Vintage Chevy II 4-Cylinder and a bad gearbox gasket

Q: Greg, a year ago I purchased and 1928 Model "A" Ford pickup that was built in the mid Sixties as a nostalgia pickup "Rat Rod." It has a 90-hp Chevy II 4 cylinder 153 cubic inch engine with a carburetor.

Where was this motor produced and in what year GM cars was it used? I am trying to locate items to beef up the motor, like dual carb manifold and split exhaust.
Also, this pickup sat for many years and it has a gearbox leak, assumed to be the seal on the front. I hear there are products (Wynn’s for one) on the market that can be added to the gearbox that can stop the leak if the seal is just dried up and not cracked. Do you know if this type additive really works and what are the product names and manufactures?
As for both questions I have searched high and low and have not been able to find any information especially on the Nova II 4 cylinder motor. I greatly appreciate your assistance. Donald Baliszewski (A Proud American overseas), PSC 69 Box 1000, APO AE 09707.


A: Donald, Chevy’s 153-incher was used from 1962 through 1970 in the lower priced Chevy II and Nova lines. This inline-4 engine was built and used by Chevrolet, but also appeared in GM built U.S. Postal trucks from 1967 through 1971. Introduced in 1961 as a 1962 model, the Chevy II was the first car to offer a Chevrolet 4-cylinder engine since 1928. The 153 engine would later be used as a base for the development of GM's 4-cylinder “Iron Duke” 151-incher used in GM compact and mid-size cars beginning in 1977.

However, your 153-inch engine is different from the “Iron Duke” that powered many GM cars through 1992. The 153 and the 151 Iron Duke are often confused nowadays, especially on the Internet blogs.

As for speed parts, there are some available for the 153, including three nice Isky Cams with lifts from .488 to .510. (Check www.iskycams.com). However, other items are scarce, but perhaps Mr. Isky and his crew can point you to some other hi-performance items. If you had an “Iron Duke,” the speed parts are prevalent, as this engine produced lots of horsepower and gained fame in the NASCAR Goody's Dash series for powering the “Baby Grand” division Cavaliers, Sunfires and Grand Ams.
Finally, there are many "stop leak" products out there, like the Wynn’s Transmission Conditioner you mention. However, if the seal doesn’t repair itself quickly, I highly recommend you pull the gearbox and have the seals and or gaskets replaced.
A second company called “Bar’s Leaks” provides numerous stop leak conditioners, and you can check them out at http://www.barsproducts.com/. They’ve been around since 1947.
Finally, good luck to you and all our servicemen overseas. You are a tribute to our country. I have forwarded you address to my friends at Isky Cams in California, so look for a catalog and decal from them soon!

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