The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts engine swap

Howdy, I just found your site the other night and was lurking till about 3 in the morning. You all seem like a great bunch and I'm glad I found you. Both computers and wrenching are pretty new to me. I wasn't really a car guy as a kid but now I find myself fascinated with old cars and trucks. I've got a 66 C20 w/original 327 that I bought from a friends dad about 10 years ago. He had let it sit in his yard for about 15 years. Luckily the huge cabover camper he had on it preserved the cab, doors, and bed. The wood in the bed looks showroom and the hood and front fenders are as rusty as can be.

The wife is very tolerant and tries to walk me through this computer stuff. Also, she didn't skin me alive when I recently showed up with two 64 C60's. One flatbed dump that's in what I think is original condition, and never left the farm it was on 'til I drove it away. The other was a utilities boom truck originally and now is a butchered morphodite set up for hauling heavy equip. The guy I bought it from had it advertised as a C70 but the fenders say C60.

I do have some questions I was hoping to get some input on and I'll just start with the flatbed tonight as to not push my luck. Even though it probably hadn't had a tune up in 20 years it ran good coming home and for a few weeks after. I thought about selling it and put it down by the street with a for sale sign. (Since then, especially after finding your site, I've decided to maybe keep the old chevs and sell some of my other stuff.) Anyway, these two guys tried and tried to get me to cave on my price and I'm convinced they came back at night and sabotaged the truck hoping to come back and get it for less than they were hoping then un-sabotage it. With my very, very, limited mechanical ability I have not been able to unsabotage it completely. I drained 2 gallons of water out of the gas tank, blew out the lines, and got the carb rebuilt. It also looked like someone had started to remove the carb and distributor. I can get it to start when it's cold, but it runs very rough and then after running only a short time, will not start again and sounds like the battery is going dead. It's like as soon as it warms up something is starting to seize up inside. It's also hard to turn by hand. So, to avoid asking stupid questions, I tried to find any past questions that were similar to mine. I was able to determine that it's probably a 292 because the side valve covers are 6" high.

The question I have for you right now is this. I found a guy just down the road that has a engine sitting on his garage floor. Story is his friend's dad gave him the old C10 stepside that had been sitting on the side of the house for years. It only had 53,000 miles. He said he had to buy a coil and clean up the sparky components but it ran amazingly well even with the old gas that was in the tank. He's a self proclaimed V-8 guy and just wants it out of the garage. I can have it for a song. It looks just like my motor but I'm assuming it's not a 292 because the side panels are only 4 and 3/4 high. Would it take a lot of work to make this motor work in my C60? Even if it won't work, is it worth it to pick it up dirt cheap since I'm a pack rat and now a Stovebolter?

I've asked for a engine stand for my upcoming birthday and thought I might cut my teeth (and knuckles) on this 292 since I looked into having it rebuilt and can't afford it. I thought if this other inline would work I'd just switch 'em and take my own sweet time on the original motor. Even if I could just go pay for it to be done, I want to learn to do this stuff myself.

I guess in a nut shell, might this motor work in my C60 and if not, should I buy it anyway?

Thanks up front for any input you might have. Sorry for making this post so long but since this is my first post I wanted to introduce myself.

Hy Pack Rat, the 292 and the 230-250 are not a drop in swap, different engine mounts, different hieghts. If the engine ran before you should be able to make it run again, ask us all the questions you want and we'll try to help you.

Welcome to the Stovebolt!

Where in Western Washington are you? Lots of Washingtonians here and someone might even be close by. I'm on Bainbridge Island but say Seattle since no one outside the area has a clue where Bainbridge is.

If the motor ran well before its likely the problem can be fixed easier than the motors can be swapped. And making it run right before rebuilding it will make getting it running again later easier. Any electrical or fuel system problem you have today will need to be fixed later too...

You don't say how cheap this other motor is. I won't pay much for something when I don't really know what it is, and don't have a use for it. But if its cheap enough you might grab it just to have the distributor and carb and things like that.

I'm beginning to run out of room to store motors so I'm getting picky about what I'll keep around here.

Hey old sub I did not know that you where from Bainbridge. I just did a bunch of road maintance out there this summer.

Thanks for the input 3B and OldSub. We are in our new house in Spanaway now, but the old flat bed is still up in Burien.
Your right about the garage space being at a premium, BUT. the guy seems pretty belivable in giving the motors history. He's willing to take an old WW2 rifle for it ( nothing special, foreign ) that I payed like 40 bucks for. And does come w/carb, dist, plugs, wires that look pretty new, etc,etc. I kind of saw it as a $40 lotto ticket. If I should pick up the motor do those side covers being 4 and 3/4" high indicate if it's a 230 or 250? Would some of that stuff, and the starter, if I can talk him out of it work on the 292?

One of my friends thinks that it wont start after running because the starters bad. I don't think the starter could be affected that much after only running 30 to 60 seconds.

The reason I was thinking the motor I have has a major problem (that would need to be pulled out and torn down) is I can turn it by hand when it's cold (not easy) but after running a little it's almost impossible.

