1954 Chevy 3100"Back to Life" Project
Hello to all! I grew up with AD trucks. My Granddad had a '49 stake body. Rode everywhere with him on the farm.
Dad bought a '54 new and that is what I learned to drive on. Granddad "inherited" it when Dad bought a new '63. Granddad passed in 1970, same year I went off to school.
Dad lacked sentimentality and sold it to an elderly neighbor when I went off to school in '71. I durn near cried. He went to the older man and asked him if we could get it back when he didn't need it anymore
Flash to 1976. I bought a '51 3100 that hadn't run for years for $50. I filled it with water, put some gas in it, filed the points and it cranked right up. Drove it a couple of years until the 216 developed the dreaded death knock. Back to the family '54:
In '86 I did buy the '54 back from 'Ol Halis. I drove it until the 216 (which Halis had put in it) dumped the coolant. The 216 which ran good until the soft plugs rusted out in the late '90s. I parked it in the shop with coolant still running out. That was 15 years ago. Been sitting there ever since.
So 20 years ago I started gathering 235 stuff in anticipation for a return swap. Got a running 235 short block from a '57 Nomad that was bored .030 but the owner wasn't satisfied so he put in a SBC. His loss, my gain. Got a complete '57 235 with a spun bearing. Also a '57 block. Had a 868 head rebuilt. Also a junk 235 and blue parts from a "mystery" engine. Had a rebuilt head. Used parts from 4 different 235's in the build. Re-doing the brakes and a lot of other stuff.
Late start?
After my parents passed, my sister moved into the big house. I had to move the '54 and that is when the freeze plugs failed and in the shop she went. There she sat from 2013 until now. At 70 years old, I decided that if I was ever going to fix her up... now was the time. When I found that both left side soft plugs had rusted out and the front plug was missing altogether I knew that the 216 had to come out and sadly, would not be going back in. So much for a quick, cheap fix. I had to build a 235 from parts on hand.
So the fun begins:
Took the front clip off to make it easier and glad I did. Have put the Nomad together after popping off the head and dropping the oil pan to clean it up. The former owner was a Chev mechanic and had the block bored .030 and no ring ridge is seen on the cylinders. Mounted the clean head I had all looks good... Except...
After cleaning the pushrods and then the tappets (which showed very little wear), I disassembled the rocker arms and rebuilt them around 2 shafts that showed very little wear. I replaced some of the rocker balls that had worn. But...
Upon assembly, taking the lash out has used up most of the adjustment threads. Same lifters. Same pushrods. Same block with same cam. Only real variable is the unworn rocker shaft. Valve stem height is same as the head that came off of the Nomad.
All I can think of is the rockers being worn, but that shouldn't cost 3 threads on the lock nut.
Puzzled.
Got some pictures of the '54 "back in the day." 1st pic up above shows me with a load of hog feed in 1989. Pix below: 2nd pic has me leaning on the door with my dad "wiping off a tear" in 2001. Last pic is me in 2023. Same shot as the first pic.
