I have a '58 235 in my '49 1/2-ton. When I bought the truck, the engine would turn over, but was not running. The PO swore it was running the previous week. You know the story.
Now it's time to start rebuilding the engine. Question is, what should I do with it? My goal is to have a very clean, reliable driver when I'm done, but I don't have an unlimited budget either. I measured compression on the cylinders before I removed the engine. From front to back, compression was 120, 130, 80, 110, 120, and 105 psi. My understanding is that 130 psi is spec for this engine. I'm having all new valves, seats, and a rebuilt rocker assembly installed. The shop wants over $500 for this exercise. The price is high, but it seems worth it to me.
My question is what to do with the bottom half of the engine? The price for a complete re-build makes me gasp for air at $3,000. I removed the head myself, and inspected the cylinders. I can turn the crank from the main pulley with my bare hands, but just barely. It's a struggle. I used a $19 micrometer from Harbor Freight to measure the cylinders. All of them seem round and within a few thousandths of each other. When I run my finger up and down the cylinder walls, I do not feel any kind of a lip at the upper stroke of the pistons. This leads me to believe the bottom half of the engine is not too bad, but I'm hardly an expert. I've never done this before.
Any advice? I'm told the shop I work with is the best in town, but they only seem to know one price: very high. Should I hone the cylinders, put new rings on, and call it good? How important are a new crank, cam, and bearings to performance and reliability? Seems like there should be some options here besides a second mortgage on the house. Help!
