JBNeal

If you're talkin'bout the holes that a 3/8" bolt can fit into, that's on the 1/2 ton frames for the '48, '51, '52 and '53...the 1-ton frames have a different configuration. Not sure what their purpose is...but the parts manual mentions a spare tire carrier lock, not sure what that looks like either. On the '51 1-ton, that truck spare has several pieces of rusty baling wire strapping the rim to the frame crossmember above it, apparently to keep it from bouncing out of the carrier...maybe them holes are there to secure the tire assembly, maybe they are there for weight reduction, but as far as I know, the inflated tire sidewalls should contact the frame and spare tire carrier, and the rim only contacts the corresponding brackets on the carrier.

I've got my original fuel and brake lines hanging in the attic rafters...kept my original shock absorbers too

I looked at the '48, '49, '51 and '53, and verified in the parts manual, that there is no rubber hose on the oil pressure gauge line like there is on the flathead cars. The oil pressure line from the gauge through that firewall grommet is a tricky li'l bugger to duplicate since the original hugs the firewall contour, but it doesn't have to be that exact shape for functionality...I think all that does is get the upper line outta the way for engine removal. With the oil pressure port behind the oil filler pipe instead of the closest port to the firewall, I reckon this gives extra clearance for starter removal / installation.

Oil pressure will vary at different locations throughout the lubrication system, as shown in the vintage film screenshot. My guess is that the different springs were for use in arctic or desert conditions.

12mpg is what I'd get with the '48 over rolling hills, flat highways and around town with little warmup time during spring summer and fall...didn't drive it much when it got below 40°F cuz that buggy has no heater other than the exhaust manifold.

additional information - Gallery Images Inserted Into Posts

So it looks like I found the feature I was looking for...instead of inserting the URL of the gallery picture, I insert an existing attachment... and from the next pop-up window, I can choose Post Attachments or Gallery Images... from either choice, the window populates with all attachments or images that I have saved to this site, and there is a search engine in this window to assist... I can now organize pictures in albums and use the search function in the pop-up window So it looks like I can move forward with getting away from photobucket and moving images onto this site ? The next challenge is dealing with memory space allocation...

On the trucks, I put about 750 lbs of big rocks in the bed and drive down a lumpy road for several days...that extra weight over the rear axle limbers up the springs nicely, and with the weight removed, the squeaking almost completely goes away.

If ya look at the bore on the untouched spare fitting, notice it is located so that no oil collects in the fitting because it has enough relief to allow drainage back into the block casting. To replicate this with the 1/32" bit would be quite a feat as them little bits flex if ya look at'm funny. My opinion on that 1/32" fitting concurs with Merle's statement as it appears to be a flow restrictor to dampen pressure spikes, something that I have designed into industrial hydraulic systems for smoother operating hydraulic equipment. I do not have one in my flatheads, and I'm thinking either the oil pressure gauges had a built-in restrictor or the restrictor was eliminated as the gauges were not as sensitive to pressure spikes as in previous models. If ya want to try another approach, solder the bore, drill the 1/32" restrictor into what would be the vertical bore instead of the horizontal bore as it would be easier to center. Definitely locate with a centering punch of some kind, maybe even a finishing nail could be hard enough to get that little divot stamped so that the drill bit point won't wander.

fuel gauge reading full or empty with no readings in between kinda sounds like a ground issue...I had this issue with the '48 until I ran a ground wire from a stud I mounted on the sending unit flange to the battery, then the fuel gauge started working more accurately.