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Los_Control

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I need to pickup a manual.

My question is, is there a better manual for a 1/2 ton truck?

I remember buying decent chilton manuals in the 80's specifically for trucks. 5 years later all manuals were crap  :(

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-1957-MOTORS-SHOP-MANUAL-DODGE-CADILLAC-BUICK-SERVICE-FORD-JEEP-CHEVY-HUDSON/283599967103?hash=item4207e0137f:g:UdgAAOSwOVpXUJqE

 

I know this manual will cover the drivetrain, not sure if it will cover truck specific parts ... like the straight axle for example. Still covers 90% what I need and a good idea on the rest.

Same time, I am not seeing anything truck specific available. Should I keep looking, or is this about as good as it gets?

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I concur...the Haynes is a bit better than the Chilton, as is the Clymer....but the Chilton is per my experience the bottom of the heap they are not very deep in maintenance...many details overlooked or ignore completely....make a good paperweight...the Motors is your better value given you do not have access or money for the factory books...lots of later model cars these books are quite the cost...

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    Rock Auto has two shop manuals for a 49 Dodge truck. A google search of, B-1 Dodge truck shop service manual, will give a good selection. A lot of reprints have blurry pictures. A Motor's manual was all a DIY had, 50 years ago. They are generic and don't tell as much information as a shop manual. And nothing truck related. I have a 10th edition, it's not my go to manual.

 

Edited by 9 foot box
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I picked up a Detroit Iron workshop manual for my 1951 very happy with it, clear reproduction of the Chrysler Dodge Truck Manual for the '51-52 B3 and it was around $18 from Rock Auto.

 

They have reproduction Chrysler Dodge Truck Manual, specific for the  '48-49 B1 and is around $16.75.  Looks like around 250 pages. Remember to add the discount code for a further 5% reduction if you order.

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=10593832&cc=956907&jsn=448

Edited by 1949 Wraith
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1 hour ago, 1949 Wraith said:

I picked up a Detroit Iron workshop manual for my 1951 very happy with it, clear reproduction of the Chrysler Dodge Truck Manual for the '51-52 B3 and it was around $18 from Rock Auto.

That's awesome, Thanks. Between the motors and this book may be enough info to get me by.

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I found an original B2 series Shop Manual many years ago, when I was building my truck. It has served me very well over the years. However, before I found that (on ebay if I remember correctly) I purchased CD versions of the Shop Manual and Parts Catalog. I found the scan quality isn't the best, which kept the file sizes manageable but makes for poor quality pictures. None the less I have saved those files to my computer for reference when I'm at the desk and don't have access to my printed book. I also have them saved in my Dropbox so that I can access them with my iPad too. I have also found a couple of cases of missing pages in the parts catalog CD version. Possibly the pages were missing from the book they scanned, or they stuck together going through the page feeder of their scanner.

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37 minutes ago, Merle Coggins said:

I found an original B2 series Shop Manual many years ago, when I was building my truck. It has served me very well over the years. However, before I found that (on ebay if I remember correctly) I purchased CD versions of the Shop Manual and Parts Catalog. I found the scan quality isn't the best, which kept the file sizes manageable but makes for poor quality pictures. None the less I have saved those files to my computer for reference when I'm at the desk and don't have access to my printed book. I also have them saved in my Dropbox so that I can access them with my iPad too. I have also found a couple of cases of missing pages in the parts catalog CD version. Possibly the pages were missing from the book they scanned, or they stuck together going through the page feeder of their scanner.

I have many original Chrysler manuals for my cars and the Detroit Iron reproduction for the B3B is as good as any of my original books. I do have a reproduction of a Fisher manual for my 1946 Oldsmobile and the copy of photographs  from the original is terrible very dark.

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12 minutes ago, 1949 Wraith said:

I have many original Chrysler manuals for my cars and the Detroit Iron reproduction for the B3B is as good as any of my original books. I do have a reproduction of a Fisher manual for my 1946 Oldsmobile and the copy of photographs  from the original is terrible very dark.

I have been scanning my P15 manual, and I noticed that if I scan directly to PDF (the way I want it eventually, because after compiling it into a single file, I go through & add bookmarks, to make it easier to find what I want), the photos show the screen effect.  I get the best result by scanning first as a photo, then convert that to PDF.  My wife worked in a couple of printshops (before we met - first a newspaper, later a Scripture book publisher in Peru), and as I understand they copied photographs through some sort of screen, to avoid the solid printing, which would turn too dark and blotchy.

