The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 Hard to start and won't keep running.

Hi, I am having some issues with an engine I recently installed in my 1961 Apache 10. It is a 1957 235 that was recently rebuilt. It runs great... When it runs! It is VERY hard to start cold, and does not idle well. I know the carburetor is good, because it worked great with another engine, and the only adjustment on it is the idle speed setting. I have checked for leaks around the intake manifold and carburetor, but never found anything. The timing and vacuum advance are OK, too. This seems like an ignition problem to me, as I know it's getting fuel. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hy Chevy61, is your ballast resistor bypass circuit hooked up and working?

I don't know. Where is it on the truck, if not in the engine compartment? And, how do I test it? If it is in the cab under the dash, it should be fine. Because I didn't have this issue with the old engine. When I crank it, usually the number one cylinder will fire, and the others won't. Usually if 2 cylinders fire, it will run. It's almost as if the spark is not great enough until it is running. It runs fine as long as it is warm and the idle is not too low. It's just mainly when it is cold does it cause such issues.

Hy Chevy61, on the starter there are two small terminals on the solenoid, the one next to the engine block activates the starter, the terminal on the outside is the power feed to the coil when the engine is being cranked to start. That wire is the wire for the resistor bypass circuit, that wire should run from the solenoid terminal to either the output terminal of the ballast resistor (mounted on the firewall most likely) or to the coil positive terminal. This circuit provides twelve volts to the coil when cranking the engine to start it, giving the engine the best spark. Other than that you could have distributor issues, cracked distributor cap, bad condensor, bad rotor, bad distributor cap, bad wires. Hope that helps.