Hullo all. I've been reading your posts and learning a ton! Great forum you guys have going here and glad to be a part of it now.

I bought a 1955 F100 239 and will be bringing it home this weekend. It's in pretty decent shape, with it's share of rust and bangs but the cab is well preserved due to the timely change out of window seals.

I'm not worried about the rusty parts at this point - we'll get to the full frame off, hot-rodding somewhere down the road. Right now, I'm concerned about getting it running and road worthy. So, I'm looking for advice on my plan and tips about things that I haven't thought about yet.

The truck hasn't been run for a year or more. I think the guy that was doing some work on it switched up the plug wires (PO drove it over to him, went to pick it up after a "falling out between them" and it wouldn't start, backfiring out the pipes and ended up getting a wrecker to pull it home where it has been ever since). PO isn't good with the mechanical stuff so doesn't know how to find out the firing order, etc. Hopefully, that's the truth.

The battery is 12v, the distributor is 12v. What's the story with the generator - can't tell if it's original or not. Will the original generate enough juice to keep the truck running and battery charged? Do I need to be thinking about an alternator right off the bat?

I've posted a few questions about cleaning out the gas tank so think I have that covered. Anyone used Marvel Mystery Oil? Was planning on opening the butterflies in the carb and pouring some in each day for a week, pull the plugs out and turn it over a few times per day. The PO says that the truck smokes when it starts but will stop after a while (sounds like valve seals and/or guides). Any advice on how to use (or not use) the MMO? I'm assuming I should drain everything out after the week and put in fresh oil and filter, but going to put the old plugs back in rather than new ones in case there is a bunch of crud flying around.

The guy at Auto Zone suggested some Sea Foam (or something like that). Said it would clean out virtually everything. Thoughts?

Anything that I'm not thinking about to ensure that I am taking all the right steps before I crank this beast over for the first time with fire and gas?

TIA (Thanks in advance)

 

Oh, right - and I'm in Acworth, GA. What groups, shows, clubs, etc. are there around here? Any local Effies? The more I get into this, the more I find how rare these things are!

 

unless it's been converted the generator is 6 volt and the electrical system is positive ground . but yes it can keep a 6 volt or 8 volt battery charged and running a 12 volt well .... i took the da-- gm one wire off of mine and had the generator converted and got the new regulator for it for $ 85.00 bucks at a mr . auto electric here in springpatch . firing order might be on your intake , but shouldnt be a problem to dig up here somewhere . marvel is old time snake oil and i used it pretty regularly in the crankcase 's of my past rides now im using lucas as marvel got hard to find for awhile . seafoam works great on the late model stuff but haven't used it on my 53 yet so cant really say . sitting for a year is no biggie mine sat for almost a quarter of a century .................. seals or guides your on the right trsck , or maybe if it wasnt used much or driven the rings arent seated or the cylinders glazed . i , and i'm gonna catch it about this one i know , used when i first got the flatty fired again , a mix of comet in some fuel in a soda bottle i fed the girl through the carb once a day for awhile and it cleaned the cylinders up and allowed the rings to seat again and she doesn't smoke anymore . old trick i learned from my grandpa . no the comet / boraxo wont hurt it . it's a super fine powder so it wont scratch it . welp welcome and enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I wouldn't worry about the gen until you get it running and see if it's charging. I like seafoam. I also like "deep creep" made by seafoam lube and cleaner, works great on carbs. I know seafoam works. I used it on an old kohler flathead tractor engine and it cleaned up the carbon and freed up my stuck rings..

I'd get a manual or keep searching here, I'd say check you wires and firing order also the point gap .
Youve already drained the bad gas out of there change the furl filter.

bob

 

Having a 12 volt battery, distributor, coil, etc. The truck has been converted to 12 volt negative ground. The generator is probably (needs to be) 12 volt as well. Although I would doubt someone would leave a 6 volt generator on an electrical system with a 12 volt battery, I have seen worse. If you really need to verify, pull out one of the headlights and take the bulb number off of it - should be a 12 volt number. The only component that is sometimes left on the 6 volt trucks after conversion is the starter - and that's not a real good idea, but it works. A 6 volt generator would neither function or charge on a 12 volt system because of the regulator restraints. Look at the top of the voltage regulator and see if it has a readable lable.

If your generator/regulator system is charging, then youdon't need to worry about it. If it is not, you might as well replace it with an alternator.

 

Great stuff! Thanks for the input. I can't wait to get it home this weekend and really get my eyes/paws on it. "Yee-haw, I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park!"