Asheville Flood and my 1952 B3B - Advice

[Awca12a]

My 1952 B3B was in perfect condition, purring like it should and starting every time.   After 3' of mud and flood, it has been marginally hosed off and has been sitting on a white concrete surface where for 3 weeks it's been bleeding every kind front end fluid without stop.   Any advice on how to go forward on this from an engine standpoint?    I already know I'll order a full wiring kit from Rhode Island or someplace like that, send the seat to the upholster to be redone and pull the wood to redo the bed.   The brand new Optima 6v, I know its not original but its' the only part that isn't, will have to be replaced.

 

Since I'm leaking fuel, oil, transmission and antifreeze from a car that only dripped the occasional oil last month, I'm assuming that I'm in for a complete set of Olsen gaskets and an engine teardown.    That brings-up two questions:  (1) is there a well known shop that has the experience to simply tear this down and return a functioning engine and transmission again and (2) any advice for what to look out for given the above concerns.

 

This is a family vehicle and along with the Corvette and the American LaFrance which were similarly treated, it will get restored.   The military truck, oddly enough, I let them tow away.

 

 

[desoto1939]

I know of white post resortation and also there are several restorations shop in the area front royal Virginia.  Feel rea bad about your situation. Have you contact you antique car insurance company to get an estimate of what they will cover or are they declaring it a total loss on each car or truck.

 

Rich hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

 

[Los_Control]

Sorry for your loss ..... I'm not sure I understand the leakage though ..... was the engine /transmission /rear end filled with water and it is all the extra draining out?

I just do not picture in my mind, the flood damaging all the seals and making them leak. ..... Is all pointless to wonder anyways.

 

Is this Hurricane damage and saltwater involved?

Electrical connections will be bad and going with a new wire harness is a good step in the right direction .... What I worry about is the original switches and gauges.

It sounds like to me, you want to send the work out to be done ... who knows how long it will take before it gets started on.

 

I wonder how much work you are willing to do on it ..... Can you pull the headlight switch out and disassemble it and clean and protect it inside, along with the chrome on the knob? There is a few other switches and knobs along with the speedometer and gauges ..... These are things that could be hard to replace. I would want to try and save, protect them from corrosion.

 

I wonder what would be good to clean out the rear end/transmission .... could it be filled with diesel fuel and rotated and flushed?

I wonder if you drained the fluids out of the engine, then filled it with diesel fuel .... let it soak, would at least dilute the saltwater and help preserve the inside machined pieces until a shop could get to it.

No idea on the steering box, will take some creativity.

 

These are the things I would be thinking about, even if I'm personally will not be repairing it .... I would be trying to reverse the saltwater effects as soon as possible.

Edited October 21 by Los_Control

[Dan Hiebert]

It sounds like it's full of water, displacing the lighter than water fluids.  Get the water and silt out of it as soon as possible.  That may involve some disassembly and heavy flushing and rinsing, then this is where good ol' WD-40 comes in handy - it is made to displace moisture - then a protective coating, don't rely on the WD-40, although it will protect some, that's not what it is truly made to do.  You will probably have to do that, waiting to find a good shop (most in your region will be overwhelmed for a while), or for insurance to chime in will exacerbate any of the issues from the flood if you don't clean it/them out quickly.  In doing so, you should find out quickly if the engines actually got water and silt in them.  Don't attempt to start or turn them over unless you know for sure they didn't.  

[Awca12a]

2 hours ago, desoto1939 said:

I know of white post resortation and also there are several restorations shop in the area front royal Virginia.  Feel rea bad about your situation. Have you contact you antique car insurance company to get an estimate of what they will cover or are they declaring it a total loss on each car or truck.

 

Rich hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

 

Its a total loss to Hagerty.  I was able to buy back the vehicle and will get a salvage title.  Would have preferred they just fix them but I understand this will be a long and expensive road even with me doing much of the work.

 

[Awca12a]

1 hour ago, Dan Hiebert said:

It sounds like it's full of water, displacing the lighter than water fluids.  Get the water and silt out of it as soon as possible.  That may involve some disassembly and heavy flushing and rinsing, then this is where good ol' WD-40 comes in handy - it is made to displace moisture - then a protective coating, don't rely on the WD-40, although it will protect some, that's not what it is truly made to do.  You will probably have to do that, waiting to find a good shop (most in your region will be overwhelmed for a while), or for insurance to chime in will exacerbate any of the issues from the flood if you don't clean it/them out quickly.  In doing so, you should find out quickly if the engines actually got water and silt in them.  Don't attempt to start or turn them over unless you know for sure they didn't.  

I'm thinking the Dodge is a total teardown because there is no way water didn't get inside otherwise why all the leaking.

White Post is one source to rebuild the engine.  Are there others because white post seems to cater to the high end show car crowd.

[Plymouthy Adams]

have you at least drained the oil and see how much water you holding inside....just what was the high water mark on the truck as it sat in the flood area...this will tell you volumes.

[DJK]

It took me 2 months of draining and flushing on a 1959 John Deere 830 diesel tractor to get it running after the flood of 2011 in upstate NY, it was completely submerged. The pony motor started with little effort after cleaning the magneto and carb, diesel engine needed a shot of either to start it, been starting fine ever since. The tractor only gets used once a year for the Labor Day parade. The secret is to get the water and sediment out immediately. 

[Young Ed]

I would think for the engine and trans if you can get them drained quickly and oil back where it belongs they shouldn't need total rebuilds. Your bigger issues are stuff like wiring and rust from stuff settling into all the little nooks

[kencombs]

A little story before a real answer.

 

Way back in the very early 70s there was a flood in Rapid City, SD.  Local car jockey bought 123 flood damaged new Fords.   Trucked them to OK and started to 'restore' and sell.   I was doing some body work and actually did 3 of them.   One I wanted to buy, little Pinto station wagon.  Deal I offered was I get it as is, no work by your guys to get it running.   He refused but brought it in for me to do body repair and paint.   All the cars had been pushed together by the flood waters and the national guard trucks clearing the roads, so lots of dents.   A couple of weeks after I finished it the dealer came by and said he really should have sold to me.  All his folks were doing is draining and refilling engines and transmissions.   He had sold the Pinto and the engine started knocking withing 20 miles.   Fixed that and the C3 trans died within a week.  

 

Moral of the story, the silt even from fresh water gets everywhere.  When I was working on the body, dirt was falling out of the headliner, doors were half full etc.  Obviously the engine and trans also had some.

 

Based on that experience, I would completely dismantle the mechanical stuff and clean every crevice.   Then decide if it required machine work due to level of wear.   Gaskets at a minimum, probably rings and bearings just because.    And, do not start or even crank it over before starting the job.

[Plymouthy Adams]

some things are just not worth the effort...a Pinto wagon even with the following of today's happy collector, this would still apply...this hold true for cars in a fire even if not physically burned to bits, the blast of cold water on a body to extinguish a flame....you have more luck collecting and selling beer cans for a living.

Edited October 22 by Plymouthy Adams