As many of you know, I am living with the stock 230 until I collect the funds and parts to finish my BBC/NV4500 swap. I have always been very dissapointed with the performance of the six. Today, I was pulling a horse trailer and the engine woke up. I was going down a gentle grade trying to keep the truck up to 45 mph. I normally hope to maintain 30 going up the hill empty. I got to the bottom and the truck didn't slow down. I gave it some gas and I passed 3,000 rpm. That has never happened in fourth gear before empty, much less pulling a flat fronted trailer against the wind. I dropped off the trailer and was able to pull 50 mph up the hill. The engine was screaming and I was on the floor, nothing new about that, but the truck was actually running at near speed limit speeds. Here is the question. Why now? and just plain why?
I have not touched the engine in weeks, except to change the oil a few weeks ago. I took the carb apart to blow out some dirt a few months ago. The timing has been set at the specified advance for several years. Both the vacuum and the mechanical advance of the civilian distributor have worked for years. The plugs are old AC 45's that I cleaned up by hand and put in the truck to make it start three years ago. I think I have one, maybe two rocker arms that are just a hair away from not ticking anymore, the rest are set to spec. The exhaust is the stock manifold with a bailing wired on glass pack thing done by the DSPO. I have a GM internal regulated alternator and GM p/s pump on it. It has been there since mid summer though. I actually had to set the idle down 400 rpm when I got home. Obviously, the engine is working better but I can't explain why. I'm just looking for any plausable explanation. It bothers me that I can't figure it out, Thanks.