The Stovebolt Site Forums Project Journals Project Journals 1952 Chevrolet 3100 Project

I seem to have about a 50-50 shot of anything I buy overseas of working or fitting as advertised. Even if it does works initially, they almost never last their warrantee and are difficult and costly to get that warrantee honored.

6/08/26:Today, for the first time since September 2023, I finally stomped on the starter and brought the truck back to life.

It’s been quite a journey to get here. When I upgraded to power disc brakes back in '23, I hit an unexpected snag: the existing wheels wouldn’t clear the new calipers. That left the truck stranded in the garage while I agonized over choosing the right rims. That delay ended up being the catalyst for the entire bodywork and paint project. It’s hard to believe, but two years and nine months have passed since she last roared.

Before attempting the start, there were a few things I wanted to do. I swapped out the thermostat, since the temp gauge was acting sluggish in the past and did a fresh oil change. I also pulled the distributor to spin the oil pump manually, just to make sure the bearings weren’t starting dry. Seeing that oil pressure climb over 30 lbs gave me a lot of peace of mind.

I ran into a few hurdles along the way, of course. After adding half a gallon of gas to the new tank and CuNi gas line, I found a leak at the connection near the fuel pump. Despite my best efforts to tighten the flare, it just wouldn't seal, and it’s clear I’ll need to run a new line. For today, I rigged up a barbed fitting and a short piece of hose just to get her running.

When I finally hit the starter, she was initially a bit grumpy. The hydraulic lifters were rapping pretty hard, and for a moment, I feared I’d be pulling the valve cover. I also had to shut her down briefly after seeing the top of fuel pump wet with gas. I tightened the bolts and it seemed to have stopped. My thoughts are that the gaskets may have shrunk while sitting. Upon starting her again, she smoothed out beautifully. Within a few minutes, those lifters pumped up, and she was purring like a kitten. I kept her at about 1500 RPM until she hit a steady 180°, and the temperature climb was smooth and consistent.

Although my original three-year build projection has stretched into year seven, with at least one more to go, I am absolutely thrilled to have her moving under her own power again. It was a great day in the garage!

Phil - That's an awesome milestone to achieve. Can't wait to see what's next for your truck. Do I sense a revival "maiden" voyage in the near future?

I still have the glass to put in, the front end and bed to paint and install. Inching closer!

Nice work. Sometimes these projects that are going to be a few days, turns into months, but worth it in the end. Soon will be a drive followed another drive. Enjoy small triumphs

Yep, all good things take time!!

Way to go Phil. Perseverance wins every time.

In the immortal words of Lone Watie, "Endeavor to persevere."

I'm sure that engine coming to life was a great feeling and will help keep the project moving forward - great milestone!

Thanks all for your encouragement! It is definitely a motivator to finish the project. I have to finish my spring cleanup and a bathroom vanity update before I can get to doing more paintwork. The joys of owning a house!

Sweet, nothing sounds better than a smooth running 6, I love these old engines..

6/18/26: I wanted to give you a quick update on the progress I’ve been making on the truck as I’ve been able to squeeze some time in.

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the seat frame, which had some significant rust issues. It looked like there had been a previous, poorly executed attempt to weld the holes shut, which really compromised the structural integrity of the frame. The only real solution was to cut out the bad metal and fabricate a replacement section specifically where the rear driver’s seat frame bolts to the slides. I forgot to take an as found photo so I placed the piece I cut out over the new patch and took a picture to show the carnage. The new patch is in, and it’s solid now. I’ve applied some Bondo to smooth everything out. There are still lots of little rust holes, but not anything that compromises the structural integrity of the frame so I’m going to let it go. Stripping the entire frame down to bare metal has been quite a chore and I’m still working my way through it.

I ended up changing course due to allot of rain. I didn’t want to deal with any more sanding dust around the garage, so I switched gears and started working on the wiring. I’ve been applying fabric loom to the wire runs. Since it’s split loom, getting it seated over the wires was a bit of a challenge, but I finished it off by securing everything with fabric tape and clamps. To get those clamps mounted securely to the firewall without requiring a second person under the dash to screw the nut on the bolts, I used rivet nuts, which worked out really well.

I love the old time look of the fabric loom and happy with the results. It’s slow going, but it’s definitely coming together.

Hey Phil, Where did you get that fuse block? I added 3 inline fuses on my project, but I'd like to add a small fuse block like yours.

I bought it from Amazon. Here is a link.

6/21/26: As most of you know, I previously installed power disc brakes, a PCV system and also have the original vacuum wipers. Ever since I installed the power disc brakes, I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to handle the original vacuum wipers.

My initial plan was to install an electric vacuum pump to keep them running independently. I ended up picking one up off Amazon for about fifty bucks, but once I hooked it up to test the noise level, I was really disappointed—it was incredibly loud. It definitely took the wind out of my sails regarding that particular plan.

