Posted by Joe Lorenzino [162.158.146.187] on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at 01:39:48 :
I finally got the 270 Poly V8 in the "Gifted" 56 Fargo H series truck unstuck & turning over by hand. Did a compression test, and all have compression, but low on a couple of holes. Tuned up the ignition, poured fuel into the rebuilt carb and got it running. Ran better than I expected, but after a couple of float bowl refills and startups, the starter wouldn’t turn. Pulled it off, and the drive snout is packed solid with mouse residue. Pulled the bellhousing cover, and the whole thing is full of mouse nest and rusted solid from mouse pee.
Unstuck & rebuilt the starter, and cleaned out the clutch & housing as best I could, but the trans or engine will have to come out to get at the frozen solid clutch assembly.
Does anybody know if the clutch & flywheel will come out through the bottom of the housing on a 56 without interference from the cross member with the engine bolted down?? ( Would like to just slide the trans back and remove clutch & flywheel without pulling the engine.)
How did the little [email protected]&ers get in there??? Only place I can see so far is a 5/8”dia. Hole right at the back of the driver’s side pan rail on the engine that goes up into the back face of the engine. Anybody know why that hole is there? Is it the same for all the poly & early hemi engines? Any reason NOT to thread it and put a plug in so They can’t get in there again?? Anyone else run into this mice in the bellhousing issue before?
Thanks
Joe
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