This a follow up from a post I had earlier this year about what I thought was noise coming from the engine.I had a friend who has still kept his hands into automotive work come over and we came to the conclusion that it is more than likely the u-joint at/in the trans at the end of the torque tube. He conferred with some old timers at work and they said in order to get at the u-joint you had to loosen the rear axle and move it to the rear to get at it. I looked at the manuals online and they don't say anything about moving the rear axle at all. Is this a case of not enough info in the manual or an old wives/mechanics tale? Also, where is the best place to get a new u-joint for a 50 1/2ton Panel? Any advice on replacing the u-joint will also be appreciated. Thanks. Gordon
RE: U-joint Service Gordon ; You needn't move the rear end back to acess / service the u - joint but it _does_ help , no need to split the brake lines nor parking brake cables either . Loosen the collar on the back of the U - joint bell cover then remove the 4 bolts and slide the bell cover back as you twist it , if lots of old grease on the Torque Tube , you'll have to clean it for it to slide back . Often the tiny bolts holding the U -joint to the trans. out put yoke have worked loose , allowing the joint Ay. to wobble & vibrate as you drive , if this is the case , replace the bolts being _sure_ to use grade 12 bolts as soft bolts _will_ break . New U - joints are available , usually made in Argentine with so-so quality so do some test fitting before you button it up . You'll need a gasket kit , IIRC Fel-Pro is the company still making it . use the orginal leather seals unless they're compelety ruined . The paper gaskets should be used to shim the bell so it's possible to move it by hand , not droop of it's own weight but not stiff either . hand sand / polish and dents or deep ridges out so it moves smoothly before shimming it . The U -joint bell is supposed to be full of tranny oil (90W gear oil) and you can remove the fitting on the very top of the bell to fill it , it may be a Zerk fitting as that's what the factory used to rapidly fill it when it was built but never , _EVER_ put any grease in there . The oil level in the tranny is important , as you fill it , the oil slowly seeps through the rear output bearing s cage and fills the bell area so go slow and always fill the tranny right up the the lower edge of the filler hole . Adding a 1/2" NPT magnetic drain plug to your tranny is the smart thing to do . I hope this helps.... -Nate
RE: U-joint Service Nate; I just reassembled my driveshaft and put a significant amount of grease into the ball zerk. Driven about 150 miles. Should I open it up and remove the grease? Thunder 54
RE: U-joint Lubrication I'd say no ~ just remove the Zerk and fill it with Hypoid gear oil . This should work it's way through the grease . it may drip a bit more for awhile . I saw one simple fix for U-joint ball leaks : hose clamp an old kitchen pot to the Torque Tube so it is right underneath the bell and the drips go into it.... typical farmer typ repair . Remember to check the tranny's oil level too . -Nate
RE: U-joint Service from Merriam Webster: Main Entry: 1sage Pronunciation: 'sAj Function: adjective Inflected Form(s): sag·er; sag·est Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin sapius, from Latin sapere to taste, have good taste, be wise; akin to Oscan sipus knowing, Old Saxon ansebbian to perceive 1 a : wise through reflection and experience b archaic : GRAVE, SOLEMN 2 : proceeding from or characterized by wisdom, prudence, and good judgment <sage advice> synonym see WISE - sage·ly adverb - sage·ness noun I'm from East Texas, I don't think I'm very funny, at least not that funny. Read the second definition above, what I wrote was meant to be complimentary. Thanks again.
RE: ' Sage Advice ' O.K. , I was just being light hearted , I hope I didn't upset/insult you.... -Nate
RE: ' Sage Advice ' Great! I do appreciate your vast experience and practical application of the same in regards to AD Chevy trucks. I bought my first '54 3100 when i was 16, in 1968 (my Dad sold it when i was in college several years later). I bought my second '54 3100 in 2000 when i was 50. Found him in a cotton field in the Texas Panhandle. Now that I have restored and can drive it, it sure makes me smile! You would consider my rig a "hobby" truck. It has a hitch and will haul, but mostly parades, etc. 235, sm 420, Patricks 355:1, and Pertronics. Can't let old iron sit in the rain on the Texas Coast, will turn to dirt. Best thing about my truck, it causes folks I don't even know to smile.
