Chevs C60 and C15

[Rod Salter]

Posted about the broken piston on facebook, not too amused by some replies

Yes Bruce, thought of slipping the broken piece in as a spacer, being alloy, it might not score the bore. I would if I was selling it to somebody I hate
(Now realised they are cast pistons)

Thanks Mike

Terry, The soil here is SO acidic, right off the scale, rusts so quickly coupled with dew every night, metal disintegrates very fast. Aluminium turns to powder
The soil is that black crumbly type, everything sinks to the chassis in a few years, one sump on a Toyota has rusted through, you can see the crank
Advantage is that white ants/termites can't come through it

So now I am putting one together using the clearing sale block, but all the parts from the recon engine

All the parts have surface rust and have to wire buffed and polished
the rust has crept in behind the big-end bearing shells, and I have polished it out, buffed the back of the shells
I am not actually gauging them for clearance, I tighten one, then turn crank, loosen and do the next, feeling the resistance similarity, motor turns nicely when all tensioned, I can turn the crank with a large screwdriver on the dowels at the flywheel end

All bolts have to be wire brushed/buffed
New gaskets made from cornflakes boxes
It is slow and time consuming

Did I mention I have a Bedford engine, Looks so similar to a Chev,
Full recon, never fully assembled, to put together in my spare time!
Actually have a starter for that in my “stuff”
and a nice welder generator to couple to it
LOL I could run the arcs in the 32mm projector with it
“Next life time” I'll mount the projector on the 30cwt ford and go a travelling show

Slightly off topic
In 2017 I was paralysed with 2 prolapsed discs, couldn't even pee, weeks in hospital {useless, but I got a big box of laxatives {I hadn't eaten anything for days} and a new set of un-adjusted crutches, I couldn't even use}
They wheeled me out in a wheel chair, My sister took me to a chiropractor straight out of hospital, [or I would committed suicide to escape the pain] I am sure I screamed like a girl at a Micheal Jackson concert each time she touched me. But after a couple of hours of separate 1 minute manipulation I could at least dribble pee again
Exhausted all our savings at chiro and remedial massage almost a year of agony and super meds
had Hallucinations and weird dreams before my system rejected the drugs
Then I couldn't eat, lived on teaspoons of fruit juice for weeks, lost a lot of weight

Started other nice dreaming and I have written a book based on those dreams, All 386 a4 pages of it

I was born with a crook back, infact I should have had an older sister but she died of spina bifida at 29 days
I have spina bifida occulta they tell me
Shearing sheep and digging holes with a crowbar probably hasn't helped

Also have chronic diarrhoea. Doctors no help for 50 years.
You will never believe this, I stopped drinking coffee because of my heart fluctuations, seems I was intolerant to the acidity of coffee, It was burning my insides. Getting better, at least no nausea and pain all day


I haven't done much of anything for a few years, except mow and spray grass, then had a memory loss for an hour,
220 or something over 195 blood pressure, thought that would be good for a oil pump
Doctor was not amused
I had headaches so I was taking aspirin, or could have had a stroke it seems
The little pills have me right on target now

Sometime I wonder about getting out of bed, but the thought of washing the sheets gets me going

Had covid for 2 weeks, “Warning” I am one of those disease spreading great un-vaxed

I have finished all the radio collecting I ever wanted, and slowly working through sparking them up, Had a rush on telephones that got out of control, But I have some nice telephones, some wired and working {be a post on their own}

No longer do 7 ¼ inch trains, took up cowboy action shooting instead, promised myself I would continue with that for 4 more years, that will get me to being 75

I'm having a little rush at the moment and getting things done again

How long will my enthusiasm last?
Probably until summer, can't stand heat anymore

Off to scrappy today with that stripped car body and batteries

still lost in the shed and long grass rod

p.s Long post, ah well

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Rod Salter

Yes Bruce, thought of slipping the broken piece in as a spacer, being alloy, it might not score the bore. I would if I was selling it to somebody I hate

I was actually wondering about what would happen assembling it without the chipped piston piece, but I did chuckle at your response....

[maple_leaf_eh]

Bruce

Like every one of us, there will be a time in our lives to decide what is most important. Glad you're still with us, and glad you are giving the old trucks their due.

On the topic of soils, if it is so acidic and it eats metals, what does it do to fence posts?

Terry

[Mike K]

"so now I am putting one together using the clearing sale block, but all the parts from the recon engine"

That sounds like a good plan , the slipper bearings are so much easier to deal with. The 216 was a common engine in its day, it went through a few upgrades from 1937 to the early 1950s, so be aware that there are some parts that don't fit all of the years i.e. different heads for the domed or flat top pistons is one, and different valve lengths. ON EPAY there are many NOS 216 parts still available but the shipping cost is so high at the moment. Just next door here there was a 1950 Chevy ute wreck, I should have salvaged the engine from it, might still be there.

I will have a look at the Pistons I have and see how many there are, you can also try the big USA suppliers like Jim Carter and Chevs of the 40's but they may not sell just one piston out of a set. With my C8, it is standard bore and I just re-used the original cast iron pistons and fitted chrome faced rings. It now has a loose wrist pin that knocks , I plan on pulling it apart, I have a new Aluminium timing gear and new valve guides and a set of Aluminium pistons

[Rod Salter]

The bench is clear and it looks more like an engine
Generator, starter and water pump to be cleaned
I have been given a flywheel and a front pulley
That is about as far as I go until the piston is sorted and
all these parts go in the molasses for 6 to 8 weeks
I'll put the gearbox in too

After that I can do the spare parts into an engine
I have only 5 pistons/con-rods [30 thou and 4 rings cast iron] for it as well, as I posted one cylinder would have to be sleeved
At least most of the parts won't get lost

[Rod Salter]

The gearbox came apart easily and is not as bad as it first looked
It has had the loose tail-shaft bolts drama, nice brazing repair

Then I brought the Bedford engine in
Undid the 4 bolts holding the head on
cylinders heavily coated in grease
Started sorting valves, springs, retainers colletts and bolts
Something was not adding up for the bolts
After a bit, I realised this head is a Chevy, I mean, how come it was on this engine?
Ah well, Might need a spare head some day
During the night I seem to recollect a oily head in a hessian bag, I wonder?
It is probably lost in the shed


A minus 10 black frost here a few weeks ago has killed most plants, the mandarins all fell off, the lemon tree lost most of its leaves. And the worms in the worm farm have vanished

Can't stand the dry heat, but glad I don't live where it snows

I must get back to fixing mowers, cleaning up and other priories rod