The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 49 Chevy 3600 w/ 4 on floor and 216 thriftmaster

Hey all I am a new guy here-
I inherited the previous mentioned AD from my cousin who passed away recently-
He bought the truck 6 or seven years ago from the second owner.
It had been covered in primer before his purchase and the right fenders and door are not original- a 2 inch deep dent in the right rear cab corner show whats left of the bite that ended the life f the original pieces.
The engine is out of a 52 chevy-
It is orange for some reason-
I do not have any pics yet-
It is a 5 window cab by the way.
It has a lot of deluxe options.
the heavy duty vacuum pump on the bottowm of the fuel pump- a lot of extra chrome trim on the windows and the inside of the doors-
the deluxe cab heater/blower
the oil filter
an larger capacity oil bath oil filter
the original-
the dash and lower firewall had been spray painted black some time ago(starting to surface rust a little)
but the seat frame and rest of cab is the hammertone metallic color-


so lots of details-
I pick up the truck from his house in denver-
I am not sure of the overal mechanical condition- It ran when it was parked 6 years ago.

I decide to play it safe and I use a wench to get it on a trailer and haul it back with the 05 chevy
Truck is in Denver, I live outside KC
Every gas stop(lot of them when pulling a 3/4 ton with a 1/2 ton with a small gas engine)
Every time we stopped people would come up and say how great the truck looked and their dad had one and etc. felt great- so much work to do though.

So get it to the shop and get it unloaded-
my brother an I then sit in the cab windows down talking bout how great it will be when it is done. We will be right- when it is done.

So I pick up reproduction manuals began to tear the bodywork and loose parts off-
I get the doors- hood, original wiring that is all rotten and fallen apart-
the seat cushions and frame-
the dahs components all removed- basically strip all the parts except for the engine and the trans, bed and rear fenders, and bumpers-

then We have a record cold winter- so not much work gets done in the non heated metal barn-
I tried to with a propane jet heater- but just to cold-
So this weekend weather was great and I decided yesterday that I would get to the top of the mountain(workwise that is, and in my book- your ideas might be different)

So Saturday- started around 10- I cut the stuck bolts holding the bed on- get those all lose- then removed the small panels that are between teh bed and the running boards-
I also get the prop shaft removed from the ball joint back-
For some reason in teh cold of winter I did not want to lay on the floor and remove the bearing houseing bracket bolts-

So then I loosed all the engine and trans mounting bolts and moved the engine hoist into place- got it all chained up-

I still had not learned that with the four on the floor you have to split them on raise up the cab to remove everything in one piece-
no big deal-

So Sat afternoon I get my Dad to help me pick the bed up off of the chassis and we stand it up agains a stand and out of the way-

So Today I get up early and head over to the barn
I loosen all the cab mounts- I planned on raising up the cab-
Got everything loose- then just decided to split the trans right there- so Fabbed up some trans guide pines to protect the clutch-

Got the trans off-(removed the cover plate and the trans is very clean- the teeth of every gear inside is clean and not worn- no sign of problems- little bit of gear oil in the bottom- I put the cover back on and lower the trans out of the truck-

Then pull the engine-
what does it weight by the way?
I put it on and engine stand rated for 1000 lbs- and the stand kind of bows- so I use a saw horse on the opposite end to support the weight-
at the time the truck was wheels off up on jack stands-
I put the wheels back on and lowered it to the ground and pushed it out of the way- cleaned up the area and then reorganized for phase 2 of the restoration- actually cleaning and rehabbing the parts for eventual reinstallation

I will eventually post pics-
just though I would introduce myself and get you up to date.

