I have a somewhat stalled engine project that I would like to get back on track. After over 40 years of puttering around with my 1955 E5 six cylinder truck, I have decided to install a correct (looking) V8. Rather than gathering parts, and charging into my truck hoping for the best, I decided to build an engine test stand. The purpose was to check out the V8, run it, tune it, tweak it & making sure it was OK before daring to approach my truck with a wrench.
The engine I've settled on is a 1957 truck 289. I purchased it in good faith as a rebuilt engine that was intended for use in a truck from a member who unfortunately did not live long enough to install the engine in his project truck. I guess you would call it a "long block," since it had heads, valve covers, intake manifold, water manifold/pump, distributor, etc. However, there was no flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, or,bell housing. Last spring, I got the engine mounted on my fabricated test stand.
From a 1955 parts truck I have, I robbed the bell housing, flywheel, etc., from the 224 V8. I dial indicated the bell housing and everything has bolted up just fine. I have the six volt starter off the parts truck as well. I could get the starter to spin, but without replacing or rebuilding, I'm pretty sure it will be a NON-starter.
So I dug out my trusty parts manual and began trying to understand how to go about determining how to buy another starter to replace this one.
Good grief! I think I'd make a lousy parts guy at a sales counter who looks this kind of stuff up every day!
I had no idea there were so many starter variations between models.
I keep reading things like, "see note #22." After several minutes of looking for note #22, finally, my eyes focused on a small print at the bottom of the page reading "notes on page 13." So, I thumb over to page 13, and find note #22 reads "same as note #21."
(so why didn't it merely say see note 21 to start with?) Of course, note #21 tells you either before or after certain model serial numbers, and so now I will have to trudge between buildings to track down numbers on different components of a disassembled vehicle.
Instead, I think I'll bring the starter I took off the 224 engine, that worked with the flywheel I installed on the 289, to the York swap meet. If any of you, that are coming, have a six volt V8 starter you think will work, bring it along & perhaps we can match them up and make a deal.
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If you look at the pic with the brush dust cover slid open, you'll see a great deal of green corrosion. And, that is after I took a blow gun and blew out all the debris. I'm amazed that I was able to get the starter to turn at all! The bendix has 9 teeth. Also, I have been told that the 6 volt V8 engine flywheel had a different number of teeth than the 12 volt units. So, if I stay with the six volt flywheel, I'll either have to stay with the six volt starter...even if I later convert the system to 12 volts.
The engine I've settled on is a 1957 truck 289. I purchased it in good faith as a rebuilt engine that was intended for use in a truck from a member who unfortunately did not live long enough to install the engine in his project truck. I guess you would call it a "long block," since it had heads, valve covers, intake manifold, water manifold/pump, distributor, etc. However, there was no flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, or,bell housing. Last spring, I got the engine mounted on my fabricated test stand.
From a 1955 parts truck I have, I robbed the bell housing, flywheel, etc., from the 224 V8. I dial indicated the bell housing and everything has bolted up just fine. I have the six volt starter off the parts truck as well. I could get the starter to spin, but without replacing or rebuilding, I'm pretty sure it will be a NON-starter.
So I dug out my trusty parts manual and began trying to understand how to go about determining how to buy another starter to replace this one.
Good grief! I think I'd make a lousy parts guy at a sales counter who looks this kind of stuff up every day! I had no idea there were so many starter variations between models. I keep reading things like, "see note #22." After several minutes of looking for note #22, finally, my eyes focused on a small print at the bottom of the page reading "notes on page 13." So, I thumb over to page 13, and find note #22 reads "same as note #21." (so why didn't it merely say see note 21 to start with?) Of course, note #21 tells you either before or after certain model serial numbers, and so now I will have to trudge between buildings to track down numbers on different components of a disassembled vehicle.Instead, I think I'll bring the starter I took off the 224 engine, that worked with the flywheel I installed on the 289, to the York swap meet. If any of you, that are coming, have a six volt V8 starter you think will work, bring it along & perhaps we can match them up and make a deal.
If you look at the pic with the brush dust cover slid open, you'll see a great deal of green corrosion. And, that is after I took a blow gun and blew out all the debris. I'm amazed that I was able to get the starter to turn at all! The bendix has 9 teeth. Also, I have been told that the 6 volt V8 engine flywheel had a different number of teeth than the 12 volt units. So, if I stay with the six volt flywheel, I'll either have to stay with the six volt starter...even if I later convert the system to 12 volts.
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