C15A Restoration

[John Stokes]

Hi all, just a quick update on the progress of my C15A restoration.Took it out of the shed today and installed the 235. I still have a long way before she is fired up but at least it's in and looks like it's ready for action.The new water pump and acc will arrive this week and hopefully i will have some spare time to get it all on.The radiator is going for a clean up and test tomorrow and i'm hoping it will be given a clear bill of health.I still am yet to order a loom and need to do that also.I also pulled the gear box apart today and out of three of the am able to put a realy good one together with the usual new seals and bearings.Feel free to offer advise as i am going off the trucks in my yard and a manual so all the help i can get is welcome. John Stokes

[Bob Carriere]

Hi John

Nice job your doing...... watch the water pump/fan clearance with the stock radiator..... you may have to consider an "hey-Daptor" plate to install an older 216 pump.....

Let us know if you get stuck.... a few of us have been down that snarly path and can give advice......

Boob

[John Stokes]

Hi Bob,I took the 235 out of another blitz and it had a different pulley/fan set up to the stock 216 pump.I have a new 216 water pump do i remove the pulley and use the same set up and install it on the new pump is that what you mean?and not use the big cast pulley.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi John

You were lucky that our 235 had already been modified with an older 216 pump.

Experience has shown that it is impossible to fit a 235 or 261 with the later original water pump...unless you want to cut stuff!!!! ... the original pump is lower in the block and the pump impeller of the original 235 pump is inside the block. Overall the original pump is about 2 inches too long and hits the radiator core. Also because the original pump is lower inside the block when installed in a CMP the lowered fan blades usually hit the lower radiator outlet....

So that major headache is resolved for you..... the only thing left for you to figure out is to match the size of the various pulleys.... the two critical ones are the size of the crankshaft pulley versus the size of the 216 pump pulley...... otherwise there is a chance you will spin the water pump toooooo fast which can cause cavitation and reduced water flow. The typical solution is to replace the modern 235 cranshaft harmonic balancer/pulley with the 216 size which is some what smaller in circumference so the similar belt speed is maintained.

The other consideration is matching the various belt size grooves from all the 3 pulleys..... some are 3/8 or 1/2 inch but the older pulleys may be 5/8 or even 7/8. Having matched the crank pulley to the pump pulley the odd one usually is the generator or alternator pulley.

I suspect... and hope... that in your case since the conversion was already done from a previous Blitz that it may have been taken care of.

Good source for spare wide pulleys and belts are you local or rural farm tractor shops since most still service older equipment and they sell belts by size and not be model/year/make and color of your car.

My tractor shop usually gives me 3 belts to try ....one over, one under and one the matching size I requested.... pay for one and return the others when you drive by...... try that at a typical Auto Parts store!!!!

Let us know how you make out..... and include pictures since most of us can't read too well!!!!

BooB

[John Stokes]

Hi Bob did you look at the two photos above of the water pumps that i have?The rusty one was on the Blitz and the new one i think is wrong unless i have to swap pully assy over.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi John

They both look very similar...but.....

Can you compared the casting serial numbers....

Do you have a picture of the backing plate..... are they similar....

It seems that they are similar except the rusted one the actual pulley is missing....

The four leaf clover thingie on the rusted pump is only the typical backing that allows the pulley and afn blade to bolt on.....

Part of the complications are that we have a variety of model available and even more variety of pulleys....... some early pumps (up to 1947 ) had bushing..later model ( more desirable) have actual bearings. Some have a moon crescent opening for the water some have one hole some have two holes...... pulley can be wide....double grooved.... deep or shallow dish configuration....

It would be relatively easy with a gear pulley to remove the new pulley and transplant on the rusted one..... or lay them flat on the table and check the overall height...... if the same obviously use the new one. Try doing a trial assembly and see, susing s traight edge, if the pulley grooves line up.

The only concerns I would have about the new pump ...would be to compare the new pulley size to another blitz with an original 216 engine pump configuration.

Have you categorically identified the year of Manufacturing of your 235.... it may be an early cross over model that still had the older 216 pump... in which case you are all set....

By the way.... these old pump are very easy to rebuild and kits are always surfacing on Ebay.

will try to post some pictures of pumps on the weekend..

Boob

[John Stokes]

No problems Bob all sorted it's a 1955 model and yes it does use the old 216 pump so i have checked all the dimensions and it will fit perfectly.I will post some pic after a saturdays work being today.