Category Archives: 1947 chevrolet 3100

Project: Dads 1947 Chevy 3100 part 4

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Despite having a full plate I managed to get up to my dads place a few weeks ago and got most of the engine back together for the Chevy truck.  In the last installment we cleaned up the pistons, inspected the rod bearings and got everything ready for reassembly.  My dad thought we would be lucky to get the pistons back in the bores -he was pleasantly surprised by how much got done.  I think I will fall back on working on old vehicles for a living if my business endeavors don’t pan out.

I was working along and realized I wasn’t taking any pictures so I got my iPhone out and took a few.  We used the same ring compressor I use on Alfa engines to install the pistons, the same Redline assembly lube on the bearings and the same can of WD40 to wet the rings.  Connecting rod caps and bolts are as expected.  The main worry here is that the little ‘scoops’ in the sheetmetal parts that go over the connecting rod caps are oriented correctly so the turning of the crank forces oil into the scoop.

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Project: Dads 1947 Chevy 3100 part 3

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I managed to get up to my dads house on Monday to grab some Sprint parts I need to help overcome a bad transmission (more later) and while I was there we spent two hours and pulled the pistons out of the 216 just to make sure there was no rust as suggested by a guy on the Stovebolt forum.  You will remember the engine was stuck from sitting for years -but that I had managed with no small effort to turn it over.  Something was making it stick and it’s not much work to pull the pistons out when the engine is on a stand with the head off.  Why not?

Nice little stain like smokers teeth.  Remember the smokers toothpaste commercial -’imagine what smoking a pack a day will do your teeth?’  I always thought -imagine what it would do to your lungs.  This is what #6 looked like when it dropped out of the hole.

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Project: Dads 1947 Chevy 3100 part 2

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1947 Chevrolet 3100 Thriftmaster 6EPJ3165, original 216 engine, built in Oakland Ca, 65th 3100 made?

Today was a good day.  I woke up at 7, put a cup of coffee in me and a tank of gas in the Sprint at 7:40 -didn’t think I needed it but did it out of caution at the beginning of the 80ish miles to my dads house, managed to get almost 13 gallons in it.  Running out of gas would have been my fault but still would have dampened my enthusiasm for the Sprint.  It took about 2 hours to get there, getting wound up weaving through fairly uptight traffic from Oakland to Napa and then unwinding from Napa to Middletown on the pastoral two-lane sweepers.  Plan was to do some work on the truck engine, help with some garage organization and eat a good hamburger.

Part 1 of helping my dad on the truck in case you missed it.

The Sprint, still tink tink tinking from the spirited drive over the switchback dense hill from Calistoga to Middletown.  Our friend John couldn’t get over the Sprint, it’s simplicity, sophistication and style.  I don’t blame him, I’m still stuck on it.

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