Dead Zip Van engine teardown.

[gordr]

Decided to tidy up the yard a little yesterday. Dead engine from the Zip Van was sitting on the ground for a year, seized. Picked it up with the tractor and set it on a barrel and proceeded to tear it down. Off came the bellhousing, torque converter, and flexplate (not cracked!). The big oil filter, a full-flow canister-style, came off. Ditto the harmonic balancer, front pulley, and timing cover. Timing gears did not appear to be badly worn. Fiber cam gear. Gears removed. Cylinder head removed. Water and rust in cylinders, why it was stuck, no doubt. Lots of sludge in engine. Pistons 3 and 4 are at top, scraped with putty knife; could not see any oversize markings. Some ridge in cylinders, but not the worst I have seen. Engine is now upside-down on some 4X4 blocks. Rain today precluded me pulling the pan and the crank. When I get to it, I will add further observations. No plans for this engine, but if it is salvageable, I will will preserve the pieces. Upon first inspection, head not cracked. All observations subject to change upon closer examination.

[StudeRich]

Good job Gord, yes the Commercial and Fleet Vehicles had the option for a Full Flow Adapter that fits both Sixes and Eights with a large Canister that holds the H.D. Element rather than a more expensive in the Day, Spin-on sealed can type, Studebaker was thinking when you have 50 or 100 in your fleet, cost adds up Fast !

I have a couple of those NOS H.D. Adapters, but No Canisters.

[gordr]

Got into it again today. Took the crank out. It looks OK, some minor rust patches on some journals, but that might polish out. Main and rod bearings all look good, not worn down to backing. Have not found any undersize stamps on the crank, so far. Got 5 pistons knocked down by hammer and wood block, no rings broke. Ran dingleberry hone in bores, and knocked pistons back up and out. #6 is locked solid; left it soaking with some penetrant. Washing the pistons revealed faint .030 marks on 4 of them, and one might be .040 oversize. If I can get the stuck #6 out intact, a good hone job, and a set of rings would likely make it a decent runner. Not that I need another OHV six right now, but I will not throw it away. I might try rigging a fixture with large puller screw or bottle jack to put heavy pressure on #6, and see if it can be budged. That worked for me once before. Main bearing shells have Stude part numbers, and no undersize marks. Rod shells have Michigan part numbers, and no undersize marks.

[Rafe Hollister]

If I was King of the World, great posts like yours would also be required to have pictures!
Rafe Hollister

[StudeRich]

A from Canada friend that was here in our SDC Chapter had a V8 with some stuck Pistons, he lit a Charcoal fire in the lifter valley and was then able after a few minutes to drive the pistons out with a wood block !

[Ron Dame]

On one, I decided that the piston was toast anyway, so I drilled a few holes in it, and broke it out in pieces. The cylinder was toast too, but I felt the chances for making it worse, plus my effort, were a decent move

[gordr]

I didn't want to get oil and grease all over my camera.

[StudeRich]

Sounds like this Zip Van was maintained in a cost effective manner replacing Only what was needed that kept it on the Streets of America for a bit longer and it did the job !

I bought some Stude. OHV Six and Zip Van parts years ago from a closeout of Zip Van parts from a USPS Repair Shop in Calif.
They were no longer needed after they sold off all the Vans.

[gordr]

OK, I took some pics, will try to attach them. I got the last piston out, but it was a struggle, and the piston is damaged. I made a rig to use a bottle jack to push down on the piston. Cranked on the jack until the cup for the chains began to bend. Left it overnight, still stuck. Took the jack away, and placed the ring gear from a busted transmission planetary on the 3" pipe, and bashed with a ten-pound sledge. It moved. Finally got it driven down until the piston skirt reached the main bearing boss. Ran flex hone in cylinder. Could not drive piston back using 2X4 and 2-pound hammer. But a length of steel angle and the ten-pound sledge did drive it up and out, at the cost of breaking the wrist pin boss. Pics:

[pinehurstbob]

Very creative way to get a piston out. I have had good luck in the past using diesel fuel in rusty cylinders. Just keep filling the cylinder and wait.Takes days, but who is in a hurry.
Bob

[PackardV8]

Hi, Gord, sorry for your loss of the #6 piston; BTDTMT (Been There Done That Many Times).

Yes, diesel fuel is an inexpensive solvent for cylinders having pistons with stuck rings. Unfortunately, for those cylinders where the corrosion has progressed to the point of enlarging the piston/ring area to the point of an interference fit, it won't ever free up those; again BTDTMT breaking the piston to get it out.

jack vines

[gordr]

Well, I have no immediate use for this engine. I will wash the pieces with solvent, and stash them for future reference. I have a fair number of OHV six pistons stashed already, so there may be a .30 over one in the bunch.

[PackardV8]

Of course, you remember the '64 pistons use a different ring package, but AFAIK, earlier pistons with corresponding rings could be used needs must.

jack vines

[gordr]

Spent a few hours on it today. Engine block scraped, and rinsed with solvent, ran the Flex-hone through the cylinders. There is a substantial ridge. I figure it would need an overbore to .050 or .060 to be any good. The only pistons on which the oversize stamps can be read are marked as .030, with one being maybe .040 OS. I will pressure-wash the block, and solvent-wash the pan, valve train, and internals, and stash it away. Anybody needs a core OHV six, let me know. It will be cheap. This one has full-skirt pistons in it.