Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

My wife's uncle has a 1950 Chevy truck that is on loan to him from his daughter's future father-in-law. He has this truck in his possession so that the two of us can spend a week working on it for fun. From what we've heard, the truck spent its life as a weekend vehicle that was kept in a garage at a vacation home in Washington state. It was included in the sale of that home a little over a year ago. The last time it ran was when the previous owner drove it and then pulled it back into the garage. It sat for five years before the previous owner attempted to start it again, at which time it wouldn't even turn over. That was about a year ago, so it hasn't run in 6 years.

The current owner replaced the starter motor and spark plugs, and I believe he tried to rotate the engine by turning the crankshaft pulley. It sounds like he was unsuccessful at getting the engine to turn.

The truck was converted to a 12V system at some point.

Our primary goal for this project is to get the engine running. A secondary goal would be to get it somewhat roadworthy, which would involve going through the brakes.

I am all about 67-72 Chevy trucks, so I know next to nothing about this generation of Chevy trucks. My first truck was a 67 with an inline 6 and points. I have rebuilt engines, transmissions, rear ends, brakes, etc. and I am experienced with electrical debugging and design. Are there any words of advice you can offer that will help me understand what I'm getting myself into on this 1950 truck? Are there any commonly known issues that I should watch out for? Any and all feedback will be appreciated.

I've got 55 photos to post, so I'll do so in following posts.

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Not a bad looking truck.!!!

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

that will clearly run again with just some work on the points and some fuel down the carb.

nice find! keeping it original should be easy. someone has already converted the truck to a 235, the 848 casting means it is a later 12v 235 starting in i believe 57-58. that is yards better than a 54-56 235 and a football field better than a 216 which is what the truck likely came with. I bet it pegs that factory oil pressure gauge haha.

rebuild the carb, it looks like it is leaking more than a colander and make sure you clean up all the spilled gas before cranking on it too seriously.

start a project thread in the project section and i will follow it! great looking old truck, in medium blue thats even better.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

That's very interesting about the engine. Thanks!

That's an oil bath in the air filter, right?

The owner pulled the radiator out so he could access the front of the crankshaft. I believe the liquid on the floor is antifreeze, but I don't know for sure. I'll be heading up there in a couple of weeks.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

check the brakes before you do anything, or at least chock the wheels so it doesn't surprise you while you work on it.
cheap to redo the carb. check/replace the points/condensor and remember that it isn't like a newer vehicle where you can leave the ignition switch on for periods with the engine not running, that burns the points up fast. change the oil and check/top up the rest of the fluids so you can get it running safely. let it run for awhile, maybe several times so it can heat and cool a few times. then do an engine condition check. adjust valves, do a dry and wet compression test, oil pressure check cold and hot, coolant strength check/replace along with the thermostat. belts, hoses, etc. do a comprehensive bumper to bumper check over so you know what you have and what it will cost to get it back to good running/operating condition. consider updating the brake master cylinder to a dual system for safety. when you know what it needs you can get a plan together for what you want it to be when done.
nice pic package. truck looks like it was kept care of.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Thank you for that excellent list. Will I be able to buy ignition tune-up parts at a place like Napa, or will everything have to be ordered? Does this engine have hydraulic lifters?

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napa probably has all the tune up stuff and gaskets you need. they actually sell a lot of stuff for the old chevies, at least in Canada they do. check them for brake parts, coolant stuff, fluids etc.
the 235 may have solid lifters or hydraulic lifters, I think, for those years. if it has hydraulic lifters, and has sat around for awhile, the pistons inside the lifters may be gummed up a bit so beware of that when doing any valve adjustments. check the manual, if it came with one, or look on the old cars manual project for a manual you can download.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...esto/index.htm

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Thank you for the link!

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

If it's locked up I would soak the cylinders with the fluid of your choice overnight before trying to break it loose or you might break a ring or worse.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Will do!

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

If its locked up I have had luck with ATF in the cylinders, dont be stingy. I have heard diesel works too. I use a prybar on the flywheel teeth, rock it both ways.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

848 started in 58, not 57 like i said, my bad. and yes, hydraulic lifters.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

I did a 54 for a friend. It sat in a quonset since the early 80's. Stuck. ATF and a few days sitting and it broke loose with the prybar.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Ok, cool. We will get out the ATF if it is stubborn. That makes sense to pry at the flywheel teeth for more leverage.

10-4 on the hydraulic lifters. Hopefully they aren't gummed up.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Nice truck.

The best advice is that if it isn't broke don't fix it just to be fixing it.

First thing I would suggest is get a can of Marvel Mystery oil and put a few squirts in each cylinder and let it set for a while. That has been the go to squirt in cylinders of rigs that have been sitting and may be stuck for 60+years. ATF may work also but I have always used Marvel Mystery oil since 1962 when our auto shop instructor had us squirt it in an engine that had been sitting. As dsraven said, no matter what you use don't be stingy with it when you squirt it in the cylinders, The objective is to get it to soak down past the rings to free them up and while it will smoke it won't hurt anything if you can crank the engine over with the starter with the plugs out before you try to start it.

Still getting it running after you get it to turn over is a process of elimination.

First is never assume on anything, test it.

Does the battery have a full charge and show that with a test meter?

Are the battery cables in good condition with tight terminals and are every connection to what they connect to to clean bare and shiny metal? I've lost track of how many vehicles I have gone out to look at in the past 60 years where there were corroded connections, loose connections or the several times where the owner had put many coats of paint on the engine and refused to scrape the paint away to bare metal to make a ground contact.

Once it spins over with the starter good move on to the ignition.

Are all connections tight? Do the wires go where they should? Are the points adjusted correctly? I've helped more than one guy with a no start after working on it that set his point gap with the rubbing block on the flat part of the cam rather than the tip of a lobe.

