78 Royale "The Land Yacht"

So this car was parked a while because i was indecisive about what to do. Then i tried selling it and couldn't get it to start... Then i fired her up and couldn't get rid of her leaving her parked AGAIN. Now my father who passed it down is gone and I feel more now the need to revive it to something he would've wanted it to become. Its a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta Eighty-Eight Royale 4-door with the Oldsmobile 403ci 6.6l v8 not 100% on what transmission it has and a 8.5" 28 spline posi. Car needs some work but good to run quick errands just not trusting it yet to go a decent distance. Now that i can get the car to start I'm having a few main issues which are:
harmonic balancer is wobbling and I'm worried if that could be any problems with the dreaded crankshaft I hear so many horror stories about or just need to repair.
Second i need to rebuild the qjet(vacuum leak)
Then there's my last problem that's causing worry which is a clicking sound(sometimes sounds like air being released) but it's constant and i can't pin point where Its coming from... Sounds close to driver side head...
I will be posting all my concerns in the proper sections but figured if someone can they'll shed light on any of these issues.
Other than those things i LOVE this car great shape other than common cosmetic issues.

78RoyaleDelta wrote:So this car was parked a while because i was indecisive about what to do. Then i tried selling it and couldn't get it to start... Then i fired her up and couldn't get rid of her leaving her parked AGAIN. Now my father who passed it down is gone and I feel more now the need to revive it to something he would've wanted it to become. Its a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta Eighty-Eight Royale 4-door with the Oldsmobile 403ci 6.6l v8 not 100% on what transmission it has and a 8.5" 28 spline posi. Car needs some work but good to  run quick errands just not trusting it yet to go a decent distance. Now that i can get the car to start I'm having a few main issues which are:
harmonic balancer is wobbling and I'm worried if that could be any problems with the dreaded crankshaft I hear so many horror stories about or just need to repair.
Second i need to rebuild the qjet(vacuum leak)
Then there's my last problem that's causing worry which is a clicking sound(sometimes sounds like air being released) but it's constant and i can't pin point where Its coming from... Sounds close to driver side head...
I will be posting all my concerns in the proper sections but figured if someone can they'll shed light on any of these issues.
Other than those things i LOVE this car great shape other than common cosmetic issues.

1st, fix the balancer. If it was me I would replace it.
2nd check all you vaccum plugs on the entire emgine/carb. Could be a few deteriorating plugs leaking in several spots.
3rd I would go with a 4bl holley instead of a quad.. easier to mantain and work better all around.
4th good luck with the car, always nice to see them restoreted and most of all enjoyed

Thanks for the reply and being straight to the point.

This car will be a close to daily driver for now at best ill take it to a decent street build. Nothing over 300hp.

1. Any recommendation on what balancer to use? This one seems to be a solid piece. My main concern is it wobbles out of control at idle mostly. Could this be issues with the crank shaft due to the main? I'll google search myself but any info is apreciated.

2. Ive ran thru my vacuum its staying on alot better but im guessing my carb has a gasket leak too

3.At the moment the budget allows a rebuild of the qjet only.

4. Thanks Fierro51 I cant wait to see this tank rolling again. Ive been meaning to post a video to show it off

78RoyaleDelta wrote:Thanks for the reply and being straight to the point.

This car will be a close to daily driver for now at best ill take it to a decent street build. Nothing over 300hp.

1. Any recommendation on what balancer to use? This one seems to be a solid piece. My main concern is it wobbles out of control at idle mostly. Could this be issues with the crank shaft due to the main? I'll google search myself but any info is apreciated.

2. Ive ran thru my vacuum its staying on alot better but im guessing my carb has a gasket leak too

3.At the moment the budget allows a rebuild of the qjet only.

4. Thanks Fierro51 I cant wait to see this tank rolling again. Ive been meaning to post a video to show it off

Anyone really makes good balancer i.e. speedmaster,prw and dayco. Or just call napa or whatever parts you have aound an get a replacement oem. It all depends on budget. But first Double check the bolt hasnt come loose as it could only wobble from that unless its a 2 piece and is coming apart ... hard to believe it has a bent crank snout...

Get a can of carb cleaner start it up let it idle and spray around the carb base, intake ports, and vacuum ports an see if you get change in rpm.. then take thre air cleaner and base off and spray around the carb (throttle shaft seals) and see what happens could even bee the air cleaner isnt tight or the seal at the bottom is bad..alot of things to look for.

Keep an eye out for old racers selling 4bbl holleys they are cheap to get and cheap to rebuild... might suprise you if you Craigslist search one..

You and me both, my projects been sitting for almost a year