54 1/2 ton

[mapman]

I recently acquired a '54 short bed pickup with a 245, 3sp OD and 4:10 rear. It is a very beat old farm truck. It has a siezed engine that is soaking while I work on other projects. My question is whether I should look at installing a 259 or will the 245 be servicable on the hiway. It looks like a great setup now and I prefer to stay original. Wouldn't the 245 be less likely to be affected by the lack of zddp?
I enjoy getting them up and running safely then driving them as is.
Just looking for opinions for when I get to it.
Thanks, Rob

[JRoberts]

I really like the Commander engine but while it has torque it is not real quick. I drove a pickup with that engine as a daily driver for two years and it worked just fine. The 259 would have its advantages, but I am not sure it would give you a whole lot better driving experience. The overdrive transmission is a real plus when putting these things out on the highway.

[Skip Lackie]

I have exactly the same truck – a 3R6 with OD and a 4.10 rear end. I did a mechanical restoration on it 30 years ago, and am only now getting around to doing a complete restoration of the underpinnings and body. It’s a good combination – vastly more road-able than the Champion 6. That said, acceleration is a bit slow, and it doesn’t like revving much over about 2500 rpm. 65 mph is the practical upper limit unless you can stand the screaming coming from under the hood.

A 259 with the same OD trans would improve driveability, and would not be that difficult to do – it already has been done many times. However, a lot of little things need to be changed. If you had a V8 parts truck, you’d have all the necessary parts. The parts book will tell you what needs to be changed – eg, motor mounts, clutch and trans linkage, drive shaft, etc.

My suggestion? See if you can get the Commander 6 running decently and drive it for a while. If it’s good enough, then fine. If not, then look around for a parts truck. Most of the things you’re gonna fix anyway (brakes, wiring, etc) are the same, so you will not have wasted any money on parts you’re not gonna need.

I think most engines with flat tappets benefit from some lead in the gas. Horsepower and compression ratio doesn’t seem to be the driver.