Jeff Balazs

Hi Guys; My truck pretty much needs all new switchgear etc... I am going to keep it 6V positive ground. I see that Napa has quite a bit of the electrical components required but not all. Is the quality of the Napa components up to snuff? There are a few items they don't seem to have. Panel light switch......2 speed wiper switch....etc....does any one have a good source for these? My goal is to build up an electrical system that will stand up to day to day use. I think it is probably best to have all new components rather than trying to rely on 60 year old electrical contacts.....but of course there may not be new items available for everything. I have had my starter/generator & wiper motor professionally reconditioned. Thanks, Jeff

Thanks very much Jim. I will have to see what sort of element I wind up with....and do something similar. Being an old desert rat what I would really like is a foam filter over a gauze & wire K & N......nothing get's past that combination. Jeff

Hey Karl; I would think you would be able to locate a suitable engine without too much trouble. As an example there was a rolling frame (108" 1/2 ton) with a complete free spinning engine, transmission and extra wheels here locally a couple of months back. It was listed on craiglist at $500. It ended up going for $200. The 218 engine had all it's external components including the oil bath air cleaner....starter & generator and distributor....and it was not a rusty mess. So there are deals out there. Just got to be patient. I totally agree with Hank about taking some time to get to know what you have got. I also agree that keeping it stock or close is the easiest way to get it going. If you are new to old Mopars like me......there are some items that take a while to grasp (or come to grips with) I know I had a few relatively simple (I thought) supply side items throw me for a loop. I will say that if this were a Chevy of the same vintage it would have been a much easier project for me. But these are really interesting trucks and I think they grow on you. The main thing is to have fun with it! Jeff

Mark; Nice......soooo nice! Bet you can hardly stand it now. It is really gratifying to see this all come together. I hope you get a lot of use from it. You've earned it. Jeff

Hi Guy's Thanks for your comments. I went ahead and reworked the PCV tubing so it match's the Chrysler drawings. I will re pipe the connection between the fuel pump and carb as well. Best to deal with this stuff now. Had to repair the drivers side motor mount as it was damaged when the frame was bent. Good thing I have a fabricator buddy who is an Ace welder. He did a beautiful job. We will be tackling the bent frame some evening in the next week or so. It has taken awhile but between the two of us we have come up with a plan and all the necessary hardware that should do the trick. We should be able to tell fairly quickly if we are on the right path. Jeff

Hi Paul; In the end the only person you have to please is yourself. If my truck had more of it's original finish left I would have gladly gone for a patina finish. As it is all I have of the original finish is a bit of blue around the firewall. On a sidenote...As I was working on my engine I did not find any evidence that it was ever painted silver...just a blue/grey..but then again I am pretty certain it is not the original engine either. It is funny how these projects all take on a different life of their own. Some go factory original and others far from stock. I suppose that is what makes them all interesting in the end. I think a big factor has to do with what each owner wants to get out of the experience. For some it is the satisfaction of a perfect restoration. For others it may be the challenge of building a highly modified street rod. For me I will be happy just putting the old truck back to work. Jeff

Hi Hank; Thanks it should be pretty nice to do maintenance on now. Everything is clean and it has all new fasteners. As you well know I am not trying to build a show truck...so I guess the same reason you didn't? Besides it goes really well with the shade of faux granite spatter paint I have picked out for the truck. Jeff

Thanks Guys; Other than the PCV line I was just reusing the lines that were on it when I got it. I will definitely make all new fuel lines. The PCV system and heat shield came from VPW. VPW furnished it with a formed tube that was meant to run level in front of the back valve cover. It was not quite the right length for the manifold I have. I will have to come up with a better arrangement when I make it out of steel tubing. Jeff

Hi Guy's; Getting close to firing the old flathead up. Just a few more items to sort out. Hopefully it will all be worth it. Here is what it looks like now. A wee bit cleaner than it was........ Jeff

Thanks Jim; Have a great weekend. Jeff

Hi Jim; I like what you did there. Could you post a couple of photos showing what mods you made to the underside of the top section of the housing? Thanks, Jeff

Desotodav; I had no idea you were a M/C Copper. I know there are tons of great old bikes in Oz. I am an AJS/Matchless fanatic. Had a Norton Commando years ago too. I love the old Brit bikes from the 30s-50s..especially the singles. Sumbeams...New Imperials....Nortons ... Ariels and of course the incomparable AJS 7R. It is funny how this sort of bike maintenance gives you a different perspective on this item isn't it? I am sure that the original oil bath filters were adequate......but I have no doubt at all that a properly oiled foam filter will do an even better job extending the life of these engines. Here in my SoCal climate if you are going to do any sort of mileage you really want the best air filtration you can get. There is a ton of abrasive stuff floating around in our air. I imagine it is the same in most of Oz. Jeff

