Hello all,
This is my first time posting but I have been using this site constantly since I purchased my 53 3/4 ton Chevy truck in August (a 235, 3 on tree) and have been trying to get it to run properly since I got it to stop now. I am a 25 year old in North Carolina (Go Heels) and this is my first time doing major mechanical work.
I have been working on getting my 235 to run dependably, but have been running into some issues. I have changed the head gasket, intake/exhaust gaskets, oil, new plugs, wires, coil. I have everything back together and she will idle great and run good. Last night when I was messing with it (drove it around the front driveway, mostly in first gear, so I wasnt going fast since the drive is bumpy, then I returned it to garage and kept it running) then there was a loud backfire through the tailpipe and shortly thereafter the engine died when I had it running at a higher idle after i had returned it to the garage. It had been running fine the previous times I had cranked it and let it run in the garage at a normal idle and a higher idle. This is similar to the problem I had before I changed the above mentioned parts. Sometimes i could drive around the neighborhood for two hours and it would run great then the next time I would drive it for two minutes or twenty minutes and I would hear a pinging noise (usually when foot was off the gas and I was decelerating) and it would stall and would not crank back up untill after it sat for a while or I could get it started on full choke. It does not appear that the engine is getting too hot but I do think I need to flush out the radiator. My windshield wipers will also come on and move to one side but I have to turn them off, then back on, for them to go back to the starting position and it alomst chokes the engine out when they are on. I know this isnt right but when they are off the engine seems fine so I dont think its leaking then when they are off (but could be, would love input here as well). I am beginning to think that it may be timing related but I do not know anything about timing other than the things I have read on here or that there still is vaccum leak somewhere where I havent checked that starts when engine up to temp. Could this be timing? Or would it not even be able to run for a while if timing was off? I have also taken apart carb some and it looked very clean so I put it back together.
It baffles me how the engine will idle great and run fine for a while then all of the sudden die. Could that be timing or distibutor? Also, it is still 6 volt system but has an 8 volt battery in it right now but regulator hasnt been adjusted so I charge the battery when needed.
Any direction/discussion would be very much appreciated and I have absolutely loved this website even though this is my first time posting and have really enjoyed working on this truck but ready to get back to driving it and not pushing it home! I will gladly answer any more questions that you have to help me head in the right direction, because I am in need of some assistance.
-Jim
