The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop BROKE DOWN!!! 1965 Chevy - second day of high school

So i'm drivin to high school, bare in mind this is only the second day of school, and the '65 starts sputterin and shuts off on me about a half mile away from my house. Couldn't start it back or nothin. We got it towed by an automotive company of which my dad knows the owner so we wont get screwed over. They called later that day and said they hadn't quite figured it out yet but they thought it was either the timing chain or the flywheel. I personally think its the timing chain because for a few months about 75% of the time when i shut off the engine it sputters for a while and then decides to behave and turn off, this i was told by a friend was a timing problem, so maybe when she shut off for good that was the final straw? I don't know, tell me what you guys think, and if you know a timing chain fix is major or minor repair? Thanks in Advance.

I checked your personal page and it says your 65 currently has a 250 in it. They use timing gears, not chains. The V8's use a chain. Of course timing gears do sometimes break, especially the old fibre ones. I cannot imagine what a flywheel would have to do with it sputtering and shuting off. Sounds more like an igition or fuel problem to me. Have they checked the fuel pump, carb and distributor?

I agree with money pit.

One thing about it sputtering when you turn it off, its usually referred to as 'dieseling'. I learned here that the timing wont effect whether or not it diesels, because when you shut the key off no power will make it to the coil so therefore no spark at the plug.

Dieseling is caused by a buildup of carbon thats red hot and continues to fire the fuel when the ignition is turned off.

It'll take a little more information to figure out whats wrong. Dont know that the flywheel can effect anything youve described. If you pull the valve cover and turn the engine over you should be able to tell if you chipped teeth on the timing gears if the valves dont move properly.

I agree with what Dave says, if not a broken timing gear I would guess a problem exsists somewhere in the fuel system or ignition.

Jeff

I see, sadly though they arent open on Saturday or Sunday so i cant get or tell them information.

You mentioned you had it towed to someone you know so you wont get "screwed". A flywheel has nothing to do with the engine stalling. Your 6 cylinder has timing gears,,no chain. Youre already getting "screwed" by them not knowing what theyre looking at. Youre probably paying them to make uneducated guesses,,,,and possibly changing parts that dont need changing.
Take it to someone that knows a 250 Chevy 6.
Good Luck,

News update... I told my dad what you said delux and he said that the mechanics didnt tell him " It's either the flywheel or the timing chain", thats what he thought. I'll go ahead and say my dad and anything with an engine don't go together. He said all the mechanics said so far is that the camshaft isn't turning. Any new thoughts guys?

I'm sorry but I have to respectfully disagree with the dieseling only being caused by carbon. Straight off after rebuilding my 350 it dieseled (and still does). I doubt that after 10 minutes of run time that enough carbon had built up to cause dieseling. The only thing that seemed to decrease it was changing the brand of spark plugs.

Sorry, I was not trying to "hijack" this post but I just thought I should bring that up. And way to go 1965 C10, I drive my 66' to high school everyday too .

Sweet, is it just at my school or do people at your school like your truck better than all the new shiny lifted mud boggin trucks?

Oh for sure. I get a lot of "neat truck" and "how much will you sell it for?" There are a lot of lifted trucks but they are just more of the same, I have the oldest truck there and it is something different then the usual. Also most people don't have manual transmissions and never have even seen a 3 speed on the tree. I love to see the confused look when their eyes go from the clutch to the shifter.

Yep, I always get the classic " Why is your parking brake so big?" And when i tell them it's a clutch i always get an answer of this nature: "But your shifters up here like my moms mini van. This has to be an automatic.***Shifts into second gear*** What the $@#$!@@#! How in the $!@$@$@% did you do that? Jesus $@#$@#%^ Christ! How much do you want for this truck?"

Setting the idle too high can cause dieseling too.
If the cam isn't turning,that would probably make it either a broken cam or a trashed timing gear. well-it COULD be that somehow the timing gear has lost its grip on the end of the cam. Whatever the reason,the front of the engine will need to come apart.
Speed

The stock timing gear on the cam has fiber teeth, so they could have broke off, or the the gear is just spinning as mentioned above. The cam gear is a press fit on the cam (no retaining bolt), and with all the Dieseling, it could have kicked back a few times really hard and is now just spinning the gears.

They have no choice but to pull the front off the engine. The camshaft will have to be removed for a replacement gear to be put back on. If they try to install it in the engine, they can push the cam right out of the back of the block. The correct way to install the cam gear is to heat up the gear to 200 or 300 degrees and freeze the camshaft. Make sure the retainer plate is on the cam ( the plate holds the cam in place once in the block) and drop the gear on the cam and tap it in place as quickly as you can before it cools. I have read that if you just press the gear on cold, you just open up the aluminum gear to the camshaft diameter. It will hold for a while but could come loose. By heating the gear, you expand it out slightly and once it cools, it returns to it original size which it very tight on the cam.

As for the dieseling, rebuild the carburetor and set the idle slower. If yours has a idle solenoid ( electrical solenoid about 1.5" diameter) make sure its working. Try shutting the truck off in gear, that will keep it from running on.

Good luck with your truck and keep us posted on the repairs. Joe

I never said that was the only reason, but that it was not caused by a timing issue since no spark is igniting the fuel at the point where power is turned off at the coil and plugs. Other things can contribute to the amount of dieseling, but how else does the fuel continue to ignite in the combustion chamber with no spark from the plugs?

Your right. I am sorry, I misunderstood.