Desotodav; That is nice.....I could certainly live happily with something like what you and some of the others have done. I like the way foam filters work....especially in really dusty conditions. I don't mind cleaning them either. Seeing the amount of crud they capture is a good reminder of how much dirty air actually tries to run through an engine. I have run foam sock type filters over K&Ns for years on my dirt bikes. Works really well. When I started doing this I was told by many guy's that it was overkill. I don't agree. If the fuel, oil and air going through an engine is kept very clean it stands to reason the cylinder wall scoring and general wear will be kept at a minimum. I had a K&N, extra fuel filtration and an oil cooler on my last truck. I ended up getting about 550000 miles out of that old GMC 350 before I sold it. Still had the original pistons/rings and crank in it....decent compression and was not making any funny noises. Since your in Oz you might have seen one or two of these over the years. I bought it new in 1973 and still have it. It has been tweaked quite a bit over the years and has been ported and polished with a 12-1 compression ratio. An old school desert racer that still get's up and goes. I can't do it justice any more......but it is still fun. Jeff

GTK; Actually what I want to achieve is a K&N element and the small diameter pickup for the PCV system. Jeff

Hi Guy's; Any Pilothouse owners out there done a paper element conversion inside the stock oil bath air cleaner housing? I've seen some stuff about this on the car side ..... I am not sure but some of the photos I've seen looks as if the car filters were a different housing? Any info or pictures would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jeff

Congrats Paul; I'm "Blue" with envy....... Jeff

Hank; Congrats on getting it done. Looks very nice....... Jeff ps Please stop tormenting Dodgerguy....I am running out of disguise options.

Thanks Guys; The entire front clip is off. The only reason I am considering this is to get to the freeze plug on the back of the block. Who knows what condition it is in? Jeff

Hi Guys; What is the procedure for pulling the engine on a fluid drive Pilothouse? I would like to leave the bell housing / rear engine mounts in place.....is there a good way to do this ? What is involved with getting things to line back up if you do it this way? Thanks, Jeff

Dan; Wow! That is pretty extreme. Looks like maybe someone removed too many leafs as well. A good spring shop should be able to re-arch the leafs and possibly supply new ones. I talked to a local shop here and they even had the factory spec's available. I believe you are referring to the tie-rod. It should be straight. I was able to straighten mine but that probably varies according to the condition of each one. I have seen a NOS one on Ebay.....and new ends are also available. Not cheap....but I guess if you need it you need it. Jeff

Mark; Chances are the threads are pretty much toast. More than likely a section of thread has actually broken away. If you do end up saving it and cleaning up the threads I would be sure to apply never-seize. Actually some sort of thread lubricant or sealer is probably a good idea anytime you use SS. This is not an isolated incident. I've had enough problems with stainless threads in marine applications that I think I would just go straight to the surgical tools. It is wonderful stuff....until this happens. Jeff

Hi Dan; I appreciate the offer. I have not come across any of the trucks with a stock ratio higher than 4.1...but it is worth a look. Jeff

Mark; Hang tough buddy. I don't know about the sheet metal......but I have run into problems with stainless steel fasteners in the past. SS can be a mixed blessing and this problem is not that uncommon. Sometimes the threads gall or tear. When that happens it always ends badly. The only real solution for one that is locked up and won't shift is surgery. The first time I ran into this I ended up drilling it out. Cobalt bits are a must. Jeff

Well I have been contacted by 3 of them from the UK. And I am pretty sure they were all scammers. Silly people!..... they are not going to get me to bite. Still looking for the elusive 3.73 differential though...I would prefer this as it keeps the truck closest to original as opposed to a rear end swap. I will keep looking. Jeff

Why settle for a glimpse? How about a feature movie starring a Pilothouse? Check out "the Rounders". Glenn Ford & Henry Fonda.....a 60's Cowboy comedy. Their Pilothouse is in the movie from the first scene to the last...and as an integral part of the entire story. And it is never not in the movie for more than about 5 minutes. Out doing what it was built to do...driving & hauling livestock....fording streams....even running from the cops. I am certain that no other movie gives one of our trucks such a significant role. Jeff