Darkrider Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Hello all, I just recently bought a 1949 Dodge B1-D 1 ton from an old riding buddy of mine to build into a rat rod flatbed hauler for my bikes. The truck has a PTO powered hydraulic lift on it from when it was a grain truck in a past life and i intend to keep this intact for the flatbed so i can adjust angle to make it easier to load bikes onto it..or atvs etc...With that said i have a few questions.... What engine is in my truck? From what i read it should be a 230 Dodge Flathead but i keep seeing mention of a Canadian and US version of the Flathead 6....As far as i know it is a canadian truck so...a lil confused here... Also does anyone know what parts i can use from a similar year Power Wagon? From what i seen on the Vintage Powerwagons site the type D PW seems to be based off of the same gen B series truck i have. Just would like to know what parts i can use from the PW so i can order parts accordingly. And lastly....These trucks do not have a fuse box at all do they? I cannot seem to locate one anywhere in this thing! I will be taking photos of the truck tomorrow and will post them up then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 No fuse box on the B-series, but there is a circuit breaker of sorts on the back of the headlamp switch. Most of the transmission & seals, u-joints, drive shaft, pinion seal, axle seals and gaskets are from the Power Wagon, but not the hubs or wheels. There are various other odds & ends that VPW carries that can fit on the B-series 1-ton, if it looks close in their catalog, ya might could call'm up and ask to verify...it might help to identify the part in question with a part number from a factory parts manual to verify with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Welcome to the "family". Measure the length of the head on your engine. 23" = US short block, 25" = Canadian love my block. Also look for the engine number on a flat pad just below the head, above the generator. That number will identify what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiftyFifty Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 49 Canadian 1 ton is likely a 218, that's what I had in mine, and 2 or 3 others I've looked at buying in the past. The Canaidan trucks have longer blocks, the 230 is a 23" block and the 218, 251, 265 are 25" blocks. I think most of the cars here had the short block 230, but it's been so many years..and it's possible it's had a swap. 1 ton brake parts are not that easy to find, you would need to re-line your old shoes and pray your drums are in or as close to spec. The truck is 6 volt of course, so you may consider re-wiring it to 12 volt and then you can run a fuse box and go to an alternator if you want too, ditching the outside regulator. Welcome and keep us posted on your project! I'm a little closer to you in Manitoba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 No fuse box on the B-series, but there is a circuit breaker of sorts on the back of the headlamp switch. Most of the transmission & seals, u-joints, drive shaft, pinion seal, axle seals and gaskets are from the Power Wagon, but not the hubs or wheels. There are various other odds & ends that VPW carries that can fit on the B-series 1-ton, if it looks close in their catalog, ya might could call'm up and ask to verify...it might help to identify the part in question with a part number from a factory parts manual to verify with them Thanks for the info! That would explain why my buddy and i couldnt find one! I will def be in contact with VPW for a lot of items in the near future. Welcome to the "family". Measure the length of the head on your engine. 23" = US short block, 25" = Canadian love my block. Also look for the engine number on a flat pad just below the head, above the generator. That number will identify what it is. Thanks for that bit of info! I will see if i can locate that pad today if i end up wrenching on the old girl. 49 Canadian 1 ton is likely a 218, that's what I had in mine, and 2 or 3 others I've looked at buying in the past. The Canaidan trucks have longer blocks, the 230 is a 23" block and the 218, 251, 265 are 25" blocks. I think most of the cars here had the short block 230, but it's been so many years..and it's possible it's had a swap. 1 ton brake parts are not that easy to find, you would need to re-line your old shoes and pray your drums are in or as close to spec. The truck is 6 volt of course, so you may consider re-wiring it to 12 volt and then you can run a fuse box and go to an alternator if you want too, ditching the outside regulator. Welcome and keep us posted on your project! I'm a little closer to you in Manitoba Thanks for the info! Fortunately the brakes are in decent condition on it at the moment, The truck was already partially converted to 12 v but i suspect it was done via the method of swaping for a 12 v regulator and thats about it. The plan is to swap to a GM 3 wire Alternator and most likely add a standalone fuse box for any add ons i may wish to add to the truck at a later point. Otherwise im most likely going to leave the wiring as Dodge had designed it and just replace/repair wiring as needed. Ultimately i may end up replacing pretty much all the wiring with modern marine grade or similar once i have a good understanding of the wiring diagrams on the Pilothouse site. If i end up adding a main fuse box during that...well so be it