Hot Rods Cool score....GMC 302 Military

Ok. I have another question. What did you do for the distributor?

I've read that ANY GM six cylinder distributor will work. I've also read that you need to drill and tap the block for a vacuum advance. I just pulled out the massive military one and am now asking myself why not use the existing holes?

 

Whatever you're reading should be put back on the shelf, unless it explains how the block needs a vacuum advance. The distributor can be from a '37 - '62 Chev 6, or any '39 up GMC. Don't loose that spacer plate - it locates the drive gear correctly on the cam.
The pipe plug on the block at the dist. boss is for positive oiling to the gears if you wish to plumb it in, and some engines used it for the oil filter discharge.
Post 33 sums it up well. Harmonic balancer, water pump, & gen. pullies from a '55 - '59 light duty truck will help you.

 

Jethro, my apologies for cluttering up your thread. It seems like alot of people like myself will come across this thread while searching how to convert your military to civilian.

I have not been able to find a write up anywhere , and what i am finding i am now learning you can't fully trust.

This is what I've found. And have directed my parts search toward.

 

Hillbilly, no worries! I'm at the same point as you are.
That piece you posted is where I robbed most of my info from.
It's funny, you named yourself Hillbilly and I'm named after a Beverly Hillbilly ....are we long lost brothers?

 

Hell yeah Bro!

As for trying to sell off the "used" military parts, i spoke with a guy who sells restoration parts for military vehicles. He said there is zero market for the 24v parts.

 

^^^ # 35
That must be just for the GMC stuff. Just did a WWII Power Wagon & a Korean war era Jeep - both owners fanatic about their 24v stuff.
One of the Trend Hot Rod Annuals about 1959 has a '31 (?) Chev roadster pickup with an army truck GMC, 24v distributor still in use.

 

Guys that military distributor is actually pretty neat, take it a part , remove the coil install a new napa IC12SB coil and add a pertronixs unit for a six cylinder gm. Wire it up internal paint and add a McGurk decal etc. Everyone thinks its a mag ?????????????? The wires are stainless braid and can be cleaned up as well, the autolite shielded plugs can still be bought . The over all look is unreal . I have built a few of these !!!!!
And i run a GMC ( 322 inch) in my model A as well.......... 4 speed with quickchange . We used 32 Ford truck rails based on added length....

 

The military parts are in fact quite in demand for both restoration guys in our area and those in the know with wooden boats. Those brass covered plug wires are very cool and difficult to get.

 

Looks like I'm getting false info all over lol

 

I think that’s a Livermore car

 

Here's a little progress. I picked the head up from the machine shop and started to put it back together. I painted most stuff red with a few aluminum accents. I bought a cast side cover and painted it then sanded off the high spots. I'm in the process of converting the distributor to 12v . I changed the coil and still have to get a Pertronix for inside. I drilled and tapped to convert to full flow oil filtering. I split the exhaust manifold thanks to an idea from the "welding cast iron" thread. iwannaflattie was the author of the post.......thanks mate! I also made up the flanges and stub tubes for a set of headers......so this is what I got done in the last couple of weeks.

 

Excellent ! Those engines are so good looking with a nice paint job & a few bright parts. Make sure that extra well done plumbing has a restrictor in the tube feeding the dist. drive gear.
Where did you find that extra thick rocker gasket ?

 

Nice.
Is that a 10 qt oil pan? Are u keeping it so?

@hillbilly4008 have u found a source for a civilian oil pan?

 

I put a carb jet in the distributor lube line it was about 40thou...should be small enough. I got the VC gasket in a rebuild set of Best gaskets

 

Your welcome.
I never thought id inspire anyone here even at something as little as that..

Mind telling how u modified the oil filter/pump?
Thanks

 

I think I copied you on this one too. I can't remember where I found the instructions, probably Inliners but drill and tap the block and drill and tap and plug the gallery from the bottom. It took a little over an hour...really easy modification! I still have to make up oil lines but should make a big difference keeping the oil cleaner.

 

Sorry i meant now that the oil pan is shorter... How did u mod the oil pick up?

 

Oh, yeah that makes more sense. I machined an adapter to use the floating pickup on a shorter pickup tube. I'd take some pics but the pan is back on now. The military pump has a different cover than the civilian pump so the pickup is in a different location. It would have been easier if I could find some civilian stuff but there is virtually nothing around here for old Jimmy 6's.

 

This is a great thread. I have one of these engines in a 55 GMC army truck I own. Subscribing. I have a buddy interested in the engine for his FED. Should be cool.

 

Make a joyful noise....

 

OK, so it started woo hoo!
I have done a few things over winter. I cast a manifold , valve cover breathers , air cleaners I made headers , adapted a 235 distributor and found a really cool looking coil. I haven't connected the outboard carbs yet. I still have to make linkage for them. Today was the first time in a long while that I was able to open my big door because of the cold.
Yeah it runs!....did I say woo hoo?

 

The sealed ignition and charging was part of the "Fording Kit" for river crossings etc. My gramps had 3 of the REO/Studebaker 6x6's with the REO OA331 engines, 52-53 vintage, one ex-Army, one Navy, and the Stude was Air Force. The Army one still had the Fording Kit with everything sealed, including snorkles for intake and exhaust, and was supposed to let it run up to the bottom of the windshield in water. The folding windshields, windows and doors all had rubber gaskets and shifters and pedals all had tight boots. Worth a couple bux to a restorer. And that OA331 REO was the sweetest-sounding Six I have ever heard

 

Forgot some pics...

 

I see you have a Judson coil on your GMC. That's cool. I usually used a Judson on mine except for having a Vertex on my Howard head GMC. If you need a fuel log, cheap. Very cheap. I have one I am trying to unload. For that matter I also have a crank trigger distributor less ignition that would work. Not to traditional though.

 

The Judson coil was something I found at the Portland swap meet and thought it was just cool looking. It has been on my shelf for 15 + years. For a kick I tried it on the Jimmy and it worked!....damn good too! I'm thinking of running stainless hard lines for the carbs from a fuel block. I quickly made up the log I have from some copper plumbing I had lying around.

 

The Judson always worked for me. Several records using it. And I also thought it looked cool.

 

In case you need a military oil pressure gauge. new in box. Followed me home in 62. We had Studebaker, Reo and GMC deuce and a half trucks. Think they all had the same sender and gauge. I'm trying to peddle it on the bay for $ 10 plus shipping, You need this for your motor.

 

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