VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Remember that "rough '46 Aerosedan?"

Well, after about 4 or 5 hours total of tinkering, and essentially no money spent, we have this result (put your sound on first, by all means):



As posted elsewhere earlier, I plugged a small rust hole in the oil pan so she holds oil. Switched to a fresh coil, cleaned the points, cleaned and gaped the plugs. Took apart the carb and fuel pump, both of which looked surprising good and clean inside. Blew out the lines. Rigged a used muffler onto it (there was none) so it didn't sound like Armageddon if it did start. Installed a battery and jumped the ignition, and she just started right up like it ran an hour ago - with a little starter fluid in the carb.

As far as I can determine, this was the First Start since about 1978 (last license plate) and from the horrific looks of the old girl, she has been cold a long, long time. After making the quickie video above, I ran it for a short time longer. No knocks or bad noises at all, and the oil pressure gauge came right up. She won't pull fuel from a gas can sitting on the floor, will try tomorrow with the gas can sitting on the fender so gravity can help out a little. And I guess I better put the water pump and radiator back on there before I try again! But the big news is - she lives!

Don,

Very cool! I think eventually when you get the radiator hooked up and the fuel pump working and get it to run and get fully warmed up, the rings would expand and reseal and it would purr like a kitten!

It also looks surprisingly clean inside. Maybe this motor was rebuilt before it went into hibernation?

Congratulations!

Dan

Way to go, she sounds a lot better than she looks! The engine did look pretty clean.

Awesome!

A word about that engine as seen in the video above. It was night time, and so I laid a trouble light down in the engine compartment - to light things up a bit - and shot the video with my cellphone while Liz hit the starter in the cabin. We were both surprised that it just started right up. But the side of the engine (push rod / distributor side) that you see in the video looks gray - almost like it has been freshly painted or something. That is simply an effect of the bright LED trouble light laying there just below the line of sight. The engine is actually caked with the usual ancient deposits of dirt and gunk, and the true color is a rusty looking brown. I didn't clean anything yet.

As far as the cleanliness inside of the top end of the Head - yes, I suspect that the engine got a valve job / head rebuild not too long before it went out of service. It is showing 112.000 (?) miles, so that would make sense. And the one previous owner I have been able to locate says he thinks the Head was rebuilt, yes. It is very clean at the rockers and top end, no doubt about it. The block and lower portions of the engine are heavily coated and covered and clearly haven't been worked on for a very long time. Had to scrape away thick, hardened gunk to get to the two bolts that hold the fuel pump, for instance. Here is a photo of the engine compartment in more natural light. Also happy to report that the original 1946-style rocker cover was found in the trunk. The one that was on there was chromed (can't hardly tell in the photo) and is a later style with the oil cap up front on top. You can see the original oil fill tube is still in place on the side of the engine.

'Glad you mentioned the fuel pump. As you know, that old pump would be pouring gasoline into your oil pan. A leaking diaphram has burned out the bearings in many a good engine.

'Looks like you're having fun. That's what it's all about.

Good luck - - -

That's Great...! Now all she needs is a wax job...!

I don't think the "original" rocker arm cover had an oil cap, though...

Don, great job on making the old 216 make some noise again! Good to know that it appears to be in good mechanical shape and will take to a refresh job quite well. Thanks for sharing your video with us, and saving another Chevrolet.

PS: If there was ever an apocalypse and one needed a car that was guaranteed to run, my vote would be anything with a 216 in it.

Nothing better than bringing something back from the dead. I've done a few over the years. Thanks for sharing the adventure with us. Don

Kevin, I said above that I found the original rocker cover (with no oil cap) in the trunk. So we're good there.

Daryl, I absolutely agree! The 216 is the epitome of reliability and durability and ease of maintenance and all those things, no doubt about it. And as an engineer, I have always believed that the straight 6 is an inherently better design than the V-8. More torque, better natural balance, and a lot easier to work on. Have to also give kudos to the later 235, it is pretty bullet-proof too, and has a few advantages over the 216 in some ways. But the low compression, babbitt 216, when properly maintained, is just an awesome piece of equipment, and incredibly forgiving. Guess that's why it was the only passenger car engine used by the largest producer of cars in the world from 1937 to 1949, and used until 1953 on stick shift cars. A time period which, significantly, included the grueling years of World War II. There are obviously strong reasons why Chevrolet kept building a straight 6 for decades while Ford had their V-8; and why Chevrolet therefore continued to out-sell them, in a more rationale world before the Horsepower Wars changed all the rules about what made sense. Hell of a power plant!

Yep, Gaither, definitely having fun with the old girl! Once I go back out and clear a few more inches of snow I'm back into the Shop and looking over that old radiator to see if it will hold water.

And Don, I agree, bringing them back to life is about the most fun you can legally have.

Amen, Don on the 235 as well, great points you make.

Oh, before I forget, Props to the Mrs. Guru for helping, too! It makes the hobby so much better when the wife / family get involved and enjoy it.



Can she visualize the finished car already?

I would suggest dropping the pan and check for sludge. I bought a 47 that had sat a long time. Got it started and then had milky oil. The oil looked new before I started it. When I dropped the pan it had sludge up to the screen. Just insurance to do it.

My current '47 is the only old vehicle that I didn't find sludge in the pan...How often they changed the oil ( if ever ) is the usual culprit...With the oil drained ( if it's fresh, use a new dollar store turkey pan ) and use a bent coat hanger and see if you find any goop on the end...Might flatten the end with a hammer to use as a scoop...Premium sludge usually has what appears to be metal dust in it...

