The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Box of Toys (1954 - 235)

Hello Y'all,

Here are a few pics of what I am going to start working on. I have one day out of the week that I can focus on my truck for the next month. The following month, I'll be able to works in some more time. My goal is to have a running engine by the end of the month.

Pic1 Pic2 Pic3 Pic4 Pic5 Pic6 Pic7

** I need some help and guidance. **

In no particular order, here is my brain spillage.

I have all these parts (+more) to put on the engine and I know where they go but I do not know if there are any sequence that I need to follow.

Am I missing anything? Should I list the parts I currently have.

I am going to scrub the old paint and prep it for a new coat. Once it is painted, I'll start to put it all together.

I do not have a engine stand. Do I need to get one or can I work on the engine where it sits?

I haven't (manually) turned the engine in two years and it has been sitting dry since it was rebuilt.

I do not know anything about the distributor and points.
I do know the sequence of the firing order in which the spark plugs goes on the distributor cap. Gapping the plugs is a given.

I can put the fuel pump on and the water pump as well. I also have a fuel filter that I want to put on but I do not know what would be he best place to put it.

-Suggestions-


Bread

Might help to get a shop manual and read up, it has lots of pictures to guide you.
If you have a manual transmission make sure you have a pilot bushing in the end of the crankshaft for starters....

What are you going to be installing that engine in?

I see no front motor mount for a truck

I am curious too. Those side mounts are used when the attaching brackets are bolted or welded onto a frame. As far as cleaning the engine, it doesn't look like you have a lot to do before painting. If it was me I'd leave the distributor in place and just cover it with a plastic bag when cleaning and painting. I would also plug the downdraft tube hole and any others that would allow entry of cleaning fluid or paint. And as suggested, obtain a shop manual.

Gents,
Thanks for the replies.

The truck is a 39' and it has a manual rack and pinion so I had to cut out the front motor mounts.

I have already installed the pilot bushing. That was fun. The trans will be a T5.

The shop manual is in route.

The engine was painted when it was rebuilt but it has been sitting for a while. I noticed that the paint was flaking off so I started to pick at. It will not take much to repaint it and have it and start putting things together.


Bread

The water pump you have looks to like is a later style pump, You have a 2 hole block.I don't think it will work without maybe a adapter?

The adapter that's available is for going the other way around, putting the early pump on the later block.

Thanks for informing me,I didn't know,I did know there was a adapter. So Bread has the wrong pump.

Gentlemen,
Good eye noticing the pump from within the box....

You know I was thinking the same thing that I had the wrong water pump but then I remembered that my good friend had told me that he gotten rid of the one that was on the engine. He had also got one that was re-manufactured and it would do me better than keeping the old one.

Back side water pump Front side water pump

Thanks all for the input.

Bread

That's the right pump.

Thank you every one for the comments.

Just an update and a couple of questions:

The engine and the intake/exhaust manifold has been painted and spark plugs has been installed. I got the wrong ignition coil bracket but that is an easy fix. I ran out of paint so I didn't paint the valve cover. I'll paint it when I need the feeling of accomplishment but it does stand out.

The shop manual still hasn't arrived but I guess it will arrive this weekend.

The water pump, fuel pump, fuel line to the carburetor, and the distributor still needs to be installed. I was also looking at getting a couple of I or eye or aye bolts so I can lift the engine with my cherry picker.

I am currently stumped with the distributor and don't know what to do with the thing. I think I am missing something. Not to sure how to complete the distributor assembly, can any one guild me in the right direction?

I noticed that the exhaust flap piece didn't move so it was tapped a couple of times with the hammer of persuasion but it didn't budge. I am going to spay with the love juice (liquid wrench or PB blaster) and let it sit. Any suggestions?

I have add a few pics of the engine before and after along with the distributor.

pic 1 pic 2 pic 3 pic 4 pic 5

Bread

There is a tang on the end of the distributor shaft.
It aligns with the oil pump.

Turn your shaft till it lines up, then it will drop in.

Loosen the clamp on your vac advance so you can align the vaccum line.

Make sure you can get to the grease cup also

...pic...


Down the road when you get ready to time your engine you will want the rotor pointing at the number 1 plug wire.

For your manifold I would suggest removing it from the engine and seperate the intake from exhaust so you can better work on the heat valve and free it up.

...pic...

...pic...

Gasket kits are readily available at your local auto parts store

I like that blue. It's darker than Chevy blue. What is the color name?

I have 216 / 1946. I will send you pictures via email of my distributor. I don't know how knowledgable you are so forgive me if you know this. Your engine is a later model I can tell by the valve cover and side lifter cover. First I would remove the valve cover and turn the engine until you see both valves closed and your at top dead center on the compression stroke. You should also be able to tell on the timming mark on the fly wheel or harmonic ballancer pulley. Then you need to know the firing order. You insert the distributor so that the rotor is at #1 position on the cap. You can rotate the rotor shaft to align the straight blade at the bottom. Then you should have the ability to rotate the body of the distributor to adjust the timming. On mine the vaccum advance and timming mark part is adjustible as I reacall up and down. So you might have to loosen it to get the distributor to insert all the way. You should also check the electrical connection to the points. As I recall the early models had a reversing switch and the points are isolated from the diestributor body.

Gents,
I was messing around and posted part of this thread for the heat valve for the exhaust manifold. It looks like this threads has lead to the distributor.

Dads50,
Thanks for the advice and the links to your pics.

Frank50,
I like the blue as well. I blindly went to the auto part store to get a "close like blue," and went with the cap color from rust-oleum. I went back to get some more paint and to my surprise, the color is "Old F**d Blue."

GWWirth,
I am not to knowledgeable with with the inners of the engine but what you have posted, I have just read from my handy dandy 1954 Chevrolet Truck Manual that I received today during lunch. I don't really want to take the thing apart and was hoping that it could have been something I could fix from the outside. Well, I gotta do what I gotta do.

Bread

GWWirth,
Thanks for the advise and I'm going to knockout the distributor this weekend. At first I thought I had to open the engine up to set the distributor but it is just the valve cover. Don't know why but it took a little to sink in. I'll be able to get several things at once. I can check the gap on the lifters, paint the valve cover to match, and set the distributor. Also, thanks for the pics, they were help full do see what "right looks like."

Thanks to all who has advised and commented,
Bread

I just thought of another thing. If your distributor drives the oil pump you might have to use a long screwdriver down the hole in the block to rotate the oil pump slot to the correct position to insert the flat tang on the end of the distributor. Also the rotor will rotate a few degrees when you insert the dist. shaft becase of the gear pitch. When that happens you have to move the rotor one tooth and try again.