Bobacuda

Mine looks like it was silver at some point, but it has been a plastic translucent white since I have owned the truck (39 years now ). Well, so much for using model cement on it. I was planning on trying Super Glue first - which I have never had much luck with - or Gorilla Glue, but the last time I used it on plastic it "crazed" all over any plastic near the repair. I was also thinking of just using epoxy (JB Weld).

In the process of prepping for paint, piece by piece, and I have been putting off removing the plastic (pure Unobtanium) "Dodge" script from the dash. It has survived 61 years of Texas summers and is still intact. In fact, I have the only '53 I have seen that still has the script and it is all in one piece. Everything else in and on the cab has been removed, so I crawled in the cab and had to use a mirror to see the back of the script to see how it is held in place - three plastic studs with those damn push on-self clamping-plastic snapping clips. I tried using a staple puller and I broke one stud off (I think I can glue it). Then I got a bright idea (or at least one that worked for me). I pushed a pointed tip tweezer under the clip, one leg of the tweezer on each side of the stud and squeezed them next to the stud as I slid the tweezer forward until it would not move. Then I pressed down on the outside edges of the clip - BINGO! I got the other two off without breaking anything. My Unobtanium Dodge script was saved. Considering the age of the plastic and the odds of finding another, I consider breaking one out of three studs to be a victory.

Mine is blue...no, rusty....no, factory primer....no, bare metal. Actually, it is In the slow process (for me) of turning blue again. Our 1951 farm truck was blue with a black bed. I remember lots of blue and green ones, and the local Dodge truck dealer had a white one.

Why not get another hinge that isn't wallowed out?

In August 1971 two friends and I drove my totally unmodified 1951 Plymouth from near San Antonio, TX to Ft. Smith, Arkansas - stayed a couple of days. Then we headed up to Hurley, Wisconsin. Stayed there about a week then headed back to TX. We drove interstates and major roads on the way up and all the way back - 70+ mph. The drive back was straight through, only stopping for gas and mother nature. No problems with the car at all. On another post, the person was saying his '46 would not go over 55. Being a young fool back in '71 (as opposed to being an old fool now), I found out that car topped out at 105 mph. I no longer heard the whine of the fan above 85 mph, but I think I was hearing the flywheel...

As I slowly work toward the bodywork phase, I have been reading horror stories caused by various types of primers or paint over non-compatible types of primers and paint. Online, I have read everything from not quite drying, to peeling and alligator skin as the result of mismatching the types of primer and paint. The paint on the outside of my truck won't be an issue, it is in such bad shape it has to come off. The interior and firewall paint, on the other hand, is definitely old, but still hard and not chalky. I would have thought that enamel would have become chalky and deteriorated by now - its been on there 61 years. I would prefer not to strip everything to bare metal if I do not have to, so I was wondering, what type of paint did they use at the factory....and if was enamel, how the heck did they get it to hold up so well?

I've read on here that the correct thickness of the rubberized material under the radiator support is essential to lining up the doghouse to the cab, maintain the proper spacing between the doors and the fenders and such. When I took my truck apart, there was essentially nothing other than dirt under the radiator support. How thick does this rubberized material need to be and where do I find it? Thanks.

Thanks to all for the info. I wanted to mark this solved and credit everyone, but it looks like Fernando got the nod from the computer. Anyhow, thanks to all...now I just need to find a thin piece of metal to make the block off plate.

The heat riser is frozen in place and the plate has been removed from it in the exhaust manifold I will be using on my truck. While this project is still at a relatively easy stage to get to the manifolds, should I split them apart and install a thin piece of sheet metal (a block-off plate) between the intake and exhaust manifolds, or is it OK to leave this open? I was wondering if the intake would get too hot without a block-off plate. Any ideas or experiences?