With the oil sitting in the pan for a long time all the sediment will settle to the bottom of the pan and when you check the oil it will look clean. As soon as you start up then everything gets mixed.

OK, a little progress and an update on the '46 Aerosedan - video at the bottom. Had a little time this afternoon, and set the radiator back in the car (it was in the backseat on the floor). Never found the water pump (about the only part that seems to be missing), so I bought a decent used one on eBay last week for $25, which arrived yesterday. I found the fan in the trunk earlier. Wonder where the water pump went? Made a water pump gasket like my granddad taught me, with thin gasket paper and a ball peen hammer. Set the gas can up on the fender instead of on the floor this time, and found that the fuel pump leaked, so made a new cork gasket to go under the glass bowl. It's hard to cut that cork without breaking it, for such a thin circle gasket! Razor blade worked finally, and no more fuel leak. I like making my own gaskets, comes from playing with the REALLY old cars. Found the old original bottom radiator hose in the trunk, had to use a couple of new clamps. Upper hose was still there in place, with one original clamp on it. And inside the t-stat housing, the 160 degree "Delco-stat" thermostat was still there! I left it in and re-sealed, decided to see if it would open. Changed the radiator petcock, old one was just too rusted and beat up and wouldn't open. Put on a new fan belt from Filling Station (the only new part on the car!) Started filling her up with water. First leak was towards the rear of the block, driver side. Had a bad moment there - then I realized someone had removed the drain petcock from the block. So I put the dead one I had taken out of the radiator to plug that hole, and continued filling with water. No more leaks.

So called The Blonde to come and hit the starter pedal. Instantly fired right up. After one or two shots of starter fluid, the gas made it up to the carb. So the fuel pump worked, and no gas leaks! (that always surprises me). Let it run for maybe 10 -15 minutes. It came up to temperature (indicated 160) and settled down, no bad noises. Oil to the rockers just fine. Thermostat opened (!) and it puked up through the radiator because I hadn't put the cap on, oops. The video below is when we first got her running good. After shooting the video, I fiddled with the carburetor, which took basic adjustments just fine. I had set it up for a pretty fast idle and backed out the idle mixture screw to make sure it started. Radiator got warm, but not hot. No leaks of gas, oil or water at all (amazed me). Checked in the cabin, and the gauges all came to life - had good oil pressure (settled down to 15 lbs), ammeter claimed it was charging - that was amazing too. All I did to the generator was clear the cobwebs off and give it a couple of drops of oil.

About the advice above on oil and sludge: excellent advice! This crankcase was bone dry for many years, due to the rust hole I had to fix on the bottom of the oil pan (see other Chat strings). So anything in the pan is totally dried up. Clearly, if I am going to run the car and drive it, it would be very wise to have a look in the pan, for many reasons. But after this run-in, I pulled the dipstick and it was slightly colored but still the new, pure oil (no foam, no water, etc). So for the short term, we are good here I believe.

I guess the things that amazed and pleased me the most were - it ran great and didn't make any scary noises, it didn't leak anything, and it claims to be charging, just couldn't believe that. The wires are all cut and haphazard, the insulation is cracking off, etc. To imagine that the voltage regulator still works and the generator generates was a miracle, I thought.

So now if I get 4 tires on it that hold air, make the brakes work, and get the gas tank cleaned out and functioning, I think this old girl might just go for a ride….

Sounds like the resale value of the car just went up.

I think this car is pleased to be rescued and is saying thank you!

After 36 years, the diaphram in your fuel pump has to be too old to trust on any engine. Gasoline will not lubricate babbit.(I realize you are not presently running fuel through the pump.)

IMHO, a fuel pump is like antifreeze - cheap insurance. A new or properly rebuilt pump is cheap insurance for keeping a good engine good. It is the first thing I address on any engine that has been sitting up for any appreciable time.

OK, I'll let it go - - -

Gaither, I opened the fuel pump first, looked over the check valves, screens, and diaphram etc. It is definitely not the original guts in there. That pump has been rebuilt and not used much. Diaphram is supple and tight. But when we get ready to actually put this old girl on the road, rest assured that it will have fresh rubber and gaskets in every part. This has just been an exercise in getting it running, to see if we have a viable engine to work with. But right now I AM running the fuel pump - it is pulling from the gas can sitting on the fender and pushing it up through to the carb.

Good show! I should have known you were on top of things.

AWSOME!!!! Another 46-48 Saved!!!

Just joining this thread after being away for the weekend. Sounds great. Seems like you and Liz are having fun!!

Cool always glad to see another one saved.I like the simplicity of these engines. they'll last a long time if you get out out there and dogg'em..

Gene will be happier with me now. I found the correct, original rocker cover in the trunk and cleaned it up. And it looks right, matching patina - instead of that "modern" 216 cover that was on there with the oil cap on it. Put the original one back on with a new cork gasket from Filling Station. Runs a lot quieter now, with the rockers closed up! But my investment is really skyrocketing now, though - had to buy that gasket, an eBay used water pump, and a fan belt. Even bought a new rubber grommet for the rocker cover acorn nut (one was still there). Getting close to 80 bucks in to this project!

Looking at the photo it looks like the engine still has some gray paint on it. I think by now you could almost double your money on it.