ratled13

[ratled13]

Just new here. A friend showed me this site. I've owned a 50 GMC Pickup for the last thirty years. Blew the motor a few years back. Its a five window cab 3/4 ton all origonal. Now have a 16 year old son who is ridin me about fixin it up . Is it worth it is the question I need answered? I need a motor. can anyone help?

[rebarjoe]

Is it worth it? That is a question only you can answer. Do you want to spend the money to fix it? When you say the motor blew, what exactly do you mean? I go to different forums and the interpretation of blown motors varies. I can tell you one thing, GMC engine parts are harder to find than Chevy parts, and more expensive when you find them. I know from experience with my 49 GMC w/228 engine. Infact I have it apart right now and searching around for parts, w/success. If it was my choice, I'd go for it, especially on a GMC. Try going here and you'll have guys jumping for a five window, www.oldGMCtrucks.com Just about 80% GMC owners.

[ratled13]

Thanks for the helpwith the site. By blown motor I mean a rod went through the side of the block. The truck is all original right down to the wheels and hub caps. Just put in new king pins and rewired it when it blew , Probably should have looked at it a little sooner. Was pretty disgusted at the time. With this site now I can find ouy the motor size. Thanks again

[solidaxel]

Welcome to your newest form of addiction !!!!!
If this is his first truck he may not have the patience and skill that you have to keep it running, might be a little overwelming, only you know.
If the engine is broke, with a picture window in the crankcase, it will need to be removed so see what kind of patience he has for the removal, and go from there!
If you check around I think there are many Chevy engine combos that will change out with your 50 model, just a thought.
IS the budget a concern or do you think you can do it for pennies!!
Get a plan and put a dollar figure to it and sleep on it, in the mean time get the kid a driver !!

[ratled13]

Was talking to my dad the guy I got the truck from. It seems that that was not the original motor. He had changed out the original motor in about "73". He still has the first one and is in one of his old sheds on the farm. Can you tell me do they make rebuild kits for such an old motor? Oh by the way the kid ain't gettin this truck. Its just a project for us to work on together.

[solidaxel]

???? Some of you 6 cylinder guys, is the bellhousing, clutch cover the same bolt paterns from 47 to 64

[rebarjoe]

When you find the old motor, look for engine numbers on the block next to the distributer. First 3 numbers will tell you what engine it is, like 228,248,270 the first 3 numbers. Probably a 228 or 248 if it's a GMC. www.kanter.com sells rebuild kits. For the piston rings you'll need to measure the ring groves when ordering. Just be patient. It takes a long time to do a good restore. Do all the important things and safety jobs first. Then you can drive it while you do the rest. Have fun.

[rebarjoe]

Solid here is the response I got from my buddy out in Ca. This guy is my Guru He doesn't only know Chevy/GMC he knows all makes, and know wonder, he has been a automotive teach for a long time.
" The older bellhousings will have a place to put right and left motor mounts and the transmission will "hang" from the housing. Newer ones will not have the flat spots for the motor mounts. The old ones are cast iron and the newer ones are aluminum. There is also the L6 and V8 bolt pattern to watch out for. Six cylinder will not bolt to a V8 or visa versa.

The transmission bolt patterns are the same BUT for trucks the bottom holes are not threaded. The bold head is to the front of the truck going through the bellhousing and then threading into the transmission holes. The top holes are the same. You can use a car transmission by using a little longer bolt and then putting a self locking nut on it to hold the trans in place.

Here is the rough part. The large hole that the front bearing cover slides into are different diameters between the truck and car. So you could use a "truck" bellhousing with a "car" transmission BUT you can not use a "car" bellhousing with a "truck" transmission. That is to say it is not a straight swap. But because I am a machinist I have mounted the car bellhousing in the Bridgeport mill and machined the hole larger. You will need a boring head milling bit and a big telescoping gauge and a micrometer. Take your time and it will be just fine. I did this for a guy with a Jeep that he installed a Chevy V8 and an old "granny" box. He wanted the car aluminum bellhousing so the students and I machined the hole."
Joe

[solidaxel]

I was thinking only of what 6 Bangers(years-engines only) will bolt to the bell housing (engine side) that he has in his truck now. Not the transmission side of the bell housing. If they are anything like a 1955 V-8, the interchangibility is enoumous for chevy's Big Block and Small block

[rebarjoe]

How are you making out with the engine in the shed?

[ratled13]

The one thats in the shed is the same as the one thats in the truck. The problem is that he got it from another guy. That guy hadn't run it for quite sometime. It had bees nests and such in the water jacketand when my dad put it in the truck he couldn't get all the junk cleaned out. So he had this overheating problem. Ok it turns out that the motor that was originally in the truck had a problem. It kept blowing head gaskets. So somewhere around the farm there is another motor that I haven't located yet. So the search is still on.He thinks that he through it in a ditch in one of the fields on the farm. Which of the motors will be best to redo is still yet unknown. I really appreciate all the info. Thanks I'll get back to you all.

[ratled13]

By the way is insomnia a common thing in this hobby?

[rebarjoe]

Ratled,
There was a song years ago titled "sleepless days and sleepless nights" and I think the guy who wrote it was a truck nut also. Yes, insomnia is a part of the hobby, but you'll get used to it. I had my first "hot rod" in 1959, and that's when my insomnia started. And I'm still losing sleep!!!!!!!!!!
Keep me posted. Use my e-mail if you want.

[rebarjoe]

Ratled,
Have you been to the oldGMCtrucks site I gave you? There is a guy,49er, who has some engines for sale on the "parts for sale forum". He is in Indiana.