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1953 Dodge 'coupe' truck project


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Looks good. However how do you plan to install the clutch disc with the pressure plate already in place?

 

Pressure plate bolts are finger tight at this stage - clutch plate and throwout bearing are still here on my office desk. I hope to achieve more tomorrow in the light of day.

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What a great truck, kind of reminds me of the Ute. Very unique. I am imagining that cab with the rounded fenders of the early 40's trucks here in America, how cool.

Edited by finmad
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Umm... Don't you need to put the bell housing onto the block before installing the flywheel and clutch? Unless the Ausie setup is different... On ours the bell housing goes down behind the flywheel.

 

Merle

 

I think if you push those alignment dowels out you can sneak it on and off. Now that you mention it I've got my clutch hanging on the back of my project engine(the one I got from you) and I wonder if I pulled the bell housing before or after I did that clutch. If the dowel thing doesn't work I'll have the same issue.

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I think if you push those alignment dowels out you can sneak it on and off. Now that you mention it I've got my clutch hanging on the back of my project engine(the one I got from you) and I wonder if I pulled the bell housing before or after I did that clutch. If the dowel thing doesn't work I'll have the same issue.

 

You and I lifted the bell housing up and off in your garage when I delivered the engine. I don't remember if we had to drive out the dowels or if there was just enough clearance to get it off.

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You and I lifted the bell housing up and off in your garage when I delivered the engine. I don't remember if we had to drive out the dowels or if there was just enough clearance to get it off.

See Merle you answered your own thought :) That bell housing has been on and off a few more times since then as I've been working on the trans swap.

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Umm... Don't you need to put the bell housing onto the block before installing the flywheel and clutch? Unless the Ausie setup is different... On ours the bell housing goes down behind the flywheel.

 

Merle

 

Yep, what Ed said Merle. I did knock the dowel pieces back to remove the bell-housing with the flywheel still attached. I'll slip it over the top of the flywheel again and then attach the front-lower cover plate and the bottom pan after I bolt the bell-housing to the back of the engine block.

The Aussie bell-housing/clutch setup is a little different to your USA ones as they need to cater for our pedals being on the right (as opposed to the left) side. I wondered if it was simply a case of the 'fork 6-22-1' being a little different, but I think it is a little more involved than that.

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It looks the same, except that the clutch shaft is reversed. You even have the mounting hole for the master cylinder, but yours would be over on the other side.

 

I'm just curious how one would handle the dowels this way. Would you set them into the block, then mount the bell housing and drive them back into that? I can't imagine you'd be able to get to the back side of them, inside the bell housing, to drive them back into the block.

 

Merle

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Been catching up on your build Davin.....all I can say is Wow!!!!

 

You have that gift of "Proper Documentation" too....you're doing a great job of sharing your progress and insight.

A few of the guys here have that gift...wish I was one of them...lol

 

48D 

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Thanks Tim. It's all a great deal of fun.... but it's hurting our bank balance for now! Our truck bodies here in Oz are a little different to what you guys are used to over there, so I am pleased to be able to document this build here for interested parties to view.

There is still plenty going on with the Pop truck project - the guys have been repairing rust areas, and I have been playing with getting the engine back together. I am most fortunate to work in an area where additional overtime is available as this supplies me with additional funds for the project.... the only downside is that my shifts are long and the hours of work are 'unusual'.

I was looking around my shed this afternoon for the oil pressure relief valve and the oil tube which supplies oil onto the timing gear.... only to find that they were already installed on the engine! One tends to get forgetful when life is busy!

I'll update with some more photos soon when things quieten down a bit.

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Just a quick question for those mechanically-minded persons out there.....

I plan on installing the front crankshaft pulley in the morning and see that it has a square key that inserts in the slot/s of the pulley and crankshaft. Is there a particular way to install that key - in that should I install the square key partially in the rear of the pulley and tap the pulley onto the crankshaft, or should I try to tap the pulley on and tap the key into the slot between crankshaft/pulley from the front?

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I set the key into the crankshaft with it sticking over the end a little bit. This helps line it all up when you set it onto the crankshaft. Once the pulley is pressed on you can tap the key in until it's flush, if needed.

 

I also recommend that you leave the front cover bolts slightly loose as you mount up the pulley so that the seal will center itself onto the pulley hub, unless you used a centering tool when you installed the cover.

 

Merle

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Thanks for the quick reply Merle.

I will try as you suggest in the morning. The pulley appears to be quite a tight fit and I was concerned at pushing the key in too far.

I saw in the manual where they suggested one have a centering tool for the timing chain cover plate. I will back those bolts off a little as you suggest also.

I'm about to head off to bed (11:18pm as I type here in Oz now) and would have lay awake thinking about that darn pulley and key.

Thanks again.

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As I remember, I left the cover loose to install the pulley. But then there were a couple bolts I couldn't get a wrench on to tighten. So I tightened the cover bolts I could access, then pulled the pulley again to tighten the rest. I could then reinstall the pulley knowing that the seal was centered.

 

Good Luck,

Merle

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I decided this morning that it was time to convert another oil bath filter to something a little more modern and effective. I removed the filter which I modified for the blue 52 truck to use as a template. It all sounds very difficult, but it's probably one of the simplest things one can do to these vehicles. I found a good method when I did the first filter so I'm happy to share my secret here:...

I inserted a bolt through a piece of flat ply wood so that I could turn the filter (upside down) so that it could spin around on that bolt to keep the cut even.

I measured the point at which I wanted to cut and used two pieces of timber under my 4 inch angle grinder (fitted with thin cutting disc) to keep the angle grinder at one level.

I spun the top of the air bath oil filter on the bolt cutting a shallow cut around the outside of the top filter piece - cutting through the piece entirely in a few revolutions.

I then removed the bottom section of the air filter, and removed the piece of the mesh at the top of that filter housing.

I have just ordered another stainless steel filter mesh piece with the oil-soaked foam cover. I will clean up the cut edges with a file and spot-weld a small 'apron' around the perimeter to give it extra strength.

I feel that there are numerous benefits of this minor modification... a couple of them being: better filtered breathing for the engine, ease of cleaning the filter foam and re-oiling.

 

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I don't recall if the frame was painted or powdered but what you've got there looks really good. If the rest turns out as well, you've got another trophy winner.

 

Thanks Dave. Frame is 2-pak semi-gloss black. It's all coming together slowly but surely!

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