1950 Chevy Pickup Resurection

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Bradley.  If that was closer it would be an option, although I really wanted to upgrade to a 235 since they take a 12V starter and have a fully pressurized oiling system.

Luckily I've found a 235 that was said to have been running when pulled, and it is with a guy that my nephew knows quite well in my home town.  He's going to check it out this Saturday and let me know what condition it is in and whether it has a starter and/or generator.  But at $300 and only 100 miles away I'll probably go with it.

That will put us, Ian and I, in a position to pull the 216 and install the 235 when he comes back this summer.  And we may have to rebuild the carb, probably install a new gas tank and sending unit, new radiator and heater hoses, etc.  Plus check out the radiator to ensure it doesn't leak.

Speaking of Ian, he's registered on here and has subscribed to this thread.  That makes three generations, which I think is a first!

Also, he and I took a bunch of pics yesterday and put up a new page at Documentation/Picture Galleries/Ugly Green, which is what he is calling the truck - at least for now.

[Ifitaintbroke]

I was shocked to find out that there were splash lubed automotive engines. Funnily enough, I had just recently told one of my coworkers that there was no such thing. Should have researched that first! I just can't see how a splash lube engine can be that large, and not run the risk of catastrophic failure.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ifitaintbroke wrote

I just can't see how a splash lube engine can be that large, and not run the risk of catastrophic failure.

Giant ship engines were splash lubed and they run almost 24/7 for decades.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I replied to his intro post.  

[Ifitaintbroke]

Makes sense, but I'm sure they also run at stupid low rpms.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yes, it is low rpm (would have to be with a 14' stroke)
Piston speeds are about right for the metallurgy and clearances available back then.

Bill just got through building a model of the Titanic engines
He can't do much because of his back, until the 15th, when they will do a spinal injection.

He has posted pictures and information

[Ifitaintbroke]

I might be about to acquire a 1950ish Chevy for free. If I do, I'll put up some pics of it.

[Gary Lewis]

Please do, Bradley.  They might help us.

As an update, we still don't have an engine although there are three hunts going on:

The gentleman I talked to certainly has one and it is at his friend's house in Wichita.  He was up there 10 days ago and was supposed to take pics but forgot.  But he's going again this Saturday and I'm going to remind him.  The big question is what transmission it has and if it has a starter or generator.  On the transmission, we want to stay manual but could consider an auto, but need to stay with a torque tube driveshaft so we don't have to also swap out the rear axle.

My brother knows of another engine that he's to take pics of so we can try to determine what it is. He's just not had a chance to do that.

Another engine has been found that is fresh from the machine shop.  But it has a 2-carb intake and split exhaust manifold plus several other goodies, so would cost about $3000 and take a lot of work. Not what we are looking for.

And there's a discussion going on about wheels.  My brother had exactly the same experience I did of buying later 6-lug wheels and finding that they hit the tie rod ends.  So we are aware that there's an offset spec we need to determine before we start down that road.

[Ifitaintbroke]

Can guarantee it won't help, but I won't say why. You'll find out!

[Ifitaintbroke]

Gary, just throw in a 2.3 Lima and a 5 speed from a Ranger.

[ArdWrknTrk]

LS swap ALL THE THINGS!.  

[Ifitaintbroke]

Jim how DARE YOU! You ought to be BANNED for that!

[Gary Lewis]

Time for an update.  My favorite grandson, Ian McCloud, is due back mid-July.  So I had to get busy finding an engine.  And today we picked one up in Edmond, OK.  It is a 235 out of a 1955 Chevy pickup and comes with the starter, generator, and 3 carburetors.  Unfortunately it has a flexplate instead of a flywheel, but a new clutch, flywheel, and pressure plate should be easy to find.

The guy I got it from bought it for his 1941 Chevy but sold the car before installing it.  He said the engine had been pulled out of the truck in favor of a V8 and was running well at that time.  It has been stored indoors and he's squirted oil in the cylinders a couple of times to ensure there is no rust.  And it can be turned over by hand.

I want Ian, whom I'm tagging in this post, to be involved in pulling the old engine and installing the new one, so I have a few things to work out.  Like this one uses mounts on the frame and the old engine mounts in front.  But I'm told that the front mount will bolt to this engine.  So I need to work through all of the issues and be ready when my buddy gets here.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm glad to hear that Ian continues to be involved.
He's young, impressionable and enthusiastic.
What more could you ask for?

Don't know, and haven't heard about the other half of that twinship, but I do think of her as well.

How is Janey doing?
That's a pretty big scare.

[85lebaront2]

Gary, the mount is part of the timing cover on the older engines and was used at least through 1957 cars, and possibly trucks. A couple of items, the cam gear if I remember correctly is phenolic (it's been years since I built Sonny Tesh's 235 for his 1954 Corvette.) Carburetor should be a Rochester B from a truck, car would be a BC, hot air choke. If you can find an iron case Powerglide they had a torque tube driveline through 1954 I believe.

[Gary Lewis]

Jim - Isla isn't really interested in cars or trucks, although she's driven Big Blue as much as Ian has.  But she's into art and Janey is looking at art classes while they are here.

Speaking of Janey, she is getting stronger day by day.  Her therapy is 3 times a week and they are increasing the minutes on the various exercises by a minute each day.  She made the 2+ hour trip each way today and isn't wiped out tonight, which is an improvement.

Bill - Yes, that's what I've read - that the mount from the 216 in the truck will bolt onto the 235.  But apparently a 55 truck had side mounts as this one does.

As for the transmission, Ian has driven Big Blue a number of times so we are hoping to stay with the 3-speed manual.  But I do need to check it out to make sure it is good.

And I'll check the carb to see what is on it and what he sent me home with.  But that's not likely to happen for a few days as things are getting really busy right now.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I didn't mean to say that Isla was into trucks, just that you hadn't mentioned her, or what she IS up to, while the boys play in the Garagemahal.

Glad to hear that Janey is getting better.
I'm still owed a brownie!  

[Gary Lewis]

Didn't take it that way about Isla.  Was just explaining what she IS into.

But they & TJmac leave next week for Honduras for 10 days.  TJ will be hosting medical clinics with teams from the States, and the twins will be "corralling", in their words, the kids there.  Basically following the guide that they helped to write.

As for the brownie, Janey is making some on Monday for the sewing meeting on Tuesday.  I'll see if I can get you one.  

[Ian McCloud]

Wow, the engine looks great! I see that it has a flex-plate instead of a fly wheel. I don’t know the difference between the two. Could you explain what a fly wheel is, and how it is different from a flex plate. I’m excited  to see you this July. See you soon.

[85lebaront2]

Ian, a flywheel is a large generally iron or steel piece somewhere between 1/2 - 3/4" thick that helps smooth out the engine pulses. A flex plate is much thinner, frequently with open sections as it has either a torque converter or fluid coupling bolted to it.

The mass of fluif in the attached coupling or converter provides the needed smoothing of the engine pulses.