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Thank you Los! I measured my slack to be ~3/8”, which is okay, I guess. I will have to consider replacing the chain and sprockets while I’m in here. The cam hub moved freely once I removed the cam sprocket, so I guess it has been the piston rings keeping the crank from budging all this time. Unless there are other suggestions, the next phase in trying to rotate the crank will be trying to free the pistons by removing rod bearing caps and pushing up from the bottom. In the meantime I have a lot of stuff to clean up and reassemble. Thank you all!

Timing chain slack question - I found nothing in the B-3 Shop Manual. Old forum topic stated "specs say change at 1/2" slack, measured between the sprockets on the bottom of the chain." (corrected from 3/4") Not sure what this means. Push the chain from the bottom side up toward the gap between the two sprockets and measure that deflection? Thanks!

I don't know what checking trueness involves, but the thing was rock solid stuck on there. Also, I have no idea how I'm going to get it back on to center the seal, back off to tighten the cover bolts, and back on again once the speedi sleeve is installed. I've already destroyed O'Reilly's puller loaner tool.

Today I got the crankshaft pulley hub removed. It did not want to come off. After a few broken tools, weeping and gnashing of teeth, it came off. It looks like someone whaled on the inner front of it with a hammer and chisel once upon a time, and the shaft has an obvious groove. Does it look repairable with a speedi-sleeve, or should it be replaced (if they are even available)? Hopefully soon I can get the timing cover off and figure out why this engine won't turn. In the meantime I'm becoming excellent at breaking tools.

Last week I removed the main and rod bearing caps and didn't find any unusual wear. I cleaned the surfaces and applied assembly lube and torqued them back on. This week I'd like to remove the timing cover and have a few questions before I begin. To jack up the front of the engine to remove the front engine mount support, should I put the oil pan back on first and lift directly on the pan, or is it safe to leave it off and lift up on one front lower corner of the block? The timing chain/sprockets are pretty much the last things I can think to look at to figure out why the engine won't turn. If I can find an old oil pump to pre-oil the system as Bobacuda suggested, I'd like to do that. Otherwise I'm pretty well stumped. Is it okay to try to rotate the crank with main and/or rod bearing caps off, or is that a bad idea? If I do manage to get the engine turning without pulling it out, is it advisable to replace piston rings with the engine in place, or is that something that should only be done with the engine out? I'm planning to replace the front engine mount, as the rubber is pretty well deteriorated - I've seen two different kinds advertised (photos below). Mine definitely looks like the top one, but it made me curious what the bottom one is for... Thanks!

🤣 Regarding the distribution tube, I was as amazed as you are! It's possible the distribution tube was replaced, but I doubt it. The freeze plugs looked factory-dimpled and had the same patina as everything else. This pickup has been in the family since 1951 and engine has never been rebuilt. It spent its first 22 years as a farm truck in western Nebraska, the next 25 years occasionally driving but mostly sitting in a driveway in Utah, and the last 26 years parked under a tarp in California. I would love to get the engine turning but am dragging my feet checking the bearings or pulling the timing cover off to check the crank/cam gears. Underneath the engine is now a swamp of greasy chunks and spent coolant - I know for next time to lay down a sheet of plastic first 😩. The crank has turned a very small amount a couple times but broke a 1/2" extension and a breaker bar in the process. I've tapped down on the pistons with a wooden dowel (OK, a plunger handle) but really don't think the piston rings are stuck. Anyway, this thing will turn one day... Thank you for your patience!

Yesterday I finally got the oil filler tube removed and all the block welch/freeze plugs out. FWIW, there was almost zero corrosion and no thinning on any of the freeze plugs, and the water distribution tube looked good and pulled right out - just a little bit of surface rust and some rusty scale inside. Unlike the head, which had mostly crumbly flaky rust-colored scale, the block water jacket had black sticky tar-like chunks up to the top of the lower row of freeze plugs. A lot of it came out with water and a coat hanger, but i'm sure there's some sticking to the walls where I can't reach, especially the lower corners. Would you recommend spraying something like degreaser or brake cleaner through the water holes in the top of the block to try to flush the tar deposits down and out? Or just carry on with water and coat hangers? Also, what kind of a leak could get oily tar deposits in the water jacket? Thanks!

Thank you, I can scratch the transmission off the list of potential sticking points.

I thought the same initially, but the "heavy corrosion" in the valve spring chamber is actually dried oil, not rust - it will clean up nicely. Some of the valves were sticking initially, but they are no longer the problem.

I could use some advice on what to try next. Yesterday I removed the head and got all the valves to move freely, some with the valve spring compressor and some manually. There was some crusty carbon on the combustion chamber surfaces and a lot of crud in the water passages. I will remove the freeze plugs and hose out the water jacket one of these days. Should I remove all the valves and springs and clean them up? Today I removed the oil pan and cleaned it up. There was maybe an inch of sludge in the deepest part of the pan, but the oil pickup was clean. Sprayed PB Blaster on tops of pistons and parts of connecting rods from underneath, but I still can't get the crank to budge. Wondering if I should keep tapping on the pistons or try to open up the timing cover to look in there. I'm a little confused about the transmission - the rear wheels turn whether the shifter is in gear or not. The clutch and everything aft spins freely, but no movement at all from the fluid drive coupler forward. I've tried to turn the crank via the hand starting nut on the crank pulley quite a bit - if I turn CCW the nut loosens; if I turn CW there's no movement at all. Thanks!

Quick update: Using the valve spring compressor I was able to tell that all of the exhaust valves are free, and all but #2 intake valves are stuck. So I'm guessing old gas turned to varnish and locked those valve stems in the guides. On to head removal...

I think you're right. The only advantage I see routing them the other way is your hot line would be very short and vertical to work with the old original heater control valve and wouldn't cross the heater air duct inlet. The cold return line to the water pump might be slightly longer, but allow a more circuitous route along the periphery of the engine bay.

Thank you! Beautiful engine bay! Quick question - are your heater hoses reversed? I believe mine were opposite before I cut them out.

I took a look at this heat riser tutorial (https://p15-d24.com/page/p15d24/tech/heat_riser_adviser.html/). My heat riser is stuck and spring is broken. Since the counterweight is stuck in the ~3 o'clock position, can I safely assume the diverter flap is stuck in the closed (i.e. no exhaust gases diverted to warm the intake manifold) position? And for warm climate driving, is this better than stuck open? An unrelated question - I see from the tutorial that the manifolds were originally painted silver like the block; is there a guide for original color schemes of other things in the engine compartment?

Thanks Brian, The one loaner I could find that looked promising was this one from Advance Auto Parts. They special ordered it just so I could have a loaner. 😊 https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/powerbuilt-tools-loaner-tool-valve-spring-compressor-kit-648615/9150012-P