Cab will need replacement rear lower corners- and the flanges on both lower fronts where the body work attaches are bad off as well and will need some fab work-
the right two replacement fenders that I mentioned before are in tough shape- I am thinking of just replacing them with new or good shape originals- the left side are all good for rehabbing- as is the hood- the bed will get welded where it has some cracks- and new wood-
I am planning to leave it 6 volt an 216 with the 4 speed-
for the most part I want it to look like it rolled off the line-
Except the bed metal work- where the cracks come out of the stake pockets I will weld those and clean a little- but it will be a truck bed- so as long as the rust is gone and the paint looks good-


Well I could talk for hours-
love the site-
Sam( or Yelostn78 (YELLOWSTONE as in the park, and born in 1978)

Welcome Sam,
Sounds like you have a great adventure before you. Will await the pictures and progress.
Bill
Tempe AZ

Thanks for the reply Bill, I have to agree. I am using the 48-51 Chev Truck manual w/ 52 supplement for majority of all my work. I do not have any of the Chevy factory tools- but I have a lot of generic tools from over the years. Today for about an hour afterwork I pulled the manifolds, the distributor, the waterpump and thermostat housing, and soon I am going back over to continue-
I decided to work on the engine on weeknights when I I have short amounts of time, and then on weekends when I have longer stretches to work I plan to work on the chassis, I plan to start blasting the frame and rust converting/encapsulating(eastwoods is gonna love me!) Actually I purchased the chassis resto kit with the satin finish(because I like the satin rather than gloss-
Then I plan to put the finished engine back on the chassis- then the trans-
then work on the rear end-
and eventually the dreaded BODYWORK

Love this site-
Like I said before- any advice or things to watch out for please let me know(other than the other posts I am reading- especially if you have exp with a 3600 in this configuration.
Thanks all-back to the barn.

http://yelostn78.smugmug.com/photos/286809340_R4YMM-M.jpg
here it is back when I first got it home- My brother and I making plans for our first drive to the lake. I am behind the wheel of course.
http://yelostn78.smugmug.com/photos/286816861_S2aAK-M.jpg
Here is the other side, you can see the replacement door- the previous owner hit something- that damaged the right fenders, door and small portion of cab, the fenders and door have been replaced- the fenders from a powder blue truck, you can see the door color- the two replacment fenders are bad off with rust- so new ones will be purchased along with the grill and the left rear fender- the left front is original and near imaculate except for the primer- so I will clean it up along with the hood-
After discussing with my Dad and some good friends- I think I will ave a pro do the bodywork and painting- then I will do the finish work as far as seals and seat, and trim go- I ike the install and the mechanical stuff,
http://yelostn78.smugmug.com/photos/286827345_WLE4F-M.jpg
In this pic you see the truck as it sits tonight-
The bed off the cab stripped completely- the engine on a stand and the trans on a stand- the engine is the orange thing- with parts on the walls- the trans is the grease ball with the handle which will be in a folowing pic
http://yelostn78.smugmug.com/photos/286828146_sqCrz-M.jpg
here ismy four speed- removing the cover I find it to be spotless and very smooth acting-
I plan to drain and flush it- then reseal it with rtv, pressure wash the outside- and then rust treat and repaint- unlike the engine it is original to the truck.
You can see the engine in the background, and the seat frame and aprt of the tank, and various other stuff
That is it for now- Plan to reassemble engine with good lube and new seals- then clean off the orange- rust treat if needed- and paint the grey color-
Then it will get wrapped in plastic until the chassis is ready for the install- I plan to pull the bell housing to instect the flywheel and clutch assembly- I am very happy with the condition of the components. so far-
Hope you enjoy as much as I do.
Sam

Hey Sam, nice truck.

Welcome to the "Bolt"

John

no pics yet, putting engine back together- new gaskets on anything that was taken off- I love the little design features on this thing. I torqued the head down- assembly lubed and installed the pushrods and lifters- put the roker arm assembly back on- Now I need to put the lifter/pushrod side cover back on and then I am going to check timing and adjust valves- then install the rebuilt distributor, generator and starter-
I have to rebuild the carb still, then put it - I will paint it first- I waited until getting the bulk re-assembled to paint- I am painting the manifold with stove paint- black, engine gray, carb unpainted- air cleaner with semi gloss black- same with the bodies for the gen and starter.
I will get some pics up soon, next will be blasting and restoring the frame and brakess and suspension.

Welcome Sam,

Just remember it is an addiction....

RT1
*

Sam, you are sure getting a lot done quickly; you must be single.

No I just have a very understanding wife who lets me work on it so I don't drive her crazy sitting around the house. Works out well.

