I went to Florida on June 1st to see my nephew graduate from High school and picked up this: It belonged to one of my Mom's 1st cousins, Uncle Lenard. I would play on and in this truck as a kid in the '70's and '80's when it was parked behind my Uncle Buddy's trailer, Uncle Lenard's dad. When I would go visit my Grandmother who lived down the street from him they were brother and sister, I would walk to his house and raid his icebox of ice cream sandwiches. More often then not I would play on and in this truck with these ice cream sandwiches. From what I have been told by Lenard before he passed he bought this truck in '50 or '51 when he got out of the Navy. I think he told me he traded a '41 in on it. The truck was given to me by him in the 90's IIRC. Back then I could not even change my own oil. My dad owned a garage behind the family trucking business back then and he got it running for me. The plan was to fix it up and drive it for fun. I hated living in Florida and moved to South Carolina to get away from the family trucking business. I ended up getting married and had a step daughter to help raise. SO the truck took a back burner. Way back. We has some problems and I needed a better paying job so we moved back to Florida and I went to work in the family business again. After a couple years there I decided to try working for a big photo chain ruining a lab. I had a college degree in Photography and the trucking business was not cutting it. I got transfered to South Carolina at my request and was over the maintains and repair of 20 or more photo labs. The wife and I had twins in '98 and it pushed the truck even further back. As the kids got older I got into off roading and built a jeep or two over the last 9 years. Recently I decided the wife was not the one for me and we separated. I decided that getting the truck from Florida might be a great way to work off some frustrations and give at least one my my boys and I a new project. I am hoping to get some more history and or stories on this truck from my Uncle Ed soon. Sorry for the long post. now on to some more pictures: My nephiew and son helping load the truck in Florida: The truck about to get unloaded into its new home: Looks fairly complete to me: Some interior shots: I think there is a panel missing here: Vin plate: All the wheels roll and the shifter shifts between all the gears. Not sure it the gear turn yeet or not. LOL!
Om Monday one of the twins and I started in on the frozen motor: So now the plugs are out and the engine is soaking in MMO. I found some rollers from a friend on one of my four wheeling forums and will get them next weekend. When I get the motor free I'm going to need a radiator. That appears to be the only item missing atm. Not sure where I'm going with it yet.
Looks like you have the start of a pretty cool project and its pretty neat that you got the flathead in there. As I'm finding out the hard way, there isn't a whole lot out there yet in the way of patch panels, mostly cab corners etc. Keep us posted on your progress. It would be pretty cool if you got that old flatty to run.
Hey, that looks familiar. Actually, very familiar, only mine's a 48. I've only just started on it as well, but it has been alot of fun. 8BA as well. Haven't had my twins help me much yet (their only 7). Best of luck and I'll be following your thread!
Thanks! I forgot to add the link to the album I'll be updating. There are a bunch of shots already in it. http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b25/xjghost/Ford%20F-1/
After you let it set for a couple days, go back out there and get in front of the truck with it in 1st gear and rock it back and forth pushing and pulling for a bit to see if you can get it broke loose (unstuck). I done a straight six in a 55 chevy like that and it worked great after poaring marvel mystery oil in and spraying PB blaster in the sparkplug holes.
I might try that. Socket on the breaker bar yielded nothing. Hopefully I can find some rollers soon. I have a line on some but they are a couple hours away. I also have a 5 gallon bucket half full of atf so I thought about putting that in there too! LOL!
If that dont work,after you get it on rollers with brakes (emergency brakes?) You could have someone to tow you with the clutch in and in gear then let out on the clutch, It may take a few tries but something will give I have done that a couple times too just be carefull. I done that with a 64 valiant that was stuck, had no brakes and was using the clutch letting out to slow it down just enough to get it towed home a couple miles but the engine came unstuck and nailed my truck in the back.....stupid,I know just be carefull if you try that.
I read a post that showed atf mixed with acetone half and half, had the greatest penetrating capability over pb blaster, wd-40 and the like. I would just keep working the crank back and forth with a breaker bar (that's what i did on the same engine in a 48 f-1) it will come eventually. If you force it to much like popping the clutch you might trash the cyl. walls. Good luck!
My uncle does this trick with old tractors he buys and then sells. When the motors are stuck, he'll load them on his trailer - typically when he's on his way home with them - and tie them down securely, but leave the chains loose on the trailer. Sometimes he'll add diesel to the cylinders, and just drag the trailer all over town running his normal errands. With the tractor in gear, and the rocking of the start and stop traffic, most of the time he can get them unstuck enough to where they'll run again.
Yeah (IF) you get the crank to move back and forth. If it moves it isnt stuck,Its just tight. I also got a 53 f100 with a flathead V8 unstuck by pulling it and releasing the clutch,when the breaker bar etc wouldnt work.
good luck with your project , i liked the story , sounds a lot like most guy s in generals average life experience ,nothing wrong with that , post some more pics as you rebuild the truck ,
All good suggestions to get them unstuck. One thing about rocking it back and forth in gear to break it loose. Put it in high gear instead of first. I've got a few unstuck using high gear when 1st wouldn't geterdone. Using gears to your advantage is as old as the wheel. Frank
Working on it! Still Soaking, added some old atf I had in a 5 gallon bucket. I'll try that when I get some rollers. Right now I have been getting the Jeep ready for the trip to Harlan. I go camping every 4th and wheel the piss out of my xj with my boys. One of them has been helping me this week with a new proportioning valve install. So this afternoon after work I let him drive it around the shop some. Looks like he will be doing some driving this 4th I hope.
Update.... So I scored some FREE rollers and will be mounting them after the Holidays. I have been letting the motor soak in ATF and MMO. I need to add some comd to think of it!
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