Stovebolt.com Forums Project Journals Project Journals 1949 Chevy 3600 -- Building "The Beast"

We have a new/old project. Mark started his Journal in 2013 and we got it from him in January 2014. Our intention was to get it going on this section but it took a while to get this section up and running (permission issues with the software). Mark continued to document this build. He's 90% done.

Read the story in the Gallery for starters. Mark is presenting the build again here, giving the readers time to comment or ask questions. He's got lot of detail and over 900 photos.

Stay tuned!

Peg

In late 2012 I decided to live out a long standing dream of owning and rebuilding a Stovebolt. However, my health is poor so I enlisted the help of my older brother Craig to rebuild my dream.

The truck, a 1949 Chevrolet 3600, sat for 33 years outside of Minot North Dakota. I finally pulled the trigger and had it shipped to my brother, who lives in the Chicago area.

Through Craig's endless hours of work and some help along the way, we have this truck up and running in Western Pa every day.

I hope you read my story and ask me questions. If I do not know the answer I will forward your question to Craig and he will reply.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy the journey and you may find it of use in Building your Dream.

Mark

It was the last day of August 2013, and Craig and I started early in the morning assembling the rest of the engine and preparing many other parts either by parts washer or wire wheel.

By late afternoon we were ready to drop the engine in. Right away we noticed an issue with the motor mounts and we had only a few choices and none were good.

We had to modify the new motor mounts and make some miscellaneous changes. We decided to grind a bit of each motor mount down to allow a tight fit. This meant pulling the engine back out of the truck to do so. Once done, we set the engine back in after much wrangling and knew we were setting a pace we needed.

By then, Bruce had arrived and assisted us getting the engine installed.

Tomorrow, tighten everything down, install the clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing and hopefully have time to re install the very heavy transmission.

I removed the rear end housing cover and drained all the gear oil. Craig will put the pinion seal in and refill the housing.

The front brakes are ready to be put back on and wheel bearings repacked. Then the front wheels and tires can be put on.

I re-installed the spare tire on the side of the truck.

We organized the garage and stowed the engine hoist and engine stand -- two of the three items we bought that were so important; the third being the parts washer. Without these three items, life would have been much more difficult. All three can be resold at some point.

It was a wonderful feeling watching the oil pan go on, the mechanical lifters and push rods being installed.

Then, the side cover and eventually the exhaust manifold go on.

Lots of progress, months of discussions, some a bit testy at times but we worked as a team with one mission in mind.

Generally speaking many of the items will go much easier now even though there are some items to do yet. Set the valves, put on the carb, and install the exhaust, put the radiator back in and a new thermostat and radiator cap. Two new hoses and one belt. The generator and starter go back in and a battery needs to be installed, a new wiring harness, and the seat redone and installed with seat belts.

I do need to buy a center link and tie rod ends. The drag link is slightly bent and not worth trying to correct.

Having two great brothers jump in to help and drive this project has me a bit speechless. As stated before, Craig has done all the heavy lifting, and organizing of this project. His superior talents has gotten us to this junction. Without him, we are nowhere on the radar screen.

Having Bruce there today was an added bonus as another set of eyes and another set of muscles to take over our sore and tired ones were a blessing. Also, he learned a lot in a short time today. We took some pictures of the three of us and look closely and you will see I have the biggest smile. The biggest smile came from the fact my two older brothers care enough about me to do this very dirty, tiring work.

My nephew Matthew was here removing an old gas tank and re-installing the new one while scraping and cleaning the truck in the interior. I really appreciate his hard work. He showed me once again he has class.

This day was tiring and at times frustrating but having that engine in is huge.

September 1st starting right at 8 a.m., Craig and I were at it again. We removed the center (drag) link and will need to order a new one with tie rod ends.

The front brakes are done. The transmission is back in and ready to go. That was the toughest of all the projects.

Eric Weisseg and I re-did the bench seat kit.

We installed the water pump and put the thermostat housing in.

Installed the gas tank filler tube.

I installed new negative battery cables.

We finished up at 5. A full and productive day!

Craig's next door neighbor Dan Price has been coming over checking on our progress and we have borrowed a tool here and there from him. A very nice guy and a good neighbor who keeps an eye on the truck when nobody is home.

A few days have passed. Craig installed both front wheel bearings after repacking the bearing and installing new seals.

The Huck style wheel cylinder on the right front will not adjust or turn to properly adjust the right front brake. I notified Julie at Jim Carter and she will send a replacement out right away. Once we get that, Craig can button up all the wheels and install the front tires. Another big step.

It took hours of searching and some luck to find a green, rusty, original tailgate and the price was fair. Obviously I could have purchased a new one but that would have gone completely off the rails of originality. Bob Adler, Adler's Antiques, will forward me a picture before I commit. I also asked about a heater box and heater core just in case mine is bad and he has one of each as well.

Craig installed the fuel pump.

The engine puzzle certainly is filling up.

Craig said the new tie rod ends are wrong, they need to be tapered. They appear to be for a half ton truck.