I was talking to a good friend of mine about it, and he was adamant that the engine should have more than enough vacuum to handle the power brakes, the PCV system, and the wipers all at once. I decided his suggestion was at least worth a shot, since I had all the fitting needed to tee it in.

It seems like a solid solution on paper, but only time will tell if its tolerable under load. I’m still a long way from a road test, so I’ll have to wait and see how they perform once I’m actually out on the street.

I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out once I finally get it out of the garage.

You may want to install an accumulator on the wiper side to "store" vacuum for those higher load operating times that you also need wipers.

I adapted a 1 lb propane cylinder as a vacuum accumulator for the wipers, but when I tried the wipers, they still stalled out when I mashed the gas pedal. This was on a dry windshield however, as I haven't had my truck out in the rain yet.
As far as the power brakes, that will likely work OK, as the vacuum chamber for the brakes is fairly large and has a check valve to keep the vacuum built up. I did have a check valve between the engine vacuum inlet and the accumulator and wiper motor (rebuilt by Fiken).

My wiper motor rebuilt, by Ficken worked great until I went up a hill and thats why I was thinking of an electric vacuum pump. I don’t plan on going out in the rain but you never know if you’ll get caught in it. I still might pursue a quiet vacuum pump but most that claim to be quiet are quite pricey.

6/30/26: I’ve finished installing the wiring for the rear lights and the gas tank sending unit. I tested the sending unit, and it’s working perfectly—which is a huge relief! To keep everything secure and looking factory-correct, I ran all the wiring through a fabric sheath and clamped it neatly along the frame.

With those tasks checked off, I’ve officially finished all the electrical work in the cab. Since that phase is wrapped up, I was finally able to bolt the seat back in place. Although the color is not the saddle tan it’s going to be, I can now pull the truck out of the garage under its own power! It’s starting to feel more like a truck again!

Good to get that part out of the way, Phil.

Yeah, that seat kind of glows in the dark.

Looking forward to seeing a video of your first drive.

BTW if you're running 12V, look at a vacuum pump for a 99 or newer Ford Diesel Truck. They're relatively quiet.

Good to hear the wiring is completed. I think that was the most difficult part of my project. The white seat looks OK to me!

In the grand scheme of things, we want to have it reupholstered in saddle tan along with the door panels and possible the ceiling. I'm also going to ask about tying the springs down to give me more room. I'm only 5’9” and it’s really tight.

I'm not sure what you mean by tying the springs down. What does that do and how does it give you more room?

I'm 6 ft and I find the AD cab to be roomy and comfortable to sit in and drive.

I've heard (not confirmed) that an upholsterer can tie down the coil springs, so they don’t stick out as far giving you a bit more room between the seat and the steering wheel. If I could gain an inch, that would be great.

I see. I

I wonder if purchasing shorter seat springs would be a better option. That way you get the full range of motion of the spring as it was designed.

7/28/26: I’ve been pretty busy lately updating the main bath in our house, so there hasn’t been a ton of progress on the old truck. However, I did manage to get the back glass installed, and let me tell you, it was easily the most tedious job I’ve encountered since starting this build—especially since I’m operating completely solo and it was a struggle the entire time.

On my first attempt, I couldn’t even get the gaskets to stay in place when I tried installing the glass. Following some advice in the Tech Tip “Chrome Weatherstripping Lock Strip Installation,” written by Jon G, I ended up taping it in place and letting it sit for a few days, which definitely helped. Still, the hardest part was getting the bottom started, which took several attempts. It took me the entire afternoon just to get the rear and two quarter windows installed into their gaskets.

A few days later, I started on the installation of the chrome lock strip. Following Jon G’s Tech Tip, I spent 45 minutes on just a tiny section, terrified I was going to slip with the screwdriver and gouge my new paint, before I finally decided to call it a day. It clearly wasn’t working out for me, so I knew I needed to regroup and figure out a different approach before diving back in.

I’m sure Jon G’s method would work great if I had another pair of hands. Operating solo, I couldn’t apply enough pressure to the bead to get it to seat into the gasket without pushing the window right into the cab. Fortunately, I had previously taped the window to the exterior of the cab to ensure I didn’t lose it. A second person inside the cab applying opposing pressure would have helped tremendously. Also, several times while applying pressure to the bead, I desperately could have used another pair of hands to help pry the gasket over the edge.

Prior to starting this job, I made a ball-end pick tool just like Jon G showed in his Tech Tip, but it was too big to slip past the inserted bead into the groove. It seemed to me that I needed a mini version of that tool. Using a piece of 1/8” welding wire, I fashioned a small pry tool that slipped in much easier than the ball-end pick tool. This enabled me to insert the tool into the groove alongside the inserted bead and pry the rubber lip up and over the edge of the bead. I could lift the gasket edge and guide the bead into the groove with the tool, walking the bead in one inch at a time while alternating sides. This method was much easier than the screwdriver for me and applied zero inward pressure to the window, assuring I wouldn’t push the glass into the cab. With this trick, I finished installing the rear window bead in less than 45 minutes!

