2011 at the Hammond Barn

[Bob Carriere]

While doing the valve adjustement good old eagle eye Grant noticed a crack or cut on top of one of the valve rocker...... see picture below..... came as a total surprise.... when examined closer it is almost like a hacksaw cut rather than a crack.... and this rocker arm assembly was purchased totally rebuilt. It is running good right now but has me worried. all the valve push rods are turning properly and oil drippes out quite nicely.

Should I worry and replace it......??

Being a hoarder... I mean a well prepared boyscout ready for any eventuality I happen to have a spare fully rebuilt rocker arm assembly curtesy of EBay so doign a swap is quite feasible...... not sure yet.

I welcome your comments / suggestions.

Bob

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Bob

Looks like you have been busy, about the rocker arm, I think I would replace it only if I was pulling the assembly off for another reason. That side of the lifter is in compression so having a small cut on the top is unlikely to cause trouble unless you try running it in a NASCAR race and start floating the valves.

Glad the spacer solved the vacuum tap issue. Also make it easier if you decide to mount that brake booster.

Let us know how the carb works at the 60 degree hill climb, you really need a bigger hill something more like 50' tall.

Cheers Phil

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

While doing the valve adjustement good old eagle eye Grant noticed a crack or cut on top of one of the valve rocker...... see picture below..... came as a total surprise.... when examined closer it is almost like a hacksaw cut rather than a crack.... and this rocker arm assembly was purchased totally rebuilt. It is running good right now but has me worried. all the valve push rods are turning properly and oil drippes out quite nicely.

Should I worry and replace it......??

Being a hoarder... I mean a well prepared boyscout ready for any eventuality I happen to have a spare fully rebuilt rocker arm assembly curtesy of EBay so doign a swap is quite feasible...... not sure yet.

I welcome your comments / suggestions.


Bob

Hi Bob..
It looks like a casting flaw to me and agree with Phil..run it..

[RHClarke]

Spring is here! Or so we thought. It was 0oC at 8:00 AM this Saturday morning, but the wind chill hovered around -8oC. Given our recent high temps (approaching +20oC last week), this was a shock to the system.

I got an early start on my door hinge. Bob’s advice to let the metal cool slowly worked. Both holes were drilled with very little effort. The hinge was test fit to the HUP and looked the part. My major task this morning was to finish the preparation of my HUP side window frames. When I took the HUP apart, a lot of screws refused to turn, so I chiseled them off. Each window frame had about 4 headless screws in them. Some were long enough to twist out with vice-grips, others were broken off below the surface. The sub-surface screws were removed by center punching the top of the screw body and then drilling it out with progressively larger drill bits. The holes were then tapped and test fitted with some original screws. I think my success in this task was due to the fact that no “easy outs” were used. Bob then showed up to pick up some wheels to take downtown for replacement.

The next task was to fix one portion of a frame that had been caved in – there was no way in my mind to bang the dent out, so I used the grinder with a thin blade to cut across and under the dent. The surface was bent back into place and the cuts were re-welded and then ground down. I couldn’t believe how well things were going – figures…it was a short day for me.

Grant arrived as I was welding the window frame. He decided that Lucifer should be lit up to keep Bob nice and warm when he got back from his morning administrative run. I spend the remainder of the morning hunting for parts for the next phase of the restoration project – the dash panel.

Bob and Grant may have some more to add to this thread as they were at it Saturday afternoon and today.

[Bob Carriere]

Your new fabircated hinge looks very good.

We spent most of Saturday afetrnoon redoing the plumbing on the engine. Removing all the temporary rubber lines and replacing with steel lines. All went well until the bending tool broke..... got the PCV line done.... but I don't like it... once the tool broke our bends tended to flatten out... so that is for next weekend.

We also repalced the temporary vinyl steam line witha perfect copy of an original. I alwasy maintain that you cannot do a truck with out have a few others for spare. Well one donated the steam line and the bracket.... another donated the tiny clip that holds the gas and vacuum line fixed to the top of the water outlet. Grant found the right gauge of sheet metal and fabricated 4 steam line brackets.... why stop at one....will need them in the future anyways.

Funny how you can spend a whole day ficing a bunch of little things and when you look back you can hardly see what you have spent so much time on. ..... but we enjoyed ourselves.

One of the spare cab 12 donated a much needed 216 valve covers... this one is original and has the separate long tube spout in front for oil fill ups and the middle 1 1/2 inch tube to instal the small oil bath air filter on the valve cover.

Got a small NOS oil bath filter a while back from Andre Gibeau and found the sneaky studs/acorn nut/rubber grommelets that Stewart Loy gave me a few years ago.......that will allow me to instal the 216 valve cover on the 261... the disguise of the 261 is underway. Need to sandblast the valve cover and paint it..... will also need to epoxy the one remaining vent/slit in the valve cover to keep dust out of the valve train.

As any one else fitted a 216 cover on a 235/261...? any problem with the gasket.....??

Some stickyness was discovered on the throttle linkage.... gas pedal shaft seems to rub and bind on the brake pedal.... nice cruize control but not what I want. Will need to fiddle around that one as well. Want to make sure the carburator get wide open throttle when the accelorator button gets fully depressed.

Can any one explain why we have some 216 valve cover that measure approx. 25 inches and some measure 26 inches.... the longer one fits on a 261........ What is the short 25 inches valve cover for....?

