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FCL engines built between 37-46 https://www.wehs.net/when_was_it_made-2.html

I knew it would be crusty....but worth saving👍

Just like a Meccano Set😉

While the truck came with the vast majority of parts in the "kit" to rebuild it, the hood hoops where missing so needed to be made from scratch. I copied an original set of rear hoops and bars. Took a surprisingly time to make all the parts and set up a rig to accurately bend the hoops. Heavy engine crane used to "anchor" the pipe bender when I operated. Latch pins all made on the lathe and welded into the hoops, after trail fit with sample. The original Canadian rear hoop connector bars were just flattened, so followed suit using the 20T press. Took all parts down to Kent today and pleased that it all fitted well. . We've also received the special battery box from Denmark (Thanks Niels), so next job will be battery and wiring. Looking forward to first engine start in the chassis.

Hi Neil, Parcel dropped off and now on its way. Thanks John

Hello, It came with a lot of other parts for Canadian Chevrolets I bought last year, looks similar to those engines but definitely not Chevy. £100 plus courier cost seems fair, given the wide range of prices currently being asked for on Ebay. Let me know if interested. If so, let me know your post code and I'll get a courier price and let you know total. Happy to take PAypal and get it sent this week. Thanks John

I have this manifold spare and believe it is from a Bedford 28hp. Where are you based? JOhn

Engine fitted into chassis, fuel pipes and filter installed....a lot of work in a few words!

Now the engine is complete, we've moved it to Kent. Next step is to install into the chassis. Other activity has been to clean layers of paint from the truck body. As we scraped them off we found the remains of signwriting from its post-war civilian use in the UK: "OGNOR 116". This refers to the Sussex town of Bognor Regis and an phone number, probably for the garage that we were told had installed a lightweight recovery crane.

Hi Pierre, I used black silicone sealer to "glue" the gasket to the tin sump and then an old fashioned Permatex High Tack Gasket Sealer for the top of the cork gasket to the block. Hope I don't need to remove the sump in the future, but if I do think I should be able to separate the "high tack" side.

Engine Stand built and getting ready for first run. Started first time, which was a pleasant surprise as everything has been taken to pieces and rebuilt. I've posted the engine running video on the MLU FB page:

Thanks Phil, Yes that would be fun at 40 mph! securing pin was good on this one and no play. Thanks for putting the Engine Stand plans up on your website some years ago.....another one now in production

Rebuilt Distributor, and a spare I had. The truck came with an odd assortment of incorrect carburettors, but I found a Carter W1 Carburetor for sale in UK. Rebuild kits are hard to find here, so had one sent over from Mike Carburettors in USA. Recommended dealer: https://www.carburetor-parts.com/. Relatively simple to rebuild. First attempt at engine start soon, but first will built an engine test stand to plans on web from Phil Waterman: http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/Engine Test Stand.htm

Back on the engine: Head and Rockers on, Fuel Pump rebuilt with new kit, Oil filter bracket built and working on the the oil feed system of several pipes and numerous fittings. Came across the first problem of a missing part in the rebuild: the 216 has a kidney shaped plate on the side of the block, behind which sits another plate with plunger and spring which is the oil pressure relief valve. Whole engine runs at low pressure but this is a key part and couldnt find it in the boxes. Very fortunately I found one on Ebay.com in USA, quite reasonable price until shipping and import duties push it up the nearly £50 but essential for the rebuild. Part arrived and its on with sorting out the oil pipes. The 216 has an odd oil feed to the rockers via a copper pipe that crosses diagonally up through the block's water jacket. It isn't a great design as the special fittings into the block can leak and the design means that it is difficult to remove the head without damaging the pipe. I didn't have the special block/pipe fitting in the boxes of parts that came with the truck, but by coincidence had bought a box of pipe fittings at Mike Ebling's dispersal sale, and as he had owned GM Otter and other CMPs, by luck a spare fitting was in the box. Good to think that parts Mike had saved live again in another CMP! When fitting the rocker feed pipe I made a modification by adding and joiner so that the head can be easily removed in the future without disturbing the feed pipe block connections. This fitting sits behind the tin side cover. Quite a tight fit but just works and is a mod carried out on these engines in the USA by the vintage truck guys. GM clearly identified the weakness of oil pipe damage and slightly changed the fitting design where the pipe connects into the rocker feed some time between WWII and 1950. They replaced the female fitting on the pipe to a male one so that it can be easily pulled back through the casting when removing the head. 1943 Oil pipe connection with "Female" fitting that requires pipe to be cut to remove head: A 1950 dated Chevy 216 with altered "male" fitting on top of oil feed pipe that can fit completely through casting: These oil feed pipes/fittings dont look like much progress but they look a couple of days to sort out. I made and short shaft to fit in electric drill so that I could test oil pipe was getting oil up to the rockers. All working well and every rocker weeping oil. This photo is a video (might add to MLU Forum thread).

