The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Update from the Heart of Hunter, ND

Last night I was out in my shop until 1:30 AM working on my Big Bolt. The first thing I wanted to do was clean out the inside of the cab. It was scary looking in there ! I used my shop vac to get most of the mouse stuff out, just enough so I could get to the 8 bolts that hold the bench seat in. The bolts came out suprisingly easy. Except for those 2 bolts that are in the inside back side. My hand is just a little too big to fit comfortably in there. Well, anyway I got the bench seat out and did some more cleaning. I turned my head and my "Main Squeeze" was standing there. It scared the heck out of me. My hearing is about 30 percent totally shot according to the VA Hospital. So people have a tendency to sneak up on me. She said "That seat is nasty baby".. I said "Yeah, it sure is !!" She didn't stay but a minute or two, then back in the house she went. She is taking care of a baby dog that was born prematurely a couple days ago. The dog was born 5 ounces, she is up to over 7 ounces now, so that's a good deal. Well, anyway this morning I felt like going for a Sunday drive, so I loaded up "Moosehead" in our little Toyota truck and I went to the nearest gas station that was open... 25 miles away. I got a 5 gallon can of diesel fuel at 2.45 a gallon and then came back home. Moosehead had a good time sticking his head out the window and sniffing, then laying his head on my lap. Back to work I went on the Big Bolt.. I drained the oil pan and noticed a small amount of green antifreeze in the oil. I'm thinking to myself,, this is a bad deal !! I drained the radiator and the antifreeze looks fresh and plenty strong, well that's good.. Then I took out all the spark plugs. They all looked real good, well 5 of them did. I'm thinking the piston rings must be good yet. But goll dang it anyway !! Number 3 cylinder is full of antifreeze, and I'm mean plumb full ! That's why the engine is stuck.

I have a question for you guys... Is it common for these Chevy Six's to have a cracked head ??? Or is it more common to have a blown head gasket, because I'm thinking it's one of those two things, or maybe both.

I've got my numbers now... Ok.. On the inside of the door jam, driver's side up high is a tag it says.. Chevrolet 6B56J006384. I've got the numbers off the block, left side of distributor and that number is... 0165021F561A

My next goal is to take the front clip off the truck. Back when I was in high school my cousin had a salvage yard. He paid me 20 dollars for each car I took the front clip off of. I didn't know these cars were classics back then. I remember a lot of Chevy's from the 60's though.

Well it's break time.. In conclusion I have to say that I'm a little bummed out about the antifreeze in number 3 cylinder.. But hey , " It was running when they parked it there " LOL

I have pictures of my Big Bolt and our tiny new dog at http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g178/reroy55
Enjoy Your Weekend Guys !! Sure is nice weather in Hunter today !

I've had the later model sixes do both head gasket and cracked head. did get 1 rotating with mixture of diesel fuel and mystery oil. good luck. and maybe it will be only head gasket.

Thanks for the reply Wrench Fetcher !
I did some research on the block number. I miss-read the number.. The last 2 numbers are TA, which means it's a jobmaster 261 cubic inch engine. My vin number matches the number on my title, and I'm thinking that this engine is more than likely the motor that came with the truck originally. The guy that had the truck before me lives the next town over to the west from me, he's had it since 1979.
I did pour diesel fuel into the engine this morning. It's not going to solve the problem, but it's not going to hurt anything either.
Time to take the front clip off. I'll be able to get at the engine a heck of a lot easier that way. Is it a cracked head or just a blown gasket.. I won't know until I take it apart..

Hey North Dakota 56 don't despair yet. Your 56 was likely to have been running when parked. If the truck ran daily befor being parked it may not have had the time too fill the cylinder to the point of hydraulic lock. Possibly they where lucky enough that the piston stopped @ TDC,or ran it with the radiator cap loose as to not biuld the pressure to push the water in to the cylinder.Any way sounds like it may be a small leak in a head gasket.The motor may run now after clearing the water from the cylinder.Cross your fingers and pull the head,inspect the old gesket and it's mating surfaces.IF you find an the leak hear your in luck if not take your head to a good shop for magna-flux inspetion.As for the info on your VIN look here www.chevytrucks.org/mikesgarage/1956.hmt

Thank You For the Response HevyHauler !!

Maybe I should take a 3 eighths OD plastic tube and blow the coolant out of cylinder number 3, then put in some penetrating oil ???

You might be right on the non pressurized cooling system. I should look at the cap. It might be a vented cap...

There sure isn't much rust on this truck. The fender bolts are comming out nice.

I would have thought it was a cracked head or blown head gasket also but Im not very familar with these old 6 cylinders.Good luck with your truck and the pup I have 4 American Pitbull Terriers and I've had one Sharpei pup both breeds are wonderful.

ND;

Do a compression check to give yourself a little more information before tearing it down. This is probably a moot point right now but it won't hurt or cost you anything. If you have two low cylinders next to each other, it is most likely a blown head gasket.

Aaaha...it has a hoist too. Very nice. Looks like it "may" be a Galion 715/720 or perhaps a Hercules brand. The cast cross shaft and cylinder head bolt arrangement makes me think this. These two later merged and continued as Hercules Galion but finally dropped the Hercules name. It has a "Z" subframe so that tells me it is used as a conversion hoist for a platform/grain style body so the mounting heigth wouldn't be so high. Perfection also made this type but I'm sticking with the Galion or H-G line. I see the name tag is still on the subframe so tell me how I did.

I know you didn't ask about this but whenever I see an old truck with a hoist I see the hoist before I see the truck. Anyway I hope you get lucky and it's only a head gasket problem.

I went out into the shop and read the tag on the hoist. The Perfection Steel Body Co. Model number 715B , Serial number 19815

It was a grain hauler for sure.. I found a lot of it in the cab !

OH !! I forgot.. The Hoist was manufactured in Galion , Ohio

Thanks for the response MikeE !!
I can't do a compression test. The engine is stuck solid. I have all the spark plugs out. I drained the pan, then filled with diesel fuel. I cleaned out number 3 cylinder, then filled with diesel fuel, then I filled it with penetrating oil several times. The oil is seeping down past the piston, but the engine is still stuck. I jacked up the rear wheels, then put the tranny in gear and rocked the wheels back and forth by hand hoping to knock the engine loose. No luck.. I think I should just remove the fenders and hood, then I have easier access to the engine. Then I'll pull the head off and see how bad number 3 cylinder is.

Thanks for the reply DBS !!
We have a baby Shar Pei now. It was premature. It weighed only 5 ounces. Today she is up to 10 ounces. We named her Charity.