The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop replace or fix motor ,53 gmc 100

okay
im going to buy a 53 gmc 100 ! But i know squat about these trucks! SO the guy says it needs a valve job ! So would i be better off buying another motor! trying to fix up this motor! and wut r my options on motors and trannys for this paticular body style! any and all help would be graetly apreciated!
BTW: I am located in TX

hello vejar. congrats on finding a new project. i suggest that you examine what you have there. before making plans on replacing the engine,check it for yourself , or have it tested by a qualified person to be sure it needs any work, that is unless you intend to modify it from stock. that vintage of jimmy motor is a good one, if it is in fact the original motor.whatever you decide to do , this forum is the place to find the answers to all of your questions. so when you get it ,touch bases here and let us know all about it. good luck.

okay so how hard is it to restore the original engine!!!!!! and does anyone know any local shops in dallas that know how to do this!!!!!!!or any how to sites that can help me.

Vejar, First what we need to know is what do YOU want from this truck? Then we can advise you of you possibilities. If the engine is original, as I am presumming, then a valve job alone is out of the question. What is probably needed is a complete rebuild. Now to answer your question before you ask it- Yes you are more then capable of doing this with the help of folks on this site. Will it be expensive? That all depends on what you want to do to it. But I guess first we need the required information as to what YOU want to do and what You can afford to do. There have been many on here who have rebuilt an engine with little or no knowledge. So let us know where YOU want to go with this truck. Keep asking questions but please give us a little more information so we can give you our best. Welcome to The Stovebolt Page.

okay well like a lot of people i want to get it running first off! then rod it! But definately get it running so i can drive it! SO let me know wut i need to replace fix or wutever to get it in running condition again!

I am trying to stay with you on this, so here goes- If you only give it a valve job, you will be putting new increased pressure and wear on your old rings and bearings and that will in short order cost you extra money down the line. That is the price of the "quick fix". If you have a good set of tools and some place to rebuild the engine, that is what I would do. But- Like I said- What do you want to do??

Hi Vejar,

We need to know more about your truck before we can make suggestions. Just telling us the year and model doesn't give us much to go on. Many of these old trucks have had their engines, trannys and other parts swapped out over the years. We need to know the following information:

What motor does it have, what tranny, the condition of the wiring, brakes, steering, suspension, body, interior, frame, rear axle, wheel bearings, springs, shocks, etc etc...

Any mechanic/restorer worth his salt will give the vehicle to be restored a complete once-over before starting work. This finds problems that are not apparent or must be fixed first.

Usually a restoration starts from the brakes up. This promotes safety, and also provides a chance to check many of the things I mentioned above.

good luck & welcome!

Chip

Just my opinion and assuming the you have the original 228 in your truck ..... If you are looking to rod out an engine, the 228 may be worth restoring to original but a larger cubic inch GMC inline such as a 270 or 302 would make you happier in the long run as a "rodded" engine. As "they" say- there's no substitution for cubic inches. Look on your engine just behind the distributor and tell us the number that you see there. If you have an original GMC engine the first three numbers will designate the size in cubic inches. It may be worth trying to find another engine, putting it in your truck and keeping the old one for parts. As we all know- you can never have too many spare parts around. Your starting out on a good project.

Just to add another note in regards to your first question about engine options. All the early inline GMC engines (228, 236, 248, 256, 270 and 302) will bolt directly into your truck. This leaves you with lots of options.......