It may be too soon to claim victory but after all this time I drove it to a local show yesterday. This truck damn near kicked my ***. An old friend used to tell me that you just have to be smarter than the wrench. There were times when I was wondering if I met that requirement. It was one thing after another after another. It just would not surrender. I had to get away from it a few times which delayed the completion. I was snake bit for a while but it's back on the road again. I've never been a trophy ***** but this show awarded trophies based on participant voting and I got one. There were over 300 cars of every description so it did feel good that other car junkies with no axe to grind liked my truck. It's been a long hard trek and I needed to vent. The engine smoked some after sitting for 20 some years but it seems to be clearing up nicely. It's much better than the one it replaced. It doesn't have a 20 miles on it yet after it's long nap. I'll have to get some more trips under it's belt before I can feel secure but right at this moment it's doing just fine. For those that don't know what I'm talking about.
The truck looks great. I know what you mean when you said (in '07) that you never bought a crate motor or had an engine rebuilt. I've only had one rebuilt (a 348) everything else gets a running used motor. Rebuilding engines is frickin' expensive, more than I want to spend on most of my cars, so it's great to get an old motor going and just use it. Hope this one holds together for you.
Not too long ago, I bought a motor from another HAMB member. He said it was a runner and I took him at his word. Sometimes, life is a gamble and one just has to take some risks every now and again. That said, I think it should be ok for both of us Tommy.
Good on ya for keepin' that ol' Stude alive! They're dern near bulletproof. Just keep good oil and filter, and let it **** clean air. The truck looks great; you deserve the trophy.
Congrats, Another example of common sense over wallet Your not out a thing and if the old girl is up to a few years of reliable street duty it's really a win/win. Frank
I would not put it in until I tore it all the way down an rebuilt it. Save yourself from future headaches an do it now!!
I say tear it down and check out everything. If you don't and somthing goes wrong, you are going to be pissed that you didn't.
I would pull that oil pan off and clean the pan & clean your oil pump and test with a drill to make sure it pumps well . Put some fresh 10w-30 oil , new complete tune up check the carb and rebuild and I bet she will start up ! They were some tough motors that ran forever ! Keep it and put your money in that engine . don't put the same Ole crate in it . Be different !
The moral of this thread is slowly becoming, always read the ENTIRE thread before posting an answer. Or at least check the date on it. I had the same idea a while back to tinker with a Stude 259, but I never was able to nab the rusty parts car it was in -
Sorry about the confusion. I did remove the heads and replace the valve stem seals prior to installation. I can tell you that reverse gear is pretty stout in the S-10 version of the T-5. I got the truck road worthy last fall. I drove it around the development just fine. The first time actually going through the gears getting up to speed on it's maiden voyage with the new engine, new trans and new shifter, I went from 3rd to reverse. (don't ask!) A lot of noise, squeeling rear tires and an instant antifreeze shower on the W/Shield when the fan clipped the radiator brace and and bent the blade straight forward into the radiator core! Just one of the many many set backs that have stretched out it's return to the highways. I had no idea it would take this long. It has been a comedy of errors and just plain bad luck. As you can tell I had no idea what was in store for me when I started this thread almost 2 years ago. I wanted to remind people of how we used to do things when we were young and had no real money. Now I'm old and have no real money. It could blow up next week but it has less than half of the miles on it total as my daily driver has. Just an old fart that still believes in repairing things instead of just replacing them. This is the same engine that is in the first pictures.
Man tommy, that came out looking real nice! That repairing things instead of replacing them and using the best engine you can get out of a running car is hot rodding at it's best. I hate you had some set backs but that's hot rodding too. Rock on!
I know you already have it going. You can clean rusty water jackets with Draino. Remove the core plugs tilt the engine onits side and fill with draino let it sit several hours flush and repeat. Oven cleaner will eat greaseand sludge also. OldWolf
Another sort of comical update. Sunday I take it about 30 miles to the Sunday donut cruise in. The second time out and still as nervous as a ***** in church listening for all the strange sounds and constantly checking the gauges. It's running 40#s oil pressure in 4th gear. I can live with that. So I get out on a more open road and I look down to find only 20#s O.P.??? It's got solid lifters so no new lifter noise for a warning. What the hell?? I keep going, pull into a small town and it's back up to 40#s WTF? All I can think about is that I'll have to do a new post eating crow because the engine turned out to be a POS and I should have rebuilt it when it was out. What could cause an intermittent 20# drop in oil pressure? It's a mechanical gauge so it's not a sender problem. It's my first extended trip and I'm trying to get a feel for all the changes. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to get a lower ratio rear to work better with the new OD trans. Then it dawned on me... I pull it back into 4th gear and I've got 40#. Shift it to OD and it's back to 20#.... With the high ratio 8" Ford rear in OD the engine is just about at idle! Wow what a relief! The Marvel Mystery Oil seems to have done it's job. The rings seem to have freed up and there is no signs of smoke now. This old truck has thrown me more curves than a wiffle ball pitcher! Nothing makes the heart sink quicker than a 20# loss of oil pressure. I'll be glad when I get enough miles on it to restore my confidence in it. It's getting there.
The Jalopy Journal
