Plenty of old farm trucks get parked when something breaks, and nobody moves them again. This 1948 Chevy pickup sat in a barn from 1978 until the family needed the space back.
The mechanic behind @MortskeRepair spotted it in an online marketplace listing and showed up with a rollback within the hour. He says it was the family’s great-uncle’s farm truck, and it still has its grain door.
“Made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.”
Missing Parts And Stuck Valves
The truck runs a 6-volt system, but the coil and the distributor rotor are gone. Under the floor, he finds a battery dated 2016. His theory is that someone tried to revive the truck about a decade ago, ran into a spark problem and gave up.
The odometer reads 2,540 miles. He doubts that number, since the seat feels like it has far more on it, and he guesses the odometer quit long ago. Still, he notes that the cab and floor are solid, because the truck spent most of its life inside.
The engine turns over, but compression is poor. When he pulls the valve cover, several pushrods are no longer working their rocker arms, and two are bent. So he taps the stuck valves loose with a hammer and breaks a rocker arm along the way. Then he takes a replacement from a 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline engine he already has in pieces.
At first, only one cylinder makes real compression. So the crew tows the truck about four miles behind their old tow truck to work the engine. Afterward, the back three cylinders show good compression.
Mouse Nests In The 1948 Chevy Bell Housing
After he cleans out the rusty carburetor and corrects the timing, the old six fires on fuel poured into it.
“It’s alive.”
Then the starter begins to struggle, and the clutch pedal moves by itself while the engine cranks. When he pulls the inspection cover, he finds mouse nesting packed between the ring gear teeth.
“Mice ruin everything.”
He scrapes out wad after wad of it until the engine spins freely again. He believes the packed nest was pushing on the clutch fork and binding everything up. In addition, he bypasses the old mechanical fuel pump with an electric one and loops the heater hoses.
Even the fan belt surprises him. He says the belt he needs is the same one that fits a Ford Model A, a car about 20 years older from a different maker.
The First Drive
Once the battery sits in the cab, the 1948 Chevy starts, and the clutch works. Next, he takes it down a country road at about 25 to 35 mph, with the temperature and oil pressure gauges still working. Toward the end of the drive, steam starts rolling from under the hood. Still, the truck makes it back to the shop.
What To Check On A Truck That Sat For Decades
Old farm trucks are simple, but sitting is hard on them. Here is what this one shows:
- Look for missing ignition parts before you assume the engine is bad.
- Pull the valve cover and check for stuck valves or bent pushrods.
- Check the bell housing and starter area for rodent nests.
- Never trust a fuel tank that has sat for decades.
- Plan on brakes, hoses and belts before any real drive.
Where Things Stand
The truck now runs and drives. However, he says it still needs a tune-up, brakes, a muffler, glass and a seat. It is titled in his name, and he plans to sell it once he checks what the market will pay. Earlier, he also lent it to the local park board for a fall display.
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