lostviking

Saturday again. I didn't like the results from the first attempt at smoothing out the damage, so I sanded it off in the area's I didn't like with 80 grit. I tried using a torch to shrink the metal again, with some success I think, then I redid the bondo. Still less than .125 thick in the worst spots, but I think I tried to keep it too thin last time. There was visible dips, so I'll try this again.

They dropped right on. It's been awhile...

No, other things happened and I'm busy doing repairs to get the truck back on the road. For both of you I highly suggest taking a good look at the stock linkage setup. That bell crank on the rear of the intake is what I believe will be the "master" for anything you do. I see it as very similar to the stock truck setup, but it pulls down on a linkage connected to the rod that then connects the two carbs. I was never going to put this setup on my stock unknown mileage motor. It is for after a rebuild. I don't like to push fate, and beating up an old motor is doing that IMHO. There are some people on this site who have a dual setup. Maybe start a thread specifically asking them to share. This link shared earlier in this thread is a pretty good view of what it needs to look like...

Got back after it today. Sanded, a bit more spot putty on the low spots. While that dried, I did some more work on the fender. It's Sunday so no hammering. Just used large and small C-clamps and a few stripes of hardwood...1.5 inches wide... and I bent (unbent?) some more to get the basic form back. I even found a spot where it had been damaged previously and the PO just ignored it. I didn't. I've got some welding to do, but I've learned how low to set my welder for thin sheet metal. Even so, I'll practice a bit before I do any on the fender. There are a couple or rips that need to go back together, but I'm confident I can restore it. I might have mentioned the mystery brace for the lower cab side under the door. I've got that brace straight again, and secured to the proper hole in the cab floor. The other side was also loose...PO. I went over there today and bolted it down securely. I used about 3/4 inch hole saw to cut through the wood insert. It would have been a huge job to take everything apart to take it out. I don't think I did anything that is harmful. The PO missed the location of the screw just in front of there, and when there was no threaded insert to run the screw into, he just left it there...same thing on the drivers side. I had wondered about that, now I know. Either way both sides are secured now. I'll need to add the two missing holes in the wood inserts...but he cut the hole for at least the hand brake way too large, so I'm eventually going to replace the passengers side. Like I said, it's a chore to get it out, but I would like to stop the wind from coming up through there. Not to mention any fumes. Gotta go take a walk with the wife today, so that's about it. Barely 10AM, but the truck has one more coat of high build drying and the days repairs are over. Have a great Sunday everyone. Tim

That one big looking spot on the side is pretty thin. After sanding the putty I put just a touch back in a couple spots. I let that dry, then I masked the side all around the repair area and sprayed it with a high build primer. I'm done with that for the day. While I was waiting for the filler to dry initially, I pulled the fender out of the bed and went to work on the damage. I laid it down on a 3 inch or so thick pad and used a combination of rubber mallet and a wood block to start moving the dents back into position. I used C-clamps and hardwood strips to work on some of it also, including the bent up edges. It needs a lot of work, but what I did today shows me it is repairable...by me even. Moving along, but a long way to go. Thanks for following along.

After waiting the required amount of time, I hit it with some more 80. Some machine, some by hand. That showed me the spots that were still low. Those got a dab of spot putty. I use a single edge blade to apply this, and the spots look huge...but that's mostly getting sanded away. You can see how much of the filler got sanded back off.

I've been using a hammer and dolly plus some heat shrinking to get the metal as flat as my skills allow. Today I hit it with some 80 grit on my dual action, then put down a thin coat of filler. I don't like the idea of covering everything and then sanding for days to get a mirror finish. It will never be a show truck, it's a driver. So only places that were still low got anything, with a bit of overlap for feathering.

Well, if you are talking about the wires from the junction to the lights being smaller than the wires from the switch to the junction...the wires TO the junction need to handle both lights while the wires to the lights only handle the current for that side. Hope I understood.

Is the choke functional? Get it cleaned out (no pool), set the choke stop to get it on a high idle....don't pump it at all, then try it. Sounds like it might just be flooding due to the cold and too many pumps. If you do get it fired, I hope you have a functioning heat riser flapper. I wouldn't think it has anything to do with the initial firing, but make sure it moves or it will still be cold blooded and hard to keep running. Good luck. Def try the ether.

You can find many online calculators for amperage rating for wire gauges. The one thing to remember is Ohms law, it's online also if you don't work in electronic as I do. A stock system is 6V. That means the current in each conductor is twice as much as an equivalent 12V system. That is why the wires in our vehicles have such heavy seeming wires. They do. If anyone converted their trucks (or cars) to 12V, the stock system is more than adequate. High strand count wires costs a lot more than the more standard wires you usually find. They are generally overkill for an automobile. Take a look at Atlas wire and you can find all the information you will ever need to get the job done right. Belden is another manufacturer, but we tend to use Atlas these days where I work.

