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I don't really have room for it and don't need it but it keeps tempting me....

Nope, I might get one of them through but that would be it. It's pretty stout and the channels are fixed in location so not going to be able to bend it. I really don't need to move the coil till I find an oil filter so I'll just get some of the standard wire looms for now.

The rekeyed ignition switch is wired back in and I was planning to install the plug wire loom/move the coil last night. Once I got the loom out of the box and into my hands I realized that there isn't enough room in the loom channels to run the wires through with the boots in place. I'm guessing these were designed to run the wires through the channels and then add the boots?

Yes, $10 was mentioned somewhere and that's what I expected. Unfortunately, it was way more than that and I used a locksmith that has done a lot of work for our company before so I thought it would be reasonable. I should have asked beforehand, I guess.

I'm back to work and that is consuming a lot of my free time these days. I just got the ignition switch back from the locksmith with a hefty invoice and a new key I'm not crazy about but it turns the switch so it should work and lesson learned. Hopefully I can get it put back together and try to start it this weekend. I'm still looking for a canister type oil filter housing that matches what I thought should be installed on a C (bolt top versus T handle). The C series reproduction shop manual shows the filter as optional equipment (as has been already established) but as usual, there is a thread on here with all kinds of information about them so I'm glad I didn't ask about it again.

Thanks for the response. I found a wire loom on eBay that looks like the design on the "other" 54 the guy had for sale and much like your engine photo shows so I bought that. It will give me a place to mount my coil out of the way of my oil filter housing, whenever I find the correct one. The eBay seller was very helpful, seemed to know B's really well, and actually recommended this site as a resource.

That actually wasn't possible. The existing key and tumbler in the lock was a smaller diameter circle with a "keyway" at the top compared to the replacement I got that was supposed to fit, which was a larger diameter circle with no keyway. I took it to a local locksmith that does work for us and he's sorting it out.

Thanks for the information. About half the time I search the web for something, a post from this site comes up so I'm trying to do more searching on here before asking questions. Your labels on the photos are really helpful. I was unsure what the upper port was for, I figured the lower one was coming out of the pressure relief valve. What has been confusing me is the diagram posted earlier showing the oil filter inlet coming out of #3 pipe plug. There must be different generations of these engines with different configurations of filter housings and feeds so it's a little hard to know what's what sometimes. I did find what appears to be an original wire loom on eBay so I can mount the coil as it should be.

Makes sense, thanks. I was thinking there would be a banjo fitting type connection on the switch based on the illustration posted above. In other news, the replacement ignition switch I got from Rock Auto did not fit so I removed the existing switch and will find a locksmith so everything is on hold for a bit. It will give me time to do some more research on the oil filter system.

True, but if I can find one that "belongs" with the truck, I would go that route. Looks like there is a pressure relief valve in the circuit that I should install as well, hopefully I can find one of those. EDIT - looks like this might be it. https://www.moparpro.com/oil-pressure-relief-valve-1946-1959-plymouth-dodge-desoto-chrysler/p1655 There are a few things I've noticed once I started looking closer down there and comparing it to that diagram on the bypass filter....the oil pressure line is connected to a galley plug up by the alternator via a elbow fitting. There are two plugs that look newer than everything else around it back by the starter. Looks like there is a new freeze plug down there as well. Both of these are visible to the right of and below of the coil and to the left of the starter. EDIT - looks like one of those plus goes to the filter assembly (additional small photo below) or provides a port for the relief valve/line to the filter (diagram above). You can also see the elbow and hard line to the oil pressure gauge to the left of/below the vacuum advance assembly. I need to do some more looking around to figure all this out. There is a lot of information on this site and I think I've barely scratched the surface so the answers may well be on here.

Thanks! I was wondering if anyone had seen a housing like the one that apparently goes with my truck. I put it in the solvent tank to let it soak for a while and see if there is a manufacturer stamped or cast anywhere. It looks like Andy Bierbaum has repro oil canister assemblies like the one in the photo of the other 54 but they are pricey.

The earlier pic is of the other 54 Dodge truck they had for sale, the beat up truck I started this thread out asking about. It's not the one I bought. That is pretty confusing, I'm sure. Here is a link to the post where you commented on that truck.