Yet Another Update Sorry for the delay fellas, but I've been busy at work. Auto plant shutdowns in Detroit keep me busy in the summer. Finally decided to take the old girl to the local mechanic that works on these and have them evaluate the problem. Turns out it's the rod bearings and the crank is scored. Bookoo bucks to repair. As my wife is less than enthusiastic about the truck anyway, I may have to get out from under it and sell it Price for a total rebuild (valves on down) from this guy was $2900. Partial, crank only $1800. Does this seem about right? I really am torn up about this but I can't do the repairs at this time. People that have seen it, that know about these, say its in great shape for as old as it is. More later Gordon
I'd recommend finding a good used engine somewhere rather than pouring dollars into this one. Guys are always pulling the old enignes in favor of a V8. I gave away my original engine,I'm sure you can find one easily.
Don't Sell , RE-POWER It ! Gordon ; Don't despair ! good running and even rebuilt 216's & 235's are cheap and available all across America for $250.00 TOPS ~ look in the various Task Force forums and read up on the hot rodders posts as they'll have the takeout 235 just sitting in the garage under a tarp , 5 ~ 6 years later and will usually drop out for pimples when you offer $150.00 for the whole thing , fan to clutch . Really . I see no point in rebuilding one of these engines at this time since there's so many takeout 235's about ~ read the old posts , take notes and contact the 3 year old ' for sale ' posts , you'll soon find a good runner for cheap . Slip in a new clutch disc , de-grease and re-paint it while it's out (gray of course) and slap it in , take care of it and it'll outlast you and your grandkids...
Gordon's Crank Gordon ; Do you have a 235 ? if so , schlepp on over to yahoo's groups & look up old-chevy-trucks as there's a guy there who found a 235 in parts with a good crankshaft , cheap , he's east of me , maybe Texas or Georgia , I forget . I hope this helps you to do the right thing , . Explain to SWMBO that if you're forced to sell your truck , you'll have to drown your sorrow in a bar somewhere's....
Nate; In you discussion on the 28th, you said to "..., de-grease and re-paint it while it's out (gray of course) and slap it in..." I was unaware these engines were grey. Was the "Blue Flame" blue only used in some. Please enlighten me/us. Jwvonl (John)
CORRECT Engine Color 216 & 235 truck engines were grey , a medium grey , not dark . Passenger car engines were blue . Pretty much ALL manufacturer's back in the day used colors so that big pallets full of new engnes went to the right place without having to stop and read the small tags.... BTW : your romping stomping 261 engine should be GREEN
Well, sad to say I had to sell the panel truck. The work picture isn't too good , and I have other irons in the fire that need attention. I have been racing with the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association and need the funds that would have been used to rebuild the old girl to continue. My philosophy on this is that as long as I can race motorcycles I'll continue to do so. When I can't, then it's on to something else. Thanks to all who contributed to the questions I put forth on the forum, and Nate, you need to write a book about every thing you've done, and all that you can remember abou these vehicles. Again thanks to all, and I will be lurking. p.s. The truck went to a good home and will be taken care of. Gordon
Gordon ; Sorry you have to go but it was interesting and I'd be hard pressed to say which I'd keep , my old truck or my old moto , both are very important to me and since I alaways buy broken junk I can afford both (so far ) A book you say ? who'd ever read about farmer typ road side repairs and used car tricks.... I personally love reading about that kinda stuff but then I'm odd thata way . Race fast , race safely Gordon ! . (I still think you could be back on the road for under $500.00 + labor )
AD Book I think you'll find Bob Adler's book has allready covered it . I need to get me a copy of that . He also writes a monthly column in the Vintage Truck magazine .
