Noisy Cylinder Rod

[pflaming]

Question. Is it possible to repair a knocking rod without pulling the engine on a 218 B3B?

[RobertKB]

If it’s the rod knocking on the crank, I would say no as the crank would have to come out for machining or will need replacing depending on damage. Assuming this is in your truck. I thought you had mentioned you had a good spare engine for it. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by RobertKB

[pflaming]

I do, just was wondering. Pulling the doghouse and swapping engines not physically possible just now. But today I feel like a human again, so I trust in a few weeks will get somewhat back to “normal”.  I really miss my truck. I have a T5 transmission I want to put in when I do the swap. Then I will have a GREAT truck. 

 

Best health to all, trying times.

[oldodge41]

I have replaced rod bearings, main bearings and piston rings with the engine in the car on my 1941 Dodge Coupe. If no damage to the crank, which can't be known till you get in there, and the oil pan can come off with the engine in the truck, then yes it can be done in truck. If it is a temporary repair to get by until the "good engine" can be swapped in, I would go for it, rather than have it undriveable as is. That's just me and how I do things, not for everyone. I would rather drive a good car than own a great car.

[Kilgore47]

29 minutes ago, oldodge41 said:

I have replaced rod bearings, main bearings and piston rings with the engine in the car on my 1941 Dodge Coupe. If no damage to the crank, which can't be known till you get in there, and the oil pan can come off with the engine in the truck, then yes it can be done in truck. If it is a temporary repair to get by until the "good engine" can be swapped in, I would go for it, rather than have it undriveable as is. That's just me and how I do things, not for everyone. I would rather drive a good car than own a great car.

I agree that it can be done with the engine in the vehicle.  After it's running just drive it like my dad used to tell me how to drive my old junky cars. It will last longer that way.

 

Drive it like there's a rotten egg between your foot and the gas pedal. 

[Bryan]

Just don't do like me and overextend yourself.  Laying under a car in cold weather might not be advisable.   When I START feeling tired or get too cold I knock off.   Sometimes I even pick a good point and start cleaning/putting up tools.   Otherwise I catch a cold really easy. I do a lot better in hot weather.

[Ulu]

I heard that engine run, Paul. It sounded so bad I thought the crank was broke! The crankshaft is no longer round and smooth. It must come out.

If you pull the oil plug you can probably watch the number six rod bearing run out on the ground like little gold and silver glitter.

 

In an emergency you could probably pack that rod With some tough leather, and if you cut the RPMs down you might get that engine to go another 500 miles. Right now I would bet money you couldn’t drive from your house to my house without it blowing up. That’s less than 50 miles.

 

 

[Los_Control]

On 1/26/2022 at 2:43 PM, pflaming said:

Question. Is it possible to repair a knocking rod without pulling the engine on a 218 B3B?

It can be possible to do a get me by ... that may last a long time, depending on the damage.

 

I knew a guy a long time ago that had a 1957 chebby truck with the 216 6cyl. Had a rod knocking.

He dropped the pan, cleaned up the crank journal with emery cloth, installed another either used or new bearing. Then used a beer can to make a shim between the bearing & the block.

This took up the slop of the worn crank journal.

 

Not saying that shimming the bearings is a correct fix, but it is a fix that can get you by in a emergency. I think success depends on how clean you get the crank journal.

And last I heard he drove the truck from Las Angeles to Las Vegas where I met him, 1 year later drove the truck to East coast and the rear end when out but the engine was doing fine.

[Los_Control]

6 minutes ago, Ulu said:

I heard that engine run, Paul. It sounded so bad I thought the crank was broke!

Then forget all I just said .... it would have to be caught early  

[pflaming]

Will wait until I’m able, then pull the doghouse and swap in a good engine. I have T5 transmission which I will swap in at the same time.  Ive turned the corner on this malady. Fatigue still an issue but sore throat, coughing, head cold are gone.  Still have the effects of the lyme infection but starting to feel human again.  Yet will not get active for another week, then just a small project a day. 

;

Thankyou for you support. Others are struggling also, some much worse so I’m thankful for my improvement. 

[Ulu]

Well nothing that’s happened to me has prevented me from staying out of the hospital. That’s my main goal in life.

 

Somewhere down the list is working on my cars. I would be doing that now but I just didn’t sleep well last night and I’m feeling more like planning than grinding and welding.

 

 

[Los_Control]

48 minutes ago, pflaming said:

then just a small project a day. 

Good advice to give anybody.

@pflamingI hope you know you have my support. We have never met & never will.

I just have respect for people of your age and your life experiences.

My 80 year old Uncle passed away a few years ago. I just loved to sit down with him and hear the stories of his life.

 

Was interesting when he quit High school & use to sneak in and pick up Aunt Jenny and sneak her away for the afternoon in his model A.

They were married for over 60 years before she passed away.

 

To hear about his old hot rods was fun .... Like the time they put a flathead V8 into a model A with mechanical brakes ....

 

@pflamingI wish I was near you and would help you, my charge would be a story about your life ... How did you grow up, where did you meet your wife, what was your first car, .... I really wish I had a chance to talk with you Paul .... 80 years of life just has so many stories to tell.

[pflaming]

Los, this will be brief, but will be a response: I grew up in Western Nebraska on a wheat and cattle combination ranch. We were on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills and had no neighbors to the east and south, only miles of native grass. At first we had no road to rhe ranch, no electricity, no running water, radio only until sundown. 

