Labor Day Putting down your wrenches or time for
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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| |  Re: Rebuilt 1948 Chevy 1/2 ton 216 C.I. overheats Joe H 09/07/2026 7:34 PM
I have a recovery tank mounted down by my motor mount on my 250, fluid comes in the top through a tube that reaches the bottom of the tank, the over flow tube is just inside the tank and dumps on the ground if the tank ever fills up all the way. I used a 12" piece of 3" exhaust pipe, some 3/8" brake line. and some sheet metal caps. Its all welded together so I can't really see how much is in it, as long as it doesn't dump any out I'm happy. I do check the radiator every now and then. I don't believe it matters where you mount the overflow, thermo expansion and contraction should move fluid where it needs to go, though most are mounted level or just below the top tank. Our 2026 school buses have the tanks above the radiators, Ford trucks are level with the tops, and most of the commercial mowers we have are close to level with the top radiator tank.
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Read More | |  Re: Speedo gear and housing klhansen 09/07/2026 6:26 PM
If this (pic) is what you're looking for, it has to match the gear that's on the transmission mainshaft or it'll be eaten up when you start driving. This page and the following have information on what speedometer drive gear and shaft housing (shown in the picture) are used on various vehicles. In order to get your speedometer close to correct, since you have a 3.55 rear axle gear set, you'd get closest with a speedometer gear set out of a passenger car transmission which have faster rear axle ratios than trucks (3.72 vs 4.11 for instance.) Either that or you'd need an adapter that goes on the speedometer driven gear between the transmission and speedo cable. With the info out of the parts book and some math you might be able to determine the speedometer drive and driven gear set that would work without a ratio adapter. But finding that combination would be difficult, as would be finding a ratio adapter. Also be advised that the housing has a straight thread, and putting a pipe (tapered thread) plug in it won't work. I don't think the thread size matches any readily available bolt which might be used with a gasket, as the thread is fairly fine pitch, likely not a standard SAE fine thread.
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Read More | | Re: Speedo gear and housing Gdads51 09/07/2026 5:25 PM
With that info, have you tried finding a threaded plug or bolt to install in the hole to plug it up? I'd measure the hole and thread count/pitch and go to your local hardware store to find a pipe plug you can thread in there with some sealant. There isn't a correct original or after market gear set to use with your 3.55 rear gear ratio, although you could use a speedometer ratio adapter. It would have to be geared to correct the original output speed and correspond with what your speedometer cable input speed would need to be for accurate speed readings. Best of luck sir!  6
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Read More | | Re: Speedo gear and housing 52-Mobil 09/07/2026 5:02 PM
I don’t actually need any old gear at all. I need the housing. I need to buy a gear that will work with a 355 rear end which I have had installed. But if I can’t find a new gear for it, I at least need to plug the hole so it’s irrelevant to what number of gears is on it but I believe mine is a five drive please respond if anyone has one
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Read More | | Re: Gas Leak at the fuel inlet on the carb Gdads51 09/07/2026 4:50 PM
Brian - I'm not Jon "carbking", but I can offer some current pictures from what I know to the best of my knowledge is a 1953-58 Chevy 235 truck Rochester B that you can take a look at and try to figure out what you have. My info on this being a '53-'58 truck 235 carb comes from this Rochester B Identification thread put together by Jon "carbking" and "John Milliman" (the Big Kahuna) to help Bolters figure out what they have. The PDF files attached to this thread must be downloaded to read as they won't open for some squirrely reason. Hope this may help.  25
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Read More | | Re: SOLD 16”x4” Wheels 6 Lug Gdads51 09/07/2026 4:10 PM
Glad to hear you made a deal and found them a new home Rusty.  I've updated the ad to show the change and will leave up for today so anyone watching can see, then poof it to the big round file in the sky. 6
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Read More | | Re: Clutch pilot bushing removal treegrower 09/07/2026 3:50 PM
Hallelujah !! bushing is out. I used several successive drill bits up to 3/4" to accommodate the slide hammer tool. Took several strokes, but it came out. I really !!! appreciate the recommendations.
