Bobacuda

Shine a bright light into each of the openings for manifolds. If I remember right, you will be able to see the valve stems entering the valve guides. You can also feel it with your finger. Put the extension tube on your blaster and soak the valve stem and the top of the valve guide. Break down and take the head off. You must know what’s going on inside of there. You can lightly apply taps to the top-center of valves, etc. Ignorance is not bliss…

Went to a local swap meet, in mid 40 degree mist and rain. Normally lots of buyers and sellers, but the weather really thinned it out this year. Stopped by the license plate man, did some horse-trading on a nice set of ‘54 car plates and about 7 pairs of nice, newer plates. Bargained my way into a really nice set of ‘51 farm truck plates. Now, all I have to do is get the truck to look and run at least as good as the plates look.

The part of the cam you see though the fuel pump opening is the lobe that activates the fuel pump. Brake cleaner, steel bush, Gunk, pressure wash, PB Blaster the heck out it all. Look at the attached image. The valve spring is at the base of the valve stem. The tappets ride on the cam. As the engine crank turns, the timing gears and chain turn the cam. The lobes on the cam rise, causing the tappets to rise, opening valves. The valve’s stem passes through the valve guide that keeps them lined up. As the lobes rotate to the low position, the valve springs return the valves to the closed position. The valves tend to stick in the guides, or the tappets stick. I think you can see valve stems through the manifold holes in the block. Blaster the heck out of them as well, Dont just try to turn the engine over one way - rock it back and forth.

The tube is the “breather.” It allows gases to exit the “oil pan area.” Modern cars run those gases back to the combustion side of the engine through the positive crankcase ventilation (the PCV and the line to the air filter on a modern car). The heat riser flap allows exhaust gases to warm that big square area under the carb. Makes the engine warm up faster. When the engine is warm, the flap closes off the exhaust gas from the bottom of the intake. I have owned 5 Mopars with flatheads. During that time my folks had 2 more. Only 1 had a functional heat riser. It’s not that big of a deal here in south central Texas, as long as the flap keeps the hot gas off the intake. The heat flap in my ‘53 was frozen in the position that always warmed the manifold. I finally broke the flap off, then I put a thin piece of metal (cut from a “r panel” roofing panel between the manifolds, permanently keeping exhaust from warming the bottom of the intake.

When I pulled mine (4 times in 48 yrs) the cab and front sheet metal were on the truck. I did not want to pull the bell housing. I had already removed the carb, dist, gen, starter and disconnected the exhaust pipe. I pulled the trans, 4 bolts (NOT LIGHT). then I removed the nuts that hold the FD unit to the crankshaft and moved the FD unit out of the way. It’s NOT LIGHT Hook your lift’s chain to the engine, unbolt the front motor mount. Unbolt the engine from the bell housing and lift it out. Got to lower the back end to get the crankshaft flange out of the bell housing. With all the sheet metal out of the way, pulling all of it at one time might be easier, but you will still have to pull all that stuff off to rebuild the engine. When I rebuild my ‘51 farm truck, NOT an FD, the front sheet metal and cab will be off, so I will pull as a unit.

Glad the photo helped. I discovered those 2 bolts years ago, totally by accident, so you are pretty much discovering them the way I did. You don’t need to separate the manifolds, unless the exhaust leaks there or you decide to make sure the heat riser works (not a big deal for those for those of us in the south). If you try to separate them, bet on them breaking, then you get to take the manifolds to the machine shop to get them out so you can bolt them back together. The exhaust pipe sometimes extends 1/2” or so into the manifold (NOT factory pipe). I had one like that - had to twist, wiggle and torque the manifold to separate it from the pipe. I used WD 40 along the gasket line between the manifolds and the block. I tapped thin, wide blade screw drivers in several locations, more WD40, eventually got it loose. MAKE SURE all bolts holding the manifolds to the block are out, AND don’t try to pry in just one location.

The valve covers come off with the manifolds in place. There are two studs, sometimes bolts (I have seen both) that are difficult to see when working from the top. They are visible (thanks to mud daubers) in the attached photo. Your probably have not removed those two bolts. Remove them, then gently pry and the old manifold gaskets will turn it all loose. Old Mopar mechanic told me to pull the passenger wheel well, then jack it up, take off the wheel, then you can see and work on the valve train. BTW, it’s a bitch. Find a cheap, handheld mirror to see the side without removing the wheel well or the engine.

Check your valve train first. These engines are well known for the valves seizing in the valve guides. I had 3 that were stuck. Could not turn the engine over until I had that area cleaned out and drenched in PB Blaster. I had to pull the head and apply some tapping to get them loose.

It’s a Fluid Drive - the output side (clutch) of the fluid coupler will spin freely, even if the clutch is siezed to the “flywheel,” assuming trans is in neutral or removed. For example, if I park my FD truck on a hill, turn off the engine, and do not set the brake, it will roll away. There are more gremlins in your truck than a seized clutch. The clutch part of the FD unit is not in play until the engine spins the input side fast enough to transfer power to the clutch side. Your gremlins are likely in the engine. Surgery required.

Got to agree, at this point pull the head, the oil pan and valve covers to get an idea of what is going on. I was given a stuck engine for the ‘51 farm truck - running when pulled about 5 yrs ago. The drain plug was pulled. If it wasn’t stuck, he thought I could just use it. I pulled the valve covers (sent that photo earlier), the head and the oil pan - about 1.5-2” if emulsified gunk. The gunk was in the oil intake and the pump. Will probably take several posts for photos if that engine. Bottom line, as stuck as your engine is, it’s going to need surgery.

If you are confident you reinsulated the wires, try pulling or pushing it to start it. Once it’s warm, it should cook out any residual moisture. However, make damn sure your wires are insulated and have a fire extinguisher in case you missed some.

Still putting my plan fitment the ‘51 B3B farm truck together. If I go with Rusty Hope front disc brakes (as some of you have), will my stock 16” steel wheels fit? Really like to keep the old school hub caps. And that brings up the rear differential. If I find a Cherokee rear diff with disc brakes, does the stock, 16” wheels fit over them? So much to figure out. Thanks in advance.

FYI - Texted the folks at Rusticdisc. The kit is $895, and it will not fit the truck’s factory 16” steel rims. They recommend a dual chamber MC, proportion and residual valves. This kit uses the truck’s original hubs, so there isn’t the issue requiring elongating the cotter pin hole.