 

At age 7 we lost our mother to kidney failure, a new wonderful mouthy 18 months later. I am the middle of two brothers,, five years separate the oldest from the youngest. Starting at age 14 I spend many days driving a Model D John Deere tractor plowing, etc the soil which I loved to do. No sun shade, a gallon jug of water morning and afternooon. We milked cows before and after tractor work and did that year around through high school, I graduated from high school in 1956.

 

I did not like college yet went and became a high school teacher and debate coach. At age 66 I returned to the university and did all reaquired to earn a MA, but did not do the thesis. Those college kids were smart but extremely naive. My debate teams won the state debated tournaments four out of five years, Never done again in that high school.  Left education and went into box and machinery sales in the California fruit basket. Married at age 22, have three children one in Indiana, one in Maine, and now one i Virginia, thus our desire to move east to Maine, probably next spring.

 

My first car i paid $40 for, a 37 Ford two door sedan. I drive it up to 60 mph then discovered it had mechanical. Scared me so much I seldom drove it. My second car a ‘50 Plymouth fast back. Drove it from Western Nebraska to central California and back. Never tuned it, just changed the oil and drove it sensibly. Experienced the great blizzard of ‘49, 50 inches of snow with 70 MPH winds for two days. Didnt leave the ranch for four weeks. 

 

Ive been on a horse from age eight, branded, casterated, fed bucket calves, Had my hand in a cows rear to my elbo to turn around a baby calf and then pull it out to live. When I see the soft lives of todays young people I am not very sympathetic, so of course believe the current government leaders are stark crazy and do not understand what they are destroying.  

 

I am a conservative born again Christian of the Mennonite culture and Lord willing will turn 84 in September. When I bough my truck 14 years ago,, i knew nada about auto mechanics. That has been the most satisfying time and item of my life. That is a very short autobiography and hope it was not boring. 

 

chow, Pau Flaming aka pflaming. 

[Los_Control]

1 hour ago, pflaming said:

That is a very short autobiography and hope it was not boring. 

Being born in 1938, growing up in the 40's during the war. Life without a mother, no electricity Not boring to me at all.

Incredible you worked the ranch and still graduated high school ... No not boring, makes me want to ask more questions.

 

 

 

[pflaming]

WW II. We loved to watch the airplane flights form Detroit to LA. 40 planes to the squadron, usually 5 or more per trip. The fighter planes and especially the P38s were our favorites. Fuel, rubber, sugar, flour, rationing (for which farmers were exempt,).  The name Tojo was both amusing and frightening.  I strikes me strange today, that I do not remember Pearl Harbor. 

 

After the war, tractors were again available. That meant the slaughter of millions of draft horses once valuable suddenly required feed but useless. Our beautiful bay team were shot in the back pasture, perfectly healthy horses. 

 

In 1948 the rural electric program went into affect. Called the REA, we received electricity on the ranch in 1948. Was at first strange to have lights in the BARN and a yard light ALL night. Could recall more, but this is enough. 

[pflaming]

Putting up hay stacks. We did 30+ stacks like this. I was on the stack topping it out. Which means i was building a crown so water would shed off. We had a massive trailer, 24’ L X 16’ W with a tilt bed, tandem dual oscillating rims and tires and a camel winch which pulled the entire stack on in about 5 minutes, once the cables were in place. The meadow of 120 acres was about six miles from the ranch. So at thanksgiving I would haul to the ranch  three stacks a day. It was not hard work, i really enjoyed that exercise. 

[sidevalvepete]

I know we have got off topic but I have absolutely loved the tangent that has been taken. Thanks for sharing your story Paul. Got a few photos of days gone by on the farm too. This one, late 50s, has my ride in the way of the real work going on that day. Building a haystack with a petrol engine operated grab on a hot summer day. The guy posing is no relative  - was a tractor salesman who just got himself into the picture. Will dig out a few others that have the same method but using the horse to operate the grab.

Paul, any idea what the farm you were on back then is like now? Any family connections still there?

 

[pflaming]

This was a ground driven hay bale elevator. We attached ours to an extended bumper hitch on our trucks to load them. Did not take very long, but the person on the bed truck making the stack was quite busy. Our alfalfa bales weighed about 100#s each.  We were just teenagers and evidently quite strong.  No wimps in our family.  We would haul home a pair of truck loads twice each day, unload  by hands and put the bales into the large stack for winter feed. then do chores after that.  It was just how we worked and lived.   

 

We do not own any of what we had. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by pflaming

[sidevalvepete]

That looks like a McConnell bale loader. We had one just like that. First used on a small trailer like your picture then later attached to the back of an ex army 42 Chev truck. We could load over 100 bales on that thing then off to the barn to unload. The odd time a load was partially lost going over rough ground. Always worse having to handle those bales again...

That looks like good land. Rolling country but green, similar to where I am. I read your comment about no family still being there now. That's happening here to. Big ag. companies, corporate and foreign owned seem to be the players now. I sort of feel my father's generation had the best years on the land. After the war, the new technology of tractors, herringbone and rotary cowshedds and especially the electric fence. On top of this, the demand for our produce, mostly exported, saw farmers generally prosper.

Again,  thanks for sharing this stuff.