Heart Problems In A 50 Year Old

d3athsong · December 12, 2009

This last spring, the 1959 GMC 9600 which we use to haul fertilizer out to the field decided it didn't want to make any more power. It was fine at an idle, but fell on it's face when you pushed the gas. So we limped it along the last few days, and it came out of the shed once more at harvest to store a hopper of peas that we had no room for. So, today we finally got the 261(I was sure it was a 235 but my dad, who owns the truck and bought it new told me otherwise and it turns out he's right) and have finally discovered the problem. We are hoping that it can just be bored out and a sleave put in it. If not, we'll most likely try and find either a 350, or a small diesel to shove in it. Oh, and this truck might go 200 km's a year. I would be suprised if there is 50,000 km's on it.

Nytemare · December 12, 2009

Yeah...a shop can re-sleeve that block no problem.

If your not rebuilding it to have a show truck and just want a work truck...just pop a 350 in it with a T/H 350 trans and be done with it.

Hang on to the old engine though...just in case you ever want to sell it to someone for a resto project...you'll get a lot more for it with the original engine.

d3athsong · December 15, 2009

Looks like it will take a couple weeks to get parts in, but for $150, we can get it bored out and a sleave put in. It will end up beaing the cheapest to just get the 261 done and put it back together, so I guess thats what is going to happen. We were hoping to get the truck out of the shop before Christmas, but I guess that won't be happening.

Nytemare · December 15, 2009

Looks like it will take a couple weeks to get parts in, but for $150, we can get it bored out and a sleave put in. It will end up beaing the cheapest to just get the 261 done and put it back together, so I guess thats what is going to happen. We were hoping to get the truck out of the shop before Christmas, but I guess that won't be happening.

Good luck with it man.

Are you getting all the other cylinders bored too?

d3athsong · December 15, 2009

Good luck with it man.

Are you getting all the other cylinders bored too?

No they seem pretty good. We are getting them de-glazed though being it's all apart anyways. Gonna obviously need new gaskets for everything, and gonna put new rings in. Have to get the crank polished as well, as there were a few filings floating around.

grampadirt · December 16, 2009

Good luck with the rebuild.Nice to see old trucks still running and working

Nytemare · December 17, 2009

Good luck with the rebuild.Nice to see old trucks still running and working

Especially when they're all original.

d3athsong · December 31, 2009

As usual, costs go up, and problems complicate things. We got the block back 2 days before christmas and had a bunch of family stuff to do so it got left till monday. We can't really do anything eles till we get the crank in, and to do that we need main bearings. The first set we bought had the box for the #3 bearing half gone due to it having been sitting in water for an extended period of time, as well as the bearings rusted. The second set we got had pitting on various bearings, and one of the lower bearings looked used. So even though parts source had a great machine shop that did a bang up job, their supplier seems to be trying to get rid of whatever crap they can on some poor sucker. So we went to a different source who believed that the mains for a 235 are the same as for a 261. While i have read that a few places on the internet, today we learned that is not true. So if anybody knows a good place to buy parts for older trucks, if you would point me in the right direction, I sure would appreciate it. I have found there is a set of new ones on ebay, so if nothing else, I'll just buy those and hope they are right. Id prefer not to wait 5 days, but ill have to anyways as it's a long weekend.

Nytemare · January 1, 2010

As usual, costs go up, and problems complicate things. We got the block back 2 days before christmas and had a bunch of family stuff to do so it got left till monday. We can't really do anything eles till we get the crank in, and to do that we need main bearings. The first set we bought had the box for the #3 bearing half gone due to it having been sitting in water for an extended period of time, as well as the bearings rusted. The second set we got had pitting on various bearings, and one of the lower bearings looked used. So even though parts source had a great machine shop that did a bang up job, their supplier seems to be trying to get rid of whatever crap they can on some poor sucker. So we went to a different source who believed that the mains for a 235 are the same as for a 261. While i have read that a few places on the internet, today we learned that is not true. So if anybody knows a good place to buy parts for older trucks, if you would point me in the right direction, I sure would appreciate it. I have found there is a set of new ones on ebay, so if nothing else, I'll just buy those and hope they are right. Id prefer not to wait 5 days, but ill have to anyways as it's a long weekend.

Do you have a Lordco out your way? I always have good dealings there.

d3athsong · January 23, 2010

Well, here I sit roughly 1 month after we were hoping to have this all back together. A new set of mains came last friday, and I came home from florida this monday. Finaly some progress. Got the crank in alright. Got 4 pistons in and had just put #1 and #6 in to find that the bearings in the bottom of the box, which showed they were std's, were actually 4 thousands over. Now i guess i should have learned before, and gone through every box to make sure the right parts were in each box, but I didn't. So now instead of getting it painted tomorow and installing it monday, the new bearings will probably be here monday. This quick little project now has me wishing i had just waited and replaced the truck with somethign a little newer. I could be up to my elbows in a powershift transmission instead.

angelic0- · January 23, 2010

i'd put a 6.2 in it 8) or a 6.5 TD, and keep that old engine and restore it step by step

but that's me bet it'll make a cool work truck with a 6.5 in it

d3athsong · January 23, 2010

Well, I could put a 6.5 in it, but I don't think my dad would be too happy when he found out that his truck no longer had an engine.

ColoradoSkiCountry · January 25, 2010

Despite how frustrating it is, your going to be very happy once you got the original engine back in her and you start her up for the first time. TRUST ME.

d3athsong · February 6, 2010

FINALLY got the truck put back in the machine shed today. Was busy loading trucks all week, so i didn't find a couple hours to fire it up till thrusday. It just purs now, and pulls better then ever. Afte a couple failed attempts to put the engine in with the transmission attached(came up about 2 inches shor on room), we got it slid in on last saturday. Monday we got oil going everywhere it needs to and put new points in and put the distributor on. And finally thursday we got the fuel up to the pump and fired it up. Drove it around for about a 3/4 hour with a load on. Couldn't be happier with the way the engine has turned out. Not sure if im happy about what everything ended up costing, or that I have that much into that old of a truck, but there is not much I can do about that now.Got all the pto stuff hooked up today and put the truck away fo the time being. When it warms up, maybe i can get the peas off the back, and give her a good wash and polish.