The flathead thing is going ok, but I have this huge need to call a guy in Portland Oregon who has a dissassembled cummins 6at (for parts) and a chev tranny with parking brake on the back of the trans. I can hear the cummins engine sounding like a coffee can full of marbles, and not a clue why that's better then the sewing machine sond of the v8......Wife has a hair appointment on the mainland and she just sad.. "sure, why dont we just run down to Portland afterwards"...I told you she was Awesome.....

 

Wish you luck, Gary. Also too bad Michael and family will be here visiting (late Christmas). He'd probably like to see this 6at also. Stu

 

The one we're gettin is a core engine for 200 bucks. But the guy had a GM tranny for it with parking brake that He put it in his wrecker back in the late 90's, but the cummins had water in it and was stuck. The head is off etc, but what I think about is Cummin's price for an injector pump or a turbo in case should I be running two 6ats in of my fleet and need parts. The only rig we have that get's decent milage AND can hold the two dogs, AND is insured, is my wife's '85 mercedes diesel station wagon. It has a 1/4 million miles on it we bought it for a grand from some of my 'summerfolk' clients who left it sitting 5 years earlier.I'm not sure how long since it's been off Orcas Island. Please wish us Luck. It will be about 10 hour rond trip. And maybe 1000 lbs in the back. But 27 mpg, on my best day!

 

For a lot of reasons this didn't materialize. The flathead is coming together and that will be fine for now. Not say'n it won't happen at some point down the road. Next morning I started thinking about 1000 lbs of engine and tranny in the back of a station wagon, and having to hit the brakes hard, or worse......

 

Maybe time to put a trailer hitch on the Merc! I live 55 miles from "the city", and do a bit of parts running (Craigslist buys) down there, so I pull a small trailer behind a Corolla and get 36 mpg doing it. Necessity is the mother of invention! Saves a lot of wear and tear on the big trucks, and me.

 

Wash State ferries.... Round trip Orcas to Anacortes. With a commuter book of 5 passes, for car and driver 105.00. Round trip with trailer, one trip is 190.00-210.00. All my trailers put me just over 40'. So I guess I would need a small trailer like you said. Mainly the wagon was because my '92 work truck is down waiting for injectors and pump. Somehow it looks like i got water in my fuel. When it's going again next week, it's the best rig as it's under 22' long and I can use the commuter book/pass, and still carry 12' beams or 2 tons of whatever......

 

Good plan, I didn't know the ferry charged that much for a trailer. I've taken the Winslow ferry many times, but only driving a car. That must be the price of living in "God's Country"!

 

So I am little lost on this one. Are you trying to find an engine for your truck?

 

Had been going back and forth between a cummins 6at that I already have, or finding a better flathead v8 than the one in it. For now, the flathead has won out, becauise I thought it would be less problematic. Switching from a '59ab flathead to an 8ba flathead has it's own set of obstacles. For the engine story, see "picked up an 8ba last night", which is my current post about it on the 48-56 forum, since that forum runs the 8ba.

 

Now I got that song stuck in my head...

She'll be Cummins round the mountain when she comes,
She'll be burnin' good old diesel when she comes'

I better stop now, or I'll never get it out of my head!

Sam