VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Water pump and front shocks

I'm new here, just reading and trying to get information. I just bought a 36 five window standard coupe. Hasn't been run since 1981. I have found most everything I need, but still looking for the front shock rebuild kit and the packing for the water pump. I remember going to the hardware and buying plumbers packing for my Model A's. Don't know if that would work in this case.
Thanks in advance
John

Check with the Filling Station. (www,thefillingstation.com) They probably have it.

Thanks, I'll call them. Their catalog is a bear to navigate. I tried looking, but didn't see anything.

The Filling Station doesn't have anything listed in their catalog as far as a repair kit or water pump packing for 1936.

Yes Mr. Mutt I didn't see anything. The shocks are weeping a little and the water pump has a few drops in the catch basin. I currently have the radiator off and going to Roswell NM in the morning to see if its good. It looks good and does not leak, but the P.O. had it boil over in a parade last year. A 32 ford radiator for a SBC will fit in that frame and the seller says it will cool 1000 hp. Actually I ordered it, but when I took my radiator off it looked so good, I'm thinking about getting it rodded out and tested. Now I will have 2 radiators. LOL Car has 63k miles, I think, runs good, but needs paint and upholstry and a lot more.
Thanks for your reply.

Marx, I&I reproductions, Filling Station, chevs of the 20's, chevs of the 40's, Tim Tygerts chevy parts, kanter. Most of all the guys here are the best source for anything Chevrolet.

Hi Harleyjohn
If the water pump is just leaking a few drops, you may only need to grease the packing sufficiently and then tight the packing nut a little. Check to see if the outboard or pulley support bushing is worn (big brass one in nose of water pump) from no lubrication or over tightened fan belt. If the bushing is worn and letting the pulley bounce around it will just keep pounding out the packing.

I have never seen anything for a rebuild kit for the shocks. I would suggest Apple Hydraulics for having them rebuilt.

The overheating problem the previous owner had could well be the radiator but not from being plugged but from the loss of heat conductivity through the copper core. This can happen even though the radiator has good flow and is nice and clean inside. I have seen a few instances where everything was tried to correct an overheating problem but the replacement of the radiator core with a new one solved the problem. The only sure way of checking if the radiator is dissipating heat correctly that I know of from my experience as a heavy truck technician is to get, borrow or rent a dual thermocouple electronic temperature gauge. Place one sensor between the top radiator hose and the steel radiator neck and the other sensor between the bottom radiator hose and the steel neck. This will tell you what the inlet (top) of the radiator temperature is compared to the bottom outlet temperature to give you a temperature drop across the radiator. This should be around 30-35 degrees or more if I remember correctly driving at about 30-40 miles per hour.
Regards Bob@marxparts

The problem I had was the block was dry for many years. The block had rust in it. These rust chunks did not flush out. They lodged in the holes from the block to the head. I found that out after I had tried everything else and finally pulled the head. Also, the head has brass spray jets that keep hot spots in the head cool. Those were plugged, too. Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the replys, The radiator shop said he thought the radiator was bad. I got the new radiator and it looks good, should be easy. I cleaned the motor, repaired the exhaust, got it tight. I had to make a small piece for the grill where the crank fits. I'm ready to send the bumpers and other bright parts out next week. OH, when I took the headlights apart all the wiring insulation was crumbling, I'll rewire the car before I paint. Lots to do under the car, the battery box is shot, so I'll build a new one. The job just keeps growing.

LOL
John

John
In most cases you probably havent scratched the surface as far as repairs are concerned but my guess is that you will enjoy doing most of them though.
Tony

my cooling experience was many attempts which included thoughts of success and failure. I finally found the baffle was missing behind the water pump. It's all fun though. Good luck with your project.

Tony, you said a mouthful. I love old cars, but they are like dealing with a sore. Just don't knock the scab off. Had a guy tell me the other day, on the shocks, he used to pack them with grease,. He said it rode a little stiffer, but not much difference. They are not leaking bad, I may just wait and see. I cleaned the engine and am now cleaning and painting all the areas covered by the grill cowl. This will not be a restoration, but I would like it to look nice. Probably paid too much at 8k, but I think another 8k will help it a lot. The wiring looks really bad, so I will put in a wiring harness for a 6v car. Should be pretty easy when the interior is all removed. Looks like 99% of the oil leaks will be solved with a new oil pan gasket, which I just bought. Those slotted head oil pan screws, don't give you much to tighten the oil pan with. I think I will use hex head bolts instead.

thanks everyone.

