JR's 55 3200

[Baldeagle SR]

That's a nice carb set up.
Rich

[JR25]

I returned from a vacation, and got back out to the shop to get a little done! First order of business was to clean up just enough to push the truck out and set the cab back on to start my hand at body work.... Go easy on me, as stated before, this is my first!

By the way, these are NOT the wheels/tires that will be used.... these were free!






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[JR25]

Originally Posted by Baldeagle SR

Nice project esp with your boys. How far does the fuel tank hang down? Can't tell from the pic. Will the filler neck clear the bed ?
Thanks Rich

Here are a couple of better shots of the tank (filler neck and stance)



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[JR25]

Originally Posted by Kim57

That's a real nice set up.
Kim

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Looks nice, my only comment is that I like to run my fuel line so I can keep track of it and spot any small leaks.

Originally Posted by Baldeagle SR

That's a nice carb set up.
Rich

Thanks guys! Ogre, good thought, I will consider after I set the engine in, but I think it will be visible until it gets down to the frame (little 235!)
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[Kim57]

The frame looks real nice.
Kim

[JR25]

Originally Posted by Kim57

The frame looks real nice.
Kim

Thanks Kim...... I'm such an air head........... I forgot to post the pics with the cab on.......... the main reason for pulling the frame out of the shop in the first place!!




And one with the wife holding up the front fender to get an idea of what the stance is gonna look like:

[JR25]

I rearranged PhotoBucket and lost some hyperlinks, and apparently you can't edit old posts, so I will repost here.

Originally Posted by JR25

Ok, finished grillin' some steaks burgers and dogs, stuffed myself full and watched my five boys make pigs of themselves! Happy Father's Day to all you fathers!

Quick update before I take an afternoon nap.
We got the T5 put back together and painted last night! I installed an input shaft from a Jeep T5 to have a 10 spline so I can use original fly wheel and just replace the clutch and pressure plate that originally came on the 235. The T5 was really not all that complicated to rebuild once I read the book pictured in the pics!




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Originally Posted by JR25

You're welcome Baldeagle.

Thanks for the complements Kim.

Here it is sitting on the frame, why do some people (me) go to so much trouble to pretty up the stuff that will never be seen again???
I have GOT to clean up my garage so I can push the frame out in order to set the cab back on! One reason for setting the transmission on the frame is to see where the shifter will stick thru.

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Originally Posted by JR25

A question...... Can ANYONE tell me what caused the dents in the top of these original radiators? I have seen at least 3 others with the SAME dents. I have seen some on threads, but waaay to old to ask. And when i took my radiator to be boiled out and pressure tested, he had one sitting there with the exact same dent, but didn't know what caused it. A good place for your knee when working on the engine? Emergency pressure relief?

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[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by JR25

why do some people (me) go to so much trouble to pretty up the stuff that will never be seen again???

it's called taking pride in your work.
looks good, go ahead and show your work.

[JR25]

OK, a quick update........
Picked up my engine yesterday from the machine shop!!!
Turns out I DO need shims on my main bearing caps, so while waiting until they arrive tomorrow, I got it cleaned up AGAIN and painted!
The wife got a couple of shots of me and two of my boys "figuring" things out!




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[Kim57]

Nice looking kids.
Kim

[JR25]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Nice looking kids.
Kim

Thanks Kim, I feel the same way! We have had a lot fun with the truck, and if I had to stop now, it still would have been worth the father son time that the ole rust bucket has provided for me and my boys!
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[JR25]

Any of y'all ever built one of these stove bolt 6s? Turns out there is a collar that holds the oil pump in the bottom of the block. This collar is attached by two bolts from the outside of the block, which I now know was not supposed to be removed...... Yep, got mine out! The block was casted so that after what must have been a double shoulder bolt was installed, they were cut off flush, which makes them appear to be round head bolts! It looked to me like a rounded off standard bolt with all the years of grime in the hole, so I drilled into the heads and used an easy out! Now I have been told that the block is a paper weight! I think that is the "answer" that everyone will give you, along with several opinions why, but I don't give up that easy! I have had EVERYTHING machined for this block and crank, and would just have a box of parts if I abandoned it now, unless I wanted to buy another block of the same year (or as much as a couple of years newer) and have it ored 80 over.
It seems that the biggest problem with removing the bolts is that there is now way to get them back in, at least not to someone less determined and less creative than me! I plan to clean up the holes that I drilled in the bolts for the easy out, tap those holes, and use a bolt to turn the original bolts back into their old holes. Then I could either cut of the slave bolts, or just remove them! The holes don't even go in as deep as the original threads, so I really don't think strength would be an issue.

ANYONE have any input on this? Am I really screwed?

Inline 6s aren't too popular on here it seems, and yes I know about all the forums dedicated to them......but quite frankly, no one on the other sites are nearly as helpful as you guys! The first reply would most likely be "use the search function!" really? Don't you think that a guy who might have just made a thousand dollar rookie mistake hasn't panicked and searched EVERY thread on the net that he can find?

