My 235 wouldn't idle..
A few weeks ago I was bragging about how I got the 235 ('54) in my newly
acquired '39 running after being parked for 10+ years.
This engine had plenty of power and great acceleration under load but always
required a choke to start and it would not idle worth a darn. I found it
was timed way off the flywheel mark and wouldn't run at all when timed to
spec. Vacuum was very low (11 to 14 in. Hg) I kept digging for the answer
until I pulled the cam shaft and found a red stripe painted on it near the
rear. I took the cam to an old timer engine man that spotted the red stripe
from 10 feet away and sad "That's a performance cam. They're great in the
upper rpm range but they don't idle well."
Today I finished installing a stock cam and lifters ($155.. not bad!) and
setting everything to spec and it runs and idles GREAT!
Why someone put a "cam" in an otherwise plain vanilla 235 is beyond be. If
it had dual carbs and dual exhaust I may have expected it.
Well, about 3 weeks of grief, aggravation and frustration is over. Looking
forward to sleeping well tonight and driving my smooth running truck
tomorrow.
BTW, stock cams have a blue paint stripe on them.
<><
Whitney Haist
Orinda, CA
Chevy Trucks: 2-'46s & a '39
www.jps.net/haist/artdeco.htm
P.S. If any one wants a nice, little used "performance cam" for their 235,
it's yours for the shipping.
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