The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine / Drive train questions.....

(I tried searching for info before I posed....)

1952 GMC 3/4 ton pickup
228 I-6 w/ 4 speed
4.56 ? rear end
99% original (what ever that means to an old farm truck) Used, not abused!!! Three dents, not counting the tail gate (ya know how those looked)

Problem:
Cracked block. It's leaking coolent on the left side of the engine, just in front of the drain plug. No oil contamination, so it's probably just an exterior crack. Original engine, never been opened up at all.... so it's tired. Was parked in 1970/71 when a 'new used 3/4 ton Chevy replaced it' and started again in 1990/91. Block looked fine for a few years and just recently showed....not sure if it might have been 'old damange' or just my dumb rear not putting enough anti in it..... People have said it could be 'welded'...some even said use JB weld?!

A friend is 'parting out' his cousin-in-law's 75 Chevy Nova. He said I'm welcome to the 250 I-6 motor. According to the Chilton books, the specs for the 75 250 in cars and trucks were the same. 105Hp (I assume net at the wheels) I know that this new six mounts w/ side of the engine mounts. And I know it's not going to bolt up to my tranny........so.....

I've thought about looking for an other engine: 248, 270 But GMC's were rare here. This would be the 'easist?'....no tranny swaps.

If I swap motors-Tranny options: Auto or Manual??? Is there a five speed out there that will mate w/ this engine.... But that brings up trying to get the original clutch linkage to work w/ the new setup. I seem to think the simplest solution is to put in an automatic tranny, but ..... is there one that has an overdrive out there. I'd like to go at least 50mph w/ out straining the engine.

I'm sort of on a tight budget. I know that swapping, I'll need a new engine crossmember (or make my own) to mount the 250. And if I don't get the tranny, will have to get one. It might be a 250 tranny in the Nova & a tranny crossmember/mount.

Options, comments, suggestions........
Thanks.

Kaliburz

Without any fabricating, you could bolt in a 4.10 chuck from a 67-72 3/4 ton chevy/GMC truck and replace the 228 with another 228, 248, or 270..The 4.10 would lower your RPM's at a given speed by about 10 %....There is plenty of info here in the Forum on that chuck swap, Try another search..

I guess it depends on how wild you want to get with the welder and the grinder to make motor and tranny mounts for the 250..

In what part of the country do you live ?

Will do a search.... on the 'chuck swap'. I assume you're talking about diff gears or axle.

I'm a 'farmer' in Washington. I build my own equipment when needed and modify 'factory' stuff to meet the need... or copy factory when it costs too much to buy. :rolleyes:

Kaliburz, Click on this link and then scroll down to the third post. There are two links there to pictures of the swap.

Gear Swap Link

53 4 me,

Thanks for the links....now booked.

Well, that would solve the rear end prob.... go little faster, but I still have to solve the problem of the cracked engine. Maybe I'll use the K.I.S.S method.... keep it simple. Mean I'll have to find a doner rear end (and worse case senario, price the 4.10/3.90 new rings).

What do I have to loose by trying the JB weld or some other similar product. I'll clean up the area and see if I can put that stuff in the crack. The cooling system isn't presurized.....

Ive never tried the J.B on a engine before but i'v heard that it work's in some cases. You only stand to lose about 7 bucks if it don't work. I'd give it a try.Hope this helps

For what it's worth, I've got the same problem on my 44 1 1/2 ton with a low pressure 235. Crack on the left side, water jacket only. Mine's BEEN JB-Welded, or something. It still drips quite a bit of coolant, I top it off every other outing or so.

Long term, I figure I'm replacing the engine, or at least the block. I've got a friend who heard about some wierd stuff you put in with water or something after warming it up . . . can't remember the details, but it sounded roughly like the stuff you would use to plug a whole in a radiator.

Makes me nervous - what if it plugs up a critical cooling passage? I'd like to find out if it can be truely welded, but I don't know enough about it.

Still looking and learning . . .

Good luck!

-Michael

I've heard from some old timers, they drill a hold and uses a screw.... then drill over part of that screw and so on... untill the crack is 'fixed'. Not sure I'm patiant enough to do that.

They've got some really weird/hi tech stuff now. JB weld is sort of 'old'.... So lots of degreasing and possibly flushing the cooling system too. I'll have to find something that is semi flexible, yet hard. Something that can with stand heating and cooling repeatedly. Some kind of appoxi (spelling) bonding material.....

Basically this is a summer project. But I think that prep is the key. Has to be clean for the stuff to stick to.

If it is an outer crack, clean it and v grove it and weld it up with nickle rod. Worked good in my old 270, retired but I wwish I had it back.
Dennis

Kaliberz,

I just passed on a 248 about a month ago - I am getting too much stuff and still need to finish my shop before I load up with any more. If you keep alert for these things, one will show up within a few months. Where in Washington are you? The one I passed on was in Woodenville Washington, just north of Vancouver Wa.

Ken,

Wapato, Washington. I've never really looked around. About how much does a 248 go for.... or how much did that perticular 248 you passed up go for?

Where would one look for that stuff. Call around the 'yards' to see what they have in?

Thought about that too. I would have to take the entire engine out and have a 'machine shop' check it over... to make sure that's all the problems. And while it's out, I should just rebuild it.....

Wapato . . . great place. I have done work in a Sonoco plant in Wapato on a juice can line. No rust on the trucks where you live! The 248 I passed on was $300 and included an entire 1 ton GMC with it that had been crushed by a fir tree falling on the cab. Someone else bought it and pulled the motor and tranny and all useable parts and turned the rest into rebar.

JB WELD will work wonders IF YOU GET IT CLEAN!!! File or grind it to fresh metal--give JB 24 hours to cure and you should be fine. BAR'S stop leak works well too for small leaks.