The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 SHAKES

I HAVE A 235 REBUILT ENG WITH HYDRALIC LIFTERS
IV AJUSTED THE SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE ENGINE STILL SHAKES THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES. 1 VALVE THE SCREW IS ALMOST ALL THE WAY DOWN ....WHAT CAN I DO TO FIX

Look at your fan on the front of the engine to see if one of the blades is missing

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Welcome to the Stovebolt

If you back all the valve adjusters off ( slowly ) until they are all just lightly ticking , does the engine still shake ?
If so it is not the valve adjustment , so wind them down 3/4 turn to the right spot .
Next suggestion please guys ..............

Is the firing order out of sequence? (Just a thought).
Have you done a compression test on it?

Adjust valves, then check compression. The compression test tells all. If compression is OK, then check fuel and igniton systems.

welcome to ze board.

Sounds to me like you have a collapsed lifter or
flat cam. If the lifter is collapsed you are trying to make up travel of the lifter by adjusting the rocker all the way down.

Hello Frank,, Just wondered what was going on with the shaking 235,,,

if it makes you fell better, my 235 shakes at idle also, can't tell you if the motor mounts are ok (they are covered in road dirt and a leaking front main seal)

THANKS ALL FOR YOUR HELP..
I REPLACED THE BAD LIFTER. BUT IT STILL SHAKES

Have you put a vacuum gauge to it? 235's should idle pretty smooth. It could be a number of things, like too tight valves, a vacuum leak, poor idle mixture, or ignition trouble.

My son's 235 runs pretty rough. Make that: ran pretty rough. It has improved a lot after we changed the carb, points, distributor cap and rotor, plugs and plug wires. I haven't checked out the motor mounts yet but since they're 40 years old I suspect they also need some attention.

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Frank,

I take it the lifter problem you had helped with the adjustment of your rocker? I have read through the posts and nothing has been mentioned about dwell and timing? If you think you have the
mechanical side sound, IE lifter adjustment compression all that good stuff. I would start looking at ignition. pull all the plugs, check gap, put a meter to the wires for resistance, check the distributor for worn bushings, dwell and timing. The other thing I have "heard" is the resistor type plugs might have to high of resistance for good spark from the old ignition coils. You also might want to check the voltage going to your coil to see if it is low at idle.

Also check for vaccum leaks, windshield wiper motor? What I do for checking for vacuum leaks is
take some carb cleaner while the truck is running and spray around the carb and intake manifold etc.. If the engine smoothes out or rpm changes you might of found the vacuum leak. Be carful of the carb cleaner since it is flammable around your
plug wires etc..

Just a list of things to check, and maybe already have done so. Good luck..

Brent

Oh yea,

You might want to be carful with the carb cleaner on new paint, It might discolor the nice paint job
you put on.

Brent

An unlit propane torch works the best to save the paint, or WD-40 works too. If you use the torch don't open it too far.

Here is an off-the-wall thought,, are the small wires going to the coil hooked up backwards? (neg side should go to coil)

THANKS ALL FOR YOUR HELP..........
I CHANGED EVERY POSSIBLE THING AND IT STILL SHAKES
COULD IT BE IM RUNNING A 216 DIST,......THE MOTOR IS REBUILD. THE PULLY ON THE HARM BALLENCER IS WABLY. FRANK

Is there a chance you have a solid cam with hyd lifers?
I had a 235(in a car) that had 10 solids and two hyd....block wasn't a hyd block either ran like crap til we found those

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF ITS A HYD-SOLID CAM.
MY BLOCK IS DRILLED WITH OIL PORTS.
FRANK

I have found some good info on this site,
# 4 talks about lifters

Brent

http://www.chevrolet.com.au/articles/engine_swap.htm