Well next weekend is the opening of the Wabbit season..... hoping to get a big one with a large basket of Kocholate eggs.

Bob

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Bob

Where are you measuring the covers, at the inside verticals of the end or outside of the gasket flange to outside of gasket flange.

Something is strange because I just went out and measured 5 different covers and they all are basically 27 inches outside of the flange to outside of flange. Both the original CMP covers are 27 inches as is the 235 cover.

As to 216 cover on 261 should not be a problem other than needing to replace the two rocker harm bolts with studs long enough to go through the cover. I remember seeing either in a gasket set or on one of the Stovebolt forums a reminder to fill the four bolt holes in the 235-261 gasket.

Yes getting of that fiddly stuff like routing tubing takes a long time particularly if you don't have good fitting originals to work from. I saved a whole bunch of heavy well wire which I straighten out and then bend to the shape of different tubing routes to get something to work from. Even so I often end up using several lengths of tubing. But your right when you get it right it just looks and feels right.

Cheers Phil

[RHClarke]

The sun was shining and the temperature was great! A perfect day to get to the barn to work on the Mistress! Alas! This was not to be. This morning son number three joined me on a trek to the barn - not to work on the truck, but to gather some information for a school project.

On the way to the barn we thought our eyes were deceiving us - it looked like it had snowed in one particular field just west of the village of Sarsfield. Upon closer examination it was found to be a field of snow geese that had decided to drop in for a snack prior to heading to the wild north. So, we snapped a few pics and carried on to the barn.

Jesse is putting a project together on the majestic beaver (castor canadensis) that well-known symbol of Canadian sovereignty. Fortunately for Jesse (not so for Bob), Bob's farm has a few of them hanging around. Jesse asked Bob if we could trek through his back 40 to see if we could spot a beaver. Bob agreed and even volunteered to act as our tour guide.

There are a few streams that run through Bob's property - one in particular really attracts beavers. So off we went. Bob showed us six dams and evidence of beaver activity (freshly gnawed stumps of trees, paw prints in the mud and food caches). We did not spot any of the timid creatures. Bob surmised that they were in their dens which are burrowed into the banks of the stream. We did however find a skull of a dead beaver, which would soon donate its two upper teeth to Jesse's cause.

After an hour of slogging through the underbrush and the mud, we headed back to the barn to do some dentistry on the beaver skull (thanks to Dr. Bob). After both teeth were extracted, Jesse and I headed back to the city with his treasures. He chattered all the way home about Bob's great nature preserve.

Later that afternoon, the better half arrived and I departed for the barn to do some welding on the HUP roof. While some progress was made, I am sure that I would never be hired by the hour or by the reel of wire...I spent about three hours welding and grinding the gap between the original cab roof and the new metal of the HUP's rear end. Pics of the finished work will be posted later this weekend. For the first time in recent history, I left the barn after Bob and Grant departed. The ride home was a bright affair as the sun was just above and on the horizon for most of the trip home. Small price to pay for a great day at the barn!

Photos:
1 - "Snow" in the fields
2 - Snow Geese in the fields
3 - Evidence of recent beaver activity
4 - Jesse and his tour guide at dam number 4 of 6
5 - HUP roof prepped for MIG welding

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Phil

I am concerned about having the valve cover effectively seal any possible oil leaking. My 261 valve cover seals up very well but does not look the part.

I found a valve cover on a spare cab 12 that has the proepr opening for the oil filler extension at the front and the small oil bath air breather for the middle of the valve cover. It will need some sandblasting and straigthening the edge.

I opened two spare engine gasket sets and both 235/261 cork valve cover gasket are almost a fit. I say almost because the new gaskets are about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch too narrow...... and this measured near the end so that cover flex would not be an issue. Yes the bolt holes cold be filled with "silly-cone" but still very narrow at the contact point.

so I bought a 36 x 18 roll of 1/8 rubberized cork material..... and plan to cut my own so I can make it a tad wider...... I pan to degrease the engine head area and glue the cork to the head...... with nothing on the cover side to facilitate easy removal for any unforeseen adjustments. ne thing I am wondering about...... the value of laminating two 1/8 thicknesses of cork with a oil/gas proof glue (claim to stay soft) for extra material to compress.

Meanwhile I spent some frustrating hours using a new ...made in China.... brake line bender with very poor results. The previous chinese made bender worked reliably for over 5 or 6 years bending steel and SS and steel 3/8 lines for the PCV...... well we had a very kinky afternoon. It seems that the new lines with a black poly covering are the worst for kinking..... on close examination the new tube bender from PA seems to be out of alignment and they replaced it free when I took in the broken one.....may go back to the store and open every box to see if there is a better one.... so much for ISO quality.

Hoping the little bunny is kind to you tomorrow...... we have family coming over for Easter..... or at least what's left of the family..... my Mom's youngest sister past away two months ago and her older son (56) died of cancer 2 months later to the day.... this is the first gathering with out them.

Will try to corner the market on the old fashion bares steel lines and plan on ordering a new ...hopefully better... tube bender from Eastwood.

Rob has decided to finish the welding of the roof on his HUP..... the whole back portion was replaced and now it needs to be joined to the existing front sheet metal...... fortunately the joint is over one of the roof stiffening rib which provides a convenient backing. It is a labour of love to say the least.... it is stich...stich...stich.... fill in were required...grind....grind..... fill in again....grind again.... and for the whole width of the roof.

Rob may earn is welding ticket by the time he is finished.

Bob