JBNeal

Maybe check to see if the pulley is true to the hub...damage during removal can cause a wobble.

I believe the DPETCA website and pilot-house.com are two separate things, with DPETCA having a collection of files and pilot-house.com being an interactive forum with fewer files. I was able to make contact with Bob Koch and he sent me the files that populated the DPETCA website back in July '23. However, these files are not organized in a manner that would allow me to do a quick transfer onto this site. A further delay was a hardware issue with my computer under warranty that took weeks to resolve. On top of that, life priorities have further delayed finishing moving these files, such as dealing with chores, elderly neighbors, career demands, and severe weather. I was able to rename all of the gallery files so they could be searchable and uploaded them a few weeks ago..these files were originally named in a numerical format that was easier to organize for the website, so there were a LOT of files named 001 and so forth. I have also been auditing what has already been uploaded in the archives here so as to not duplicate files. Eventually I will get the files organized in groups so that they will be easier to locate. Moving this much data in an organized manner is tedious and time consuming. Getting in a hurry leads to sloppy database management that is annoying to look at and frustrating to deal with, so I'd rather deal with the insulting criticisms now that I've already received than deal with the mess that would be produced if the data isn't stored properly...I have had to clean up after others' incompetence and that was an extended stabbing headache each time 💥 As we had a dusting of snow yesterday, I shuffled past the John Deere and reminded myself of the laundry list of repairs that it requires before spring...them yards are gonna need mowing in 10 weeks or so 🌞

This might or might not help...

This might or might not help...

Buffing out the extra in the Tucker body shop

I reckon the disclaimer was implied with the January 1963 notation at the bottom of that excerpt...the world was a different place before the Reorganization Plan #3 of 1970...Dad said that kids would chase the DDT fogging truck while on their bikes, and fling leaded gasoline on yellowjacket nests 👀

If those marks on the piston tops were made by contacting the valves, engine failure is imminent...saw this on an Ecotec that snapped a timing chain link 💥

VINTAGEPIC: saw this C-1 meat wagon on the FB...I reckon that mirror hasn't been used to find a loading dock yet 👀

I've rehab'd a gearbox while it was still in the truck...removed the top cover plate, removed the output shaft seal, flushed with diesel while cycling the gears, compressed air dry, cleaned output shaft for new seal installation, filled with corn head grease, cycled the gears a few times to displace the air, topped off grease while cycling gears again, applied thin layer of RTV as cover seal for installation, did the gearbox adjustments in those posted links, worked purty good. Yep, that looks like '52 👈

I remember those ads Leadville Larry ran for years in the Hemmings...kinda wondered how much inventory he actually had, don't recall him showing any pics off but had to "call for availability" I went out in the arctic breeze this afternoon to eyeball that flatbed spare cuz that pic looks kinda familiar...studied the parts book too...I think that extra thread on those special bolts is to allow for larger tires and wider rims to be stowed safely. An alternative to that cotter pin is to use a roll pin...I reckon that once that carrier is installed, it won't be removed for a long time...back in the day, them extra threads would probably be mashed in a couple spots to keep that nut from backing off.

if'n there is a plastic trim piece that says DODGE above the ignition keyswitch, it's a '53; if'n it's a stainless steel rectangle kinda shape, it's a '52. Corn head grease works very well in a properly adjusted steering gearbox, especially if the output shaft seal has been replaced...no more oil drips from that area. additional information - steering gearbox overhaul additional information - steering gearbox adjustments

BLIMP

I have limited experience with applying stains, but I noticed that stains applied in warmer weather appear to dry faster and more evenly. I stripped and stained an oak table that was originally painted multiple coats of black, did this in a small 1-car garage in February so I could run a propane space heater in there to get the temperature up in the 60s. I had read that getting the wood cleaned well and allowing to dry thoroughly was critical before staining, so I'd clean one day and let it dry for 2 days just to be safe, with the heater within 5 feet of the wood but not under it. The dark maroon-ish stain I applied dried somewhat evenly to look like red cherry like the gf wanted, but I could tell where I had slopped out too much stain and did not wipe off the excess fast enough...she commented that she liked the randomness of the grain accents or sumthin-ruther so as long as she was happy, I was fine with it. Anyhow, I recall doing a test stain on some scrap oak and it was a little tacky after 24hrs. I guessed that the 50ish degree air temp was too low so I cranked up the space heater to get it to stay in the 60s in that garage and the next test went well enough that I went to staining the underside of the table first to get my technique polished.

VINTAGEPIC: saw this B-1or2 parked on the FB

Tucker body shop in progress

This corner of the Spring Special bed still has its black paint present, and it appears that the shovel strips are rabbited in and the bed washers are seated in counterbores. I believe both of these details serve a purpose: shovel strips lock into the rabbits to keep the boards from moving laterally, which might expose the gaps between the boards and the bedsides without the counterbore, any compression of the boards by the big washers could cause splintering around the washers, which could snag on burlap or paper feed sacks; the counterbore removes this risk by placing any splintering below the bed boards surface

VINTAGEPIC: spotted this B-3 parked on the FB

OUCH 👀 Can those cracks be welded? Did the machine shop find anything when they magnafluxed the block? Can't sat that I've seen cracks in this area before...

Scratch that suggestion, I was thinking about something else...if ya lift the bed by the ratchet strap hooks, you can probably resist the bedsides from bowing by filling the bed with a temporary box by stacking some pallets in the bed, wedged in place with cardboard and/or carpet remnants.

How'bout: instead of pipe, ya fed nylon ratchet strap through them bed rolls...remove the ratchet, feed the nylon strap through the roll, tape some cardboard onto the strap to prevent chafing, put the ratchet back on, now you've got 2 hooks protruding from the bedside to latch onto place 2x4 strategically in between bedsides so that when lifting, the strategically placed 2x4 resists the bedsides from bowing inward...suspend in place with duct tape attached to lifting strap Is it pretty? Naw, but it's a one-time tooling use that ya minimize costs with readily available materials that can be disposed of economically. Duct tape: the handyman's secret weapon 🏆