55 Fargo

Yes yes absolutely, even CPR standards keep changing, just re-certified 2 weeks ago, and last week, dealt with a cardiac arrest, using CPR and DEA, but it did not unfortunately resuscitate the individual, and Paramedics with epinephrine did not help revive him either. The man died unfortunately but I tried....

Depends on what your idea of flushing is? If you suspect a lot of sludge in the oil pan and rocker chambers, then clean those areas out, by dropping the oil pan, and pulling the side covers, and don't forget to clean the oil filter canister out too, if your engine is equipped so. Cooling system flush? again, if you suspect rust, crud and such, and have issues related to running hot, flush rad, and block, pull water distribution tube, and check it out, but that sometimes is easier said than done. Or if all above is not suspect, change oil, and run it for a few hundred miles, and drop it out and change. Please let us know what your dealing with? Is this engine running reliably right now?.......good luck

I am running 3.23 gears with y 1955 Fargo, and I live in flat land. I would be better off with 3.55 for those times with a lot of head wind or hills. yes my RPM is not that high at 65 mph, but if taking off onto a highway uphill or against the wind the 3.23 may be a tad weak, with my current engine. Having said this, I really enjoy this current gear ratio, and do not need an overdrive in this truck at all...

Yes 1 gauge is sufficient, and 1/0 or 2/0 are better and can handle a higher current draw/load. I had 2/0 cables made at an auto electric shop, never did regret that. Think of the current as a water hose the bigger the cable the bigger the hose. Tony get this old beast running and see what's what, your on the right track and covering all the basics.....keep us posted

Posted 2 links for carb IDs and kits on the HAMB, but will post it here for you too. http://www.riley-autoparts.com/CARBURETOR_D.html http://www.carbkitsource.com/manuals/carbmanuals/CM002.html

Sure it may work, but a 2 part epoxy adhesive designed for panel repair is the way to go if not actually welding. The other adhesives may not have the tensile strength needed in those situations. But for small patch panels on a floor say, why not. These are full framed vehicles not unibodied where those repairs can be structural in nature requiring welding over adhesive or a combo of both, say a 1/4 panel replacement.

A BIG NO, that is a cold weld epoxy, while it has many good uses, it ain't a panel bonding adhesive. This is what I am talking about, http://3mcollision.com/3m-panel-bonding-adhesive-08115.html

With the 2 part epoxy adhesives, and panels that are of a non structural element, they can be clamped down, or possibly screwed down while setting with the adhesive. With the adhesives, you can get a very complete seal and bond on the entire edge of the patch panel, which is a very nice concept. The tensile strength of the bond is incredible too, I think a lot of us have trouble getting our heads wrapped around a bonding agent rather than a fusion with a weld. I did a few patch panels in my cabs floor area using Pro Form panel adhesive, worked like a charm, would not hesitate to use it again. 2 panels bonded with the adhesive would be incredibly strong and well sealed...

Hi Tony, glad you made here to the forum, I was the Guy on the HAMB that pointed you in this direction. You will find a lot of help and info on this site, Did you ever get your charging system checked out yet? good luck

Mission accomplished, installed zener diode runtz, gas tank sender with about 2 gallons or so of gas displayed 65 ohms from the sender unit. The gas gauge with power is displaying about 1/8th of as tank, close enough for me, will fill the tank up more and see how it goes. This was a $3.00 fix....

Hopefully not all tanks that are cleaned and lined in North America fail as yours did. I buy new when available, if this tank was toast I would have bought a universal tank or put one in the box. Anyway, my sender unit was seized, so my choice was limited to 2 things, have no working gas gauge or 2 have a working gas gauge. I am not sure where "if it ain't broke, don fix it" made it's way into this thread, but that just ain't the case for me. I think Flaming, had a synapse fire and mentioned this principle in this thread. So this was not maintenance but corrective...

No it's here and there and everywhere....you dig

Hey Tim, yes the resistor is on the way. now the 2 parts trucks I had, had 6 volt starters and gennys, and were both 1955s, so they did not get switched over to 12 volts by the look of things. I figure my gauge is 6 volt, as it was in a cluster where the amp gauge is 50, so 6 volts, I have never had any of the 30 amp gauges that came later for 12 volt systems....

Thanx Tim, not sure if it was from a Fargo, or Dodge had a few cabs and parts, and do not want to burn it up. I have had the gauge power wire on it for years but had the sender wire off, so no circuit. It is disconnected again now.thanx

Yup, not running it until my zener diodes arrive, it will then have 6 volts to the gauge, and hopefully work well....