My bad. I see the W series started in 1941.

Too big for one post... You can see the dust along the bottom from me stripping the side...and the high quality paint work that was on the truck. Those drips really give you an idea why I always referred to the paint as a "20 ft paint job". Oh, the short dark bead along the very bottom is my work. The other was there

Yep. I now love them. Got the lower cab side panel ready for a skim coat today. After I figured out (confirmed in another thread by 9 Foot Box) that the brace at the front of it bolts to the cab floor, I was able to get it bolted in place, then I used a hardwood dowel and fulcrum to bend it back into shape. A few places along the bottom flange got wrinkled in the disaster, but a couple strips of old 1.5 inch oak flooring and a small C-clamp set that right. I clamped a couple pieces of that oak along the bottom in a couple places and gently pulled to take out a slight bend. After that I pulled the welder out and welded the rear hidden flange back to the rear cab. That whole side is now ready for a filler skim coat and some sanding. Then on to the fender. Here are a couple pictures of where I am at, and the weld.

Thank you. That is exactly how I did it on mine. When I looked at the other side, which was undamaged, the brace lined up exactly with that hole. It is the only one that doesn't have a nutsert for the covers. The PO didn't pay attention. That side is not connected to anything either. I has a screw going through it into nothing that he drilled in his new wood cover. I'll fix it, thank you again.

BTW, you should get the parts manual also. They sell both at RockAuto and I'm sure other places.

Finer strands means of course more, but the same current capacity. The finer strands allow the wire to bend easier, without breaking stands. Think about trying to bend a rod. One side is being squished together, the other ripped apart. The finer the stands, the less distance between the two edges, the less stress difference.

I have the reproduced Dodge Shop Manual. It covers all W series trucks. I got mine at RockAuto. I thought yours was a 1940 WC, so that manual isn't the right one for your truck.

I have been able to source new running boards. They are repops and smooth on top, but otherwise true to the originals. You can find them in a number of places. Funny thing is I found them at Walmart online also. $80 less than everywhere else too. I think I'll buy a set, because you can only buy them in sets, and then sell my good one. That just leaves the work on the fender. Haven't found any to buy, so I'm going to have at it. What's the worst I can do, bend it?

Here is the section I'm ready to put some filler on. You can see the remains of a long crease just above the yellow line. There are a couple small dents that didn't show up very well in the picture where I circled. As you can see, the paint removal works a charm.

Got the front cab area where the fender will sit about as flat as my skills will get it. Pretty thin skim of filler and some sanding. I bought some paintless repair tools, at least a punch looking tool with interchangeable plastic tips. Works pretty good for knocking peaks back down. I had to cut the inner support of in that area. I'll weld it back in later. Still can't get a dolly everywhere I wanted it. I watched a lot of videos...that off dolly hammering really does work on dents. I'll never get them as good as the experts, but good enough. I bought some of those pads for your 5 inch grinder that remove paint without damaging the metal. They work great. I mean great. Not a bit of damage to the metal and clean as a whistle. Went to skim the filler on today and my bondo had hardened up in the can. I'll have to get some more to finish this job. Any dents that are left are maybe .060 deep or so.

Got a good look today. I don't know what the PO did with the brace, but there is no sign of any weld. I'm guessing he just flopped it up it there. Been a few WTF moments going through this truck. I'll check the passengers side once I can get to that side again. Maybe that will give me a clue as to what I should do. I'm pretty sure I have enough room around the frame to reach up there with my MIG and tack it into place, but I'll need to use a screw or something to hold it while I weld.

Take a look at Page 129 in the shop manual. It shows the diagram including the gauge and color.

Use a remote switch or have someone else help. When you are cranking, does fuel start to pour out of the booster? If so that says 1) Float not set to proper height or 2) way too much fuel pressure. With a totally stock setup, even with the larger line, you shouldn't have more than stock pressure. If I was a betting man, the float is not set correctly or it has something stuck in it. $480 for a rebuild??? Wow, I'm really in the wrong business. I bought rebuild kits for my WA-1 carbs and they were less than $100 US. Awful lot of labor there. Edit: Just checked ebay...$20 a kit.

Thank you. That is the brace. Tim

There is a panel that extends along the lower cab, under the door. Mine has a angled bracket/brace that goes over the top of the frame, but isn't attached to anything. I don't see any holes where it might have been bolted down. Does anyone else have this? If so, how is it attached to the frame? Or is it? It seems like it should be bolted to the top of the frame under the cab, but I wanted to see if anyone else has it. Thanks, Tim