How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Jordan Baker]

Saturday I went to my first auction and walked away with what I believe is an original wartime CMP Chevy 216 that is in very good condition for the hefty sum of $152. I did find KG#3 paint on the transmission and rear mounts. It also appears to have the Cab 11/12 starter rod pivots. There was also the gas pedal linkage that goes under the thermostat housing. So far I have been unable to match the block casting # and stamped serial # prefix to any other lists. However I do believe that the serial prefix "MR" stands for "Military Right Hand" To me it makes sense.

Pictures are
#1 overall engine
#2 block casting # 839253 D27 or O27
#3 stamped serial # MN3966765
#4 head casting # GM 838772 21
#5 generator tag.

[Bob Carriere]

Go to http://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/...s.php?ubb=cfrm

in the Forum look for shop area then under engine....first post on engine ID....

The last link on Advance ......

The prefix MR does not appear any where...... but there are exceptions.

In any event it is a great acquisition and probably belongs in a cab 11 .......

Cheers

[rob love]

One site shows the MR prefix in 1935 or 36, but that predates the 216 I think.

The R generally is for right hand drive, but there does not seem to any reference to the M used during wartime.

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks for links Bob. I looked over them again and can't find any reference to either my block casting number or the serial number.

I tried to get it started today. No luck but it does crank and I got spark at the plugs. I just think by battery was run down. Will try again tomorrow. As for going in a cab11.......errr it's going to end up in my Cab13. Lol

[rob love]

http://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/...=443230&page=1

This guy had the same casting numbers, and the engine was a 235. However the crank and cam were 216, so his may have been bored out.

Here is a link to the page which showed some MR serial numbers back in 1935: http://www.gregwapling.com/hotrod/ch...dian-chev.html

On that page it shows the 839253 block casting. Not being a chevy man myself, maybe you can decipher what the page is trying to say.

[Bob Carriere]

1940 block casting of 839132 ....

Head is shown as 1940

Serial numbers get s&&&& up during the war but they have 3665902

Serial prefix should be AR or RA..... so maybe the guy on the line was having a bad day when punching numbers.

Have you tried a compression test..... or a few drops of oil....even WD 40 just to wet the rings...... fresh gas from one gallon tank gravity feed into the carb...

Check your points they may be partly oxidize if sitting for a long time.... 400 grit emery could cure that for a quick fix.

Watch for back fires....

good luck.

Bob C

[chris vickery]

The trouble I have found with casting and motor indexes is that many of them pertain only to civvy models and much of the war years info is vague at best.
Do remember that for the first couple years that civilian cars were still in production intermixed with MV production.

[Jordan Baker]

I have not really done much work over the winter as its been too cold in the shop. One day I will have insulation and proper heat.

I did pickup a pair of door window frame and a front brush guard.

Some of the small parts I have made are as follows.

#1 a new pedal bumper made from a cut down hockey puck.
#2 new cab to frame front bolts. I cut down 5/8 bolts on the lathe and re-threaded them to the proper 9/16-18. It was my first time using the lathe and they turned out great.
#3 new cable release for the 4 wheel drive disengagement arm. The original cable had rusted away and broke. I was able to save the ends after soaking in Evaporust. I bought a new cable from Cnd Tire along with the aircraft cable. The threaded end was a cut down 10-32 hex head screw. I drilled it out on the lathe and then soldiered in the cable.
#4 a new made finger latch. I gave up trying to find some NOS ones (next week Ill probably find a box full). I flattened out a rusty original and traced it onto 16ga. Cut it out with a zipdisk in the grinder. I bent it to shape over a piece of hard wood and then dished the finger portion with a ballpeen hammer.

These are small parts that most wont even know are there when the truck is done, but I enjoy creating that attention to detail.