Thanks guys !!!!!

Pack Rat there is something odd going on with that motor. Pull all the spark plugs out when its too hot to start and see if it will spin easy then.

If the starter spins it easy I would rule that out.

Roy my regular commute is down 305 from Day Road on Bainbridge to Lincoln Road in Poulsbo. I probably drove past you many times this past summer, even if you were on the night shift!

Next time you're up here let me buy you a coffee or beer!

You guys are pretty close to each other, or at least compared to how far I am! Do you attend any of the car shows in Graham or Puyallup, or the swap meets either place? I show up at many of them and am always open to trying to meet and greet at one of those things.

The Good Guys and the 4x4 swapmeets in Puyallup and sometimes a car show or two in Graham. OldSub you where probley cussing us I was out there doing the chip seal. and later the patches by the high school.
Pack Rat we are very close as you can see I live in Roy.

I wrote that first and then changed it. I was able to avoid the high school while you guys were near there.

OldSub I forgot, I tried that the other day. It seemed like the starter was fine just by pulling a couple plugs. When the snow melts I'm going to tow it to a buddys and dig in a little deeper. I need to find manual for it.
You have a nice little collection going there. If you haven't decided already I think the old COE burb should stay a burb.

HevyHauler that's a nice lookin old dump truck you have. I like it. There is a house I was trying to buy right there in Roy. I was trying to get them to work a deal to toss in the garage next door ( the square deal garage) That made them decide to pull it back of the market, move the lot line and make sure they were getting top dollar. I didn't have time to wait and my wife wasn't as into it as I was.

I should get back to the guy who wants that motor off his floor. Do you think I should pick it up? Would any of the parts be interchangable with my 292 if I need them?

Thanks

Cheap as you can get it, I'd probably grab it.

I don't play with that series of motors and don't know how interchangable parts are, but things like the distributor and starter are most likely going to swap.

Pack Rat:

Welcome aboard. I am a fellow '64-'66 Chevy truck enthusiast. The six cylinder engine ID is located on the pad on the right side of the engine at the rear of the distributor.

The C10/C20 Series trucks with 230 six cylinders are Engine Codes N, ND or NE and the 292 six cylinders are Engine Codes PG or PK.

The C30 Series trucks with 230 six cylinders is Engine Code NE and the 292 six cylinders is Engine Code PG.

This information is from the Catalog of Chevy Truck ID Numbers 1946-1972 Pickups, Surburbans and El Camino. There is no information on the engines in the Big Bolts in this book. Perhaps this information will be of some help in identifying the engine size in your '64 C60's.

Tony

Thanks 4,5,6. Looks more like 8,9,10. Impressive collection. I especially like the wrecker. Thanks for the info, I'll take all I can get. When not finding literature (manuals and the like) in the swap meet, or just used, do you have a good recomendation for finding that stuff?

Some times s a motor won't start good after warming up due to sticky or improperly adjusted valves.

did you check the oil? if they put water in the gas then who knows? did they get the distributer out enough to dissingage the oil pump and the lube is not flowing ,, dont put nothing past bad people with bad intentions.

Also, if they had that distributor loose, did the timing maybe get messed up a little bit?

Howdy all,

I didn’t forget about you. Been working the satchel off all weekend. Thanks for all the input. Now that I’ve found this site, I need to find time to get up there and dig into the old boy.

Kb3csw, I think I can look into those valves and hopefully know what I’m looking at before calling in an expert.

1960C60Viking, The oil looks good. I hate to admit it but I wouldn’t have thought the distributor directly affected the oil pump. For the most part I’m really starting from ground zero as far as my mechanic skills (lack of).

Rich’sToys, I am really keeping my fingers crossed that’s what it is.

I need to find some repair/shop manuals for these trucks. If anyone has a good resource for these I’d love to know.

4-5-6 Chevy Trucks, you were just a few minutes ahead of me finding that 66 C20 manual in the freebie section.

Thanks to All who have chimed in with advice. I’m really glad I found you all here at this great site. I saw this truck earlier and thought many of you would appreciate this. Especially you 4-5-6. You may have all seen this already but in case you didn’t I thought I’d ad this link. Way out of my price range.

1. http://www.mychevytruck.com/merlin

Check the firing order. they probably switched a couple to make it run rough and load the cylinders with unburned gas.Just a thought.

Welcome Pack Rat from another Packrat, This a great sight. My problem is that most of the time, I am at work and am not logged in on that computer so I still do more lurking than posting. Plan to retire in June. Then, I will have more time to play. My ride is a '53 1/2 ton. It is bone stock and tired. I have a 292 that I redid a couple of months ago. Hope to get it in this winter.

Hello and thanks for the welcome Packrat. Maybe I'll have a few questions for you if I do end up rebuilding this thing. I've been eyeballing some parts trucks with 292's. I need another hood and fenders anyway and you know how it goes. Any excuse to bring home another truck.
biglou55, I finally got back up there and was convinced the order was wrong, but I rememembered the little saying wrong. I thought it started 36 was too old. It will be back to the drawing board.