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I've recently acquired my Dad's old '47 Chevy AD wrecker. As it's still sitting behind my sister's hose in NC, I'm unsure of all the details on the truck other than my somewhat faulty memory and an photo taken a couple of years ago. I'm going out there around June or so to visit with the relatives and haul the truck home.

I do know that the engine is a 270 or 302 GMC six (with a cracked block in three places now), Dad put all the Deluxe trim on the cab as well as building his own wrecker bed and I suspect he swapped out the axles for what appears to be ones from under a '60s Chevy medium truck (8 lug wheels now). And that it was originally a 1.5 or 2 ton. Dad never could keep from modifying stuff

Anyway, I'm hoping to get the truck out here and back on the road to putt around town in. I was a diesel engine mechanic for the Navy for over 20 years. That and having listened to Dad for years about Chevy trucks (as well as having owned a few '65 and newer ones myself) I guess I'm ready to try to tackle something larger. Thinking about a 235 or later 250 straight six for it. Unless cracked blocks can be easily fixed. Last I heard, that was pretty much a death sentence to a engine. I do know that I have no intention of putting a V-8 in it.

When Dad was alive he was a bit of a AD fanatic and I guess the acorn don't fall far from the tree. Besides, I haven't drove the '47 in over 30 years myself. I sent a pic of it for the gallery here.

interesting project you've inherited. What part of NC is the wrecker located? As you've already noted the engine has already been changed at least once since it would have come with a 216 or 235. I've seen some posts on repairing cracked blocks (try doing a search of this site) but itmight be easier to find a take out with a good block. good luck.

It's just south of Jacksonville. Dad retired there from the Marines and started up his shop in Verona. He had a small junkyard with a couple dozen or so AD Chevys and GMCs mixed in until he passed away. His daily driver was a '55 AD that he'd hot rodded up with a 400 small block and the other usual goodies. Unfortunatley that one was totalled in a wreck.

I suspect I'll end up putting another stovebolt six in the '47. Probably a '55-62 235 as I don't intend to use the truck as a wrecker, but just to putt around in like I mentioned above. But I've not ruled out a newer 250 either. JMO, but the Chevy straight six is one of the toughest engines ever built.

If you can find another 270 or 302 it will drop in easier than any of the Chevy motors, since the truck must have been modified to take the GMC already.

The Chevy six is a great motor, but the GMC is bigger and more durable. Not quite as common but not real hard to find either. And they are not expensive either.

And if you're not gonna be using that towing rigging,can I have it?
Speed

Patched an external 1-1/2 crack in the water jacket of a 216 with "JB"...held for a couple of years.

Willie I work out of warsaw nc not to far from jacksonville. A fellow i work with has a 302 6 it was running when he got it but the more he ran it after he started it the poorer it ran suspect maybe varnish got to the valves. I'll check with him to see if he's made up his mind what he plans to do with the motor

JUST CURIOUS WILLY. YOU A POOL SHOOTIN' BOY?

stick with a 235,,261,,270,,302,,and a set of headers you will love it...

Good luck with your project! Send us lots of pictures.

A pat on the back for wanting to keep it a six.

I'm keeping an eye out for a 270 or 302 Jimmy six. For me right now the main thing is to get it back to running. But worst case, I'll settle for a later 235. My son has a '56 1/2 ton with a running 235 that he's making noises about putting a V-8 in. I've done the fatherly advice bit about keeping the six in it. But if he's hard headed enough to drop in a eight, I've got dibs on the six even if it don't make it to the '47.

I've decided to keep the wrecker booms & winch on it. Never can tell what I might find that'll need dragged up .

Pool shootin' was never much fun for me. Seems the billiard halls frown on using a squirrel rifle instead of a pool stick....

I got invited to play cow pasture pool once. I told them I'd love to but I didn't think it was sportin' to use clubs. I wanted to use my .45. They didn't show up to pick me up and they never invited me again. :confused:

On that cracked block, I got to thinking about it last night (my thinking about stuff usually turns out to be a pretty dangerous endeavor ). Anyway, I've used Devcon on broken diesel engine castings while I was in the Navy, so I'm thinking I really need to get a good look at those cracks before writing off that Jimmy engine. If I can keep that one that's in there, I'd rather do that.

I'm thinking that it already has the split exhaust manifold, but not sure. Dad did so much to that truck in the dozen or so years he used it before he passed away that it's gonna be a pain to refigure it all back out.

If the crack is just on the outside of the block and not near and machined surfaces, I would grind a "V" notch into the crack and arc weld it shut with nickel rod. But, that's just me,
Scott

48 if the block is cracked then probably the head is also. old bolts 6's are famous for cracked heads. if you can find one, old military trucks that were g.m. made had 302's in them, also i'm sure you can spot a junker gmc big truck in a farmfield, scrapyard etc.. maybe find a a 270, 248, etc..


iam a pool shooin' boy by name of will mc coy
but back home they call me slim
well i'm lookin' for the king of 42nd. street
he's drivin' a droptop cadillac
after he took all my money
and this may sound funny
but i come to get my money back

and everybody say jack
don't ya know
ya don't tug on supermans cape-------


good song!

Just cross-referenced the VIN and it came out as a 161" wb 2-ton built in Baltimore during November of '47. There's a pic of it in the Gallery now.

No mention of GVW on the title and the data plate is missing. Any idea on what the GVW should be?

Hey Willy,That sure sounds like a great project.I have a '53 6500 wrecker with a 261 and it is 16,000 GVW as most of them were.As for the rear,is it a two speed with 8 lugs?It could be orignal. Keep us posted with pictures of progress.Good Luck!