The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1956 Napco - total engine rebuild

I've got a 56' Napco that says 81 on the plates so my guess it's been about 40 years since it ran, it will be a total engine rebuild inside and out, especially since someone was kind enough to leave the hood partially open for years and let all the rain blow in on the engine.

Welcome to Stovebolt

Please tell us more about yourself and your truck (how you came by it, what your plans are, etc.)

If you have technical questions, please post them in one of the other forums, f'rinstance The Engine Shop or Driveline.

We'd love to see pictures as well.

If the motor is not original, it will be WAY cheaper and way easier to buy a good running motor and drop it in. If you enjoy rebuilding old motors, that's another story.

Thanks for the post bartamos. If Jsalchenberg shows back up, any discussion about the motor can be moved (started!) in Engine Shop.

Welcome to the bolt... we love pix of trucks here.

Sorry, haven't been back on the forum in a few weeks since my last post. As far as I know, everything on the truck is original, including the engine. The truck sat for several decades in the coastal mountains of Oregon buried in blackberries so the rust has definitely eaten away at it, although it gave the truck some character. I bought it from an older gentleman for 500 dollars only because it was a napco. He dug it out of the blackberries in Siletz, Oregon at a friend's place where he had discovered it after he bought the property. I've already rebuilt the napco transfer case and gm 4 spd trans. I have the engine tore down and it looks like it had pretty low miles as there isn't much wear. I'm still trying to get a title for it as it was an abandoned vehicle. I believe it was a county truck or forest service truck originally as it has LINCOLN COUNTY stamped on the inside of front tires for Lincoln County, Oregon, and it was originally forest green. My biggest problem however is when trying to load the truck up to take to my property, I broke the drivers side steering knuckle on the napco axle and have been looking for one for the last year. Any information or anyone who has extra napco parts would help a lot! I also posted a picture of the front steering knuckle that is broke as well.

Since there's a license plate number with an '81 sticker, maybe the Motor Vehicle Department can shed some light on ownership, although they may not share the info with you because of privacy issues.

Your right about total engine rebuild! Wow it looks more like Swiss Cheese than an engine. There are so many holes leading directly into the internals I couldn’t imagine you would find a salvageable part. 56-62 235’s are fairly common and running engines can be purchased for $500 or less with rebuildable cores going for $2-300. Any within that era will be a bolt in replacement. Good luck!

On another note, welcome to the ‘bolt! Spend a little time and introduce yourself in the “Welcome Center” forum. Tell us a bit about yourself and your truck. We would love it, if you expanded a bit on both your story/history, your goals and what if anything you have already accomplished on restoring your truck.

Again Welcome to the bolt!

Jsalchenberg We used napco for spray trucks on corn and beans,really good in the mud. That was in "73,I'm afraid your in for it on your front end part though. However there are napgo guys out there,once broke the short front axle, a sharp local machinist made us one that was a perfect fit !! With 500 gallons of spray and 40 foot booms on you could get thru a fairly big wet place if you didn't let out of it !! Pretty good fun if it hadn't been so seriously important to get thru it with your expensive and important load !! Tough looking truck !!

The title issue is usually a headache, though you can probably get a provisional title that becomes permanent after some number of years. I was able to do that in Washington State about 20 years ago. I see that the Oregon coast isn't kind to iron but who knows, maybe a little rust converter, some paint and a couple of valve springs and you're on your way. Or for that current "patina" look just clear-coat the whole thing. cool old truck.

I would strongly recommend making sure you can get a clean title before spending any more money on the project.

Fibonachu,

Thanks for your post. I've realized the need to get a title first so I have slowed down progress in the last several months. I've been in the process of getting some bills of sale right now. We went to the department of motor vehicles a while back and they said that the records had been purged for the truck some point back in the 80s or 90s when registration wasnt renewed, so I know it wasn't stolen. We just have to confirm previous owner 40 years ago isn't around or wants it still then we can resurrect the old title and put my name on it. This is the reason I have not done a lot to the truck or rebuilt the engine yet. Like you said it is priority so I should probably focus on getting that title.

Thanks, Joshua

That is good to hear. I went through a similar process with one of my trucks and got a bonded title. That title came with a limitation that it can't be resold outside the state it was issued in. After 5 years the bond expired amd I can go trade the title for a clean one.

Which reminds me, it did expire and I need to go do that...

That said, getting that clock running would be in your best interests.

Thanks, I'll make it a priority!