I was getting ready to install the new ignition switch and reinstall the plugs and realized that the oil filter housing is missing. Don't ask me how I missed it, I guess I assumed it was down lower based on more modern cars. I can see a discoloration where it should have been located and the mounting screws were there but loose. The coil appears to be mounted on one of the bolts where the filter would go but it looks like it could flip around and mount above the distributor. I called the guy and he was up near the school so I drove up there this morning. There was an oil filter housing laying on the floor on the side of the truck where the oil filter housing would have been connected to the engine so I assumed that was it and drove back home (got the missing wheel cover too). Didn't see the oil lines, unfortunately. The bolt pattern on the mounting bracket matches the tapped holes and screws on the head (I have it sitting upside down in the photo) so it should mount just fine. However, looking at the illustrations the "oil filter" section of the flathead tech links and the photo of the other 54 he had for sale, this one does not look like any of those. It had a FRAM C3 canister filter in it and the NAPA 1071 that was listed for the 54 C-1 6 cylinder looks like it is the same size as the C3 and fits in the housing. I think I read somewhere that some trucks had filters added later so maybe this was an aftermarket add on? Any ideas? The oil pressure gauge is connected directly to one of the galley plugs mentioned in the flathead tech links so it should work but I'd like to get a filter in there. Thanks

I pulled the plugs last night and put some MMO in the cylinders. The existing plugs were Autolite B5's with electrodes in good condition, looks like these are fairly old plugs based on a web search. They all looked the same in each cylinder, black and dry which I assume is carbon fouling. My replacement ignition cylinder with key should be here this weekend and I'll try to get some new plugs by then as well. Hopefully I'll have some time to work on it.

Thanks! Not sure how I missed that link, thought I had scoured all of them.

I also have been using Wix (or NAPA, made by Wix) filters for a long time. I was really disappointed to find out that the most recent NAPA filters I bought for the Kawasaki water cooled V twins in the John Deeres were made in China. Didn't have a box, either. Just a piece of plastic shrink wrapped over the business end. I was disappointed when the Fleetguard filters I use on the Cummins were coming fron Mexico a few years ago but I guess that's the way of the world. Speaking of global sourcing, in the VW world Bosch Super spark plugs used to be the gold standard until they were made outside of Europe and we all moved to NGK. Is there a spark plug manufacturer that you guys use? I don't see anything in the driver;s manual just yet, I had the same thing happen as your MMO spill except it was a gallon of Power Service diesel treatment in the trunk of an older Jetta diesel. Not sure how it got out of the closed bottle but it got everywhere and the stench was almost unbearable. I bought another bottle of MMO yesterday. It was on sale for $5 at Menards and I'd rather spend the $5 than try to salvage what's left in the cracked bottle before I have to. That's is some messy stuff.

Hopefully this doesn't start a firestorm like it does on VW diesel web sites but what oil are you guys using? I got my repro Driver's Manual last night and it notes SAE 30 above 32 F, which is when I will be driving it, probably more like 60 to 90 F in the summer around here. That's a 1954 recommendation but this is 1954 technology and it might be still the right thing to do but I want to ask the question. I've had a number of early first gen Cummins for the last 20 some years and I have been using 5w 40 synthetic Rotella in those (and my VW diesels and my John Deeres, VW and Subaru gas engines etc etc) but the 5w isn't recommended in the drivers manual till -10F and I've seen older tech engines leak synthetics. I think the high zinc content in diesel oils is beneficial so I'm leaning that way but dino oil versus synthetic and maybe a different grade, maybe 10w30 Rotella or Delo. That seems like the way I'm going unless there is some experience out there that says it's a bad idea. I do have lead additive for the gas already from another project and since I'm not sure if the valve seats have been done, I plan on using that. I grabbed my plug socket and bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil last night to dose the cylinders and apparently the bottle has been too cold for too long because the bottle cracked and I ended up wearing most of it. The joys of winter time in the salt belt.

It is a half ton so that wheel should fit. I also like the look of dog dish hubcaps going back to when I had Chevy flat cap rally wheels on a 62 Impala. You could put those flat caps on a Yugo and I'd probably be interested in it. I had a 82 D100 shortbed with the "cop style" Mopar hubcaps with the small holes in them and I liked that look pretty well. Since this will never be a purist grade restoration I will probably just go with some newer wheels that accept the later friction attached caps and save the originals. As you mentioned, if I lose a cap, it won't be a big deal. The tires that are on there have a lot of tread, in fact they look new and were manufactured in 2014 so they aren't terribly old. I believe they were stored inside most of the time. They hold air and roll well so I am hoping to use them for a while with whatever wheels I end up with. I have a buddy who will mount "old" tires for me when needed.

Here comes the first of what I suspect will be a number of questions, hopefully not too many, and not too silly. I see on the Flathead Identification link on JB Neal's signature that there can be 218 or 230 CI engines with code T334 installed on a 1954 C-1-B truck. Rock Auto has both shown as options as well (along with a 227 CI). What I haven't been able to find is how to tell which one I have. Can we get there via HP ratings? The dataplate and engine display T3342724 so it is the correct code and a T truck engine, the plate shows 87 net HP @ 3,200 RPM and 105 gross HP @ 3,600 RPM. Does this provide a clue? Thanks!

