The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Can it be done?

save the diesel for putting in the cylinders? or use clean diesel each flush and save the diesel for starting a celebration bon fire once this thing turns??

so what do u guys think about the truck?

Right on! Did you mention it was panel earlier? Looks good! I worked with the harmonic balancer on the front. I ended up welding a big nut onto it, and cranking on it with a 3/4 inch drive and a long pipe. It did the trick for me. Good Luck.

yeah i was looking into doing that. should i give that a go? i don't really feel like welding but i'm sure i can rig something up to turn that wheel. theres two holes in it so couldn't i put bolts in them and attatch the bolts to a long peice of something? well i'll look into it 2marrow.

Wow, a panel! Those arent easy to come by, great find! And it doesnt look to be in too bad of shape either, physically. Have fun with your project, and its up to you if you want to force to the engine to turn over, who knows, it may need to be rebuilt anyway. If the motor ends up having problems, you can either rebuild it, or look for another used engine, its all up to you. I myself like rebuilding motors so thats what I would do.

- Shane

Billybob, when I got my 53 I was just like you, I had an old truck and wanted to learn how to fix it...except I didn't learn in a month, i'm still learning 10 months later. My 216 in my 53, it was seized from sitting out in the snow and rain with the hood off and the carb open. I should have dumped it for a full pressure 235, but I didn't know better. I tried everything, I put a 800 pound haybale on the back and towed it around in gear (that was good for it--groan--), I left diesel in the cylinders for two weeks, I also tried some kind of penetrating oil. I eventually pulled the head, and the cylinders/pistons didn't really look all that bad. I messed with it for another two weeks with the head off. My harmonic balancer had the slots for the hand crank starter, so I had a nice place to weld where I could grind it off easily. So I welded the nut on and the engine came loose just like that. I then proceeded to put the head back on, I hadn't found this site yet so I didnt get any information about stuck valves and stuff. I cranked it over, nothing happened so I pulled the valvecover...bent pushrods...(groan). Since it was unseized and almost good, I sent it to the professional mechanic and he reseated the valves and set the timing...and it ran! I'm 16 (was 15 when this happened), and if I could get it unseized, you can for sure. So I recommend that you be patient (yeah I know...I wasn't but I had to be because these things take time), have fun, and do what you want (make it something you are pround of). The best wishes to you and good luck!

Nice truck. I havent seen many like it. I'll bet you're making your dad awful proud and happy that you're resurrecting this old truck.

How about putting the truck in 1st gear, disconnect the coil wire and rock the truck back and forth by hand. If you and a friend can rock it you may be able to unstick the engine. If this dosent work a pry bar in the flywheel teeth and pry against the bellhousing. You can always tow it and dump the clutch a few times, that should break her or/and break her loose. Later

Dave

It's lots easier to pull that engine and replace it with one that runs rather than go through all the monkey-shines. Get one from a salvage yard that runs, and put it in for a runner. Use the engine you pull out of the truck to build your first screamin' hot inline hotrod motor, finish off the rest of the truck, and then put your fresh motor in.

Or, if you feel you're in over your head, I'll tow that beast off for you for $50 bucks!

Boo Radley

Wow I just looked at the pictures. You've got a prize there. I dig the hippie windows. I bet some hippie has had somebody's daughter in the back of that truck.

Those side turnsignal lights are rare. Don't let anyone talk you out of them.

If you try Bowtie70ss's idea and "disconnect the coil wire and rock the truck back and forth by hand." I'd recommend trying it in second or third gear.

Good luck with your project and have fun. That's what it's all about. If you get discouraged, as we all do, walk away from it a few days then come back fresh.

thats a good idea... how hard is it to come across an original 235?

rocking it in gear didn't work.

thanks for all the great comments!

You might try an ad in the "Parts wanted" section of "The Swap Meet" on this forum. A lot of mis-informed souls think they need to pull their 235s and put in V8s.

Pics show the plugs in the engine - pull the plugs out, leave them out.

All lube suggestions above are excellent, I've always had good luck with 3 in 1 oil, lots poured down each spark plug hole.

Please confirm this - You have tried to turn the engine BY HAND, front of the engine, with a wrench, when the plugs are out? Nothing worse that frustrating the hell out of yourself only to find the starter is bad. Plus you'll only destroy the starter if the engine actually is stuck.

You are a long, long, long ways away from trying to hotwire this to start.

i keep the spark plugs out unless theres a risk of getting crud in the cylinders... like when i'm blowing the area with the compressor or what not.

i tried turning it by hand. but at the flywheel when we took off the starter.

i've been dumping mmo in the cylinders every other day for like a week now but i don't think its seeping through... atleast 1 of the cylinders is full and doesn't drain

BillyBob, THAT thing is going to be a CHICK magnet when you get it running and driveable! A good mechanic I know that does these old vehicles for a living told me that one of the best 'rust cutters' he's EVER used for loosening slightly 'stuck' pistons in those old six bangers is.... BRAKE FLUID!
Good old cheap-[censored] k-mart brand brake fluid. Let THAT brake fluid hang in those cylinders a day or two and then try spinning that motor over. Now, if it breaks loose and spins over, you will want to change the oil pretty quickly after getting it to turn (brake fluid is NOT a good lubricant and will hurt your engine). Give it a shot, maybe it'll free that beast up! Good luck! randy

I've heard the brake fluid one to, come to think of it. Now that you have had motivation in the cylinders for a couple weeks, try everything over again (rocking, turning on harmonic balancer...so on). Good Luck!