The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun i have a 235 strait 6 in my 46 1 1/2 ton......

.....wrecker. With the 4 speed trans in neutral the truck will roll ok. With the radiator fan etc. removed i cannot move the engine with my breakover with the trans in neutral.It will move only aboue 3 inches of travel. Could there be a problem with the clutch/pressureplate? I am a complete rookie at this. so i would appreciate the HELP from the experts. i am so ready to get the truck running, one step at a time i guess. Thx

Do you know the history of the engine? Did it run? If you don't know then start taking it apart,don't try and turn over engine if it starts to bind up,could be many things,if your going to rebuild the engine,best thing to do is pull it out and then start to tear it down,pull the head off and see if the bores are rusted up,see if it turns over then,if there is rust,clean it off the bores and then try and turn it over,if it turns over you found your problem,could be many more things,but i wouldn't think that its your clutch unless somebody has started to take it apart,was there spark plugs in it? was the hood off the truck and water got into the carb?

All i know is my uncle took the motor out of a later model vehicle. It has not been run for over 25 years. The hood was on the tuck as well as the cab at least was under lean to. Is there some kind of inspection cover the the trans to see up inside the cultch assembly? I was not planning to rebuild it if i could make it run. Lots of wires off etc. Kind of overwhelming for a first timer. But it is awesome, i road in it as a kid. Thx RR

There is a sheet metal cover at the underside of the bellhousing that can be removed to expose the lower 1/3 of the flywheel, and the clutch/pressure plate assembly. It's also a convenient place to use the straight end of a medium-sized shepherd's crook wrecking bar in the flywheel teeth to turn the engine back and forth. Just wedge the bar into a tooth and use the edge of the bellhousing for a fulcrum. If (or when) the engine gets hard to turn, reverse directions. A few ounces of a penetrating oil like Liquid Wrench or KROIL in each cylinder before you start turning is a really good idea, as is a good soaking of the valve springs and valve guides a day or two before the engine-turning effort begins.

www.kanolabs.com

This stuff is the world's best at loosening up a rusty engine.

No matter how dry the storage area, the cylinders that had valves partially open when the engine was stopped will rust due to humid air finding its way in and out of the engine due to temperature changes. It's highly unlikely the clutch has anything at all to do with the engine's refusal to turn. Unless it breaks loose pretty easily, count on doing a teardown and rebuild.
Jerry

There are many posts where someone started with a motor in the same condition and eventually got it to rotate and run. However if you remove the valve cover and the side cover and everything is rusted solid, I would abandon the idea of running it before a teardown. It is best to get it to rotate even if you are going to tear it down.

I agree that it is awesome working on one of these. Each little step is part of a great journey.

Thank you all for the information!!! I will get back in touch after i get the chance to get in a little deeper. Hopefully send in a pic or two of my wrecker. When it comes time to rebuild the motor is this something that is simple enough for a rookie to do? Thanks again!! Wreckerman

Stovebolt engines are pretty simple, but there are plenty of places to make fatal mistakes if you don't pay attention to detail. If you've got a pre-1954 engine, the connecting rods do not have removable bearings- - - -the soft Babbit metal is bonded right into the rod and has to be fitted and clearanced by scraping the bearing to the exact size and shape of the crankshaft journal, then it's shimmed to the proper oil clearance. That's a skill set that has just about died out. Old geezers like me were about the last generation of mechanics to grow up around Babbit-rod engines.

54-62 engines are more powerful, and they have replaceable rod bearings. Lots of people retro-fit the older rigs with the later model engines. A little adapting is required, but not a lot. Unless you're planning to build a showroom-perfect restoration, the later model engine might be a better choice.
Jerry

Love the 51, hope you are drivng it soon!! Thanks for the help. RR