Pulled Fargo out of the garage, gauge on 12 volts is reading a bit high, and needle bouncy when gas is sloshing around, very sensitive. I am thinking is this a result of 12 volts, creating faster more pronounced fluctuation.....LOL lots of fun,

Hi Rick, so you are running a 1 wire gas gauge with full 12 volts? I know what you are saying with the bulb thing. The gas gauge is working with the new sender, and 12 volts, it reads a little high on empty, and a little low on full, could be the result of using 12 volts on the 6 volt gauge causing an amp draw change, which creates a change with resistance from the sender unit, not sure if that is correct or not.... .

Hi Wally, not worried about the sender unit, as it does not care about voltage, it only creates resistance. The gauge itself with 12 volts , will be hotter on amp draw, and may cause it too burn up...will disconnect for now, I have heard and read many have ran 6 volt gas gauges on 12 volts without a reducer, with no issues and many have burnt out gas gauges quickly....

I have used 12 volts with out any voltage reducer to test my new sender and fuel gauge a number of times. I have this new sender in the tank now, but am waiting for zener diodes to arrive. Can I run this gauge safely on 12 volts until then? This gauge is a 1 wire from sender to gauge, so not like the 2 wire sender that has a built in voltage regulator in the gauge to regulate voltage. I do not see why the gauge would care is it has 6 or 12 volts? Unless the current draw heats it up too much, I did run the truck for at least 5 minutes earlier, it didn't do anything to the gauge...I have read that some run there 6 volt gas gauges for years on 12 volts and no voltage reducers, and some try it once and burn up the gauge....

Okay got gas tank back today, $250 total, for cleaning, minor repair and redkote liner. They painted the outside, but did not tape over the brass fuel line fitting , sender unit hole and drain plug, not impressed with that, but so be it. I re-tested my fuel sender I made from a universal 75-10 ohm unit, I set it at 78-10, set the float level for the tank, and ran a test with the gauge in the truck. With 12 volts, it reads just over E when float is bottomed out, and just under F when float is in full upright position, not sure why. It may be a result of using 12 volts without reducing the gauge to 6 volts, as amperage would be doubled, and could be heating up the gauge. I have gauge resistors on order, not here yet. Dummy me put a couple of gallons of gas in the tank fired up the engine and checked for fuel leaks. I then forgot still had gauge hooked up, and it did not seem to bother it, at closer to the empty range. Should I disconnect the sender unit until I have a voltage reducer wired from hot to the gauge, or will it be fine for a short time?.....

No issues whatsoever, the sender unit does not care about voltage or polarity. It is a 78-10 ohm range this unit creates resistanmce, for the gauge readings. You can buy repops for around $100, or use a universal type from Tanks.inc, the universal type you will need to modify to work with your sender old cap for it to fit in the tank, unless you have a new 5 bolt sender flange welded on.. You will need a 12 volt to 6 volt reducer for the gauge, as it does care about voltage, just wire in a 'Zener Diode" or some other type of gauge voltage reducer. Look on Ebay or Speedway Motors for such an item....good luck

Hey DB, yup my intention was for old stuff, you know maybe in the 70s, 80s at the very latest. I have a winter beater/daily driver 2005 Dodge Caravan, that I have owned from mile 32, but it doesn't belong in this thread. I was hoping to see those with old beater stuff from the 60s back, but do not want to Pohleece anyone...

Hey all, not sure if this is limited to the C series pickups and later, but my 55 Fargo, has a 4 spd T 98 Acme trans made by Borg and Warner, same as the T 98, used by Ford and Jeep well into the 80s. So let me know if any of the US built trucks have this trans. I do know that a lot of the late 40s into the 50s Dodge truck used the New Process 435 trans. These are all rugged transmissions, the T 98, is only 2nd to the Muncie SM 420 Rock Crusher.

yes, it's not arcing or sparking anywhere. This is the result of solid core wires and non-resistor sparkplugs I figure. The old wires were resistor type> I am going to buy resistor type plugs and that should solve that problem..

yup, these old beast can have nasty brake and gas lines and components. My chassis which I bought off someone who put the body on a 70s Chevy chassis, not sure why, so I got the 55 Fargo 108 wb chassis complete with running drive train. This truck was driven until 2006, so I figured the gas tank and gauge/sender would be okay. he installed new fuel lines etc, but maybe the gas gauge not working was an issue he did not want to address. I have tested the fuel sender, it is toast, and does not read throughout it's range, so no doubt the rheostat windings are split apart. I did make a sender unit from a universal type, it works well as tested with the gauge in the truck, now have to wait for the tank to get finished at the repair shop.