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Read More | | Re: 1958 GMC fire engine $2,000 Seabeck WA Bill Hanlon 09/07/2026 3:23 PM
I don't think so on the big trucks. The 1958 "comic book" style owner's manual that came in the glove box shows a pickup with 4 headlights and a larger tractor rig (with unknown model number - shown in blue in the upper right corner of the picture below) with 2.
Kenneth Crenwelge (GiantMountainClimber) will know for sure.
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Read More | | Re: 1952 Chevy Suburban 3106 NJC 09/07/2026 3:18 PM
7 SEPTEMBER 2026 PAINTED MIDDLE SEAT FRAME AND STARTED MIDDLE SEAT BOTTOM SEAT SPRINGS REFURBISHMENT
I checked my receipts from 2012 and I had bought the middle and last full width seat frames and the seat spring sets with delivery from MI to Greyhound Baltimore for $2217.00. A lot of suburban's are missing those original seats.
See pics of work completed thus far.
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Read More | | Re: old gmc site 68ironhead 09/07/2026 2:55 PM I know Rob has been dealing with medical issues. He still has a Facebook page, but I don't do Facebook.
There are 3 guys on the OldGMCTrucks forum that are sort of like the "moderators" on the 'Bolt. They have been trying to come up with a way to preserve the data, but no luck so far. The site uses very old software (last update was 2004 I think) that will only store pictures that are less than 100 Kbytes, so most of the pictures are links to other web sites. And when the links to those sites are no longer valid the pictures are not available.
Being a GMC guy, I knew of the Stovebolt forum, but it was my #3 goto site when I had a truck problem. It became my #1 about 4 years ago as the other two have almost completely wound down.
The old truck hobby/pastime/business has lost some really good, helpful and knowledgeable people in the last few years. 2 that I knew and had exchanged parts, information and a few laughs with come to mind. Evan and Charlie (and his wife Sunshine). My almost neighbor Kenneth is still around. If you don't recognize the names, maybe these "handles" will help: coilover, Cletis and GiantMountainClimber.
Coming to the 'Bolt has provided me with a vast pool of knowledge, even if it is mostly Chevy oriented.
Keep up the good work, all of us. Amen Bill
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Read More | | Re: 1958 GMC fire engine $2,000 Seabeck WA Bill Hanlon 09/07/2026 2:30 PM
From 2nd series 1955 through 1959 GMC trucks with V8 engines used Pontiac V8s in the smaller trucks and Oldsmobile V8s in the larger trucks. These engines were based on same year Pontiac and Olds engine, but had (typically lower) compression ratios, different carburation and sometimes different cylinder bore sizes. All engines came from the factory painted red with GMC stickers on the valve covers. All were advertized within 1 cubic inch of the Pontiac & Olds brethern except for the 58/9 Pontiac-based engines which had smaller diameter cylinder bores.
Attachment shows the advertized engine sizes. The 500 and below models used the Pontiac-based engines while the 550 (like this fire truck) and larger models used Olds-based engines.
The '58 and '59 Pontiac based engines were both advertized as 336 cubic inches. But the '58 Pontiac crankshaft had a 3.5625" stroke with 2.623" main journals while the '59 Pontiac crankshaft had a 3.75" stroke with 3" main journals. Both the GMC engines came with smaller (but different) bores. The '58 engine was actually 336.1 cubic inches and the '59 is 336.66 cubic inches.
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Read More | | Re: Paint Otto Skorzeny 09/07/2026 2:15 PM
Aahhh! Your story makes me sick to my stomach, Joe!
I think about a story my dad told me. When he was in high school, he also painted his 1933 Plymouth dark green. He used a brush and painted it out in the street in front of his house in the middle of summer.
He said the sun's heat made the paint flow out so smoothly after application, you couldn't see any brush marks. He said it it looked so good, that people thought he had it professionally done or that he had bought a new car!
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