I did much research on the tie rod ends and found Patrick's out in Arizona. Danese said they did not have them but she made a call and located them for me! Now, that is customer service to the maximum. They are coming from a company in Texas and if they are the correct ones, I will have a new drag link, center link, and both tie rod ends.

The new rear engine mounts are too tall causing the starter pedal issues. He will need to take one out at a time, modify it and put it back in. A real issue as the truck engine is so heavy and the mounts so hard to get at.

That brings on another issue that the transmission will drop some and the current brake line may need to be modified. Craig may still need to modify the starter pedal linkage.

Looks like we will need to start cheer leading each other again as this is problematic.

The good news is he has the four wheels, the blower motor works, the center link is on. Overall, the truck is starting to look like something.

We have a 139 tooth flywheel and the current starter will work.

The cross member is bent badly. Craig is trying to bend it back some but we may need to live with it long term.

Bob Adler confirmed today he shipped the used tailgate to me plus two used chains that I asked for.

Craig emailed me and said the tie rod ends he received are in fact wrong again. It blows my mind that these items are so impossible to find and so hard to imagine so many so called experts who claim they know the part and have it in fact do not have a clue. So, he will send these back and the research continues again without much hope. The solution may be to buy a rebuild kit and of course - rebuild them. Another huge waste of time but it might be the only way.

I found a web site called Golden State Auto that has old car and truck parts. Craig thinks our motor mount issue might be that everyone has sent us mounts for a three speed not a four on the floor. Will call them tomorrow to discuss this.

Craig said the front exhaust pipe we thought was good actually has small holes in it and is weak.

The used green tailgate arrived today complete with two rusty chains. Now I have a "piece of my truck" with me!

This will complete the body parts.

I have not followed all the paths/topic/item in this thread.

However, if you are referring to a 1949 3600 truck with original frame and engine and transmission and clutch-housing, I think the same motor mounts would be used with 3-speed and 4-speed transmissions? I think that even the rear transmission mount would be the same.

We are winding down the month of September (2013).

Craig said the heater core just needed minor repairs but the radiator is bad.

I did talk with the Mr. Radiator folks in Illinois regarding the heater core and radiator. Bottom line is the heater core had to have minor repairs as well as be cleaned and pressure tested.

The radiator is another story and completely worthless. I ordered a new one - a non painted unit that will be ordered in from Maine of all places and put together for Craig to pick up.

Craig ordered motor mounts from Golden State even though the sales guy said they are for a half ton. The issue is they do not look like any other motor mount we have seen to this point.

Craig sent pictures of the old wiring that he removed. It was obviously original and much frayed and at points worn through.

He removed the pinion gear to replace the seal that we knew was leaking a lot.

Since the motor mount issue has stumped us both, we agreed to modify the current the current starter pedal. This will require some good old fashioned re-configuring and adjustments that Craig will need to be creative with.

The tie rod end issue is at an end as well. I went to an old scrap yard in Ohio that was to have several trucks of my era. I hunted for tie rod ends plus some other odds and ends that will only add to the patina. Ended up with nothing of value to me!

Craig hooked up my battery and rolled the engine over to ensure it would do that. He wants a new positive battery cable - ordered.

He is going to have a front pipe made locally near him so we can get an exhaust on the truck. Looks like he wants to focus on getting the truck started and run it soon.

Craig started removing the entire dash to get at the gauges as well as the wiring.

We did ordered a driver's door window regulator so the window moves up and down freely.

The distributor is in and Craig installed the positive cable to the starter.

The Filling Station would like the truck on their web site and their Facebook page.

We are moving ahead but Craig doubts seriously the truck could get done this year. Weather, time, and such are an issue.

The gauges look terrible and I need to replace them. I decided to go with all the NOS gauges that will match the patina of the truck. Reliability and originality are so important. I contacted Bob Adler to see what he had in the NOS and to get his valued opinion.

We have the new wiring harness to install but it certainly is no easy task. Clearly, Craig is putting his signature on this project and for those who never saw his work, they will never forget it.

He still needs to get a muffler on it to quiet it down. There are limits that anyone can endure on the ears.

I ordered a brake light switch from Bowtie Bits and have two choke brackets on the way to install on the carb so the manual choke will operate as it did.

A replacement master cylinder is being shipped to replace the new defective one.

A windshield is to be done and some molding, an insulator pad and rubber fitted mat for the floor.

Craig has plenty of minor issues at hand but the major costs seem to be behind me.

In early October, a day we all waited for, Craig called and advised me that the engine started. He has a short video of it that he will send me. He put all the ignition parts in and tightened everything in place to see if the engine would fire. There is no exhaust system and the valves have not been adjusted properly. He he ran some fuel to the carb and "hot wired" the ignition and when it cranked, the engine fired right away.

He ran it a very short time and shut it down. Later his neighbor Dan came over and they fired it again so Dan could hear it run as well. To say I am thrilled is an understatement and I am sick to my stomach I could not be there to hear it run and to hug my brother for all his hard work.

Much more work to go but this is the highlight of the entire project. Waking this truck up from its 33 year sleep and getting it ready for its next life is so exciting.