2 bbl on a 232 in a 69 Gladiator

Check the float level by uncrewing the sight hole screw and adjust the needle and seat until fuel is just under the threads. Bottom out the idle mixture screws and back them out a few turns. If the idle mixture screws have no effect you might have a blown power valve. Check your timing. Good luck.

FYI its a 350. I expected some issues but it wont idle enough to  even check the float level. There is also gas leaking from near the bottom plate below the bowl. The shop had this carb of the shelf. Wondering if was actually rebuilt. They open at 0800, I will be there!

The machine shop made an aluminum riser. They milled two bores tapered  into the diameter of the existing manifold. It looks pretty slick. No coolant tubes this is a Gen I manifold. I agree its likely a carb issue.  There have been many adapter plates made for this application.

tyrodtom- Youre an excellent diagnostician ! Brought the carb back, they determined that the power valve was shot. The truck runs like a beast, especially in the low end.

You could have a sticking valve, not necessarily bent. If it's an old engine it could be a piece of carbon getting caught in the exhaust valve as it's being blown out. Can't remember if it's a newly rebuilt engine or one that sat for a while. If the later try decarbonizing -- dribble a bit of water down the carb while idling, keep your hand on the throttle to keep it running. A newly rebuilt engine could carbon up quick due to using a lot of oil during break-in (normal). Won't hurt it to try the water trick.

Another thing -- if the truck sat up a while there is residue from evaporated gas/old gas in the tank. Modern alcohol fuel leaves a nastier residue than gas from 30+ years ago. It also dissolves that residue much easier. So it gets in the new gas, and fumes up through the valve stems can cause the valves to stick. You can spray the sticking valves good with penetrating oil and work them loose, but until all the old residue is out they will stick again, usually in a random order, but the tightest guides will tend to stick first/more often. Until the tank is cleaned sticking will continue, could take months to dissolve all the old gunk, could just be a few weeks.

A Jakebrake sound, do you mean under deceleration this noise is made? A tick?
Something like a Tick is not that hard to trace down using a long screw driver something like a Doctors stethoscope, an area of the engine can be isolated from other area's.
It is altogether possible that it could be an exhaust gasket leak too. This can come form not using the proper gaskets on the intake/exhaust manifold.
Or as some people insist on doing, none at all.
A bent push rod is not that difficult to either find or identify.
Trips back to a "shop" assuming common hourly charges at $60.00 an hour can get rather pricy rather quick, the AMC I6 engine of this vintage is not that hard to work on and for many of us, it was training grounds for a "shade tree mechanics" ability to do so when we and the engine was younger, suggestions in part come from the ability for DIY wrenching. I have not looked for service information on this engine for quite a long time but it and the 258 are very similar so almost any service information for almost any year you can find will help in repairs. Swap meets are certainly handy for that.
Installing a 2bbl carburetor should not be difficult, but it can present some fabrication difficulties.
Milled? To install a 2bbl carburetor? Where or how was that done. Adapters have been around for a long time that would allow bolting a 2bbl on to the existing intake manifold. Linkage? I keep a Speedway Catalog handy and there are accelerator pedals available that have universal applications although as earlier pointed out, one removed from a later model car including AMC will work and are cable operated.
LOKAR makes adapters for doing things like this too and makes it easy to get things done.
There should be no problem in getting a carburetor to work on your engine unless there is a problem with the carburetor so some care exercised in locating and procuring one is in order. I use swap meets for many of these parts and rebuild my own carburetors so diagnosing an ill in one is not hard.
Should you find that you do have a noisy lifter, the lifter used in AMC engines is the same one used since the announcement of the AMC V8 engine in 1957 and used in all AMC V8's to end of production and the 232, 199 and 258s. Push rods can be purchased individually from Auto Parts stores or at least could be the last time I bought some. The last time I purchased a performance cam shaft (A 270HL for an AMC I6 engine) and as it happens, for my 232 engine, Iskenderian sent me a box of 16 of them for an 8 cylinder installation as I only needed 12 I have 6 left over. I am not sure Lifters can be purchased individually but if they can't send me a PM and I'll send a new one to you if you need one.
Cost of repairs can be pricey, so if DIY is viable alternative maintenance costs will decrease significantly. And explanations of what might help may also make more sense when read by some one doing their own work and repairs.

Edited by uncljohn - Sep/28/2016 at 9:50am