Clutch, overheating, etc.

[Todd Thomas <tthomas@domain.elided>]

I just today resurected an old 73 IH 1310 ton truck.  The original 304 motor
had thrown a rod about 5 years ago.  I droped a 345 into it with a new
clutch disk and throwout bearing.  Did not replace the pressure plate.  We
pulled it down the road (2nd time trying) and it finaly started.  I set the
timing at 10 btdc and it was running smooth.

1.  My vaccum advance does not seem to be working.  Would it advance the
timing at idle (high vaccum) or under acceleration (low vaccum)?  You do set
the timing with the vaccum advance unhooked anyway, don't you?

2.  My clutch is not fully disengaging causing hard starting and can not get
it into gear.  I fear that the rust that I left on the pressure plate and
flywheel is the problem.  Being lazy as I am is there anything that I can
spray into the clutch assy to try to free the rust?  Will oil (wd-40) cause
the clutch disk to swell?  Or do I have to drop the trans and fix it right?
Oh, I also adjusted the clutch as far as it will go.

3.  The truck has another weird quirk.  It will be setting there idling and
it will start to miss.  Sometimes it will totally die.  We tracked the
problem to collapsed lifters, yes lifters.  Why might a lifter suddenly
collapse?  The engine has great oil pressure.

4.  Setting there idling it will heat up.  It took about 30 min to reach
boiling point, of course I shut it down before it got too hot.  Removed the
thermostat, allowed it to cool, restarted and it did it again.  Water seems
to be circulating as it should.  Is it my timing, vaccum advance, or
something with the engine (wrong head gasket?)?  Could it be running to
lean?  Don't think so.  When I purchased this engine it did not have an
intake so I put one on.  The gasket seemed to match as it should.  Is there
a difference between an Improved and a Non-Improved cooling intake?  I could
have goofed up.

5.  The truck had a weird sound for 10 years in the clutch when you pushed
the petal in all the way.  We thought it was the throwout bearing, that is
why I replaced it.  It is still there, kind of a rattling/whining sound.
Any ideas?

6.  What will a Holly carb act like if the power valve is blown?  Flood maybe?
Too lean?

Overall I think that the more that it runs and loosens up that it will make
a good engine.  At this point though it does appear to be burning some oil.
Maybe the rings are stuck and will loosen up later.  Maybe its 007's truck
and the smoke screen button is stuck.  :)
Thanks in advance.
Todd Thomas
Hopkinsville KY