The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1951 Chevy 3800 1-Ton :: "This is Howard Knapp from Upstate NY"

I understand completely- - - -my first restoration was on a 1947 Mercury convertible back in 1962, when it was not all that old. I still had a lot of frustration with rusty, stripped, and broken bolts! The trick to drilling out a small screw is a very solid setup in a drill press vise, and a well-centered pilot hole made with a very small machinist's center drill that won't wander around. Then open up the hole a step at a time with larger drill bits until a tap can be used to clean up the threads. It's an exercise in patience and persistence for sure!
Jerry

Hi Stovebolters....

2 days after Xmas my daughter was in town so I put her and her 5 year daughter to work on Howard Knapp....the result is we have the front windshield glass in the truck....yippee....yahooo....only took us 3 tries to get it right...

shown here

I had done the wing windows and the side windows....I learned the hard way...put the side glass in first then mount the wing window assembly.....I also found that using black urethane adhesive in a caulk tube from the local NAPA store and that kept all the glass in its respective places...

shown here

I was so happy...I thought I had written my last big check for the stock exhaust system ($400.00) from Chev of the 40's but once I got the front glass installed suddenly the front drivers door would not shut...it was dropping really bad...so I yank the door off...

shown here kinda blurry tho...

Classic industries to the rescue...I order a pair of drivers side hinges...another $150.00 down the tubes....

oh yeah I also order the rest the muffler parts I needed...the frame mount bracket and something else too....cant remember now....both orders are in route to my place....

waiting for frame hanger....

cant wait to get it done...I wanna hear this thing run and move it out of the garage and into the lean-to shed next to the garage....13 months is way too long for me...

MikeC

Hi Stovebolters

Been working steadily away on Howard Knapp...got new hinges for the drivers side as the old ones were wore out...had to take them apart as the "stay-open" spring would not allow me to get the new hinge in place...no stay open springs on Howard Knapp....not sure how they are supposed to work anyways...

Had to cut the Chev of the 40's stock exhaust system in the over the rear end section...NAPA had a coupling and a couple of clamps everything is layed in place including hangers...still not sure how the engineers back in the day could mount an engine in rubber and then solid mount the muffler system....these old 6 cylinders must not move a lot...I know from my stock car days....these engines move every-time you hit the gas pedal...

We will see...getting closer tho...need an American made radiator from Jim Carter trucks...(about $400.00 plus shipping)....dropped the bench seat off to get reupholstered....that was estimated at $675.00 plus tax...

cant wait to get this truck done... these $500.00 bills are getting old really fast...

Photos to follow...

MikeC

"slip sliding away".... a line from a song I remember and that is how the money situation goes.
However, you have something to show for it instead of upset stomach, headaches, empty whiskey bottles and a trash can full of beer cans and money wasted on a member of the opposite sex.
Count your blessing

Way to go, Mike. I know you WILL get it done. Then maybe a cold pepsi and some hot dogs to celebrate! Keep on trucking brother!

Hey Chipmunk...

Here is the pictures fresh in from the garage...

door is back on the truck


yea ole tail pipe mounted

so I cobbed some stuff up...this is my best cob of the night...I had to cut the exhaust....then I had to cut the exhaust guard too....darn tube shocks...

front view of super cob

rear view of cob


craziest muffler hanger I have seen

ordered radiator and new hoses too....radiator from Jim Carter and hoses from Rock Auto...

still pluggin along...

MikeC

Hi Stovebolters

Been spending like I have it...thank you God for letting me have it to spend...money tree is not looking too good tho...

old radiator

So I thought I could make this one work...the more I looked at it the more I thought that was not a good idea....
thank you Jim Carter truck parts

I hope it was made in the USA...the ad claimed it was..oh yeah dont buy hoses from Rock Auto...they dont fit...

I had this over flow tank left over from one of my many S10's that I have tried to do cab swaps on...so..

shown here

had to scratch my head for many nights to figure out a good cob job on it...and this is what I came up with...

all cobbed up

look the hood shuts too...

shown here...

So other than the $675.00 seat I am waiting for...I hope this thing is done...

Anybody wanna come over and drive it for me???

