Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

I have very little knowledge about these classic trucks so go easy on me.

I have a 1965 GMC Fleetside V6 3-speed manual. It's been in my family since it was new but has been sitting up for a number of years. All the pieces are there and everything is original. I would like to rehab it enough to drive it occasionally for fun. At a minimum, I think it would require the engine and transmission to be rebuilt, plus whatever suspension repairs would be required.

Questions for those in the know:

*Is it more cost effective to rebuild an older motor like this or should I look at buying a newer motor? If so, which motor? 5.7, 5.3?

*If I were to go with a newer motor, what do I need to look at with respect to compatibility with the transmission?

*Cost to rebuild the transmission?

I sincerely appreciate any help with this. Feel like I'm flying blind.
:confused::thanks:

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

:welcome:

Hold on a second....I say this with brotherly love...but

You can't go in a 60-66 GMC club and ask if you should cut your truck to pieces and make it into a bastardized shevvy. Ever. They werent the same truck in the old days like they are now. You're just asking for someone to look you up, beat you senseless with a GMC operator's manual, and tow you around with their V6 for 40 plus miles! :lolsmack2:


Seriously though you might be surprised at how well she has held up over the years. I'll bet if you rebuild the carb, change the fluids, replace or clean the gas tank and lines, and put a new battery in her she'll take off and run. You cant kill the 305 V6. You just can't. Unless you drain all the oil out and jump on the highway. That might do it.

Try squirting a little starting fluid in the carb and see if it tries to turn over. You might get a surprise from your piece of history there. Watch out for wasps though, they seem to like old trucks as much as we do :D


If you need to rebuild your tranny I've got a full writeup in my Cecilia build thread in my sig. It was easy to get the parts too. If you need to rebuild the engine, that has it's own challenges, but it can be done.


Oh, and where's the pics, man? Gotta see the old girl!

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

The site was founded specifically for the preservation of these V6 powered GMC Trucks, they are not "Chivy's"!!!!!!!!! A GMC V6 will easily last 200,000 plus mile before it needs a rebuild, so what kind of mileage is your? There are other alternatives as well by finding a lower mileage V6 and also upgrading to a larger V6 say a 351 or 401 which will bolt right into place of the 305 and retain the original look.

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

OK, OK, I get it. I meant no harm in mentioning the motor replacement, and certainly don't want to be book-whipped about the head and face. Nor do I have any desire to be drug around town behind a truck that I didn't think would ever run again. :madGMC:

I guess a better question would be how readily available are parts for these trucks? And, how expensive? A little history on the truck...my aunt's husband bought her new and my dad/brother bought her when their brother-in-law passed away. So, it's been in the family since she was new and my dad's had it since around 1967. My dad took good care of her but as he aged he didn't have the ability to maintain her. When I started working at 15, I put every dime I earned into getting her running again and had her painted (I know, I know). The work was done by a friend of my dad's who was the stereotypical shade-tree mechanic, meaning he would turn wrenches in between swigs of beer :guzzle: (not that there's anything wrong with that so long as you can maintain). Also, I paid to have the seat reupholstered and put some wheels/tires on her. Drove her for a few months but she never ran quite right, didn't shift well, and wasn't practical as an every day driver. After that, my dad would drive her occasionally when he could until he passed. So, I'd guess she has been sitting up for at least 10 years.

I'm somewhat handy but far from a mechanic but I may just drain the fluids, put in a battery and see if she'll turn over. Figure I don't have much to lose. I think the odometer sits between 110-125k but can't quite recall. The truck's about 30 minutes from me but I'll get up there this week and post some pics. I'm sure I'll have more questions after I dig into it a bit. I sincerely appreciate all the help! :thanks:

Not real sure where to start if she won't crank. I guess I will have to find a mechanic and have him get to work on her. Long shot here but does anyone happen to know a good mechanic in the New Braunfels, Texas area that would be a good fit for this project?

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

Hey no hard feelings, I was just funnin ya a little :thumbsup:

Parts are out there depending on what you wanna do. Pistons and rings can be high, but from what I can find the rest of the parts are out there from time to time. You may not need any of that anyway since these engines were so over designed they last forever. Unless someone really abused it, anyway.


When you go, take a wire brush, some starting fluid and a set of standard wrenches and screwdrivers with you. the gasoline in the tank is probably molasses by now. If so it won't run off that. BUT if you can get it to turn over and try to start off the fluid then you'll know you got good bones to work with.

Heres a step by step of what I'd do.