The last quarter window wasn’t quite as easy as I expected since I discovered a new method. I did use my new custom tool, but it still took over an hour to install the bead. I ended up having to splice in another section because I managed to damage the chrome slightly. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, but I certainly didn’t want to repeat that entire install from scratch.

Overall, despite the headaches, I’m pretty pleased with the results.

On to the windshield!

Phil, you're going to have to enlist some help on the windshield, even if it's a neighbor kid or your wife.

I've never seen anyone show how to do it single handed. Someone has to be putting pressure on the glass from the outside while the gasket is roped in place from the inside.

Kudos for getting the rear glass done by yourself. You get a gold star for that job.

I second Klhansen’s comments. I did all but the windshield without help. It definitely took time.

I can not imagine getting the rear window in one handed, great work! I had a helper and still had trouble keeping the glass from being pushed in.

I struggled with my rear window too. Had to take a 2 hour break to calm down. Using a suction cup and lots of Windex Foam spray helped.

8/05/26: I wanted to share a major milestone on the truck project. Today, with the help of my grandson and his friend (yes, I took all of your advice and I am really glad I did), we successfully installed the windshield!

Neither of the boys had any experience installing a windshield, and my only background was watching my instructor do it back in trade school, plus a few hours of YouTube videos. Despite that, we dove right in.

I had previously set the glass into the gaskets along with the new stainless steel trim and the pull-rope. With the three of us working, we started at the bottom and worked our way up both sides, alternating a few inches at a time. Everything went smoothly until we hit the top corners.

The passenger side wasn't too bad, but the driver's side gave us a real fight. The glass had shifted almost completely out of the center groove of the gasket on the top side. We ended up using two suction cup glass handlers, and after soaking the gasket down with glass cleaner, we managed to slide the glass back into place. I also discovered a great trick. I used one suction cup handler on the inside pulling hard, while my grandson pounded on the outside handler with his palm.

As we got close to finishing, I noticed the trim on the driver's side wasn’t seated deep enough, which I think was causing the gasket not to seat fully. Once I spotted the issue, I soaked the gasket with glass cleaner again and slowly worked the trim into place using light taps with a rubber mallet and a microfiber cloth to protect the finish. After that, using my newly discovered trick, the corner slid right into place.
We did run into one minor thing: in both bottom corners, the outside of the gasket puckered just a tiny bit. I’m hoping a few good days sitting out in the sun will relax the rubber and smooth that out—fingers crossed!

I still have the center SS trim to install, but I wanted to polish it first, before Install it.

Looking back, I probably should have bitten the bullet and bought Steele Rubber gaskets, but at $180 plus shipping, that was a pretty hard pill to swallow.

At any rate, I’m not building this truck to compete in a Concours d’Elegance car show, so I am just plain thrilled that this major milestone that I was sweating about, is finally complete.

Looking like a good install Phil. So glad to hear that grandson and friends were on board to help an old truck.

Indeed a major milestone, glad it went well. I had one original and two new windshields when I did my install and of course broke one of the new and resorted to using the original. Mine was the easier version without the stainless steel trim so I'm sure yours was quite the challenge.

Nice milestone success story Phil! It's great that you had those young-un's to lend a hand. I bet they felt just a good as you did in doing the install. Good times!

Phil,

What was the brand and source for the fabric covering you used on your wiring? Eventually, I will have to put some wires in my truck (as there really aren't any now) and I am trying to figure out what route I should take.

Thanks,
Nick

Phil, that was an accomplishment. Seems like I remember the same little bump in the radius corners. I think I pushed the rubber away from the corners and got rid of them

Nick, you can buy the woven fabric loom and fabric tape from Summit Racing.

Donald, did you push the rubber away while you did the job or were you able to do it after it was installed?

It was as I was installing as the rubber was still lubricated. It only needs to move a little bit.

8/09/26 Over the last few days, I polished the windshield center trim and painted the underside of the hood to get everything ready for installation.

Today, I tackled installing the windshield center strip. I really struggled with getting those screws in place, I could only get the bottom three to cooperate at first, and the top one just wouldn't catch. After fighting with it for a few hours, I finally had success and got it secured.

From there, I moved on to installing the hood. To make it manageable, I used my engine hoist along with a couple of D-rings placed in the emblem holes to safely lift the back of the hood while I got the screws in. Fortunately, before I removed the hinges previously, I had drilled them out and used screwdrivers as alignment pins, which made getting the alignment right a breeze.
The hood is officially on!

Next up is tackling the fenders and inner fenders.