had the oil changed they said there was no oil in the crankcase and i had noticed a periodic leaking of oil, if this is the problem im pretty sure the car is done but a few people told me it was most likely an electrical problem

Is it knocking like it's going to scatter all about the road, or is it just simply running rough, such as it's running on 4-6 cylinders? A broken or worn engine mount can make a misfiring engine bounce around a bit and create a "knocking" sound.

Check the ignition system over - those first gen HEI distributors can have problems with either the reluctor/pickup assembly, the module, or the wires connecting the two. The coil in the cap can also be problematic, as can the spark plug wires (if they're oil soaked and swollen, chances are they're arcing and shorting - and this can lead to coil failure). Make sure the power lead going into the cap (big, thick red wire) has full alternator output (i.e. ~13.8 volts).

Now, if the engine itself is knocking and sounding like it's coming apart, then perhaps you should consider another engine.