New guy here, I have a 225/6 premium engine in a 1969 W200 CrewCab ex USAF truck and am very frustrated as my engine is making less and less power (won't even pull in 4th gear now) won't idle and is extremely hard to start unless I "pressurize" the fuel tank. It only gets worse after truck has warmed up. I have replaced the fuel pump, and the coil; to no avail. On my way to NAPA for a carb kit, and am ordering a Pertonix electronic ignition. The distributor is all the way advanced and only runs worse if i retard timing, making me suspect a stretched timing chain could be culprit. Anybody have any ideas?? I need to get this figured out or will likely drop a 318 in truck, as I just sold my other truck and now need to use this one for a daily driver...HELP!! -Spin

Did you take a compression reading, does it sound like the engine is cranking-over normally or does it "skip through" some cylinders?
Have the valves ever been adjusted?
Back to the basics, Fuel, Compression, Spark (you have some spark and fuel if it runs at all)
DD

Doc, I have not done a compression check....will pick a tester up a NAPA, after it warms up, the engine turns over very quickly, almost as if the sparkplugs are out, which is to say it does not seem to have much compression, but I will do compression checks (cold and hot) just to be sure. -Spin

Pick-up a valvecover gasket while you are at the parts store, my guess is that exhaust valve seats have receeded, this takes-up the lash and hangs the valves open.
DD

Doc, I just got the compression tester will check tomorrow, had to order valve cover gasket, and carb rebuild kit. -Spin

If valve seats have receded what is the fix?? Head job? and BTW, does anyone know what the valve lash should be?? I'll be checking it cold -Spin

Anybody know the valve lash numbers for '69 225 premium truck engine??....any help appreciated -Spin

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Project B-52 Crew

.010 intakes, .020 on the exhaust. Best to run the exhaust a bit on the loose side.
If you do a message search on "Valve Adjust" (Adjusting, Adjustment) you will get lot's of info on how to do the job.
DD

OK Doc, did compression check and the results were none too encouraging, here goes: 55 85 0! 90 40 30.....did a quick adjust on the valves (.012 int .022 exh) a few of the exhaust valves were tight (seat recession?) any way; the numbers evened out some: 50 80 40! 75 50 42.....should get carb back from rebuilder tomm. I suspect I have a ring problem as well as a tired head. What say you?

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Project B-52 Crew

Did you check the torque on the head, are all the bolts still tight??

Those are crappy compression readings so you need to find the cause.
How many miles are on this engine??
DD

Will retorque head bolts to 80 ft/lbs, don't know how many miles this engine....former USAF truck that probably has waaayy more HOURS than miles (like most GSE in use at airports, it probably spent a lot of time just idling). -Spin http://community.webshots.com/user/joinra76

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Project B-52 Crew

Did you do the compression check with the throttle held wide open?
If you don't, the numbers will be low. Yours are really low.

(If you get too fed up with that truck, let me know! Been looking for a crewcab! )

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It's a Slant thing. Even I don't understand.

1974 Duster, EFI /6 soon to be turbo...

Get that Monkay! Get that nasty thing!!

Next time you do a compression check, do as GunPilot said and also squirt some oil down the spark plug holes. If your compression goes up with oil around the rings, your rings are shot. If not, you have some bad valves. Also, a compression check should be done with the engine warm. This gives everything a chance to expand. That is one cool truck!

Truck is running much better with carb rebuilt, and I have been fine tuning the valves. Will actually pull in fourth again. Thxs for the offers but she's not for sale no way, no how. A good buddy w/ a 225 in his Duster was telling me about the rebuild kit from Cliffords, any reccomendations?? How much power can I expect from going .060 over, a set of Clifford duals and either a hyper pack or super six, maybe get the head shaved a little? Also the Hot Rod Power tour recently came thru here and I had a chance to hook up with a fellow sweptliner from TX. If you click on this link then go to the B-52 album, you can see the cool pics!! Sorry I've been off for a while the hard-drive in my computer went tango-uniform, back online now. -Spin http://community.webshots.com/user/joinra76

You don't want a Hyper-Pak in a heavy truck. It's made to run in a narrow, high RPM range more suited to light vehicles and racing.

If it's equipped with a 1-BBL now, a Super Six (2-bbl) will make a big improvement in torque and midrange power, which is what you need in that big crewcab. Plus, if you get all the parts (see Reed's excellent Super Six article in the articles section) then it's a bolt-in deal for the most part.

Milling the head to increase compression will help. Don't bore for power. If it doesn't need to go that big, then save yourself the overbores for future rebuilds.

The exhaust will help a great deal over stock.

Check the timing and make sure you have 30-32 degrees total mechanical (vacuum disconnected). Turn the rotor against the spring and make sure it snaps back easily and fully. This will affect some of your starting and idling problems if it doesn't. If this is the case, you'll need to put a rebuild on that distributor. Electronic ignition will help.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I checked your pics. That is one sweet Sweptline. I'm a Sweptline owner myself, in the form of a '70 D300 tow truck with 46,000 original miles on it. Sure would like a crewcab though...

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It's a Slant thing. Even I don't understand.

1974 Duster, EFI /6 soon to be turbo...

Get that Monkay! Get that nasty thing!!