Rickard's Red or Alexander Keith Ale.....good stuff.

As a follow up..... new thick gaskets have been ordered......

Meanwhile I went back over the bolts. A bit of a problem ... in fact impossible to use a torque wrench in the center bolts.... so we approximated. After warming up th engine we gave it about an extra full 1/4 turn.... then using the dial troque wrench set at 30 / 32 gave a similar 1/4 turn tot he bolts and got a "click"

Had a beer.....kidding!!!

Fired up the engine and the whistling had gone... we then went over all the suspected vacuum lines and doped up the PCV fittings just in case and tweaked the dizzy advance lines.

Idling is marginally better...... still need to use the choke fully and fast idle. Imay have overcarburated the engine with a NOS surplus military Rochester and getting tooo much air at too slow a speed to suck the gas out of the venturi....

If CarbKing is on the side..... I am using a Rochester 7015011.... but may go back to the original 261 "B" I rebuilt using a kit from CarbKing......

Thanks for all your help.....

...parts ordered will not be wasted as we have another 235 and a Pontiac 261 in the works as well....... beside we hear that manifold gaskets have been known to burn out when these engines are driven at high revs for sustained periods.
Our trucks are geared down right hand drive WWII Canadian military models with a top speed of 45 mph going down hill..... axle ratio is 6.39... on 16 inch tires...

Wish it was easier to post a picture on the forum.

Bob C.

Bob C.
CMP Heaven
The Hammond Barn