The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop I'm Restoring a 1955 GMC 100 2nd Series... 248 Should I Keep It Stock?

I have removed the inner and outer fenders... the radiator. I bought the truck from the second owner who is a mechanic as was his dad at their station here on Route 66. He's a friend of mine. He told me it just needs a new timing gear on the cam. Question... can I replace the timing gear without taking the engine out ( I have the cover screws out except the bolts hidden under the pan) or should I replace the whole engine with a V8?? I like 6 cylinders and I believe the truck will be worth more if I keep it stock... Thanks!

Robert

Whatever you do, fix those bolt holes by tapping them next size so don't have to take pan off. A 302 GMC will bolt right in there(looks same on outside) and give significantly more power. Serial number, right side, behind starter, stamped, starts with displacement, i e 248xxxx, 302xxxx.

302's appear in larger trucks, not usually 1.5 ton, unless one has been swapped in, so look in all GMC trucks, just in case. Lots of military trucks, too.

Ed

IMHO bone stock, or as close as you can get, sale better than modified trucks. I buy them when I find a 50's, 60s or 70s whatever, fix what's wrong and flip it. Helps pay for the hot rod money hole I also do. Can't tell you how many times someone has walked up to me at a filling station and said, "I learn to drive in a truck just like that". These guys are not car or truck guys. That just want to tool around town in an old ride with their grandson and tell him about when gas was 25 cents a gallon and Cokes were a nickel.

The more I'm around my old trucks and others, the more I appreciate the stock idea. Maybe not bone stock, but at least a very good nod to it. I6, manual, I beam, etc.

I had an old fella come into my friend's shop where I am doing body work and he looked over my GMC 1 ton. He said,"I love that you kept the old 6 in it. Everybody these days thinks these old girls need a V8."
That made my day.

I also have a 55 2nd with the 248 and was asking myself the same thing. I went with rebuilding the 248 and haven't had a single regret. For me it came down to will I drive it more if I went sbc or some other arrangement? The cost and can of worms the engine change would have caused made the answer easy for me. But one thing that has been repeated on several occasions on this site is, it's your truck, do what you want with it. Good luck!

I tell myself I'm building it stock so the next guy will have a nice clean rig to put air bags and a crate-o-cc's with a something something 400 in.
Reality's a bitchallenging sometimes.

I'm restoring a '52 3/4 ton, and constantly ask myself if I should keep it ORIGINAL... Modernizing it would be EASY, but keeping it original preserves history. If you ask me, preservation is better than modernization, but people are going to do, what people will do.

that's a great new word you invented! "how was that engine replacement?" ... "Man - what a bitchallenging job!"

If you go to changing it up you are not restoring it, you are rebuilding it.

Wow, 7 responses and no one answered his question about the timing gear! I can't help because I don't know. Come on guys lets help the fellow out.

Building it to please the next owner?
Why?

Ed indicated he 'would' need to take the cam off when suggesting he reverse the two bottom bolts while he's at it. (It sure makes that job easier next time)

I pull the radiator as well as raise the front of the motor about 3 or 4 inches to gain access to the front oil pan bolts.

I always question when someone says "It only needs..."

Trust (very little) but (always) Verify.

Thanks for all the responses! I would rather keep it all stock so I'll replace the timing gear ... but my friend (Jimmy) thinks I should rebuild it.He and his dad did many years ago, it was parked in his car yard since 1990... and sat there till he towed it here a few months ago. He also has a 1950 Chevy four door that he had some interior work done on it that he wants to sell... probably a 235 in that one. His dad passed away a couple years ago and he pulled his dads old Model A out of the garage and sold it. He still does mechanic work out of the old gas station here on Route 66... and has several other old trucks... it's fun living here!

Bravo. I'm a fan of keeping a good driver pretty much stock. It's a piece of history. On the other hand if a vehicle is in pretty sad shape where restoring it isn't feasible then hotrodding it is acceptable. At the end of it all it's your ride so do with it as you wish.

"Building it to please the next owner?
Why?"

Simple answer Panic. Some guys like the building and when that's over they move on to another one. Some, like me, like the driving once the project is completed. I've owned the same '36 Chevy pickup since 1965.

If your referring to my 'take' on it I AM building the way I want it. But someone else is evevtually going to have it and I really don't want the next guy to be cursing away at me for using POR15 as he/she tries to blast back to clean metal, or finding frozen nuts or bolts that require a fire wrench to remove.
But that's just because I like to be different.

I struggled with the same thing with my '48. I ended up modernizing it but making it look original. I found it impossible to find brake drums for my truck, so I was forced to modernize.

I haven't done anything to/with my 228's timing gears yet, but I'll see if I can help. Other than the CID, I haven't the slightest of what the differences are between the 228, 248 and 270. But from looking in my manual, it seems like you COULD replace the Camshaft &/ timing gear without removing the engine. Hope this helps!

Baldeagle- I agree with Tiny. Restoring, in and of itself, is NO easy task! So I, as I'm sure Tiny doesn't either, blame you.

Thanks! I only have those two rear entry bolts and the gear cover will fall off. I'll take the advice too of lifting the engine up three inches to access the bolts. One of the engine mounts need replaced anyway so I'll just take the engine loose and floor jack it up a little. Unless someone tells me that's a bad idea... I notice you can get alternatives to the fiber cam gear... I'm thinking there must be a reason it's fiber.

Research and prepare to tap those two at the bottom so they can be reached from the front.

You'll want all the room you can get sliding the oil pan 'with sealer' into place as it's a tight fit.