Today is the day- pressure washing the frame- then scrape-ing rust converting and priming- I am also pulling the knee shocks for a reconditioning- I figure I will leave them on until they are to rough for my disposition.

I will bend new brakes lines out of stainless(one of the few upgrades that I will make- but I plan to use original replacement hoses, and other components.
That will be next weekend though- today finish the engine, paint it, and the manifold , set them aside and do the frame-

New pics tonight!

Well walked out the door without the camera. Lots of detail work today and some decisions,

the 216 that I have is orange and kind of worn looking- the orange is not bad, and I am thinking that for now I will leave the orange on the engine-

Today I rebuilt the carb, cleaned and painted and installed the intake/exhaust manifold(stock one) put the cover on the pushrod lifter side of the engine- with new gasket and cork rings for the spark plug holes-

then installed the carb and throttle linkage with spring(remember to lubricate all the pivot points to make it last-

re-habbed the air cleaner and installed-

cleaned up the thermostat housing and replaced to engine with fresh gasket-

declared the water pump doa and pulled the fan blade from it for the replacement unit.
before installing any thing other than the side cover- I used a wire wheel and went over the entire engine knocking off loose paint and grime.

While doing that the orange really began to stick out. Since it was on the engine when I got it, and I think is a correct gm orange engine color for some point(most likely later than 49

But I remember when I first got the truck and popped the hood and saw the old six sitting there orange.

So Orange it is, I want to remember that moment every time I pop the hood.

So anyways-

just got finished ordering points and condenser, coil, distributor cap, timing hole plug, trans gasket set, engine soft plug set(mainly to have as spares)
replacement acorns for the rocker arm cover, a rebuilt water pump, and the fuel pump with deluxe vacuum pump rebuild kit-

I want to use as much of the original stuff as possible so I am going the rebuild kit path-

I am getting the generator rebuilt and as well as the starter. so I will drop those off this week and hope to get them back soon.
Did not get to the frame today- Spent more time focusing on the carbs and the going over the body of the engine cleaning and degreasing-

So next week PICS, i will remember the camera,
also pressure wash the frame and begin the rust converter and paint-
as well as the transmission, If I get that done before Sunday, then I plan to put the engine and trans back on the frame-

Lots of fun, not enough hours in the days to work on it.

I feel addiction is not a strong enough word.

you're have way too much fun!

What I like is that yesterday I am giving the Mrs a run down on what I was ordering for the truck- I am ordering as I go for stuff, rather than sit on parts until it is time to use them- I have to wait a few days to do it, but I would rather sit on money than parts.

So she asks me what am I going to do when I get this truck finished?

My reply,

Drive it

She says no, what is he next project?

Maybe I should line something up now while she is going for it rather thean wait until after the bodywork?

I will just wait until then, this truck is the one I have wanted since I was 12 or 13- so it will do for awhile.

And isn't this about Fun?

Why does it look like your front axle has lockers for 4 wheel drive? And congratulations on the progress! Wish mine looked like that.

Lord, I am sooooooo lazy, compared to some folks.

Nice Progress, and quick, seems were about the same age, I think I need your wife to meet mine.

The front end looks like it hads lockers because its a 3/4 ton, nad those are the 3/4 ton center caps used on 8 lug wheels.

yes those are just cosmetic, they just cover the grease caps. So Ihave mentioned I do not like bodywork. An old frind of mine told me to check out a place called suburban here in the KC area. I stopped in and they look like a good outfit- I will have them quote doing all the body work and painting other than the engine trans and chassis/drivetrain, I will also have then do the seat and the glass/seal install- that will leave me with the fun mechanical and electrical installs which is what I prefer to do- but have to see their estimate first.

Did I mention that I can't wait to drive this sucker, and the thought of having someone else do the stuff I loathe makes everything so much better- especially when it is a group that looks to know what they are doing from what I saw in there shop and from respected friends' opinions. I will let you know on that, but for now I will soldier on with the mechanical.

Where is a good place to go for speedo rebuild?

