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Classic/Antique Car Repair/235 1955 Chevy Engine

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Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 5/28/2009


Question
I've installed this engine (supposedly was rebuilt) in my 49 Chevy.  The engine is running a little rough.  When I take off the 3rd or 4th spark plug wires, there is no change in the way the engine idles.  I've changes plugs and wires.  No difference.  I have a new distributor cap.  When I took the cap off after then engine has idled for several minutes several times over the last few days, there was "gold" flakes/particles in the area where the points and condenser are.  What does this indicate?  Could this be the reason I'm having trouble with the spark?  Any ideas of what I can try next?

Thanks.

Michael


Answer
Replace your distributor cap and rotor. Sounds like a problem with the rotor contact not clearing the cylinder contacts within the cap--there needs to be a small gap between the rotor and the contacts, and a couple are not set up properly--probably due to a shift in manufacturing tolerances.

--Paul

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Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

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