1950 Chevy Pickup Resurection

[Gary Lewis]

Good points, Buddy.  

Bill - Thanks for the info!  I'd forgotten where the timing pointer is, but you reminded me and I found it.

And yes, the vacuum advance rotates the distributor in the block.  But the points are questionable, as you'll see.  I have a stock of points but my documentation doesn't go back to 1955.  Do you have the Blue Streak or Autolite #?

And what's the firing order.  The plug wires are off/missing and I doubt it is 18436572, so...  

[Gary Lewis]

Found some specs:

Firing order: 153624
Points: gap = .016" Blue Streak DR-2227XP  Turns out that I have one
Condensor: UDR-6X Blue Streak  Don't have one of these but if this one's bad I'll put another one in
Rotor: DR-308  Don't have one but DeWayne has one on order

The cap looks good and I may just file the points if we get to try to start it.

[85lebaront2]

Gary, all inline 6s other reverse rotation Marine applications are 153624, just think ot this way, 15 - too young, 36 - too old, 24 - just right (I was given that reminder many years ago). I will give you one, which is #1 on a Jaguar in-line 6?

I see that it has the Rochester BC carb (automatic choke).

On points, GM used the same points on 4 and 6 cyl. in-line engines prior to HEI introduction, you could walk into you favorite parts store and ask for points, condensor and rotor for a 1973 Vega and they will fit, only the cap is different.

I see it has an early PCV system, I wonder if it came from California. The is probably a 1961 or 62 engine, which means all the updates are in it, full pressure lube, insert bearings, hydraulic lifters etc.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'd be very tempted to fit a Pertronix unit, and forget about cam wear, failing condensers and filing points forever... 💡

[ratdude747]

I'll second the suggestion. Ignitor + Flamethrower. Have the original (not a II/III) on my boat's 302 and it runs great. Just be sure to re-time it because my timing moved at least 10 degrees.

[Gary Lewis]

Been thinking along the same lines.  And while I have a Delta Mark 10 sitting on the shelf in the parts cabinet, a Pertronix would be stealth.  (Ian - A Pertronix ignition module sits in the distributor and replaces the points, making the system simple and maintenance free.  Read about points on Pg 152 in this book from our library.)

But I'll worry about that after we get this thing started and a few other things working.  In the interim I think I'll buy a Chrysler ballast resistor and wire it up simply.  (Ian - The coil with this engine specifically says that it needs to be used with a ballast resistor, which reduces the voltage & current to the coil.  Otherwise the points and/or the coil will fail.)

Bill - You have a good eye.  But isn't that a home-made PCV system?  They left the road-draft tube in place.  And it is supposed to be a 1955 engine from here in Okiehoma.  (Ian - The rings on a piston in an engine don't seal 100%, so products of combustion get past them into the crankcase.  In the early days they vented the crankcase to the atmosphere with a "road draft tube".  PCV = Positive Crankcase Ventilation, which is a system to suck the products of combustion out of the crankcase into the intake manifold and burn them.  That was one of the first pollution controls and it came in via California in the mid-60's.)

As for the points, I have a set and may put them in later, but for now I'll just file the points and hope I don't change the timing enough to prevent it from starting.  That's 'cause I have a lot of things I want to get done before Ian gets here, and we don't have much time while he is here.

But I got chains connected to the 235 itself and not the cradle and lifted it up to prove that approach works.  So now I know how to lift it via chains to the front side mounts and chains to the top 7/16 bolts in the bell housing.  However that won't work with the 216 as it doesn't have the front side mounts, so it'll be interesting to see how we can lift that rascal out.

And I hit a bunch of bolts with PB Blaster in the hope that we can get things off easy and w/o breaking the bolts.  Not that I don't think we can replace the bolts, but it'll take too much valuable time to drill them out.

[85lebaront2]

Gary, the pictures of the complete engine aren't big enough the tell that it has a road draft tube. 1961-62 CA spec engines had a pcv valve, but still an open breather inlet rather than connected to the inside of the air fliter.

If you can find one of the breakerless kits for the MK10, they work perfectly on a GM distributor anyway and that one the breaker plate doesn't move. the whole thing does.

Another idea would be to use a reluctor and pickup from a slant 6 and trigger an HEI module and Ford TFI coil with it.

[Gary Lewis]

Bill - Here are several pics of the "system".  And remember that it still has a road draft tube.  Also, what goes in the hole in the head right below the fresh air intake in the bottom right pic?

[Gary Lewis]

Also, this engine has an oil filter - of sorts.  In the pic on the left you can see the system, where it takes oil from near the oil pressure sender and then puts it back into the sump.

But you can see in the right pic that the hose on the pressure side is badly frayed.  This is just a partial-flow system and I can plug it off for the test firing.  Right?

[85lebaront2]

Hole in head was probably heater connection. Oil filter is a bypass system, Plugging the supply line at the block will work. Filter can be relocated, most of them I saw were on the front part of the intake manifold.

I love the home made closed crankcase ventilation system!

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Bill.  But this show shows the two heater hoses on the front.  Maybe I'll just plug that hole.

And I think I'll bypass the oil filter for now.

[85lebaront2]

Maybe that was the temerature sender. Don't bypass the oil filter, put a plug in the supply. If you bypass it you will just be dumping oil back into the pan, and will have no oil pressure.

[Gary Lewis]

I'll bet you are right, that was the temp sender.  I'll plug it.

And I didn't mean I'd bypass the filter.  Just plug it.

[1986F150Six]

Gary and Bill,

You two are a combined wealth of information. Thanks for contributing to the forum!

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, David.  But I'm just the one trying to re-learn what I've forgotten about the Chevy engines.  Bill is supplying the knowledge.

[Gary Lewis]

Well, some times you have to use what you have on hand.

No, I didn't have a nice 1/2" pipe thread plug.  But I had a brass nipple and a cap.  So why not?

And it won't leak - right, Jim.    

[ArdWrknTrk]

Looks good to me!

I'm afraid I know nothing of post war inline sixes..

[Gary Lewis]

But you know what the sealant is, and it is on both ends.  Ain't gonna leak, regardless of where that opening goes.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

I now have 3 tubes.
One in my top box, one it my Go box and one in the sealants tub on the shelf.

I do NOT have an open can of High Tack anywhere..... anymore!  

[Gary Lewis]

I have an open bottle of an equivalent of High Tack.  Open because if I put the lid back on it'll never come off again.  The last two times water pump pliers got it off, but it is now misshapen and doesn't want to screw on.

So yes, that's my go-to stuff, both for a sealant as well as to ensure SS fasteners don't gall.