I honestly am not really into it... any brave souls wanna come over and drive it???

I am about 20 minutes North of Albany NY in the hamlet of Maltaville NY...

MikeC

got the call late Friday afternoon....stopped on my way home....

front view

side view

if you need someone in the upstate ny area...these guys only took like 2 weeks....they polished this turd great

vendor

this is what they started with

before photo

other than some rubber seals....I am hoping this thing is done...

MikeC

That looks real nice, Mike

How does it feel?

Hi Stovebolters...

I have gas in the tank....only 1 leak so far...right at the fuel pump...hope I got everything tight....charged the battery...the thing turns over so slow...not sure what is going on...terminals are all new and clean and battery I thought tougher than it is showing me now...It wont even catch it is turning so slow....put the charger back on the battery to maybe give it some more boost....

Anybody know if these things dont like to start??...turn they turn slow or is it something else???

Scratching my chin here...

Any insight would be a wonderful thing...

MikeC

I haven't been following your thread that close. Do you still have a 6 volt system? If so, are your cables heavy enough?

Hi Rich...

Everything is 12 volt now...cables I bought from Jim Carter Truck parts.....

Tonight we will try again..seems like it is turning way too slow for me...battery was on charge all last night...I will say a little prayer before I start fiddling with it..

MikeC

Hi Stovebolters...

I figured with this truck the best way to fix something is to throw more money at it...today went to my local NAPA and picked up a rebuilt starter and brandy new gas cap for less than $90.00 for everything...
before

after

new gas cap

nothing was better than before..but at least now I can cross one issue off the issue board....much scratching again...the battery

shown here....

was out of a race car I will be building this summer(if I can get the truck running and out of the garage)....it did not look good so tomorrow I will bring the old starter back and get my $17.50 core charge back and get another battery...I have the bracket as shown in the photo so maybe I get something with a little more umph to it...

pretty sad when the battery costs more than the starter does...oh well...

It turn over and I popped once or twice...just doesnt seem to have enough to make it turn over fast enough...

We will see...

MikeC

P.S. I got the NAPA battery before work this morning...cost a little less than $90.00...I turned in the old starter so that was another $17.50 off the final price....so yes it did run more than the starter was...hmmm

Hi Stovebolters...

Spent $160.00 in the past 2 days for a new starter and a new battery and still no start for Howard Knapp...I did see if it had spark by laying a spark plug on the cowl and getting inside and cranking it over...not sure what to do now...

I was told these things are so simple to work on...I have gasoline and I have spark...

It does not want to turn over like I am used to...I know it is an old truck but it turns over so slow....

Any insight would be awesome...

MikeC

Mike, mark the place where the distributor is now, then while someone tries to start it twist the distributor a little bit one way.....or the other.

..did you have the distributor out?? I can't remember.

Hey Mike, Just a thought....
Where is your ground wire from the battery attached?
I have usually found that attaching the ground wire to a starter bolt seems to work the best.
Hope you get it figured out, The truck is looking good!

Hi Stovebolters

I was at Church this morning talking with a gear head and told me to make sure since I have spark and I appear to have fuel...."you gotta check the compression"...so I did...

#1 = 120 lbs
#2 = 115 lbs
#3 = 0 lbs
#4 = 0 lbs
#5 = 145 lbs
#6 = 30 lbs

So I took the head off..took me 2-3 hours of twisting wrenches and ratchets too....breaker bar for the head bolts...

kinda fuzzy

all strapped in for the ride to the machine shop in the morning....

and here we have the gaping hole I have under the hood...

what is missing here???

I havent worked on an engine like this since I raced an oval track 250 cu in 6 cylinder Camaros back in the really early 1980's at the local dirt track....I forgot how simple they were...gotta love 1950's technology...

I am off to see my son in Kansas so I am hoping the machine shop can get the head done while I am away...we will see..

A little side note here:

The fellow I bought this truck from told me that there was a slight rattle / clang inside the motor when he drove (truck had no muffler just a header pipe when he owned it) it...well I think I found it...on cylinder #6 the pushrod was bent and just sorta dangling around inside the engine....

hmmmm...wonder why it wont run...no compression on half the cylinders...