Fuel, I'd say it goes without question rebuild the carb as it has been sitting for six years.
With my lack of luck with old gas I would pull the tank and flush it out. Old gas kills engines and the carbon from bad gas can lock the engine up. That may actually be the entire issue when one things of it. Drove the truck after it has sat since last season, parked it and the next day the carbon build up on the valves from the old pretty well turned to varnish gas locked up the valves and the engine in the process. I've had it happen and need to pull the heads off an engine in the next couple of weeks to check it now that the weather is a bit dryer. Since that truck is known to have sat for lengthy periods of time that may be the problem.

If I had access to one of those scopes that you can look in cylinders with I would check to see if I could see the valves with it. or pull the manifold assembly and look in the exhaust ports at the valves to see if they are full of black carbon.

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Very interesting. I did not know the valves could lock the engine. Is it possible to unstick stuck valves by spraying the valves through the intake and exhaust ports? If the head has to be removed, how difficult is it to find a replacement head gasket, and can I get away with reinstalling the head afterward without having it resurfaced?

I do have a scope, so I will definitely bring it with me.

Here's some additional information from the owner:

"Just so you know I’ve sprayed an entire can of that ATF stuff in the cylinders. Yeah I actually stood on the larger monkey wrench, and bounced my weight, but still never got that crankshaft to budge."

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

[QUOTE=pjmoreland;9072642If the head has to be removed, how difficult is it to find a replacement head gasket, and can I get away with reinstalling the head afterward without having it resurfaced?

[/QUOTE]

I don't know about head gaskets but I just went through a search for an oil pan gasket and found out that Felpro and Victor Reinz have both discontinued making them. I found a supplier that sells products from Best Gaskets, who specialize in vintage car gaskets. He was very responsive and helpful.

https://marxparts.com/chevrolet_6.htm

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Thank you. I will give him a call if we end up having to pull the head. If the valves are stuck, I'm hoping we can coax them free without removing the head.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Slow day at work - just checked RockAuto and they list availability for head gaskets. FEL-PRO HS7619B1 is the part number if what you have is a later 235 (58 on).

Good luck with the project!

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Thanks!

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better to use a prybar on the flywheel than use the bolt on the front of the crank. flywheel is made for that sort of thing.
if it is froze, fill the cylinders with ATF or diesel and leave the plugs out so it is easy to keep filling the holes. each time you work on it try the flywheel and if it is still froze fill the cylinders again and fix something else so you're not tempted to do something you will regret later. after a while it may come free if you're not in a hurry. diesel may be thinner so it will run past the pistons easier and may free things up quicker but then it is also flammable so later if you plan to be hammering, using a torch or anything make sure to drain the oil pan completely first. try not to use a big snipe or hammer on stuff like the wrench or pry bar as this can break stuff that costs to fix and/or may be hard to find. better to let the penetrating fluids do some work. if you have a scope put that in the cylinders before you fill them with fluid and see if there is a mouse nest or something in there first. if you have an inline heater, like a heater hose or rad hose style, you could plumb that in and heat the block up some which may help. if you have some extra stuff laying around you could run some hose with connections to eliminate the rad for this operation. that will possibly make things expand when heated and then contract a bit when cooled so the fluid can work into the tight areas.

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Can you pull the rockers or push rods to take the valve train out of the equation?

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Good idea.

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you could pull the rockers and tap on each valve with a dead blow hammer to see if they are free moving or not. lube them up first by squirting oil on the valve guides through the spring coils.
waaaay back I worked in an engine shop. we got in an old v8 engine from the '50's that was siezed, my job to dissassemble carefully. one cylinder was crammed full of mouse nest and that was the cylinder that was keeping things from turning. mouse got in through the open exhaust valve. you gotta wonder how far that mouse wouldda crawled up the pipe before it decided to turn around. i wonder if there was a muffler on the vehicle, probably no exhaust system at all actually, lol.

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If there is a mouse nest in a cylinder (seems highly probable), I'm imagining the head will have to come off.

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yup. good reson to use that scope down the cylinders to see what you have inside. when do you think you will be able to get a look at it? soon hopefully, before we have you convinced pretty much everything inside the engine is toast and you need a fire breathing, tire smoking wallet emptying upgrade, complete with a full independent suspension upgrade, lol.
if you find the engine needs a rebuild will you continue with the original (to the truck when you got it) inline 6 or move on to something else that is possibly easier to source parts for? a newer version of the chevy inline 6?
scope the cylinders, look for rust and pitting on the cylinder walls. if it is siezed and you can't get it unstuck that would mean a teardown. before you go that far price and source the usual parts needed to see if that is feasible and within the budget. if not then maybe just leave the engine complete and source the next option for power. better to have a single lump in the shop than a whole bunch of dirty parts, a torn down engine takes more space than an engine that is together and sitting on a wooden crate. it could be sold as is to someone inclined to rebuild it or use parts off of it. if you scope it and it looks reasonable, fill it up with penetrating fluids and walk away for awhile

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

The truck is at my wife's uncle's house up in Washington state. We will be driving up there on Sunday, May 8th, and will start working on Monday morning. If the engine requires tear down beyond head removal, then we would likely want to go the least expensive route toward getting the truck back on the road. I welcome suggestions on what that might be. Would something like a 250 from a later model truck be a bolt-in replacement?

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

why not buy a cheap borescope at cardboard freight? if the engine is pooched a quick look will show it.


edit: apparently i am the second person to suggest this. still a good idea even if raven said it first haha.

Re: Looking for Advice on Upcoming 1950 Truck Project
 

Yep. I've got one, and that is the first thing on my to-do list.