John-T-53

Is the 1st and reverse lever hitting the floor board? That was my problem, but only because the floor got bend down slightly when the transmission access panel was out. I put a jack and 4x4 chunk under there and bent it up. Get under your truck and have someone shift it at the column, watching the travel. Disconnect the linkage at the transmission and shift it by hand and then compare the difference.

Grey/blue smoke...and smelly. My lady gives me hell for it. Usually happens on takeoff after idling.

Did that. I yanked the PCV system several days ago and reinstalled the draft tube, and have driven about 60 miles since. There was no evidence of oil being drawn through it - the valve was clean and the line to the manifold was dry inside. This morning checked the manifold below the carb and the oil is back. When the engine's running it seems to disappear, but then "flows" back after sitting awhile.

I had a mild smoking problem that started 3,000 miles after a fresh rebuild. Then that progressed to rod bearing failure. After a long process, figured out the fuel pump was leaking into the crankcase, dilluting the oil. Replaced that and changed the oil, but the smoking returned right after. I suspected a rich mixture, because the exhaust smelled stong. I disassembled the carb, and all appears to be functioning normally, but when I took it off the manifold, noticed a light coating of oil down there, where it should be dry. I cleaned it out with a rag and solvent. I had a PCV, so I suspected oil being drawn in through there, but after removing it and driving around, the smoke is still there. Air cleaner throat is dry too, and oil level is correct. I looked down the throat of the carb again the day after, and the oil is back. Compression is 135 - 145 for all cylinders. Vacuum varies between 17 and 19" hg at idle, with needle bouncing fast, and slightly less but more bounce at 1500 rpm (I connected to the port at the rear of the manifold). Plugs are sooty and a couple were oily soot. Where could this oil be coming from? Intake valve guides have only 4k miles on them but not sure where else oil could be sourced.

I'm using the 1080 now, because I got sick of using the 1011 oversized sock filters. No matter where I buy, they're always the wrong size. The 1080 works well, but in order to work right they need a little help. You need a spring below it in the can, tight-fitting washers at each end of the element to protect the felt seal and help seal this area, and about a 3/4" spacer at the top to hold it down from the lid. Basically it needs to be kept centered over the outlet holes in the center tube. The 1011's are also a pain to saturate with oil when installing a new one. With the 1080, you can drop it in and then fill up the canister.

Yeah good point. In just a few years from now, our current sales and income tax rates will seem miniscule compared to what they will be (just wait)!! Reg - what's CA's current sales tax now...8 or 9%? Tax us into prosperity - that's the theory I guess...

Is the proportioning valve supposed to play a role if the front or rear circuit fails, such as close off that circuit to prevent further fluid loss? Any difference in pressure between both ends of the unit moves the valve in the middle, also triggering a warning light (if so equipped).

Who has truck #85320615? Found this in an original B-3-B drivers manual I purchased on ebay a few years back. This is for a used '52 model being sold in June of 1953.

Thanks...must be fun to r&r in the truck with that long stick. I'm just curious...trying to figure out what one should look like for a T-5.

Reg, do you have a picture? Are these sticks attached all the way into the tranny or do they unscrew from a little stub?

...An 18" stick height from the floor could work in my truck, and 21" would be perfect....or maybe I'll go hot rod and install a Rat-Fink style with the stick going through a hole cut in the roof of the cab! I'll have to straighten the shifter rod that comes out of the tranny so the stick is more upright, as it might hit the bench (or girlfriend's legs) if left as is. I figure this will be a trial and error process to get it right once I get the tranny in the truck. Anybody have a T-5 in their truck with a story and picture of how the shifter looks?

I'm getting a WC T-5, maily because the ratios are more favorable for my existing rear end. Here's the rough specs: '88 Camaro WC Maincase 3.35 WC Mustang gear set, 0.72 OD S-10 Tail housing w/ mech speedo The Camaro case has the same bolt pattern as the S-10, so I can drill and bolt directly to the stock bell housing. The S-10 tailshaft will place the shifter forward of the bench seat. The shifter is still to be figured out. I think I want to get an aftermarket short-throw shifter, and I'll definitely need to find a long stick or fab something up so I can reach the dang thing (and drive). Don - how long is that S-10 shift stick you have in the pic below? Hurst and pro 5.0 have aftermarket shifters... the builder of mine says the Hurst Billet Plus are the best. Not sure if the shifter itself can go between WC and NWC. I need to figure that out too.

Thanks Dave....this really helps a lot!

I'm figuring out the T-5 specs I need, and looking for the measurement of the input shaft length on the stock 3-speed tranny, from front face of maincase to tip of shaft. I can't measure mine accurately because it's in the truck. Anybody got one laying around? Also looking for spline count...wondering if I can use my stick 11" clutch disk. The ones pictured below, from a T-5, are 10 spline. The T-5 has two length of inputs available: The 87-93 Mustang V8 T5 input shaft measures 7.189 from the face of the maincase to the tip of the input shaft. The 94-95 measures 7.870 for a difference of .681

Hank, I've got the same setup (drivetrain and tires) you have, and 45 mph = 2294 rpm 50 mph = 2450 55 mph = 2706 60 mph = 2952 The engine seems happiest between 45 and 50, but over that it's no bueno. I've been looking for a 3:73 for over a year now, but no luck at all. There was a 3:54 that came up for sale on here last spring, but I thought it was too high of a ratio. With the limited power these flatties have, erring on the side of performance is better IMO. I've decided to get a T-5 built instead now...with my existing 4:10 rear and new 0.72 5th gear, 65 mph will now be 2300 rpm.

