The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Got it running today

Got this running today, it runs amazingly well for something that has been sitting for 30+ years. All I did was removed the carb, distributor and the starter and went through them - cleaned them up, lubricated the moving parts, etc. Put all new tuneup parts on it, plugs, wires, points, condenser, cap and rotor. I bet it didn't turn over 3 times before it busted off. Blew a shovel full of dirt dauber nests out the tail pipe, lol.

Video of it running in my driveway

I have several questionsafter watching your video. I'm not sure how to ask them just yet. It'll come to me... I just need to think some.
Congrats on firing it up!
Brad

Edit- ok, everything looked accessible after I watched the video again... what are you planning to do with the truck?

What do you mean everything looked accessible? I plan to restore this truck. I am not sure yet what I might put on the back of it - a flat bed or maybe just a fifth wheel and a headache rack, we'll see. The biggest challenge is going to be getting the brakes working. Everything is there, its just fossilized.

I watched the whole video & payed attention. Didn't see battery, didn't know if you could fill gas bottle back up, et cetera...

Like you say, everything is there.

Brad

The battery was sitting on the trailer underneath the truck and I was able to refill that bottle - I refilled it a dozen times or so in fact. lol I ran it for about 2 and a half hours. The fuel pump was missing from the engine when I got it, I have a new one but I didn't have the fittings to hook it up so I just left it off for now. I have a block-off plate over the hole on the side of the block.

I was curious as to how you were running the coolant through it without the radiator in place.
That is a cool truck, and I'm glad it runs so well.

Rich, I noticed on my second video watching there was a hose inserted into the rear of the engine (I think).

Mechanic58- the fuel refill did have me puzzled; in the video, you said 'it's been running for about an hour'... after I saw that bottle I had to ask about it (or wanted to ask--which is why I watched the video again- the bottle was accessible to refill).

It is going to be a sweet truck. You sure as heck got it confused after its 30 year hibernation with a 2.5 hour run!

Brad

lol...I had a garden hose clamped into the lower radiator hose and had the water flow throttle to 'just enough'. I run engines like this all the time. It only works with the t-stat removed, otherwise you just pressurize the block and blow the hoses off. I have a radiator for this truck, it just wasn't installed at the time because I didn't have the correct water pump drive pulley. The water pump, water pump pulley, t-stat housing and radiator were all missing from it when I got it. I just scrounged enough junk together to get it to a point where I could run it for awhile. That fuel bottle was hanging from some wire. I was able to pull it clear of the hood far enough to keep re-filling it. I have been using that same setup for this type of [censored] for years and years. It's an old Gatorade bottle with a metal tire valve stem bolted through the bottom of it. Works great and never overcomes a needle and seat valve.

Great info for an addendum to the " Bringing a Dead Engine Back to Life " tech-tip...

Subtitled: "Nahhh... you don't need all that!"
By: mechanic58

Brad