The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 35 year long nap

Just fired up a old 216 thats been sleeping for 35 years. Whats a good way to flush out the cooling system. I've been runing it om stright water that turns to rusty water real quick.

One of the defects, if I can you this term, of this engine is that it traps sediments and crud in a part of the water jacket. On the left side about half way down you will see a lump in the casting that runs frnot to back. At the front is a little frost plug and at the back on the side is a drain cock for the block. This area always seems to fill up with junk, and in some cases I've seen the block crack along here from freezing up after a person thought the water was drained. To clean out this, area with the motor still in the truck, remove the plug at the front and the cock, then run some high pressure water though this opening. Sometimes this area is full of hard stuff, and you just straighten out a coat hanger and run it in and out to dislodge the stuff. It takes a little time to do this, but its well worth it, as a blocked passage here leads to over heating troubles down the road.

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to have the water pump off to replace a bad seal and bearing might be a good time to do this.

We used to have a divice that clamped in the lower hose, garden hose and air line, churned things up and sent it out the top. Try to keep some antifreeze for rust protection, the blocks rust fast with plain water.

Congrats on waking sleeping beauty. Nothing quite like resurrecting an old motor. My 50 had 76 license plates when I got it in 03. I got mine going after an apparent 27 year snooze. Good luck. I agree with iowa about the cooling.

My hat is also off to Tony(ttodd), I visited over the weekend and not only did I hear this beauty run, I got to drive it. Doesn't sound that exciting except that it is a 46? chevy schoolbus cowl & chassis with no schoolbus body just a seat bolted to the frame! Open air driving at its best!!!

How are the brakes? I hear you are an expert in driving those with marginal stopping power.

Did you notice he didn't brave the hill that almost did him in, just to the mail box and back. It had a full tank of gas and could have made the full circle but runaway hill scared him off, guess it could have turned into a Moody show.

BRAKES, BRAKES, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING BRAKES!

Just an update: To show you what 'ttodd' has accomplished with this vehicle in the last year.
I said:
This is what it looks like now [img]http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/5562/ralphsafaritop002ta7.th.jpg[/img]
Click pic to enlarge.

He has had help with both labor and parts, from a lot of his many friends, and due to some trading, I have become a co-owner in this vehicle. Unfortunately the picture doesn't show all the unique engineering Tony(ttodd) has done.

On sunday, 10 June 2007, at approximately 7:00AM CDT, Tony and I will set out from Sparta Missouri, for the Petit Jean Arkansas swapmeet in this vehicle(approximately 200 miles).

Thanks for the photo - I love the truck, that looks like a fun machine for certain. Kind of reminds me of my TT I was driving it around over the weekend, no body just sitting on the gas tank. I want to do something like that though, with a roof the full length.

they make this stuff for boats called salt away add it to your cooling it will clean things up nicely

When I 'woke up' my old 228 GMC, I cleaned the system by blowing air into the block drain petcock (removed). But I installed one of those flush kits (connects to heater hose. I waited till the water was running clear, put back the thermostat and added coolant.

I will be getting around to resurrecting my 1950 3/4-ton that has been sitting since at least 1980. Old farm truck with a 1966 plate on it! Any other tips or advice on reviving one of these from such a long sleep. I have new plugs, radiator, fuel pump. I also injected penetrating oil into the plug holes when I bought it last year. Tank was bone dry and whoever pulled the fuel pump pulled the line off the bottom so it drained well.

Before tring to start the old boy check for stuck valves. The old sleeper that i woke up had several valves stuck both open and closed, that would have resulted in bent push rods. Might be a good idea to pop the rocker cover off and check this out probly needs a new gasket any way. Be careful of the bone dry tank the gas that was left in the tank could have evaporated in to a tary goo in the bottem of the tank. This goo when intrduced to fresh gas can cause real problems. The carb might need looking at to but try it and see.