lol. I already know that i plan on running a relay on the headlights when i redo that section of wiring. Main plans are as follows: Weber or similar carb swap to replace the Carter that is leaking like a seive....you look at the thing and it just dumps fuel! Electronic ignition upgrade Work through the wiring and see what needs to be repaired or replaced Build flatbed Replace tires with modern Radials since thats all i can get around here...fortunately Yokohama makes a 7.50-16 sized radial tire. Determine where i am going to end up placing switches and modern stereo headunit....Ultimately this looks like the switches will be installed in the Delete panel where the stock radio would go and the modern stereo either hung under the dash or cut the dash and place it in the same general area as where the oe radio would have been. Relocate the battery to just behind the cab on the running board in its own custom enclosure. This will allow me to run a larger 12 v battery. Install a master battery cut off switch (location yet to be determined) Thats about it for now...i have a feeling all the above will probably keep me occupied for the next couple months lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P15-D24 Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Sure you have a 1 ton and not a 1-1/2 ton? Having the pto is pretty unusual for a 1 ton. Do the front fenders have flares bolted on? How many lug nuts on the wheels, 5 or 6? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Sure you have a 1 ton and not a 1-1/2 ton? Having the pto is pretty unusual for a 1 ton. Do the front fenders have flares bolted on? How many lug nuts on the wheels, 5 or 6? No flares on the fenders and it has 6 lugs. I determined it was the 1 ton Express model via the page on the Pilothouse site. If i recall correctly the Model number was D-2 2x6 or something to that effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiftyFifty Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Lots of 1 tons up here with hoists, that's partialy why I turned a couple down, and my 47 Fargo was a 1 ton with hoist as well. Saddest part of that....they almost always have the tailgate cut for a big grain door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Well....i looked at the engine a moment ago and located the stamping on the block. According to what I seen it is a T147 which according to a page I looked it up on identifys it as a 25" block 228 cid engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1950 Special Deluxe Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Welcome from Saskatoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Welcome from Saskatoon. Thanks, As promised here are some pics of the old truck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBF Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Nice looking truck. Definitely a 1 ton. Is that a block heater in front of the oil filler? Before you do a tire swap, see if anyone has done anything similar in your neck of the woods. I have a friend that has 7.50-16's in duals on his. Even empty, the inner sidewalls are touching, and they are bias ply tire so the problem could be worse in radials. I have two good 7.50's that I was going to use, and purchase 2 new ones for the rear, but I think I'm going to go with 4 new 7.00's from Coker to match the ones that I have in the front. You may have a problem finding a tire shop to mount them on the locking ring rims - especially if they're not the split ring type with the solid ring that has to be pried over the lip. Best of luck with it. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Nice looking truck. Definitely a 1 ton. Is that a block heater in front of the oil filler? Before you do a tire swap, see if anyone has done anything similar in your neck of the woods. I have a friend that has 7.50-16's in duals on his. Even empty, the inner sidewalls are touching, and they are bias ply tire so the problem could be worse in radials. I have two good 7.50's that I was going to use, and purchase 2 new ones for the rear, but I think I'm going to go with 4 new 7.00's from Coker to match the ones that I have in the front. You may have a problem finding a tire shop to mount them on the locking ring rims - especially if they're not the split ring type with the solid ring that has to be pried over the lip. Best of luck with it. Mike Def happy with the purchase other then a few lil things...like the afforementioned tire problem. Yes it has a block heater on it which was kind of a surprise but eh...I will need to sort out some sort of solution with the tires pretty quick since all of the tires on it are weather cracked and the outer left Dual has little to no air in the tube...Not sure how long that was the case so i dont dare air up the tube and risk blowing something up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrampSteer Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 My carb poured a lot of fuel too. Acceleration pump jet was stuck open. A rebuild made it all better. Others that I have read about had the same issue with stuck floats. Love the truck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggdad1951 Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 welcome! I look forward to your project (as long as it isn't TOO ratty). