I have a 1989 Brougham with the Olds 307 in it, and back in may, it started to have trouble accelerating during a trip back from boston. It started out that it wouldn't go over 60. It wouldn't just top out, either, it would studder and hesitate and almost act like it was going to shift into third. I figured it sounded like a tranny problem. During the course of the ride home, the car's top speed continued to drop, and i ended up hobbling home at 35 miles an hour, so that sort of disrupted my tanny theory.

I took it to my mechanic's, and he said it was a clogged catalytic converter. Instead of buying a new one, and with inspections a long time away, i opted to just bypass the cat altogether. Unable to find a bypass pipe to replace it with (what with them being all illegal and such) I took the cat and completley hollowed it out. This seemed to have done the trick, along with making my exhaust system reverberate with an intensity i've only heard in diesel rigs. A High speed highway test proved it to be successful, however, without the ability to accelerate beyond 80, with the same symptoms. since i never usually go that fast, i figured i'd let it slide and deal with it at a future date.

Now it's september, and the other day on the highway, i started experiencing the same problems all over again. at around 60 miles an hour. THen as before, it started to happen at lower speeds, until now, once again, it's difficult to get it over 40.

I have no idea what it could be, and my mechanic has moved out of town and i have no way to contact him. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Plugged fuel filter(s)? :confused:

Might just could be, I was thinking that too. I'm going to replace that tomorrow and see what happens.

What's the estimated replacement schedule on fuel filters?

I dunno. I heard every 6 months from someone. I also heard to do it with every other oil change. I know the previous owner of my car must have done it somewhat regularly because when i bought the car from him, i found a box of parts in the trunk, along with a couple of fuel filters, so he was definitley up on it's maintenance.

I dunno. I heard every 6 months from someone. I also heard to do it with every other oil change. I know the previous owner of my car must have done it somewhat regularly because when i bought the car from him, i found a box of parts in the trunk, along with a couple of fuel filters, so he was definitley up on it's maintenance.

Makes sence.... I should look into replacing my fuel filter then, mine's over a year old....

It turns out it was the fuel filter, the brougham runs like a champ now. The filter had quite a bit of deposit on it when i changed it, and i know i haven't changed it for about a year and half. So i suppose doing it at least once a year is good. The futting ont he gas lien was rounded off to the extreme, so i know someone had been changing it, poorly at that. Oh well.

Every 15k or so ill take the fuel filter out and actually blow into it, I have had filters that i could not blow through!