Hi all,
I saw that you guys were starting a forum in the last newsletter I got so I figured I'd join up. I've worked on early CJ's and Utility vehicles a bit so I've got a small amount of knowledge to share and I'm sure I'll learn a lot more.

Anyway, I've had my 1959 truck in storage in a barn for the last 11 years and took it out a couple of months ago to get it running again. I sold my F250 and only have a car at the moment so I need something to haul stuff once in a while; not to mention there's a nice snowplow for sale cheap in the area. Unfortunately, the 226 engine was seized. After soaking it for a while we finally pulled the head and realized 1/4 of the antifreeze had gotten into the last 3 cylinders. The head gasket looked fine so I think we may have forgotten to put sealant on the head bolts the last time we put it together. We let the thing soak again for about two months and I even used electrolysis but to no avail.

We finally dropped the oil pan and pushed the pistons up through the top of the block. The rings on the last two were so gunked up that they actually stuck in their compressed shape. The rings themselves came unstuck from the pistons with some elbow grease except for me breaking one compression ring. I ordered a one-piston set of rings last week and we reinstalled the pistons last night. The carburetor needed a rebuild from sitting too so that was accomplished as well.

I'm hoping to have it running this weekend and later hope to have it stopping as well since the brakes aren't working either. So, this weekends activities are to put the engine all the way back together, drop the gas tank and clean it out, and at least get it started on a boat gas tank or it's own if it cleans up nicely.

One question I have is when installing the oil pump I noticed that when the number 1 piston is at TDC; my timing mark on the pulley doesn't line up. It's about an inch or so off. If I line up the mark instead; the piston is about 1/2" down in the bore. Does that sound normal or did I mess something up 15 years ago when I put this thing together for the first time?