MikeC

Hi Stovebolters...
It has been almost 2 weeks to get the head back from the machine shop...ran $850.00 when it was all said and done...
invoice....

all the spare parts

new gasket set too....
So I got the head all unwrapped

all snug from the ride home...

I have never seen a head this old look this clean...whatya think??

after machining

is this clean or what????

I have never seen a copper head gasket before...the instructions say I need a gasket sealer on both the head surface and the gasket surface too???? is this true???

copper gasket.....

I have not had a push rod head off of an engine since I bet....1980 or so....we were racing 250 6 cylinder Camaro's at the local oval track...been a long time for sure...I cant remember if I had to put sealer on the head gasket or not....anybody know what type of sealer???

Dazed and confused in Mechanicville NY

MikeC

Wrecked a head gasket...takes 5 to 7 days to get another from the local NAPA store...:(

Anybody have any tricks to get the head mounted in the correct way???

I think this is the last straw....anybody wanna buy this truck from me??...best offer takes it...

This is not fun anymore...


MikeC

Cut the heads off of two long bolts that match the thread of the head bolts.

Carefully/gently lower the head down onto the gasket.

If you cannot manage the weight of the head, get someone to help you lower the head.

Don't give up Mike! Your work is inspirational to many Bolters I'm sure. You've done great work and will persevere if you keep chipping away at it. One step at a time. WHEN (say this everyday to motivate) you finish it, you'll remember the good stuff fondly,and surprisingly enough, the rough stuff fondly too.
You can do it!!

Mike, we have all been where you are. Good gosh I have and I'm at that place now with a project. I refuse to let it whip me. If you give up I may as well throw in the towel too!
Keep at it. We're all watching. Wish I was closer to help.

Don't be embarrassed to use an engine crane on that head- - - -it's a heavy monster! Ditto on the guide pins,- - - -a couple of lengths of 1/2-13 all thread work really well, and it's available at any hardware store.
Jerry

So I spent more money....ordered 2 head gaskets from the local NAPA store and 4 special valve cover washers also...all this stuff comes from the middle of the country...

Oh yeah...here is the busted headgasket....

only took 3 tries to do this

another view of it here...

not fun at all....

so yesterday morning before work I went to the local ACE hardware....$4.00 later I had 2 1/2" hex bolts...

before the hack saw

waiting for parts

the back one waiting too...

so we are hangin under the hood...waiting for the post man to deliver to the local NAPA store...

hangin around waiting....

So all you Stovebolt gurus....do I need new head bolts????...on my oval track Dodge Neon when you do a head gasket you get new head bolts everytime you took the head off...

Any insight would be awesome...

MikeC

That Neon has "torque-to-yield" head bolts- - - -one time use only. Stovebolt head bolts are much more rugged and they don't need replacing unless the threads are damaged or there's some other sort of damage like deep rust pitting. Clean the bolts up well on a wire wheel buffer, and lube the threads lightly with 30 weight motor oil. Don't forget to put a drop of oil on the cylinder head surface where the bolt head contacts it.
Jerry

I think it has been 3 weeks to get this head back on....finally have the head back on the top of the head...things are just about all bolted down...all the valves are loose except one...gotta pull the side cover back off again...

It would not be a night in the garage if I didn't break something...and I did...throttle cable broke...hmmm....ever time I work on this thing....it breaks...I know why you guys drink when you work on them...you have to...these old trucks will bring you to your knees every single time you work on them...

getting so I hate even looking at this thing....

A fellow at work has offered to get it running...he is coming over with a tow dolly...I just want it out of my garage...been since October 2014 (sitting in the same spot)...and it still wont run...I am broke and sick...

MikeC

The old truck...well it is going to a place where it can be gotten running....I have no more patience for old out of date vehicles...I dragged it in my garage in October of 2014...it is now March of 2016...

seeing the light of day

So 17 months in all ...

on the tow dolley

The fellow that took Howard loves these old trucks...

leaving the house

I bought special washers with bolts attached for the valve cover...they would not fit either...nothing seems to fit on this vehicle...again...

