The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop My "New" 1939 1/2 Ton

Hello, gentleman. It's been a while since I posted here. I haven't touched my truck since last fall. I pretty much spent all the money (and then some) just buying and shipping the thing, so I spent the winter trying to save up some cash to get it on the road and I think I'm about ready to place an order for some parts. I can use your input.

The engine spins freely but hasn't ran in who knows how long (1972 plates are on the truck). I'm going to pull the head to investigate a sticky valve, hopefully there's no real problem there. So I'll be ordering a new head gasket. Anything else that I should need there? Otherwise, what are some of the no brainer things that you'd all replace on a truck like this that's been sitting a while? New fuel pump, for example? If anyone can provide me with what they would consider worthwhile items to go ahead and replace, I'd appreciate it.

Also, it'd probably be out of my price range even if it did exist, but is there a front disc brake kit available for this truck?

Thanks for any help, talk soon.

Dan

I wouldn't pull the head right away. You might be able to loosen the valve with a few solid taps on the keeper. I'd try to get it started first after pouring something like Marvel Mystery Oil in it and and turn on the starter without spark to loosen everything up. Than try to fire it up.

If it's not froze up, it is always a good idea to get it running before taking it apart.

That will give you a good chance to evaluate the whole engine and determine what it does or doesn't need.

Smoking badly, knocking bearing or wrist pin, seriously low oil pressure, low compression in one or more cyls.

Or is everything really good?

That way you can do things in the order they should be done.

After evaluating the engine and before it is driven I'd replace the entire brake system, including master cyl, lines, hoses, wheel cyl, linings - everything.
Not cray about disc brakes, the truck seems to loose a little 'flavor' with them, are they bendex brakes? If not, upgrade to them and it'll stop very good.

I agree with the rest of the gang on getting the engine running first. I would use an "IV" bottle gas tank, you don't want to pump all the gunk in the original tank into your carburetor.

I would guess your vacuum advance is shot, the diaphragm inside gets old and rots away. Of course clean your points and check for spark before trying to start it (put voltage to the coil, replace the big lead that comes out of the coil to the dist. with a regular spark plug cable, put a spark plug in the other end and ground it to the engine block. Open and close the points with a screwdriver and the spark plug should spark)

Make sure you oil up the generator bearings before starting and have some fluid in the water pump so you don't burn out the bearing. Just my thoughts.

....I agree. Get it running first and evaluate it.
As a side note, wait until you get it running to start on the brakes. No need to spend that money and then the truck set while doing other things. Get it to GO....then to Whoa.

Sorry for the delay, gang. I thought I was subscribed to this thread but I guess not.

Okay, thanks for all the input. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I had discussed the sticky valve here last year and the general consensus seemed to be to pull the head and check on what the issue was, but I don't disagree that this might be unnecessary. I have done a handful of things to try to loosen it but it's still a little sticky. It does open and close all the way with only slight persuasion, so I'm not going to be too surprised if it does loosen up like you guys suggest it might.

I'll work on getting it running (exciting!). I was about at this point last year but got distracted.

Question: In an article here is says to remove the distributor and spin the gear below with a drill to build oil pressure, and that you'll feel the gear torque up when pressure is achieved. I spun that thing for a long time last year and never really felt it torque up. Am I doing something wrong? Can anyone elaborate more?

I/m definitely replacing 100% of the brake system, no question. I'll have some questions about that later.

Thanks again.

Dan

Can't say I ever felt a pump "torque up". But that may depend on the power of the drill I use. After removing the valve cover I just look for oil flow in that area. Of course I have used an auxiliary oil gauge attached to the out port.

Okay thanks for the insight. How long would you say you usually have to spin it? 30 seconds? 5 minutes?

Thanks again.

Dan

30 seconds seems long enough.

My experiences are the same as posted by Drew: "Can't say I ever felt a pump "torque up". But that may depend on the power of the drill I use."

If any part of the feed path to the rocker arm assembly is plugged, you will not see oil.

Drew, where to you attach the auxiliary oil gauge? That is a good idea.

Great, thanks guys. I will tinker around with this soon. The biggest problem is that I don't have a 6 volt battery, and the money I saved up was eaten by taxes (being self-employed is brutal).

Dan

If you have to buy one anyways, I hear 8 Volt is the way to go.

A 8 volt battery is not a good way to go. A properly functioning 6 volt battery is more than enough. It has been discussed a number of times here so if you search you will have many pages to read.