The three attempts to weld to the stud and remove it took less than 1 hr of time. No drilling, cobalt bits, or ruined threads. It took longer for my friend to come over with his welder and set it up than it did to remove the broken bolt. I first saw this on Fast & Loud. I later saw it on a different automotive program. The "different program" used a large handled box-end rather than an impact wrench. The heat transferred from the welded area to the broken bolt had to be significant. I tried using a 1/2 inch socket with a breaker bar on the two failed attempts - the impact wrench worked much better. I think the hammering of the impact was more effective than a constant pull. Had the third attempt failed, then I would have taken it to the mechanic for the labor intensive drilling, tapping & etc. Good luck.

I broke the front generator mount bolt in my block. It had about 1/2" of shaft showing. I tried heat and vice grips (and a stud remover), but the best I could do was chew off about 1/3rd of the protruding shaft. A friend of mine brought his mig welder over, we took a washer that was about the diameter of the shaft, placed the washer over the shaft and welded the shaft to the washer. Then we put a nut over the shaft and welded the nut to the washer and the inside to the shaft. It gets red hot, so we let it cool a few minutes and put an impact wrench on it (90 - 100 lbs). The first two attempts broke off more shaft till we were down to about 1/8th" of shaft showing. We repeated the process and the third time was charm. This saved me from having to load the truck chassis on a trailer, or pulling the engine again, to take it to a local mechanic that has been very good at getting broken bolts and studs out.

I was told that the new gas with alcohol in it attracts water, which causes the tank to rust when it is not full or sits for a period of time. My truck's tank had lots of corrosion and pinholes in the top of it thanks to corrosion. When RENU rebuilt my tank, they boiled it out, replaced the failing sheetmetal and put a sealer inside and out - guaranteed not to rust in the future.

partdeal.com about $65. cheapparts.com about $59 The unit was not listed in JC Whitney when I bought mine, but someone else gave me their number (either here or on the HAMB, can't remember), I called them, and they found one on the shelf based on the number. Look in the truck section of this site and you will find a recent post by me that has the Whitney number. They might still have them, but not have them listed in the catalog. Bob

I went through this on my B4B. Solution was a Datcon - Fuel Level Sender 78-10 Ohm - Part # 100437. Just Google Datcon 100437 and you should get some more info. BTW, I can't say how well mine works because I have not hit the "add gas" stage yet. Bob

Have you considered having your tank cleaned, repaired and sealed? I had mine done at a RENU shop in Texas, and on their website I see they have them in several other states, including Illinois. http://www.gastankrenu.com/loc-dealer.htm My tank had several areas that had to be cut out and replaced before sealing - total cost was slightly more than $400. BTW, check your fuel sending unit at the same time. If the tank has rust holes, the sending unit is probably rotted as well.

This reminds me of a conversation my step-father (a Texas-German rancher) had with my extremely liberal grandmother (Mom's side) after her house in San Antonio (old part of town) had been broken into and her TV (color TV's were new technology and expensive) stolen for the 4th time in the '60's. Grandma had seen the burglars in her house 3 times. When he brought my grandmother a new TV, he also brought a single shot, shotgun with buckshot and went over the basics of how to use it. The conversation went something like this, "Lenore, this thing is loaded. Pull back the hammer, point it at the person that breaks in your house and pull the trigger. The gun will do the rest, and there will be a mess. This is how you reload. Make sure he can't get up and go after anyone with him still in the house." "You're telling me to shoot them? Do you really think that some young man's life is worth a TV set?" "I don't know what his life is worth... but apparently whoever is breakining in your house thinks that's what their life is worth." She wouldn't take the shotgun, lost her new TV about a month later and my folks told her that they would not replace it. My mom was afraid that the burglars would just kept coming back for TV sets and eventually hurt my Grandmother.

Might want to set up a game camera or two. They are inexpensive, work on motion and would provide you with photos of the A-Holes (if they return) to give the cops. Of course, you might have to armor them to keep the turds from taking them, too.