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quick location of section item part number is not near as quick and easy as the book and the book will allow a quick check section to section in seconds....unless you have a ruggedized laptop or even a desktop in the garage you got working with grease and other solvents taken to your keyboard or countless time lost cleaning up before using....time lost running to and from accounts for something also...while the disc will allow you to peruse at your leisure...leisure is often not a commodity while working an issue....those are  my finings and I fought use of digital at work for same said reason...back shop...maybe...on hand down and dirty...not a good relationship

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In my daily job all of our parts and service manuals are in a digital format, albeit in a much easier to navigate/search format than PDF scans. I have become quite used to using the computer to research service information. Then when I find the section I need I'll print it out to have on hand in the shop. When they get greasy or oily, or blow away in the wind, I just go print out another set. We still have printed manuals for many of our machine models, but most just collect dust on the shelf now. Pretty much all of our Tech's use the computer version now.

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4 hours ago, Los_Control said:

I like the idea of the cd versions. I would like to have them ... if I got to choose one or the other, I choose the books.

 

 

 

Most of the information for download is available in the DPETCA knowledge section of this site more for the B3 but parts and some info on the earlier models.

I will reference online but still like the books. I have one parts book that had worms eating it and is a bit like swiss cheese, can be an issue if it is the part number you are looking for has a hole in it literally.

Edited by 1949 Wraith
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3 minutes ago, Merle Coggins said:

We still have printed manuals for many of our machine models, but most just collect dust on the shelf now. Pretty much all of our Tech's use the computer version now.

To me, the manuals are something solid and you can touch them and read them. They seem more permanent to me.

 

The digital is a source of info that can disappear ... very handy to have. 

Yes I backup as needed.

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1 hour ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

quick location of section item part number is not near as quick and easy as the book and the book will allow a quick check section to section in seconds....unless you have a ruggedized laptop or even a desktop in the garage you got working with grease and other solvents taken to your keyboard or countless time lost cleaning up before using....time lost running to and from accounts for something also...while the disc will allow you to peruse at your leisure...leisure is often not a commodity while working an issue....those are  my findings and I fought use of digital at work for same said reason...back shop...maybe...on hand down and dirty...not a good relationship

1 hour ago, Merle Coggins said:

In my daily job all of our parts and service manuals are in a digital format, albeit in a much easier to navigate/search format than PDF scans. I have become quite used to using the computer to research service information. Then when I find the section I need I'll print it out to have on hand in the shop. When they get greasy or oily, or blow away in the wind, I just go print out another set. We still have printed manuals for many of our machine models, but most just collect dust on the shelf now. Pretty much all of our Tech's use the computer version now.


Yep, that’s my idea too – print out the section I need, so it doesn’t matter if I need to look at it while my hands are greasy.  

After putting the bookmarks into a PDF file, that ‘index’ is interactive – just click on it & you’re there.  Also, the PDF file is searchable, so you can <usually> find the section you want by a key word search.
 

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1 hour ago, Los_Control said:

To me, the manuals are something solid and you can touch them and read them. They seem more permanent to me.

 

The digital is a source of info that can disappear ... very handy to have. 

Yes I backup as needed.

 

I completely agree when it comes to vintage equipment, and documentation. However, in the modern day the electronic formats can be updated whenever a change is made in machine design, or when errors are discovered in the service, or parts, information. Our information is updated weekly so we always have the latest and greatest information. That’s not possible with printed formats. 

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Merle...the updates and changes are very nice to have immediately and as with the military and their industrial maintenance complex for 34+ years....our changes were often slow to hit the books but we did get the changes immediately....actually, nine times out of ten it was us submitting the changes for engineering approval.   For the most part we were on top of things....but you are right the digital version was a quick download.....we had digital and hard copy...even if you don't open the book, it  must be present if you are working the item covered by that tech order...even if all the tech order said was flip it on and stand back....

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Speaking or errors, I forget which one, but one of the old Plymouth manuals has a picture of a PU cab labeled as 'ashtray'.    But I am definitely a fan of printed media.  I would never, for instance, want to leave my Bible at home when I go to church meeting, and just look at a Bible app on a smart phone.  I was a Bible translator for a number of years, and I got copies of what commentaries I could afford, or get used.  But now I have access to electronic copies of books that only the mission library could afford to have.  And you can take a huge library worth of those electronic books on nothing bigger than a laptop.  At the same time, it may well be that at some point in time the only thing left will be printed books - due to some massive collapse of technology.  I'm not saying that it WILL happen, just that it is possible.

 

Speaking of Motor's Manuals, some years ago I bought a whole box full of them (late 40's up into the 50's) for $8.00 as I recall, and I gave all but the 2 oldest ones to my brother, to sell at swap meets.  (None around here.)  But he's a collector of old books like that, so he probably still has them.

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