1. Get out of your car and complain to yourself that it's too dang cold outside.
2. Re-think owning an old truck.
3. Decide you made a good decision because you don't want to be cookie-cutter, you're an individual, dang it! A GMC Man! :yourock:
4. Pop the hood, shoo away any wasps or snakes, or homeless people.
5. Disconnect the gas line from the intake on the fuel pump. No sense in shooting goo into the carb jets. (actually I would disconnect it from the carb, squirt varnished 10 yr old gas all over myself, and learn a harsh lesson about driving home light headed:teehee:).
6. Disconnect the old battery, wire brush the terminals, and install yours.
7. Run around the door and try to turn the engine over.
8. If it tries to crank, squirt 3 seconds of starting fluid in the carb.
9. If you forgot, remove the oil-bath air cleaner now and pour the oil in it all down your arm and side, possibly your pants too for fun.
10. Consider replacing it with a paper filter, then decide original is best (and cheaper) and resolve to remember that it's full of liquid from now on.
11. Now that it's off spray that 3 seconds of starting fluid in and try to start it again.

If it sounds like it's trying to start, or it DOES start, there you go! You're on your way to a moving truck!


About the mechanic request, I was just like you when I started messing with Cecilia a couple of years ago. I knew nothing. Now I are a college professor, as they say. I don't know it all, far from it but I can rebuild a transmission, take off the bed without a crane, rebuild the front hubs, and rebuild a transfer case with the most mediocre of them! :lolsmack:
You may not believe it now but you're your best option for a mechanic.

You'll learn alot in the builds and projects section. I like to post what I do as a step by step with lots of pictures, but I'm not finished yet so that only gets you so far. Corts60 had some great stuff too with lots of tips, though he couldn't find piston rings and when someone offered him a load of dough he sold his. There's more info in there and the previous forum posts section than you'll ever read through. Just start sponging and let us know where you are. Lots of guys here will help you out too. You just have to ask.
And above all don't get in a hurry. Take your time, one piece at a time.

http://requirements.seilevel.com/blo...g_elephant.jpg






When you get those pics takn you should start a build thread and join the club! :goodluck:


ps. sorry this got so long. :ahhhh:

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

I was in exactly the same boat. Not in love with the V6. Just didn't know about them. My 1960 305A had sit too long without heads on and rust in bores. I love the actual truck and everything else. Was going to put in a Chevy motor in the GMC. That is not a big deal, it's saving a truck anyway you can. 305 parts are too hard to find and having any motor rebuilt is costly and risky. I decided to try awhile to find a local motor to keep it original. I knew that as cool as all here think they are, they are not wanted by the masses. Found one that was running, cleaned it up and such and will use it. The decision is yours to rebuild, buy another or put in a Chevy (which is in the same family). I don't think a reasonable person would think less of you. There are people here who don't even own a GMC. You at least have one. I do see that these motors are pretty neat after taking it all apart and reading about them. If that does not hit you, no big. Put in a 454.
The truth is, as has been stated, it will run if you do the proper "start up" procedures, when it comes alive you will be as excited as Dr. Frankenstein was. Most old 4 speeds are bullet proof. Drain and fill.

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

It always seems to be a Chevy bias for an alternative powerplant. There are plenty of other GM engines from other divisions that could be suitable as well as the newer LS engines. There's a 65 GMC in my area that's been running around for the past 30 years powered by a 500ci Cadillac engine, that to me is more impressive than any Chevy! You put a Chevy in a 60-66 GMC truck and it's lost it's distinction.

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

The Chevy "bias" comes from the fact they are good motors and there are millions of parts new and used available anywhere, universal bell housing after 1962, speed parts up the ying. Unlike any other motor ever made. If you are going to loose distinction, a Chevy motor with a Rochester carb would be my choice.
The V6 belongs in a 6066, but not a biblical requirement. If you keep it do what Fetch says to restart.

Cadillac? Too much like Johnny Cash's song "Uh yo, Red Ryder, this is the cotton mouth
In the Psycho-Billy Cadillac come on..."

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

Good Motors? Back in the 80's I worked at a Chevrolet dealer and they definitely had durability problems with 305 and 350 V8's, they were usually shot at 60,000 miles.

Re: Rebuild engine vs. Replace?
 

I probably should stay out of this, but I have lived through an 84 Chevrolet Suburban with a 350 that had a piston break apart at about 90,000 miles (after many other problems), then the crankshaft of the replacement 350 broke at about 50,000 miles. This vehicle had, by far, more engine problems than any other car or truck that I have owned in my 50 years of driving, including my 1964 GMC 1500 pickup with a 305E. This might have been an 80's/90's situation because I married into a late 60's El Camino with a 350 that ran fine for years. All of these 350's used regular gas and were not driven unusually hard. In fact, I have probably put much more stress on the old 305E V6 while using my pickup as if it were a bigger truck.

JRMunn