Blasted and painted splash plates, put the starter in, worked on the brake line weep from hell (appears to be the brass 90 on the bottom of the MC). Cleaned up and checked the generator, got it ready for paint. Still need to set up the fuel gauge sending unit and install it and I need to make the flex line from the steel fuel line to the fuel pump. Putting off the real body work as long as I can. Hope I got the photos to work. BTW, no complaining about the mess in my shed. Whenever I get the brake weep fixed, I will remove the plastic on the floor and clean the place up again. 1953 B4B April 27 2104.pdf

Jeff - Thanks a bunch for the info. In the back of my mind, I assumed that the submerged rheostat would be fine, but I just wanted to hear someone else say it.

The fuel sender in my B4B's gas tank rotted away and ceased functioning. I'm pretty sure it was here in the Pilothouse Forum that I first heard about the JC Whitney replacement. For those of you looking for this unit, it was not in their catalog last time I looked (about 3 years ago). I had the stock number, so I called Whitney, and they had it available. It cost $44 in 2011. The time in the rebuild of my truck has finally come for me to install it, although it won't see gas for some time still. The unit is a one wire, universal replacement with a 5 screw mount, 78-10 ohms range. The mount was irrelevant to me because my old tank had to be completely rebuilt and I had a modern, 5 screw mount plate installed. I am reading the installation directions, and if I follow them, the rheostat will be in the gas at 1/2 tank and completely submerged when the tank is over 1/2 full. For those of you that have used this sender, or simply know these things, does this sound right (safe) to you - putting the rheostat in the gas? Won't that keep it from functioning? And if you have better instructions than they provided on "bending the float arm," that would be appreciated, too. Thanks. BTW, here is all of the ordering info on the sender, in case you are in need of one. JC Whitney Fuel level float Location: K-01-47-A4 Mfg Part number 100437 It was made by: DATCON Instrument Company PO Box 128 East Petersburg, PA 17520 Phone: 717-569-5713 FAX: 717-569-7247

Dave - Good advice. Since I already had the starter apart, it took me about 10 minutes to get the starter clutch off the armature and to replace it...without poking holes in my fingers or launching the retainer clip into space! Now, all I need to do is find the correct starter switch/button...

TodFitch - My bleeder is like the one you described, using the compressed air and venturi effect. It works fine when changing out brake fluid in systems with no air, but I think it is only a "setup" procedure for new brake systems. It gets fluid to the far reaches of the line, but i think I will still have to go the traditional bleeding route to get all of the air out. Bob

Dave - Thanks for the info. This sounds like it is going to be an adventure tomorrow when I get home from work. To make certain I understand, I tap the retainer toward the windings on the shaft, remove the clip without launching it across the garage, install new part, put retainer on, reinstall clip on the shaft with the retainer. What could I possibly do wrong?

So, my next headache is trying to get the "over-ride clutch" off of the armature of my starter. I got a new over-ride clutch, but I have not been able to figure out how to release the old one, yet. It appears that there is some form of a locking mechanism in the washer (for lack of a better term) located on the armature end closest to the flywheel. The Dodge Shop Manual is less than helpful, as was a 1955 Motors Manual. Has anyone changed one of these before and have any words of wisdom to share? Thanks.

Took the MC line off at the distribution block and yep, the installation of the MC had changed the angle of the line quite a bit. After several tweaks, I got it reinstalled and only use a wrench for the final tightening. I cranked down on the splice some more and it stopped leaking. So for now, my sprinkler system is stopped. I used an air compressor powered bleeder and went though about a quart of brake fluid, but I think there is still air in the system. I got it as best as I could and I will do an old-fashioned brake bleeding next weekend when I have assistance. So, my next headache is trying to get the "over-ride clutch" off of the armature of my starter. I got a new one, but I have not been able to figure out how to release the old one, yet. The Dodge Shop Manual is less than helpful, as was a 1955 Motors Manual. I guess back then, mechanics were just born with that bit of knowledge.