UPDATE UPDATE

so I have been working on the truck- over the weekend I was able to pressure wash the entire truck frame and Cab- I then scraped off more dirt- then washed and more scraping- a wire brush and few hours in the sun allowed me to rust convert and encapsulate the area not covered by the cab- the rear diff, springs steering etc.
I then put the truck back inside- I Did hit all the grease fittings with fresh grease and wha-la I have 1949 suspension again. even the knee shock are working somewhat- I plan to open then up and put in fresh fluid and check the seals- the steering box is in good shape so some fresh seals and it is all set- Tuesday morning the Car restoration body shop foreman is coming to give me an estimate on body work and paint- I am going to have them paint the frame black and time permitting(and Price) install new glass in the cab and doors-
Then I will bring the truck home- install the engine and drive train, electronics(all 6V- and everything else- LOTS of work still to do though and I cannot wait to drive this monster- Hope that was not to evident in all the threads- I will have some updated pics before to long.

Well, I had Olathe Armature rebuild my starter and generator- the turnaround was about 2 hours(I was hoping for less that two weeks, But I am not complaining-
I got the first quote back for the body work- if you are not sitting down, please sit down-
They quoted between 15K and 25K for bodywork and paint- towards 15K for single stage enamel, towards 25K for paint and clear(modern paint job)

So after the hopes of not having to do body work I pulled out the old sandblaster-

Hooked up the compressor- cleaned the nozzle- and shot a few beads- just cleaned of few small areas- I need tog et a tarp and more blast media, new googles, gloves mask etc.

So the new plan is to blast- prime- do some corrective work, then touch up primer- I would do the body work first- but I want to see what is under all of the grey primer that coats the entire truck-

I am now thinking of Hunter green from valspar for the truck body color- I know it is not the original color(not far off) but I really like the way it looks-

and I am planning not to clear coat it-

My thoughts are that I want to not be afraid to drive the thing- and if it gets scratched up I can touch it up more easily-

so my thoughts for now- first the cab outer, then the door outers, then the fenders- then the inner fenders in black, then the inner doors and cab,

I plan to assemble that, and get the truck complete sans bed-

then do the bed box and fenders- running boards-

then put the wood in-

I love an always changing plan,

I have one small part on the parking brake that is stopping me from tipping the cab on it back so I can rust treat the underside and then touch up the frame-

Did I mention I cannot wait to drive this truck when it is finished?

Okay little update, pics coming.
I have the Cab completely repainted(Tractor supply Valspar truck paint(Hunter green)
The interior in Brown.

Have some other stuff going on so cannot put as much money into the truck.
So I have been working on existing bodywork, and putting stuff back together. All the glass is in except the doors(still have the old glass) the doors are remounted.
The brakes are going to get done this weekend in between painting the fenders and the bed. I will also re-install the engine and the trans and driveline.
Next weekend the wiring harness will start in. I was really get demotivated about not being able to make it perfect, and not getting a lot of time to work on it, just getting the cab paint done and getting glass in and the doors are such a boost to morale- It is starting to look like a truck again! I will have pics, probably wednesday.

The paint job still needs to be wet sanded- but I will do that eventually right now it is a 10 ft paint job. But looks good and I am really happy with the progress.
I am picking up some used rims tomorrow as well as a radio delete plate. Anyone have a good source for low cost old fashioned tires- I was thinking the local farm ranch supply, I have heard about trailer tires- but am not sure of the traction in cruddy road conditions.
Thanks all.
Sam

Hey Sam what did you use to cut the bolts off in the bed im new to this, and my bolts are rusted as well, i bought a 3 inch cutter, its kind of difficult to get inside the fender was thinking about grinding the clutchheads off?

On the bolts that held the bed assembly to the frame I ended up using a 3 inch grinding wheel- It cut into the old rotted wood and the thick washer, but the bolts were rusted stuck and the carriage part had nothing to bit into- I have thought about upgrading that part of the design so that It is easier to remove the bed, and so I do not have to rely on the wood as the "vise" for holding the carriage end of the bolt in place. I have not touched the bolts that hold the metal retaining strip yet(for replacing the wood- But I have purchased a new complete bed bolt set that is stainless- That way With some anti-seize I should not have to worry about being able to get the bed apart.

picked up 4 used Rims at Tom's antique chevy salvage in Miami Ok today. I also got some used chrome hubcaps, and new tires and tubes. Plan on putting them on this weekend. I am going to sandblast the rims first, then prime and paint them black-
I got a good off road pattern for the back and a nice street treat for the front. Can wait to see how she sits with the correct wheels and not the smaller hotrod looking wheels and rubber.

