So, Friday my friend and I rented a car trailer and drove up to get the truck. 1258 miles later, the truck is home sitting in my car port.

Here is my intro post. Newbie Post

Here is a pic loaded up and ready for the trip home.



Overall it's in pretty good shape although there seems to be a lot more bondo than I originally thought. There are a few small rust spots that will need some love sooner than later, but not urgent for the moment.

On the up side, it seems as though there was a frame off restoration done at some point and the frame is in good, mostly rust free condition.

After backing it off the car trailer, we went for a short drive to the other end of the island and back (2.5 miles), then to the local pizza place for lunch.

Good news is brakes seem really good. Rock solid pedal and stops easily. Shifting the un-sync'd trany was much easier than I thought it was going to be. Still need to make friends with the shifting and overall driving...that hood is so looong, it's like looking over the deck of an aircraft carrier!

Without side mirrors, it was a bit hard for me to tell where I was on the road, and the center rear view mirror is much smaller than I'm used to and almost worthless. Replacing the side mirrors will be one of the priorities, after a few other fixes (see below).

Steering is a bit loose (especially compared to my Mini Cooper), but I've driven much worse. Probably will need to tweak that, but it's good enough for now.

I've make a list of about 15 things that need fixing (fortunately, I believe nothing too major at this point), and have a few questions for everyone.

1) There seems to be a lot of lifter noise. How much of this is normal for these engines and does this indicate I need to adjust the lifter gaps? (I have a video I'll try and post)

2) After the engine gets to operating temp, I get a loud whistle which I believe is a vacuum leak. I think it's coming from here (see circled areas in the picture below). There doesn't seem to be any gasket at the dark spots as I can slide the blade of my pocket knife in there about 1/2", but not other areas.





As a temp fix for this, I'm thinking about dabbing some gasket sealer over the leaks. What do you think?

I'm guessing that I'll need to remove the headers and replace the gaskets in the near future, and at the same time can address the possible lifter adjustments. I've got about 5-6 weeks to drive it and then we'll be leaving for the summer...I'll be able to spend more time on it this winter and can take the time to do it right then.

3) Oil pressure. After starting the engine, the oil pressure gauge steadily climbs until it maxes out at 80psi. Does that indicate a bad sensor or something much worse?

Looks like I also need to replace the lower radiator hose.

 

Here's the video. It seems normal, but I don't have any experience with these engines.

Sorry, I had the phone turned sideways. My apologies to your neck in advance.

Lifter Noise Video

 

I'm at work at can't listen to the video but I would definitely fix those vacuum leaks. looking at the size of them I bet those cylinders are running very lean.

Is you oil pressure gauge an electric sender or oil filled line to the gauge? 80 is too high for idle and if its truly that high your probably robbing some power to run that pressure. But I would first assume its a faulty gauge/sensor

 

Yes, those lifters or something is making excessive noise. You are aware of the removable panel that gives access to the valve adjustment. Start soaking the bolts. Remove the wheel and that panel and you can almost get to the valve lifters.
A replacement manifold is nearly impossible to find so treat it very carefully. Soak all bolts and nuts there as well. There are a couple nuts that are hard to find. Have the gasket set in hand prior to starting.
Check the water pump to determine if it is leaking. It appears like it may be seeping. Find a re builder and be prepared to send it out for rebuild while you have the manifold off.
Have fun with the truck.

 

Just a note, the intake/exhaust mans. are kind of conjoined so you will probably have to take them off as a unit. Some of the guys have been able to separate them. I'm not even going to try with mine.

 

Has your truck been converted to 12v? My oil pressure gauge did the same thing when I got my truck. A previous owner had converted the truck to 12v, but did not have a proper reducer on the gauge.

 

No, it's a 6 volt system. However, there are aftermarket turn signals that are implemented and I noticed that they are blinking fast. So not sure if those may have some 12 volt component.

Thanks for the tip, I was just going to buy a new sensor, but perhaps I'll trace some wiring first.

 

Unless the heat riser is stuck and you need to separate the two manifolds to free the riser, there is no reason to separate them.

 

Many folks install an aftermarket mechanical gauge. I know, it detracts from originality but in my experience, the original gauges are far less than accurate.

 

I may end up doing that, but want to try getting the gauge working first. Didn't have time to work on it tonight, but read through the shop manual.

There's a section on how to individually test the sending unit and test the gauge, so I'll start there and see what I learn.

Thanks to everyone for the help so far.

 

If you find that you need a water pump, I shipped mine to Egge in Santa Fe Springs, CA. There are probably other rebuilders but I was very satisfied with the returned pump. Nice to hear a flat 6 again! I can't comment much on the volume of yours because it's pretty quiet compared to mine when I got it started- but mine was loaded with sludge.

 

Check your bulbs, connections, and grounds. Fast blinking is usually an issue with an easy fix - broken filament, poor/no connection, or poor/no ground.

 

Rock Auto also has a rebuild program that worked well for me. Their partner is in Philly.

 

Thanks, will do. I looked at the turn signal relay and it says 6v on the side, so you may be right about the grounding/connection issue. Bulbs all seem to light ok.

 

Dang just bought a 1950 and im from W.Va. Just bought a license plate that is on the front of that truck for $35