The above advice for ignition timing and CR increase due to possible head/deck milling is all good. I might be waaaay wrong, but here's why I'd check the valve timing:

Assuming the 185 number to be 15psi over standard - and I don't know what the standard spec is on that engine - I plugged the following numbers into the calculator linked below:

Bore = 3.587"
Stroke = 3.858"
Rod length = 5.906"
Static CR = 8.7:1
Inlet valve close = 59?ABDC

calculator

The calculator gives 141.33 psi as cranking pressure.

I don't know how many teeth are on the 2.6L sprocket, but if it's like the 3.0L, it has 40 teeth (how many on the 2.6L?) - which each represent 9? on the cam, but 18? on the crankshaft.

If you substitute 41? (59?-18? advanced = 41?ABDC) as the inlet valve closing point in the calculator, the cranking pressure increases to 159.75 psi - or about 18 psi.... which is close to the 15 psi amount stated as "above standard".

That said, 165 psi doesn't sound so high to me - and I may have some of the above measurements wrong which would throw off the calculations.

And as a final caveat: I don't know nothin' 'bout no 2.6L..... Charlie certainly does. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Frank