The crank is ok but find the block is a little heavy to lift

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It helps that we have a two of us working on it in seperate locations! Finishing the engine and fitting it will be a milestone.

Meanwhile progress in Kent with cab respray and fit. All went together very well, just requiring assistance of a ratchet strap to help persuade the front frame to meet the bolt holes in roof lip.

One of the key aspects of a 216 Chev rebuild is setting the Oil Dippers and Oil troughs in the sump. There were a set of special tools to enable this. As previously mentioned I managed to find and buy one (J-969-2) in the USA. This checks dipper height and Oil Trough Depth. After much searching online I found a good photo of another one (J-969-3) used for checking the Oil Nozzle Height. From the photo, and knowing the sump width, I scaled an accurate drawing and made one out of sheet steel. The third special tool is J-969-1, a more complicated design to check oil jets. I've not tried to make one of these, but went through the process of connecting a garden hose into the oil feed and saw that all jets were clear and a consistent jet came from each nozzle.

Continuing with engine: Fitted crank. Inspected oil pump and cam, and all looked to be in good condition, so fitted them together with front mounting plate. Next are the Con Rods. I carefully cleaned the storerage grease and found the white metal bearing to be new and unmarked. Again this concurs with what we were told when purchasing the truck. The MB_C2 manual details how to set up the shimmed Big End bearings. I followed this and double checked the 2 thou gap with Plastigauge. Final check was to individually fit conrods to crank, torque caps and check for movement by pushing the rod by hand (quote MB-C2: "when properly fitted, it should be possible to snap the rod back and forth on the crank pin"). I then fitted the pistons to the rods and refitted all in block.....with oil dippers pointing in the correct direction. All turned freely and next task is to check dippers and pan heights with Chev special tools

Now for the block and crankshaft: When we bought the truck we were told that the engine was ready to rebuild, having had the conrods re-whitemetalled, the crank ground and new main bearings had been bought. We took this on trust as all were crated/boxed up. So, I have been carefully cleaning the storage grease from the crank and found the new bearings. I'd already pressure washed and dried the block, a ready for a trial fit of the crank.As I believe this crank work was completed many years ago, the price of the bearing shells is noticeable at £182. These 216 cranks have to be shimmed on each main bearing and the "kit" of parts came with the old shims all together in an envelope. As I knew I'd probably need extra shims, I ordered a set from Summit Racing in USA. Cost of shims weren't too bad until add cost of shipped etc etc, but essential. I also bought a full Fel-Pro gasket set which worked out at more than £100 with duties etc. Set up each main bearing using Plasti-gauge. Pete Ashby has put up a good explanation of this technique on his Dodge thread, so I'll not repeat it. But remind anyone trying the process to make sure it is with dry bearings. I saw a You-tube clip elsewhere where they oiled the bearings first.....think this will affect the results. Needless to say, this is a time consuming process and each bearing needs gauging/reshimming several times with all that entails.