the engine was replaced prior to getting this truck. i believe it is a 230 casting # is 3994257 can't find info on it. what are tuneup specs for this points plugs etc cant find timing marks. had to do it by ear not so bad but want to be more accurate. i have listened and looked here for months now and i trust and enjoy everything i get from everyone here . thanks for help
Nate said it... The really good news is : all these old 6 Bangers and V-ates are really simple to make run nearly ' As new ' 4 cylinder engine like 25° Dwell 6 cylinder engines like 33° Dwell 8 cylinder engines like 27° or so Dwell . Best way to set Dwell is to remove the spark plugs and dizzy cap , crank the engine whilst watching the dwell meter and adjust the points on the fly , more accurate that way due to worn dizzy bushings etc. _ALL_ non high compression engines will run the very best if you set the timing to 28° ~ 32° BTDC ignition timing with the engie revved up to wherever the timing stops advancing ~ usually about 3,000 RPM's . Then you can do a ' Throttle Ping Test ' and adjust a tiny bit more or less total advance as needed by your particular engines needs . Breaker point ignitions like the spark plugs gapped to .035" . Electronic ignitions like the plugs wider , at _least_ .040" and as wide as .060" if it'll run like that without any miss . Platinum plugs are crap for most old tech engines because they run " colder " than regular plugs to and so tend to foul , even if good engines , especially in Air Cooled engines . Copper Cored spark plugs will give the best results in regular old engines . Setting the idle fuel mixture with a vacuum gauge to the highest steady vacuum , will result in best power, easier starting hot or cold and also best fuel economy . Mechanical valve lifters/tappets are best and were used into the early 1980's on many American InLine engines , nearly all imports , they will always need periodic adjustments and this is the FIRST thing to check @ Tune Up Time . As you can see , it's mostly just basics ~ no one seems to pay any attention to the basics anymore , I don't know why . Lastly , the very best Mechanics I have worked with , all were musically gifted so if you can play any instument or sing , I bet you can tune up your old tech engine better than most ' mechanics ' . I hope this helps , carry on then . __________________ -Nate ' PASSION ' : There are many things in life that will capture your eye , very few will capture your heart ~ those are the ones to persue . Those are the ones worth keeping .
Neat ! Who's this ' Nate ' guy ? sounds like he maybe touched one of these old trucks _once_ BTW : if there's no timing marks on or near the crank pulley , look for a little window in the bell housing just above and inwards of the starter , it'll have a wierd needle thing pointing down and the timing mark proper will be a ball bearing pressed into a hole in the flywheel , only visable in one postion dig . I hope this helped . If you don't have a dwell meter 9cheap @ thrift stores , pawn shops , swap meets etc.) use a .016" feeler gauge on new points and a .012" one on old points , NAPA sells the correct points for ANY InLine 6 cyclinder engine GM ever built , if both contact faces are equally pitted , DON'T change the condensor no matter what the counterman says ! . It's O.K. to burnish old points but it takes special " points file " , most FLAPS sell then cheaply if they but look a little ... It really is important to begin with a valve adjustment , look in older posts under ' valve adjust ' for a link to Deve's most excellent site on speedprint , there's a ' How To ' there you'll want to print out and keep as this needs doing every few months .
I got this one!!! Nate: He's the guy who makes us think twice before we V-8! ...and IF we V-8, he's with us 100 %. He's our leader. We almost lost him. By the grace of God, (and his shapely SWBO) we have him back. I've met a bunch of friends here. I don't think anyone would be offended if I said Nate is the guy I'd turn to when it came down to original upkeep. We'd be lost without him, and we know it. Thanks, big guy~ You keep us honest and set us straight.
V-ates I'm more enamored of InLine engines , I'd rather see OHV InLine Buick 8 cylinder engines than any V configuration ever made
