Help me figure this out, please.

[Pookey]

Hi all,
I'm hoping you can help me trouble-shoot what's wrong with my truck. Full disclosure: I know nothing about engines but want to learn. Figure I can try to address some simple things myself before resorting to a mechanic.

1962 Chevy stepside
1963 327 engine (from a corvette is what I'm told)

I recently moved cross country and had the truck auto-transported. Drove the truck for a little over an hour to get it home (this was 2 weeks after it was delivered to my friend). During that trip I felt it shimmy when it hit 45 mph. That would fade once I got to around 55mph.

After about 3-4 weeks of sitting in the garage, I cranked it up. Very hard start, very rough idle then eventually it would die. I had pulled it out of the garage and it was a good while (hours) before I could get it to start again to get it back in the garage. It was sitting at an incline in the driveway, if that matters.

It was running great before the move. Also, aside from the engine issue, the driver's side is sitting lower than the passenger side. That's new, too. I'm more concerned right now with the engine issue.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I've tried to find info on this and so far I have the following:

spark plugs, fuel filter, carb filter, fuel pressure regulator, ignition coil or module, fuel pump.

I did spray a can of carb cleaner when it was running but that didn't help it.

Thanks for any and all help.

[TJ's Chevy]

Check your valve adjustment. Also check your lines and see if they are plugged. A dirty carb is normally the main issue. But for me lately it was valves hanging open. Alot of times the tank is filthy and the lines are rusty so the filters get clogged causing the engine to lean out and not want to run. I'd pull the lines and flush them out...pull your tank sending unit and see how it is in the tank...then go to the carb. Start with the fuel system and work from there...in other words...eliminate one thing at a time...don't do a million different things at once. Your gonna get a million difference answers from here so be sure to do ONE thing at a time or you'll find yourself going crazy. lol So, I'd start with the fuel system. That includes checking the tank, lines, pump, filter, and carb. If all that is ok, I would then go to ignition. Check the plugs, then the wires, make sure they are in the proper order, and check the distributor for burned up points or if you have an HEI, check the terminals for burns. Start with the simple an go deeper.

[geezer#99]

Where did you move from?
Elevation changes can effect how it runs now.

[spacedebris]

the shimmy you feel from 45-55mph is probably a wheel out of balance. Likely lost a weight on one or more of the wheels during transport. That would be my guess anyway.


As for the running issue, I'd lean toward a clogged fuel line/filter like TJ's Chevy was saying.

['63GENIII]

I'd start by simply pulling the full filter if its the clear plastic type, just look and see if there is any debris in it. If its the metal type, shake it or tap the fuel tank side on the ground and see if any thing comes out. When I got my truck from Oregon, the fuel tank had so much loose rust that it would plug the fuel filter after 5 miles of driving. There was no fuel sock on the tank pick up either

[Pookey]

Sorry for dropping off like that...unexpected visitor who just left.

I appreciate all the responses but, at the same time, it makes me realize I'm way out of my depth. I'm worse than a novice. After reading your suggestions, I was planning on starting with the fuel filter and sending unit. (I didn't want to 'pull the lines and flush them out' since that sounds like I really need to know what I'm doing).

I've been watching a lot of YouTube instructional videos and there was one about cleaning points. Ok. That looks like something I can manage (even though it's not what I was planning to start with) So off I go to the auto parts store for a feeler gauge to check the gaps. The guy asked a couple of questions and said maybe just rotating the distributor a little one way or the other would help. Long story short, I started the engine and my husband was checking the distributor and mildly electrocuted himself. Not good. So we decided it would be wise to at least have some supervision while we try to learn about all this. Left to our own devises we might just kill ourselves.

Oh, we moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Alabama Gulf Coast. Not much in terms of elevation, I suspect, but the humidity is another thing. Now I'm worried about rust.

Getting the tires balanced and aligned sounds like a good idea, too, but maybe after we figure out why the truck is sitting low on the driver's side.

Again, thanks for all the help. I'll update as I go along. Unfortunately, I think I see a mechanic in our future.

[Steve66]

Don't feel bad. Admitting that you don't know what you are doing and getting proper help is the first step to keep from doing something stupid. I'm self taught and can fix about anything but there was a time when I couldn't. I suspect your trouble is probably pretty minor but it's pretty hard to diagnose things online. These old trucks are pretty simple and a decent mechanic should be able to have it back in shape in no time. Some pretty simple things can cause a lot of problems so don't worry too much.

[TJ's Chevy]

X2 Strongly with what Steve66 mentioned. Diagnosing is one of the Hardest things about being a mechanic. Where I work I deal with it daily...no surprise. lol I have gotten shocked by coils and distributors several times and it seemed to give me an energy burst. haha. I'm sure you two will figure it out. If I wasn't a days drive away I'd be out there helping in a heart beat.

[Pookey]

Thanks for the kind words. I know this is a learning process and right now I'm learning the ABCs. That's just how it works. The enthusiasm is there, though, so I'm sure eventually I'll have some know-how.
TJ's Chevy, I have no doubt you would help if you were closer. From what I've read so far everyone on these threads seems to be very helpful.
I do have a friend relatively close by who has a '63 Chevy and he knows just about everything. Hopefully I can get him to come over and show me a few things. It might have to wait until it's a bit not-so-stifling-hot.