The truck in question is a Springtime Yellow '69 that came out of a barn in Mississippi several years ago. Old hunting truck that was complete and very solid, but beat up from years of running around in the woods. Pretty much all original except for paint. 302, 3 sp, 9", Dana 30, vacuum wipers, etc.
Best guess is that it hasn't run in about 20 years.
First up - getting the 302 running again. I attacked it as if it was stuck -- soaked cylinders in Marvel Mystery Oil and Kroil. Pulled the distributor and pre-oiled the engine. Then turned over with a breaker bar and socket on the balancer bolt.
Cleaned the points and I had spark, hotwiring the coil from the battery and using a remote starter switch on the starter relay to turn it over.
Someone broke the timing cover right at the fuel pump so you can't mount a mechanical pump to it now. I'll need to replace that, but I do have a spare front cover. Had to use a boat gas tank with the bulb on the line to pump some fuel into the carb. Started up and seems to run fairly well.
After running it, I did a compression test. Good news -- no bad cylinders, and all were within 13 psi or so of each other, or about 10%. Range was 119 psi - 132 psi, IIRC.
FYI - I suspect the broken timing cover is why it was laid up many years ago -- there were two electric fuel pumps mounted on the inner fender but neither was wired or plumbed. I guess replacing the timing cover and reinstalling the mechanical fuel pump was too much trouble?
Fuel system is coming together. I cleaned out the plastic auxiliary tank and replaced the sending unit and filler hose. Blasted and painted the skid plate. Just needs to be plumbed.
Fuel tank selector valve broke when removing it, but I have a new one on the way from Wild Horses.
Rear tank had a hole, so it got replaced with a new one from WH. It'll go in today or tomorrow, along with blasted/painted skid plate and associated tank hardware.
Have a Quadrajet ordered for it, just a good core from eBay. The later model carbs are supposed to be better, so I picked up a 1977 or 1978 Chevrolet model with the side inlet for fuel. I'll rebuild it once it arrives. Plan to put it on a Performer intake, mounted with an adapter.
Big question at this point is whether I rebuild the engine or just swap the timing cover and run it as-is. The problem is that by the time I pull the timing cover off the engine with it in place, I get into the "might as wells" -- I might as well replace the timing chain and gears, and if I'm doing that, I might as well swap the cam, and if I'm swapping the cam and intake/carb, timing chain/gears, all with the engine installed, I might as well pull the damn engine and rebuild it. Figure new pistons & rings, rod and main bearings, oil pump, balancer, cam and lifters ought to do it. I have a ball hone and I plan to do it all in the garage. Heads will get disassembled and cleaned, and maybe some minor bowl work.
Scott
Best guess is that it hasn't run in about 20 years.
First up - getting the 302 running again. I attacked it as if it was stuck -- soaked cylinders in Marvel Mystery Oil and Kroil. Pulled the distributor and pre-oiled the engine. Then turned over with a breaker bar and socket on the balancer bolt.
Cleaned the points and I had spark, hotwiring the coil from the battery and using a remote starter switch on the starter relay to turn it over.
Someone broke the timing cover right at the fuel pump so you can't mount a mechanical pump to it now. I'll need to replace that, but I do have a spare front cover. Had to use a boat gas tank with the bulb on the line to pump some fuel into the carb. Started up and seems to run fairly well.
After running it, I did a compression test. Good news -- no bad cylinders, and all were within 13 psi or so of each other, or about 10%. Range was 119 psi - 132 psi, IIRC.
FYI - I suspect the broken timing cover is why it was laid up many years ago -- there were two electric fuel pumps mounted on the inner fender but neither was wired or plumbed. I guess replacing the timing cover and reinstalling the mechanical fuel pump was too much trouble?
Fuel system is coming together. I cleaned out the plastic auxiliary tank and replaced the sending unit and filler hose. Blasted and painted the skid plate. Just needs to be plumbed.
Fuel tank selector valve broke when removing it, but I have a new one on the way from Wild Horses.
Rear tank had a hole, so it got replaced with a new one from WH. It'll go in today or tomorrow, along with blasted/painted skid plate and associated tank hardware.
Have a Quadrajet ordered for it, just a good core from eBay. The later model carbs are supposed to be better, so I picked up a 1977 or 1978 Chevrolet model with the side inlet for fuel. I'll rebuild it once it arrives. Plan to put it on a Performer intake, mounted with an adapter.
Big question at this point is whether I rebuild the engine or just swap the timing cover and run it as-is. The problem is that by the time I pull the timing cover off the engine with it in place, I get into the "might as wells" -- I might as well replace the timing chain and gears, and if I'm doing that, I might as well swap the cam, and if I'm swapping the cam and intake/carb, timing chain/gears, all with the engine installed, I might as well pull the damn engine and rebuild it. Figure new pistons & rings, rod and main bearings, oil pump, balancer, cam and lifters ought to do it. I have a ball hone and I plan to do it all in the garage. Heads will get disassembled and cleaned, and maybe some minor bowl work.
Scott
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