1965 GTO 389 bored 30 over th350 trans power steering new alternator holley 750 double pumper 1" spacer with vacuum port for PCV back vacuum port on holly is used for brake booster edlebrock performer intake mani new gates waterpump (stock 8 bolt) stock 4 row rad from some other car.. not sure
and thats about everything related to the engine
for some unknown reason, a previous owner (2 owners before me), decided to put a 65 GTO 389 in it. (this was all documented but a mechanic) she ran and drove GREAT until about 4 weeks ago. I noticed my temps getting higher and higher and not coming down.
there are a couple things here that I would like opinions on. My timing is off. Hard time cranking and starting. 3 gear heads at different times and shows have said the same thing. ( hey, fix your timing its off) just by hearing it try to start. its also overheating even with just a restrictor plate installed in the thermostat housing.
im assuming after doing everything from coolant to the plates behind the pump. timing is my next suspect? anything I could have missed?
NEXT: when I first bought the car I also purchased a Mallory Vacuum advance unilite and the matching promaster coil from someone abadoning thier firebird project locally.
being that i suspect timing and had these parts I ripped out my old dizzy. (I did notice that cyl 1 was not TDC when the distributor was aimed at it.) brought it to TDC before removing the old dizzy.
my issue is with the new distributor fitment. Its in and I tightened the bolt down and she seats fine. But I couldnt get it to seat all the way until I tightened the fork. Before I went to these measures I purposely tried it in several different spots and I noticed a distict difference in how much snugger it fit. So I cranked it down and now she seats perfect pointing at the general direction of cyl #1.
it is possible that I just smashed something out of the way? or do you think it would have fought me much harder if I didnt have the oil pump shaft lined up right? my gut tells me everything is ok and that I would have felt it in the ratchet handle if it was fighting but it just seemed like it needed to be persuaded to go into the edlebrock mani.
