Carb Mount and Engine Questions I have a 54 235 from a passenger car that doesnt have the carb on it. Anyways, Im putting it on soon and was wondering what size nuts are used to mount it? Thanks, Cody For reference: http://www.classicparts.com/1947-87-Intake-Manifold-To-Carb-Studs-6cyl/productinfo/89-311/
The nuts are 5/16" x 24, (SAE) Notice the fine threads on one end of the replacement studs. I remember 'cause I use a 1/2" wrench to turn the nuts. Practically everything on these trucks takes 7/16, 1/2, or 9/16" wrench.
Welcome, Cody! We need pictures of your truck, of course. Judging from your avatar, I can tell you live life dangerously~ Running with scissors? You might as well be driving a GMC!
Guys, I believe the studs on a 235 take a 3/8-24 nut and a 9/16 wrench. Most all of the other carburetors on all brands of cars including V8's do use 5/16 studs.
Haha, thanks for the welcome. And no I dont drive a GMC (thank God) lol I have a 1953 chevy 3100 with a 54' passenger car 235. Its more of a parts truck right now but Im trying to see if I can get it running anyways. Id still like to find a better condition truck of the same year and make one good truck. Anyways, here is a pic of what I'm working with http://i54.tinypic.com/2vtrt55.jpg This is correct, they are 3/8-24. Thank you for the info. On a side note. I just tried to start the engine and I was getting smoke puffs and a spark or 2 from the carb...? Is this normal for an engine thats been sitting for 10 years? I took it apart and cleaned it all up, oil in cylinders, etc. I dont know, Ive only tried a few times to start it, maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow lol
A spark or a puff of flame? Sounds like a timing issue,hope it isn't serious. Judging from the pic,you are truly a rescuer of old iron.
Normal ! I hope you remembered to remove the rockerbox and squirt some oil or ATF on the valve stems between the valve spring's coils.... Yes , belching & back firing is normal as is a whole lotta blue / white smoke out the exhaust when she finally awakes from her long nap , don't worry and don't shut it off again until it's warmed up , after some driving the smoke will reduce a lot . Before starting , change the oil using 10W-30 etc. munti-vis , DINO juice , not synthetic (yet) . Coolant too , is very important else it'll get hot spots and be damaged quickly . I always do a full tune up adjustment of valves , points , ignition timing and spark plugs plus an oil change before trying to start it as 99 % of them will start & run fine , if it knocks , you've only wasted a few $ worth of oil . When you see it runs fine , then you can $pring a few $ for new points , plugs & wires , rockerbox gasket etc. , etc.
Tried again today and still not starting up. I removed the main coil wire from the distributor and held it up to the valve color and its was arcing a yellow orange color. Isnt it supposed to be a blue color? I have some new points, condensor and rotor coming in the mail to help get it going. I already have new plugs and wires on there. I am 100% sure im getting gas to the carb (even though it leaks like crazy) I would think it wouldnt be a carb issue. Im not really sure what else it could be. Could a weak spark be caused by an underpowered battery? I am currently using a battery from a 4cyl engine, I dont know if it has the cranking amps necessary. Thanks for all your help guys, Cody
Thanks for the tips. I just havve one question, how can the valvles be adjusted on a cold non running engine with hydraulic lifters? Ok, I just wanted to be sure it wasn't as simple as needing a bigger battery to get it running lol
Hydraulic Vavle Adjustment Easy : Just set each cylinder in turn and slack the adjustment until you can *just* spin the pushrod with your fingers , then ad 1/4 turn more and you're good to go .
How To Do It Read my post about " Valve Adjustment " and all should be clear..... If not , I'll write it up again , kinda busy this moment...
Ok, I think I got the valve adjustment procedure down but I noticed that the oiling tube the rolls over the rocker arm was broke off at the bottom. Now oil only pumps out from the hole and not into the tube. Is this going to be a problem?
RockerShaft Oiling YES ! . Stop right now and go buy another used one or have yours brazed back up . Don't sweat the rocker bushings , they can be *very* wobbly and dtill be O.K. . it is CRITICAL that oil weeps out the holes in the rocker's tops when you rev the engine a little bit above idle and hold it there for a few moments . This is why multi - viscosity oils are so good for your engines , old tech or new ~ thinner oils get up out of the pan and LUBRICATE those delicate moving parts ! .
Ok, I'll probably just buy a whole used rocker shaft and arm plus oiling tube. I also found one of my rocker shaft pedastals was cracked Is there any place where I can buy just the oiling tube and pedestal? On a side note, I still cant get this engine started for the life of me. I have completely new points, condenser, spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap and coil. It still seems like I am getting a weak spark from the coil though, but a great spark between the points...odd. I am 95% sure im getting gas considering I can take the carb off and there is gas sitting in the intake. I have tried re-timing the distributor 180 degrees either way. The only thing I can think of now is that its just not cranking over quick enough. Since this engine was at one time seized, its still pretty tight from not running in 10 years. My battery runs down after 5-7 sec of use. But the battery only has 430 cranking amps. Could this be the problem? Thanks for all of the help, Cody
Resurection Good morning Cody ; Before you go taking the rocker shafts all apart , take the time to look up and print out , pictures of how they go back to - gether as there's differences in the rockers between inake and exhaust and differences within that too , it's critical no not mix them up ! . That being said , I think you buying another whole used setup is wise , go to the thrift store and buy some BIG beach towels and take each rockershaft apart on one , keeping the many parts in proper order ~ you'll notice the bottom of the shafts (there's two pieces) will be worn & gouged , not to worry just pick & choose the best one then pick & choose the least wobbly rockers before re-assembly . I know you'll be cleaning out all the sludge & crud you find in there & using lots of motor oil when you re - assemble . As far as the slow cranking & weak spark ~ there should be only tiny sparks at the points , otherwise you have a problem ~ I'd change the condensor first any old used one will do , you can buy a new one later if it's needed . Hae you tried burnishing the points ? . this takes special file , lucky for you it's also a cheap one . If you're replaced the points with new ones , be sure to wipe the contact surfaces clean with alchohol , and a lint free rag until they're shiny . beer won't work . Remove the spark plugs & see how fast it cranks , it should spin fast , if not look at the battery cables , they're wrong on 90 % of the rigs out there ~ they simply *must* be # 1 or # 0 gauge and the ground cable MUST be attached to the engine or tranny , not the frame with a jumper strap . I'd also suggest draining out the oil & re filling it with some thin stuff , 10W-30 or maybe even plain 10 weight , it won't hurt it and can be hot changed later when you have it running & easy starting . We're here to help , take a deep breath & work slowly and carefully , don't skip any steps , soon it'll roar into life and YOU did it ! . BTW : 6 or 12 volts here ? pedal starter or solenoid operated ? .