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiftyFifty Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Ya, unfortunately you'll be on the hunt for a independant shop to do any tire work, as those rims are banned from pretty much any chain shop....ask me how I know...lol I just wanted tires off rims, not even reinstalled and they wouldn't take them anywhere.....I cut the tires off with a saw in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 My carb poured a lot of fuel too. Acceleration pump jet was stuck open. A rebuild made it all better. Others that I have read about had the same issue with stuck floats. Love the truck. I have a feeling that's probably the case here as well...may rebuild it at a later point to keep as a backup. But for now I'm most likely ordering a weber 2bbl kit from vpw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 welcome! I look forward to your project (as long as it isn't TOO ratty). What you see is what you get, basically all I'm doing body wise is adding pinstripes and some aged logos to the doors then clear coating over everything to preserve the current patina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 So...after a discussion with an old buddy of my dads it looks like i may end up going with an old Dodge Alternator set up perhaps. Though the fact that the Dodge alt puts out around 60-65 amps has me concerned about the 50 amp max altimeter surviving lol. May still end up going with a 43 amp GM 3 wire alt. Heard back from VPW and confirmed that the parts i would like to use on the engine will work (weber carb kit and electronic ignition upgrade) however the door handles i was looking at will not..But they can get me locking door handles for my truck so thats a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Is this altimeter you mention an aftermarket device? Does it work on barometric pressure or is it a radar device? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Sometimes I feel like I'm really flying in my truck, but I've never left the ground, so I don't believe an altimeter is needed. As for Darkrider's question, in which I believe he meant 'ammeter'... Unless you really draw the battery down, or add a lot of accessories that draw power, I don't believe the alternator would go to Max output very often. You would probably be OK with the original ammeter as long as you are careful not to allow Max alternator output through it. Merle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Balazs Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 I am running a 6 volt 50 amp alternator based on a GM single wire unit in my truck and have not had any issues with the stock ammeter. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Is this altimeter you mention an aftermarket device? Does it work on barometric pressure or is it a radar device? Lol...my bad...i was freakin tired when i posted that... Sometimes I feel like I'm really flying in my truck, but I've never left the ground, so I don't believe an altimeter is needed. As for Darkrider's question, in which I believe he meant 'ammeter'... Unless you really draw the battery down, or add a lot of accessories that draw power, I don't believe the alternator would go to Max output very often. You would probably be OK with the original ammeter as long as you are careful not to allow Max alternator output through it. Merle Hmmm def some food for thought as it were... I am running a 6 volt 50 amp alternator based on a GM single wire unit in my truck and have not had any issues with the stock ammeter. Jeff Thanks for the info...Most likely it will end up being a GM 3 wire or a Mopar external regulated alt when i do the conversion. It helps that a buddy of mine is a manager at a fab shop here in town so i can get mounts made up to properly locate the alt. I will just need to research what i need for the fuel gauge to work properly after the 12 volt upgrade. On a side note i may end up adapting a deck from a newer truck to this old girl. Once again via the help of said buddy and his fab shop lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrider Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Bit of an update. The truck runs again finally, a couple weeks ago we had it fired up to take it for a short drive and while it was warming up it suddenly shut down and i spent quite awhile trying to sort out why. Didnt really occur to me to take a look under the distributor cap lol. Had a friend of dads take a look at it today and that was pretty much the first point he checked and found a loose wire under the cap for the points. After that was reconnected the truck started after a bit of coaxing. After that was sorted out i started the process of redoing the jerry rigged set up the previous owner had to get power to the coil. He had a wire ran straight to the battery and im installing a toggle switch to act as a kill switch. He told me the ignition was not recieving power from the key hence why he hot wired it like that. Eventually i will run the aforementioned toggle switch from the key once i have a chance to take the ignition switch out and figure out what pin does what on it. I also discovered that my oil pressure gauge does not seem to work which is kinda scary now that i know that. We know there must be some decent amount of pressure since the truck has been driven a lot over the past while and it seems to run fine. So im wondering if the gauge may be worn out. If so what are my options on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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