How many hours a day are you working on this project? You seem to be moving forward at light speed... 5 days from start to panted cab including replacing cab corners?

Man, you're fast!

PHOTOS PLEASE!

Yeah, where are the pics? We like pics!

well mainly just weekends, the entire weekend, last weekend, I started at 7am and worked until 9pm with only about 20 minutes for lunch and 20 min for dinner, sunday worked from about 10am to 6pm. some weeknights I go over and do small things- but mainly just multi-tasking the work-
Prep and paint in one area- then go back to the main work area while the paint sets up and work away on other stuff- in the case of the cab- while the cab paint was setting up I worked on the trans, the front fenders, etc.
When the cab was ready for glass work I rust treated the fenders, or primed and painted something. While the truck is jacked up for me to check wheel bearings and spindles I can also climb underneath to work- so just covering multiple bases at a time. I tried to track everything on a spreadsheet but it is just easier for me to remember the stuff. Pics our coming I promise- Just busy with work at the same time(meaning I think about work and forget to put the camera in the car.
The bed is currently off to the side and I am leaving it alone now- I will put it on sawhorses to do all the work(sandblast, prime paint, new wood, etc) and I will run the wiring in the chassis first, then set the completed bed on the truck and bolt it down.
I'm just fanatic about working on the truck(Working in the barn is my version of going to church) so I just get in the mood and start working, sometimes the radio is on, sometime I just listen to the sound of the work.
Other than driving it alot, I do not know what I will do next. I was thinking about a similar year Sedan, but put a modern 5 speed trans and rear end to make highway speeds do-able, and probably modern brakes- Make a daily driver(modern speeds) maybe make it a 12 volt with aftermarket air conditioning so I can use it for work, Probably move up to a small block v8, but keep it quiet on the exhaust side so that it looks original from the outside, but with some modern components inside.
PICS are coming.

One thing- I have been doing some dent removal- but I have not put any patches in yet except to beef up the fron cab corners where the wheel well area is- I am mainly rust converting and painting- still have some wetsanding to do-
In an earlier post I mentioned the money thing- so I have scaled back the current level of restoration- eventually I will weld in the back corners. I am using por15 and the rust encapsulator from eastwoods. I am using the valspar paint from tractor supply- tends to run easy- so I plan to get some quality wetsanding in to correct that out. I have tried different amounts of hardener, distance from spraygun to the truck, and I figure it is the low cost equipment and the lack of experience- I hope the wetsanding will help-
The five days thing- well, it has been a little longer- I got the truck last year, over the course of 8 months I have torn it down, rebuilt the engine, done some bodywork, and am putting things back together now, so there is a little more time in there, But it is still fast-

sort update, no pics yet, they are coming.
I know sounds like a broken record, but they are coming.
Briefly today I installed the windshield wipers, mainly just reconnecting everything, That was one of the few things I did not remove- It was only about 8 years old when I began the work so I kept it(the pump) Now I just need to run a new vacuum line and I will be set there(an install the vacuum source, still on the stand)
I also put in the Radio delete plate- The dash looks so complete now.
I reinstalled the parking brake and lubricated it so now it works like a top-
Tomorrow the front fenders and inner fenders- get blasted and primed, The rims get blasted and painted- the rear end get serviced along with maybe some door gaskets.

And I will take pictures and post them here
And I will take pictures and post them here
And I will take pictures and post them here
And I will take pictures and post them here
And I will take pictures and post them here
And I will take pictures and post them here
And I will take pictures and post them here
And I will take pictures and post them here

So more later

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll believe it when we see it.