Anyway, if it don't work, I guess I ruin my cam and dizzy gear, and have to back up and punt, but for now it's "third down and long!"
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[Baldeagle SR]

Can't help you on the bolt issue. Those early 6s 216 and the 235 were real bad about cracking heads. Back in the 70s I worked in a machine shop and 8 out of 10 heads we got in for repair were cracked.
Rich
My build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=576185

[JR25]

Originally Posted by Baldeagle SR

Can't help you on the bolt issue. Those early 6s 216 and the 235 were real bad about cracking heads. Back in the 70s I worked in a machine shop and 8 out of 10 heads we got in for repair were cracked.
Rich
My build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=576185

The head was good, little warp, less than 2 thou to true up!

I got the lower end built this evening! I will post pics of my "fix" for the bolts when I get the pics uploaded.

Rich,
Thanks for the reply!
Oh, and the heads up on the heads (hehe)
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[jcramsey]

Hope your "fix" works! I'm liking this build. That intake and carbs looks so cool.

Glad to see the whole family involved!

[JR25]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

Hope your "fix" works! I'm liking this build. That intake and carbs looks so cool.

Glad to see the whole family involved!

Thanks JC!
I see you are from Charleston, I graduated from The Citadel!
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[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by JR25

Thanks JC!
I see you are from Charleston, I graduated from The Citadel!
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Way cool! Congrats on the Citadel..I'm sure that was a tough, but rewarding education!

We've been in Charleston 3 years and love it. We were in DC for about 4 years and had enough of that mess!

Give me a heads up if you ever get down this way!

[JR25]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

Way cool! Congrats on the Citadel..I'm sure that was a tough, but rewarding education!

We've been in Charleston 3 years and love it. We were in DC for about 4 years and had enough of that mess!

Give me a heads up if you ever get down this way!

Are you military? Im Army and had to do a little time in DC myself....... I would rather go back to Afghanistan than DC!!!
I will be in Chuck-Town in Nov for my 15 year reunion. I hope to be able to drive the ole truck.....but not likely done by then.
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[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by JR25

Are you military? Im Army and had to do a little time in DC myself....... I would rather go back to Afghanistan than DC!!!
I will be in Chuck-Town in Nov for my 15 year reunion. I hope to be able to drive the ole truck.....but not likely done by then.
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No, not military, but thanks for your service!

My wife (just a friend at the time) went to work for the previous administration right out of college in 2006, and I was between jobs living back home in small town NC so I went up there to be with her and see if I could find a job. Turned out to be the best move I've ever made. Married my best friend and now I work for the US Patent and Trademark Office from home in Charleston.

I hope you can drive the truck down for your reunion, that'd be a fun little road trip.

[JR25]

I posted this over on the "tricked out sixes" thread. Here are some pics of the fix...... I hope it fixed it!

JC, if this does work, you think there are enough knuckle heads out there like me that screwed up their block like this that I could patened my fix?

Originally Posted by JR25

As requested:





Should be obvious that they are supposed to stay in now!
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[Russell Ashley]

Thanks for your service, It's appreciated.

Just asking, as I'm not at all familiar with those engines, but could you have just used an allen bolt or some other bolt with a smaller head?

I'm liking your build and the fact that you have your boys involved. My two boys are now in their forties and still talk about the projects that we did when they were in their teens. It's a great bonding time and learning time for them.

That rack and pinion system is interesting, I'm curious to see how it is going to work out.

[JR25]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

Thanks for your service, It's appreciated.

Just asking, as I'm not at all familiar with those engines, but could you have just used an allen bolt or some other bolt with a smaller head?

I'm liking your build and the fact that you have your boys involved. My two boys are now in their forties and still talk about the projects that we did when they were in their teens. It's a great bonding time and learning time for them.

That rack and pinion system is interesting, I'm curious to see how it is going to work out.

Thank you!

From "what Ive been told," the factory aligned the collar for the oil pump, torked the bolts which the shoulder holds it in just the right spot, then cuts the heads off flush with the recesses in the block. So to answer your question, Im not real sure, but the allen head socket bolts were the first thing that crossed my mind. Then the more I read and looked at the oversized shoulder on one of the bolts, and how tight they fit in the holes, I went in the direction of re-using the originals. I was a little worried about how close to the edge of the shaft on one of them when I drilled it to use the easy out, but I just had enough room to clean it up and tap it for the bolts you see in the second pic above.

As for my service to our country, thank you for catching that in one of my posts, and I am honored to be able to serve for the people of such a great nation!
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[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by JR25

JC, if this does work, you think there are enough knuckle heads out there like me that screwed up their block like this that I could patened my fix?

HAHA, you might be on to something there!

Looks like a good fix to me, glad to see you didn't let it get the best of you.

[JR25]

Ok, a quick update:

A couple of better picture of the "collar" that had to be just "perfect" in order to avoid the boat anchor block. With oil pump and distributor installed, everything seems to turn fine by the cam! Also, the dizzy gear is pretty well centered on it cam gear!



And here is the passenger side finished up. I hope to get the manifolds and headers fitted, painted, and installed today! Getting close to start up!


And a picture of the steering column and shifter that I just found and had forgot to post!

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[Kim57]

It's looking real nice.
Kim