Overheating and low oil pressure?

63MAN

MEMBER
1963 CHEVROLET TRUCK
5.7L
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
1,000 MILES

Explanation, I've had this truck for over 20 years never had any issues with overheating or oil pressure it's been a project vehicle it's listed above with 650 miles on the speedometer but before I put the speedometer in, I probably got another 200 miles or maybe a little more of driving around the block.
I left a friend of mine's house one day punched it so he could hear my new exhaust tips and by the time I got home my truck was shaking, come to find out my distributor vibrated loose, ( the distributor that's another story) tried to readjust the timing myself obviously I don't know what I'm doing with that I keep trying to adjust it, the truck overheating after it gets warm I can let it idle and it can go through two cycles of getting up to the thermostats opening point (160)and it will drop back down to 140 but the third time it keeps rising and keeps rising. And the oil pressure is 2/3 lbs with low ideal.
I'll leave it here for now until I hear from you and give you more insight, I apologize, I don't check this every day and I don't have you downloaded so I have to go back in and find this page. I'll figure out a way to save it.

6 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
43,048 POSTS

Does the engine have a hard time cranking over? It sounds like the timing is too far advanced.

Here is a video that shows how to set the timing which should be at about 8 degrees TDC:

https://youtu.be/El1H0_6IYxQ

Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem so we can see what's going on. Also is the distributor down all the way? there should not be a gap between the distributor flange and the intake manifold.

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Wednesday, June 21st, 2023 AT 11:42 AM

63MAN

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4 POSTS

It made a clak sound a few times and it was making a pinging sound when I drove it I've made some adjustments since then I don't have the pinging sound anymore and it seems to start right up. I tried to add a video of where the timing mark was with the timing light on it but it won't open up to let me get in there I have an appointment on Thursday for someone to set my timing I will check it at that point and I will reply back to you and let you know how that goes.

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Wednesday, June 21st, 2023 AT 12:31 PM

63MAN

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I had to send the email last reply then open up the image first I uploaded a video in that video it will show that the timing mark is at least 2 in past where the zero timing mark is on the timing chain cover I've tried to rotate it back towards that timing mark but it gets to running really crappy starts backfiring want to shut off.

Video (Click to make bigger)

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Wednesday, June 21st, 2023 AT 12:36 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
43,048 POSTS

Yep, that is not good, thanks for the video. So, I have seen the distributor drive gear pin share, or the dampener outer ring spin cause this issue. It could be the distributor is off a tooth as well. You might need to lift the distributor out and move it back a tooth. You will need to rotate the oil drive as well.

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Friday, June 23rd, 2023 AT 9:40 AM

63MAN

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Thank you for the reply. I did keep my appointment on Thursday the 22nd though they never pulled my distributor out and placed it back in he was baffled to understand why my timing is so far out he told me you can replace everything inside of the distributor at the same cost as buying a new one so I purchased a new one it's not here yet but it's on its way, you mentioned something about the oil drive is that the shaft that runs down into the oil pump from the distributor and what do you mean by rotating that? Please explain.