I have pics that I am going to upload tonight and post tomorrow-
Got all of the cab seals in, the fuels system, the seats, the pedals, the complete engine system- Just need to mount the trans and run the fuel line. I painted the front fenders and the small pieces of bodywork that go between the bed and the running boards. Tomorrow- reseal the trans and install- put in the various choke and throttle cables, the drive and propellar shaft with new bearings- service the rear end, and time permitting, put the front end body work back together- If the paint is dry enough- if not, I will tear down the grill and blast and prime it- We will see, It is starting to look like a truck again. Tune in tomorrow for a bunch of pics-

Dang boy, are you on dope? You must be working at the speed of light!

Wow!

Why does everyone say that. I just start at 8am work until noon, take 25 minutes for lunch, then work until 5pm, 30 minutes for dinner, then work until 9pm. I amybe take a couple of 15 minute breaks around 2:30pm if it is hot out, but today was not too bad. Like I said previously, I just like to work on this truck, and I like to have the proper tools to make it easy. I have worked on, as well as my grandfather on many antique tractors of all types, so We have a lot of tools for moving heavy parts around.
I fabricate any other tools I need usaully right when I need them. Like the alignment pins for mounting the trans to the bell housing, or clutch alignment. But I already have a lot of that type of stuff. I keep a red tool cart( the type with just two trays- no drawers with all the tools in it, basically piled with sockets in one corner, wrenches in the other, lubes, sealant, antiseaze cans in one and then misc tools in the other, then specialty tools in there own boxes or on pegboards-
I also try to be as safe as possible- so plety of locking oversized jackstands(remember the tractors- hard to pick 5900 pounds of 1935 john deere off the floor with a engine hoist. let alone get a stuck appendage out from under it.
I know I will be able to drive it when I am finished, but what will I wrench on?
Maybe the 1940's lindeman crawler john deere B in the storage barn. then pull it to the tractor show with the 49 3600? that would be neat.
Well pics tomorrow, they are unloading to the computer now

No fair! It is completely outside the rules to train the mice in the barn to do the work and then claim you spend all these hours restoring your truck.

By the way, what do you feed them?

Not that we dont believe you Sam, however your progress is making the rest of us look like slackers. Since you like working on trucks so much, any chance you would like to come and work on mine when you are done?

Scott

I am reminded of the shoe cobbler that came to work to find all his shoe work done by elves in secret. Sam, do you have elves?

get a sand blaster it saves hours on clean up

I am the elves!

Tell me about it, I use a fairly fine grit abrasive that is about $7 a bag and I do not worry about sweeping it up, I just make sure that the piece I am working on is good.
This is a must, along with a strong compressor(and a respirator)

Let the pics begin!
Headshot
So today, got the inner fenders and support all cleaned prepped and painted-
Now I know some folks will see the engine and freak, It is the original color that I got it, and I covered the color thing way back in this thread, so
The great pumpkin will remain the great pumpkin.
close up
Now also remember that I went the budget route, so the old seat cover- and a lot of old parts are reused,
here is the cab- I am waiting to put the horn stuff in until last-
Interior
I sitll have some wetsanding, some touch up, a few spots that escaped me until now-
http://yelostn78.smugmug.com/photos/322434942_SeKHh-M.jpg
Ran out of paint on the door- Will have it later this week- That way I can get the fenders and hood as well
side view
I am happy with it, I want it to be mechanically sound and a daily driver, and I do not want to worry about scratching paint, or what roads I drive on, so the Paint is of the tractor variety.
new shoes for this old girl, I already mounted one of the rear tires, these will look good.
shoes
fenders
fender colors came out way wrong and there was some orange peel, so these are getting blasted and repainted.

here is the organized tool tray- notice the wrenches on one side and the sockets the other and misc- the 1984 hair dryer belonged to my aunt and doubles as a heat gun-
Works really well too!
tools

work bench for isolated items- and small detail work- beetle belongs to my brother.
shop

here is the corner you have seen before where the heavy lifting, engine rebuilding and other mayhem occurs
shop2
hope you enjoy, more later

looking good Yelostn, but only 3 pics? Check out Photo Bucket or Webshots.
http://community.webshots.com/