I restore vintage VWs, so I'm familiar with this topic. Not sure what the consensus is around here, but a 6 volt Optima is the way to go in my book.

Dan

Okay guys, great news. I picked up a battery and tackled the engine today, and it is officially running! For the most part, anyway. It runs, and seems to run good, but only with a shot of starter fluid for a few seconds. I haven't been able to get it to run on regular fuel, even though the accelerator pump is definitely squirting gas down into the manifold. Not too sure what's going on there. I have taken the carb apart and cleaned everything, but I didn't have a rebuild kit so it's just been cleaned and that's it. I can't imagine why it won't run on fuel when it's running on starter fluid, even though I know it's getting fuel. Any ideas? At any rate, I'm going to place an order for some of the essentials, including a carb rebuild kit, and I feel like I will likely get different results. I'm not sure if it's related, but I bypassed the fuel pump and I'm squirting gas right into the carb with a little squirt bottle. I'm just using some 87 octane that I had around, maybe it will want to kick on something higher?

Anyway, that's where I stand.

My wish list for the engine right now, if these parts are even available new, is:
Fan belt
Radiator hoses
Valve cover seal
Carb rebuild kit for Carter W-1
Head Gasket
Coil
Distributor tune up parts
Thermostat
Fuel Pump
Choke and throttle cables

Anything you guys would add? I already bought new spark plugs, wires, and battery cables.

Thanks.

Dan

What did you do about the sticky valve? I wouldn't keep trying to run it on starting fluid, you will wash the cylinder walls dry and cause yourself multiple other problems. You may want to use a small gas can with a hose to the carburetor and then just use gravity to feed the gas rather than through the fuel pump. If it was mine I would pull the plugs out and give the cylinders a few squirts of oil, turn the engine over a few times then put the plugs back in. You should be able to pour a little gas down the throat of the carburetor and it should run, and with the gravity feed it should keep going. You may have to tap on the carburetor where the fuel line goes in to free up the needle valve. Good luck, Don

I haven't done anything about the sticky valve yet. Just seeing if it will run for now.

I agree about the fluid, I didn't want to run it much on that.

I can literally see fuel squirting down into the manifold so it's not a stuck needle or anything. Sort of a mystery why it won't run except on fluid. I suspect the ignition may be a little weak and it is able to catch the fluid but not strong enough for the regular fuel. Just a theory. I guess I won't know until I throw some new parts on it.

Thanks.

Dan

Might want to do a compression test. The starting fluid is a lot more volatile than gas. Probably not a good idea to keep trying to run it if the valve is still hanging up.

I'd appreciate some insights here:

Question #1: I was looking through the '39 manual and it said to "open" the idle adjustment screw 1/2 to 1 full turns. When I took my carb apart to clean it I counted how many turns this screw was out from a fully seated position and it was 4.5 full turns out. Apparently that's way, way, too much. Agreed? I'm not sure if it will fix my problem but it's worth a shot. Am I understanding it correctly that a good initial setting is between 1/2 and 1 full turns out from a fully seated position?

Question #2: I removed the distributor to spin the oil pump gear below. I tried to reinstall the distributor exactly as I took it out, but maybe I didn't, or maybe it wasn't in right to begin with. I haven't found anything that describes how to ballpark the timing without the engine running. I suppose you can just line up the flywheel timing mark and make sure the rotor is pointed towards the correct spot on the distributor cap, but isn't there something better? On Volkswagens we set the timing statically by hooking a test light up to the small coil to distributor wire. With the ignition on, you rotate the engine by hand and adjust the distributor so that the test light turns on precisely when the timing marks align. I see no reason I couldn't do the same in this instance, does anyone? Also, I haven't found much about what timing mark is correct. It sounds like the little BB in the flywheel should align with the pointer, but most information seems to be for later models and I'm wondering if it's the same. Is the BB the correct timing mark for this 216 '39? And if so, how many degrees before or after TDC is it?

Thanks all.

Dan

BINGO! The BB is close enough. U/C is TDC.

Thanks for the input.

Can anyone shed light on my carb question?

Thanks.

Dan

If you have a valve hanging open you will not get the carb adjusted. It's like having a huge vacuum leak.

Just trying to do the initial setup. Am I correct that the screw should be between 1/2 to 1 full turns open from a fully seated position? Because if it is, then it being open 4 1/2 turns isn't doing it any favors.

Dan