So the fellow who is going to be working on it he says to me..."put the flashers on it"...last time I had the power hooked up to everything worked...this time the head lights flashed when I turned the flashers on...my blood pressure I could feel going up when I saw that...the fellow that took the truck says to me in a very calming voice..."Mike it'll be fine...we will get it all fixed up..."

I feel funny...as it left my house...I felt this huge weight being lifted off me as it was towed down the road...not sure how it will all end up with this truck...

MikeC

Mike,

Let's hope for good things for Howard ... and a good break for you. When working on a very big project, you have to have a few things go right on a somewhat regular basis in order to keep your heart into it. And you have had a LOT of things go right. So, take a deserved break.

Let us know how your friend makes out with the work.

Peg

Mike, I know how you feel. I've been trying to get the 261 engine in my coupe going for 20 months now. Yesterday we got it started and the 20 minutes we ran the engine made me forget the past 20 months of gloom, despair, agony and pain. And, like you, I had to ask for some help.. from my nephew.

Someone here on the bolt has a tag/signature line that says:
"never, never, never ever give up". Hang in there. I think I detect a slight smile/grin on your face. It does get better.

Soooo....is this guy just going to fix it up for you, or did you sell it to him?

The fellow that came and got it..had it running in about 1/2 hour from lifting the hood....

I got to drive it today....

In stock form....this is not for me....

As the fellow that got it running says with a straight face..."Mike...look.....it is a 1953 Chevy truck...it is nothing more than one step up from the hay wagon...what did you expect????"....

I am not sure......

Over $8000.00 bucks into a vehicle and no way to get it all back...darn....I do feel stupid now....should have put that money into the stock market...

MikeC

Buy a newer vehicle?

Mike, take it easy. Maybe that's what you need. A nice "slow" ride to make YOU slow down and enjoy things a little?

...OK OK, I'll quite preaching at cha! Drive it around some and enjoy the stares. You can go fast in a race car

....oh, and congrats on your first ride. I know you were smiling.

Mike,

Cheer up. Maybe your passion lies in the doing and not in the finished product.

Go get another one!

Mike, 17 months??? I'm into year 6 on a build that was supposed to take 3 tops. At least you crossed the finish line ( I know, they are never finished!).
Hey, remember these words, " His truck squeaked and banged and blew some smoke out of the tail pipe and I loved it! That must have been seed enough for me to want to try and build one. This is my fourth one of this style since about 2006 or so. I am hoping this one will make it one the road.
It is an old, smelly farm truck."
You did good, you accomplished what you set out to do and got old Howard Knapp running. Enjoy it!

Hi Bill

I think I like observing them from afar....trying to drive them.....I dont get it at all...I am asking for trouble where I live...

For all you brave men and woman may the great God above watch over all who try and navigate the highways and byways of our great North American continent in a vintage Chevy truck...

Howard Knapp still needs to have a water pump and distributor replaced....then we will see where we go from there...

MikeC

Atta boy, Mike. I really believe you aren't blind anymore but can see clearly. The clouds have all disappeared......


Edit: sometimes I think these old trucks are like chasing women..... at my age, and these old trucks, the chase is more fun than the catch. lol

When does the fun start???

Over $8500.00 into this truck and all I feel is stress when I have to work on it...I have to force myself to work on it...

MikeC

The fun started back when you first laid eyes on her. Dreaming about driving her. You shouldn't force yourself to do something because that's when you break things and get in a bad mood. Now you have a truck that runs wooooohooo that's half the battle. Now keep going you got this

Mike C. If it is no fun anymore, and just stressful, once it is running, leave it as-is and just drive it down the street or around the block once a month or so for the next year. You may decide in 6 months or a year that you really don't want the truck and have other interests, or it may grow on you again and you might find little things to do on it that you enjoy and get into it again. Bottom line is, it is your life to live! Folks here are just trying to keep you from selling while in a down period and then wishing later you had kept it!

8500..is that all? Gosh, your doing good Mike. I won't even say how much I've put into a couple of mine before I ever got to start the engine! But boy, once I heard them run it was all over but the shouting.

...but I do understand where your coming from. I think we all been there a time or two. Just don't make any "snap" decisions.