Recently purchased an old Chevy 47 - 53 1/2 truck. Has originial 216 engine, believe it is still a 6 volt system. Alternator and starter is on the engine. No battery or ignition key came with the truck. Any suggestions on how to get the truck started, without a battery and key? Ignition appears to be wired correctly. Do you know where I might find an ignition wiring diagram? Appreciate any help you can provide!
I am sorry to tell you this but AD trucks no longer run in Kentucky. Now, if you will allow me to bring it into Tennessee and keep it for you for the next 20 or so years, I can probably get it going. Seriously, there are a lot of posts on here, some recent, that will lead you through this process. Search the 47-54 AD forum for VWNate1 and you will find tons of info. Here is one https://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?t=6626 As far as specifically how to start without the key, there is a way to jump it by running a wire from the starter to the coil and either depressing the starter or touching a screwdriver across the starter terminals. You will have to wait on one of these guys that does it more often than me to see which terminals to jump. Good luck, Gater
Ouch You can have it for $1,500. Since you are from TN, let me spell that out for you...one thousand, five hundred dollars. Of course I am kidding, I have a brother-in-law in Johnson City, so I can give TN folks a hard time. Appreciate your help! Thanks!
You want $1500 for something without a key? Geez! You Ky. boys are high! Your ignition switch can easily be by-passed. It is nothing more than an on-off switch. Jump over it and you're ready to figure out the engine. As Gater said, there are a lot of posts about starting up a sleeping giant. Fresh fluids is the "key" start. Not that it makes much difference, but do you have the serial # of the truck (located on the driver's side front pillar)?
Starting Long Dormant Truck You need to ascertain a couple things before you plop a 12 volt battery in there and fry the gas gauge or something or light the wiring on fire It has an alternator ? (aluminum stubby thing) or a generator ? (long cylindrical thing looks quite similar to the starter) Pedal starter or solenoid on top ? . if it has a pedal starter you can prolly run a jumper wire from the hot post of the battery directly to the post of the ignition coil that's _NOT_ connected to the distributor and have at it .... Make sure it's full of oil and coolant , loosen and remove the air filter and have a buddy stamp on the starter pedal whilst you lay the flat palm of your hand over the carby , it should get sucked down tightly , that's fine , leave it there untill you feel the gas splashing against it ~ now you're ready to start it up .
Thanks Nate! I will try it out this weekend. Yes, I believe the "alternator" is actually the generator. Do not know much about the old straight sixes...still have some learning to do. Appreciate all the insight this board has to offer.
Okay then . This truck is dead simple ~ if you look back n the archives I've written many simple how to's on keeping them alive ~ a good tune up will make a very worn engine run nearly new again , allowing you to drive & enjoy it NOW not three years from now after a total rebuild... The 6 volt batteries are BCI Group 1 and NAPA and Wally-Mart have good ones .
If none of the above work, find a steep hill or a couple of buddies to push the truck, then drop the clutch when you hit 15mph.
'Bump' (push) Starting I thought he lived in Kentucky...? I was thinking prolly outside of town where the park brake and soft shoulder oughta be sufficient to get 'er stopped That always worked for me in New Hampshire (taught me a LOT about patching brakes too !) Anyway , I've been thinking about the 6 / 12 volt possabilities here ~ if you measure the resistance across the coil's two leads , that'll likely tell us what system you have . Personally , I'd adjust the valves , remove & file the points (I know this is a dead art but I still do it and always will) , set the gap (dwell actually) and fit a new set of spark plugs plus drain all the oil oil out and re-fill with some nice -thin- oil , like 10W-30 and of course , use my hand pump oiler to squirt the valve stems with fresh oil as I hand rotated the engine with the spark plugs out... Once a country mechanic , always I guess . Adjust the brakes and fill the master cylinder with brandy new brake fluid , pump it untill you either get brakes or bored then leave a stick jambed between the seat and the brake pedal before you quit for the night , you may just get them to work this way , it takes a good 12 hours sitting with the pedal depressed to self bleed . fill the tranny , $5.00 sez it's less than 1/2 full and very expen$ive parts these days . Keep us posted and remember : when Bump Starting , always use 2nd or 3rd gear , never , _EVER_ use 1st. or reverse ! .
Slow going... Did not have much time to attempt to start the truck this weekend, was able to drain oil and other fluids. Oil looked like water and then some thick sludge, must have been sitting for awhile. I did notice that the generator had a Delco-Remy tag that stated 12 volts on it. I assume this means the truck has been converted to a 12 volt system? Will probably try to hand turn it, to make sure nothing is locked up prior to starting. Thanks for the continued help!
Yes , it does . IIRC , a BCI Group 26 battery fits right in the stock battery box . Remember to use 10W-30 oil , it's thin and will work it's way through that sludgy stuff ~ as soon as it gets really heated up you'd be wise the change it , certainly no more than 50 miles driving or an hour or two of running ~ it'll take several hot oil changes to get all the sludge out but it will come out ~ trust me on this . Remember to remove the rockerbox and squirt plenty of oil between the valve springs onto the valve stems .
Why Nate gets the big bucks! Is this guy worth every penny we pay him, or what?! Ya know, Nate~ if you don't watch out- you just might learn me somethin' yet!
" The Big Bucks " ? .....WHERE ? Nothing quite like hearing one roar back into life after many years of sitting....