Thanks for the link, good information there. The VW clips took a special anvil tool that was NLA and a lot of people used standard pop rivets but it was hard to get them tight and a lot of people lost hubcaps. I ended up using flat head screws (maybe 6-32?) that stayed below the surface of the wheel so as not to interfere on the brake drums and self locking nuts and that worked out pretty well. If the hub caps turn out to be hard to find, I may just store the original wheels and get some more recent versions that will accept a later friction mounted hubcap.

I should have probably checked this earlier but I have now determined that the engine serial number matches the VIN plate on the firewall so it should be the original engine.

Thanks. I'm not sure I would even call it a restoration, I think it's more like someone wanted to update a good set of sheet metal to their own taste for daily driver use in good weather and that's probably the way I'm looking at it, too. It's probably not purist but I'd like to paint the front grill bars white to create some sort of contrast up there. I agree about the hood ornament and I'm not clear what those doohickeys are but I look at sheet metal first and this one is ridiculously good for the salt belt. In addition, the bed sides, front panel, and tailgate look new, it's the taller bed (which is what I wanted), and it has all of the wood bed rails and hardware in good condition. Given the low miles, I think it must have sat somewhere for quite a while and was really never used as a truck. My son and I had to move it around (parallel park type stuff) to tuck it into the garage and it steers very well with little to no play so that's good. Long term, I'd like to find a replacement panel between the hoods to remove the hood ornament and do some other cosmetic things but for now, I'd just like to get it running and go from there. I do have a question....I asked much earlier about the wheels that are used on these trucks and I recall the bolt pattern is pretty common. The spare in the bed is clearly a later version wheel with spots where a later hub cap would mount to the wheel but at least one of the wheels has five spring clips around the bolt holes and the other I can see so far has holes for some clips. I'm guessing those clips are for the original hub caps? My old VW's were set up like that, clips riveted to the wheel. Thanks

Thanks. I thought it looked pretty good too. The paint may actually clean up with some clay and wax but not sure what I am going to do. Just want to get it running once the weather changes a bit up here. I bought a battery yesterday. I had a friend that bought a similar school back in the day, think it set him back $45k, which was still less than most houses at the time. Single guy, lived in a small part of it and used the kitchen, used to throw parties now and again. The maintenance and costs for HVAC made him get rid of it in maybe 5 years. I believe this guy just subscribes to the theory that they aren't making land any more so he picks things up cheap when available. He bought the old bank downtown too because it was originally listed for $700k and he got it for $150k. Wasn't clear what he was going to do with it. The pharmacy with the nicer stuff will eventually become a pizza parlor so I believe he develops most things. The school was cheap storage for the cars and supplies for his rental houses in the area...there was a dozen or so washers and dryers, and doors and windows in there too.

Yes, they can be pretty tolerant in some ways, seem to be better than a lot of other states. I got it home. AAA took 2 hours to arrive last night in 15 degree temps only to refuse to move the truck because it did not have valid plates attached. I had proof of insurance and the signed bill of sale (title is in process) but the plates made it a non starter. Kind of odd because I've had AAA for 15 years and all I ask them to do is move projects for me. Anyway, this morning I called someone else local who has moved things for AAA when I called and had them do the job. Wasn't cheap, but I wanted it home. It's the first time I've really been able to see it from any distance because it was so buried in the school basement and I'm still delighted with it. More of the paint is coming off in various places than I thought but it's all metal and all dead straight that I can see and find. In addition, it looks like all of the metal brake lines on the rear axle have been replaced, haven't dug into it too much more since it's still 20 degrees outside. I have a set of the Dave Graham and Detroit Iron manuals on the way so I can start checking things out. (I added a photo of the school building that was hiding all of these cars, just for fun).

The truck actually came from Colorado so that's what I'm planning to run. I can transfer one of my Ohio Historical plates to the truck for $5 and they are originally good for 50 years I believe., I have a few sets ready to expire but one that should be good for a while. I am allowed to run plates from the year the truck was made as long as I keep the registered Historical plate available in the truck for display. I am actually supposed to run 1954 Ohio plates but cops typically don't bother you if it's an older vehicle and clearly something nice. I recently sold a one owner 65 VW beetle that still had the original black and yellow California plates on it and I drove it quite a bit like that while I had it, no one bothered me, but I had the Ohio plate inside if needed. My wife has worked for the local county court for quite a while and knows all of the judges, prosecutors, and many of the cops so if I do get stopped, it might not be an issue.