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No dis on Deve

oldbluetruck,
Your engine Block was cast on Dec. 20 1957.
It originally went into a 1958 model year car, not a 1957 truck.
I do not believe there is a difference between a truck block and a car block, from the same year.
Pre-bent Truck fuel lines should fit on it.

What is interesting is your block was cast on Dec 20 1957,
and three days later it was assembled and stamped Dec 23,
You could say it took them three days to build the engine.

Amazing! Imported from Detroit.

I did buy the lines and fuel pump for a 57 235. I also purchased the vacuum line and a vacuum advance, a timing light. I haven't installed either. Let's see how this works out.

This morning I bought gas and the truck had a hard time starting. So. I'm not sure if this will resolve my issue or if this mornings problem was a result of vapor lock or my new locking gas cap isn't vented.

Do these engines have any issues with vapor lock?

Thank you

Un-vented gas cap? No good!!!

Not sure. And not sure how to check. I bought it at the truck shop to save my gas from possible theft or contamination. Any way to check

Leave the cap off and run it. Put the old one back on and see if it corrects the problem. Visually, you should see a way for air to escape the cap to the outside. That has never been a problem for me (vapor lock). Brain freeze yes, Vapor lock no.

Thanks Deve. I have a week before receiving the timing light. Then I can see if the timing in on. I need to find out the heating issue and the hard starting when the engine is warm.

All of that may go away once you time the engine with your new light. I have a nice timing light, but the way to get it close is by ear. Loosen the distributor clamp (the screw in the back of the vac advance, not the hex head bolt) just a little, then run the engine, carefully turn the distributor one way, then the other listening for when it runs best at idle. Once you find the sweet spot, turn it counterclockwise just enough to hear it start to come down from the sweet spot just a little. Tighten the clamp and see if things do not run better overall. There is much more to it, like the idle screw on the carb, valve adjustments, point and plug gaps, but it's great you are learning about all this! It's a fun journey for the most part!

Thank you for the advice and encouragement. I thought that I had paid to have it professionally tuned. Now I'm tired of worrying if I will be stranded. I had a 55 2nd with a 55 235 that ran well and I could drive hundreds of miles. I drove it from Dallas to Oklahoma City and return without an issue. Started and ran fine. I want that again.

Thanks again for the encouragement and advice.

If you're going to do the "time it by ear" thing, remember that one degree over-advanced from the so called "sweet spot" reduces power by as much as a 5-degree retard from that point. I've documented the same results on Chevy, Ford, Dodge, AMC, and a few other engines during several years of dyno runs. Over-advancing the timing also causes piston ring and piston damage due to detonation. It needs to be done at cruise RPM with the vacuum advance disconnected, and a vacuum gauge should be connected to full manifold vacuum, not the ported vacuum source that connects to the distributor. Adjust the timing for maximum manifold vacuum.

Listening to the engine and tinkering with the timing at idle is a colossal waste of time.
Jerry

Good morning Jerry. Thank you. Please forgive me but your expertise is currently over my head. The advancing and "timing by ear" is hard for me to understand. I have no experience with this, plan to do this extremely rare - if ever again, and could either get it wrong or make my matters worst. I wish there was somebody close by to take my truck to. I tried. Now, all I know is to use my timing light (when I get it) and align the pin and ball. Otherwise, more handholding in this will be needed.

Please have patience with me I'm peddling as fast as I can