john

most guys are thinking wrong when it comes to tightening
valve covers and oil pans.if you have a good gasket,if you just snug the screws down evenly tight but not too tight,it will not
leak.the problem with leaks starts when you over tighten the screws and warp and bend the metal on the covers,when you have done this you have ruined the idea of sealing two straight edges
the block is straight but now your oil pan is bent and distorted.i always stick my gaskets to the covers with >important< none hadening permatex<do not do block or will be hard to take the covers off for repairs.
this works for me anyway.

jeff korner
southeast indiana

My covers were bent when I got them off. I had to straighten them out with a ball hammer. Then went with new gaskets. I also used permatex and did not tighten to tight. I found that old oil sludge had plugged the return holes on top of the head...Causing the oil to build up and flow out the gasket. The pan had leak around front and rear. Only a new gasket wound solve that. I had to heat up the New Old Stock cork gaskets in water on top of the stove to get them to get back to normal size. Other than that cleaning the old gunk off it was not to bad a job. Good luck with your gaskets.

The oil pan itself looks perfect, looks like they didn't use any gasket sealer when it was rebuilt in 1981. I was probably misunderstood when I mentioned that I didn't have much faith in slotted head pan screws. I didn't intend to really over tighten them. I've had really good results with the Yahama motorcycle gasket sealer.

I've tried to post an avatar, but can't figure it out. Also this site wont let me view members cars photos.

Need to become a member to see car photo's?

john

i have to stand corrected on installing a oil pan gasket.
i just saw on another post by chevy gene that the side gaskets should be installed> to the block first<,>then the end gaskets to the block< in this order to get a good seal.i think you will find that to listen to what chevy gene has to say is a good idea.i don't know how old chevy gene is but he used to work for
chevrolet and had to fight indians to get there in the morning.

jeff korner
southeast indiana

Harleyjohn I noticed you had said that you had to make a peice for the crank hole cover for your grill. I had the same problem because someone had cut the sides off the crank hole cover on my 1936 Standard. It was then held on with 2 small screws at the top and bottom. It was dented up badly as well; it looked terrible. A replacement crank hole cover is available from iandireproductions.com for $30 when I bought mine about 4 months ago. They are made of stainless steel. I hope this helps.

I tried to make one and it looked like crap. Was going to try again tomorrow. I will order, thanks. Now my hood ornament is broken, was going to try to mount a extremely nice goddess of speed. It looks great, but I have to deal with filling holes. Now I'm looking for a hood ornament.

I looked the crank hole cover up. Did you order part # CH05, if so did it fit. Their part looks like a crank hole cover, I'm missing the crankhole with the 2 small screw holes. My grille looks very nice, just snaggle toothed. My grille had some light surface rust, so I shined it up with a soap pad and then buffed it with a polishing compound. Now it shines like a new penny.

I became a member.
Thanks
John

Well I was fighting indians too, but not going to work at a chevy dealer. I was going to a cotton patch. I will use extreme caution in fitting this new gasket. A few months ago, before I got my lift, I had a local shop replace a pam gasket on my 57, guess what, it still leaks. I've quit taking anything on my old cars to a shop, because they are always rushing the job. This 57 chevy has a 400 sb with a full race cam that produces about 5 inches of vacuum, and it was blowing oil out everywhere including the distributor. I removed the pvc and put a breather in each valve cover. Oil leaks stopped, except for the new pan gasket. LOL

Thanks for your reply
John

Yes I ordered both CH05 and CH05-L. I did some very slight trimming with my Dremmel on CH05-L so it would lay closer to the body. My part was badly pitted. The crank hole cover was the one that was cut up and badly dented plus the prior owner drilled holes in it so it was held in place by screws. Normally this part is held on by tension from the sides of the crank hole cover. I was happy with the parts and would recommend both parts.

If you are talking about the crank hole that the crank handle fits through before being placed into the slot in the engine; I made one out of some large washers (spacers) welded together and cut to fit the crank handle along with a piece of flat iron. Worked out fine.

I still have the crank, but I'm 76 yo and I don't hand crank engines after a Farmall broke my wrist. I will be happy just covering up where the crank hole is. Now I will need a piece that is held in by 2 small bolts. It the CH05 will cover the area, than that is all I need. You can't really tell from the drawings. I'm leaving for a few days, when I get home I may Just buy both pieces and try to make something.

I might add, the grand State of New Mexico issued me a title and tag today. Thats a pretty big deal, because the title was from Kansas and was 42 years old.