Thanks Tod, I will check them out. Rebuilding fuel pumps and other engine accessories are always fun little projects. I like getting into the details... To finish this one off, I installed the new pump and changed the oil, then took the ol' gal out for another maiden voyage down the 101 tonight. There was no more smoke, and the exhaust smelled good...I mean, more like a healthy engine on an older vehicle. No more fumes in the cab either. I think it'll take some 'no holds barred' driving on the highway to blow all the soot out of the engine, though. Now I can finally get to the next project....the T-5.

Here's some pics of the old and new fuel pump. I opened up the old one that was leaking, and didn't notice any holes in the diaphram, just a bunch of little cracks all around the circumference. I'd guess a few of these that went all the way through would provide a route for the fuel....in addition it could be leaking through the center stud. Anyways, without a doubt this one is done. I'd like to rebuild it and keep as a spare. Anybody been successful in finding kits for these?

I have stock 15" wheels on my '52 half ton. I'm pretty certain they're original to the truck. I'm running P235-75-15....they're just the right size and have kind of a fat look, which I like. Hub caps have since been replaced with correct 1953 style.

I got a call from Napppa yesterday and my new Airtex fuel pump has arrived, ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, I'm in LA area today for a wedding with the lady and we won't know anybody there but the bride, and it should be in interesting one....(the groom's name is Shahab Mahmood or something like that). Anyways, I'd rather be in my driveway right now with an ice chest of cold ones and working on the truck. Instead I'm sitting in a hotel room writing about it. That's my rant for today. Anyways, looking forward to changing the oil and installing the new pump. I think the fuel in oil condition not only leads to smoking through the PCV system, but thinner oil probably slips past the rings and valve guides a lot easier, compounding the smoking symptoms that way too. This time, since the second rebuild, I've kept the mileage and rpm's low, and the rod bearings are a lot better quality than the ones that were installed previousy. So, I'm hoping I haven't done any damage. I will begin testing the theory next week when back on the road!

After patching the original radiator several times over the years, and chasing a leak that never went away, I had to bite the bullet and have it recored. The last effort to use Bar's Leaks actually made the leaks worse as it seemed to plug up the core even more, pressurizing the top tank. Every time the thermostat opened, I got a surge out the cap as the core couldn't absorb the sudden increase in flow. I'm not a big fan of the look of the newer style core, but at least it's high quality and will last me a couple decades at least. The shop (San Carlos Radiator) did a heck of a job and the radiator came out looking better than new. Unfortunately, it cost me nearly 400 bucks (ouch!). I looked into getting an original style core (a v-cell), but it was extremely cost prohibitive. There's apparently only one place that makes them in the country - Maine Radiator, and their prices are around $1k for just the core (ok, maybe worth it if it's going on a Packard, Bugatti, Rolls, or the like). From the pics I've seen on here, looks like a lot of you still have the original rads in your trucks.

The PCV runs to the pipe plug location on the manifold, from the draft tube location. The oil filler tube is open via the breather cap - I did not plug it or run a separate line to the air cleaner. There should be no blow-by in theory since the rings are new and the cylinders are freshly bored. In this case the fuel entering via the pump boss is creating the same condition, though. After I install a new pump and change the oil, I'll see how it runs and readjust the timing. Don - what's your preference for advance?

For large cleaning jobs where a solvent type chemical is needed, I like to use gasoline or mineral spirits - cheap by the gallon when compared to individual cans of carb or brake cleaner. You can splash in liberal amounts, slosh it around, and rinse with fresh solvent until it's clean. Then save the dirty fluid in a container where the solids can settle out and you can reuse it. Then do the final rinse with brake cleaner to get rid of the residue. Just have to make sure you have adequate ventilation, gloves, disposal, and that no one comes around with a lit cig or playing with matches...

After reassembly, the engine ran fine. Broke in the new rings and guides and changed the oil. After about 600 to 700 miles on the oil, the same type of smoking and strong blow-by smell started to occur again, getting progressively worse. MPG was in the 10-12 range. After double checking the dwell, timing, carb, plugs, and PCV, and determining them working satisfactory, I did some more searching on here and a couple threads mentioned an internal leaking fuel pump - leaking into the crankcase. I pulled the fuel pump and noticed it's indeed leaking out of the mount side, into the oil. Over time, the oil has been getting dilluted with fuel. The PCV sucks the fuel vapors in the crankcase into the combustion chambers, leading to a rich mixture and smoke/soot out the tail pipe. This might explain the excessive carbon in the combistion chambers after 3k miles (pictured below). I was driving a lot at highway speeds before, for long periods, and dilluted oil with the RPM's encountered might have played a factor in the rod bearing failure that happened (also pictured below). I never replaced the fuel pump when I redid the engine because it didn't leak and seemed to pump fine. Who knew that it was leaking unnoticed into the crankcase and leading to excessive damage? That's my theory - what's y'all's take on it? Can we put this one to bed?

I pulled the fuel pump tonight, and inspected the area where the arm protrudes. I didn't notice a strong fuel smell at first (mainly because I had gas all over my hands from disconnecting the lines). I put the pump in a vise to hold it level, and after wiping away excess oil, noticed a small flow of fuel come down from the interior. There were about 4 drips within 10 minutes, and it was a clear liquid that smelled like gas. I have a new pump on the way from NAPA. This brings to light a lot of s**t....I might have just solved the other mystery why my rod bearings failed previously.

The thought was to advance as much as possible to lean it out a bit. Doing a search revealed others on here have it set around that too, plus or minus. However, the shop manual says TDC...I think that is for static timing. (?) Is 8 degrees too much? There's no pinging at all with this much or even at 10 or 12. It was set at 500-600 rpm with timing light and vac advance connected. I have PCV, so in theory blowby should be sucked back in, but rings are new and fit good. It could be sucking in fuel vapor leaked from fuel pump making the mixure extra rich below the carb.