New/old daily driver, 1951 3600 (3/4 ton) Chevy

I've been looking for a while for new daily driver I'll use back home when I finally leave the Bakken patch. Well, found what I hope is the "one" and pulled the trigger last week. It has a documented original 43,000ish miles and has been treated to a restoration with a new Clarke flat bed installed. Among the issues I may address when I get home and see it for the first time; add turn signals, seat belts and pull the original low oil pressure (by design, not wear) babbit rod engine and install a late model 250 or late 50's early 60's 235. If I do change engines I'll go with a T5 (overdrive 5 speed trans) and change the rear end, doing away with the enclosed driveshaft.

We had a 49 5 window 3100 when I was a kid and I've always liked the look. This truck has been a museum piece for the past several years and now it's gonna go back to work. Time will tell how it likes working for a living again. #ad
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Note that old starter on the floor by the go pedal. good job on the find.

 

That is a beautiful looking truck. Love the 5 window cabs

 

I can't wait to see and drive it. First time I've ever bought something and paid more than a deposit without checking it out in person. Been doing a lot of research on these old timers and think it'll meet my needs. I do see upgrades in the future.

I'm sorta torn about making the original engine serve as a daily driver engine (43,643 documented miles, head never been off) I'm sure some purest would love to see it in high point restoration. But on the other hand, I read of folks keeping speeds below 60ish and getting 200k plus out of babbet rod oil slingers. Modern oils and regular maintenance being the key. And keeping rpm's down.

 

I have seen people install high volume oilers on theold babbits to counter the low oil pressure problems.

 

Didn't Chevrolet change to pressure oiled babbit rod bearings around 1949? I drive an old '41 Chevy with a 216 CID "slurp and squirt" oiled rod bearings during high school and college and my younger brother "inherited" the old car and drove it through his high school and college days. It was a tough old engine to stand up to both of us boys. It never threw a rod; however, we removed the oil pan occasionally and filed the rod caps down a bit when they began to make noise. It also had a three on the tree with vacuum shift... no speed shifting. :-laf



Bill

 

I think the 235 engines were pressured but the 216s were the ol splash rods until the early 50s, at least thats the way my dads 51 was. They may have been putting both types out for a few years until they knew they had a reliable working system. kind of like when tbi systems became an option but you could also get the same motor with a carb if you preferred one.

 

Based on my research, the 216 and 235's were all dipper oiled till 54, then the auto 54 235 had pressure oiled rod/mains. All 55 and later 235 and larger engines had high pressure lubed insert bearings. I may need to recheck my facts, but I'm sure on the pre 54's being babbit not pressurized rods. Funny thing is, you can find lots of documentation on the old low pressure engines being raced and abused with no problems.

Seems a major issue is sludge in the oil that can restrict oil passages. Preventive measures; pull the pan and valve cover on an old engine, make sure everything is clean, then change oil. Also recommended is to go to extreams to insure the inside of the engine is super clean (pull pan and valve cover and even fill the block to the top with solvent and drain a couple times and then reseal with good gaskets), then run good oil and change often.

I'll likely do the above as I evaluate my options and what I have.

 

I was talking to my dad earlier about this and he seemed to think the powerglides with the 235 went to pressure oilers in 51 or 52, although he has proven more than a few times his memory isnt what it used to be :-laf

I had a bunch of pictures of an early model Chevy I painted several years ago for a friend of dads, although this is the only one I can find at the moment. I'll see if I cant dig up the ones of the truck finished later on. He went with a metallic gun metal gray, kind of different but looked pretty good in the sun.

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I thought I was correct that the 235cid engine with full pressure oiling and hydraulic lifters was introduced in 1953 when equipped with the Powerglide transmission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_straight-6_engine#235
A school mate's father bought a new 4-door '53 Chevy BelAir with the Powerglide transmission. That was a nice car for its day. IRRC they went from 6-volt to a 12-volt electrical system about that time too.

Bill

 

Bill, I do stand corrected and thanks for the link. I haven't had much free time the last few days but I have digested a ton of how too's and tech facts on these old trucks and engines. Obviously I need to fact check myself a little more often. The hauler picked up the new farm truck late this evening. Sure looking forward to getting home and checking it out.

 

Brings back a memory or two. I learned to drive in a '51 90 hp three-on-the-tree GMC and drove it like a wild man from Borneo until we got a '63 GMC with a 305 V6 powerglide. The bashing continued! Mark

 

My wife calls my memory "a storehouse of useless knowledge" since I remember that kind of "useless" information, but I don't remember something she told me 10 minutes ago. :-laf:

Enjoy your "new" truck!

BTW, My brother and I never had any trouble with the torque tube driveshaft in the old '41, and the same as in your '51; however, it seeped a bit of transmission lube around the bell flexible joint right behind the transmission. It may have been aggravated by the many times we removed the transmission which we found was the weak link.

Bill

 

Nice truck. Didn't GMC have an inline 6 back in the 40s that had pressure oiling and inserts? Maybe a 248 cu. in. ??? Looked very much like the Chevy 250 and 235, also I seem to remember the GMC being used in race cars? bg