Did some work last night. Got bit by a bit of project creep...
My new valve cover gasket came in. Got a nice rubber one from Fel Pro at Autozone.
Took off the valve cover and removed the plugs:
Looks a bit dirty thanks to the oil leaks...
So I decided to take off more so I could clean things up a bit:
Cleaned with degreaser and got a new rattle can of Chevy Orange Red:
Since it was out repainted the water pump pulley as well as the water outlet:
Adjusted the valves while the cover was off. Didn't think I did much but we'll see...
Started re-assembling it:
Repainted the intake:
Getting there...
Looking good:
I hate to admit this but it appears I had forgotten to re-attach the vac advance line at the carb last time I messed with it. That's part of the reason it ran a bit rough I'm sure. The line was tucked away so I missed it.
While I was in there I shot the plugs with carb cleaner, hit the guts of the distributor with contact cleaner, cleaned up a ton of stuff, leaned out the choke a tad, checked the timing, and repainted most of the block. Some of the pics look like overspray but it's just that nice red-orange paint reflecting the flash.
She fired right up. running better now but I'm hearing a slight knock. Sounds like it's inside in the back around the #6 cylinder. Nothing too noticeable to anyone but me but I'm sure it'll get worse over time. Luckily I plan on pulling the engine and going through it this winter anyway. She sounds much better than before when driving it.
Now I think it's time to mess with the carb cam lobe. Getting a slight hesitation when I punch it.