JBNeal

The trick to sheet rubber is getting it to relax, which can be done by laying it out on a flat surface on a sunny day. Back in 2002, I replaced the worn carpet in my D250 CTD with a rubber floormat from JC Whitney, and did this on an above-freezing sunny late-November day. I laid the mat out mid-morning, and by mid-afternoon it was very pliable, and went into the cab and over that hump fairly easy. I drove that truck daily until I sold it 4 years later, and that mat held up well and did not scoot around. But remember to measure twice and cut once when making it fit

From the literature I have read, one of the advantages of having the FD was that it would reduce wear on the clutch. If this is true, how long would the clutch last? I ask because having a spare on standby for something that may take years or even decades to wear out, that spare may get lost or degrade to the point of ineffectiveness...for example, I bought several tires back in 2002 that were on sale, yet they are still in storage because I have not needed them until recently...now that they are over 10 years old, I have been told by one tire guy that it is illegal for him to mount them (complete hooey from a dude with a case of the-don't-want-to's), so they are practically useless (for now). My point being that spare clutch may sit in a safe place for years, then when ya get around to needing it, it does not work out how ya want. IMO if ya have a fresh working clutch, I would be more worried about an oil leak saturating the disc before the clutch disc alone became a problem, and on a fresh rebuild that is being maintained, problems in that area probably won't crop up for another year of the red bird

A closer look at this butchered parts truck will show that there is a non-factory heater installed and a starter relay mounted on the firewall, that ain't original either...this is just a roadmap on what the body parts look like installed when all ya have is a pile of metal and an exploded view from the manual, not an opening to start that silly hardware store argument again

Frankenstein

Frankenstein

Build Threads are great for projects...you can bookmark that page, and then when you want to post something, you can go to that bookmark and it will pull up your previous posts...kinda keeps things neat & tidy, rather than all nimbly bimbly and spread out all over creation

truck picture B-1-D-126: setting up for a neighbor's photo shoot near the house

Check the indexing on your wiper pivot arms, kinda sounds like the passenger side is off 180°, maybe post some pics of that and the wiper motor for further verification

I ran into the same problems with the Spring Special with the almost spiteful lack of enthusiasm from the paint guys in 5 counties when I decided to take a break on that project. The best advice that I got was from an older gent who suggested finding something close in an active paint hue that could be readily made, as the paint codes that I was supplying probably had their recipes locked in a binder in a filing cabinet in a dusty warehouse somewhere that no one wanted to dig up or knew how to find...which is not that helpful when dealing with an original color that is not full of flake. My next option was to visit the custom paint professionals that do hot rods for doctors & lawyers, and I knew those guys reeeeally value their time and are not known for volunteering their services or knowledge, so I put my notes away for another day...maybe you might have better luck

I brought the '49 back from its 3 decades of housing barn cats in Shamrock, caked with red dirt and all kinds of schtuff in the cab & the bed, most of it garbage. While peeling the nasty old carpet remnants from the cab, I could not believe how much red dirt was caked on the floor...so I was sweeping it out with an old stiff paint brush and a screwdriver, and on the passenger side, up pops the missing ignition key...JACKPOT

The whisk broom can get more done than the lid from a can of peaches, just sayin'

additional info

Considering the price of the truck, its proximity to the sea air and snowy roads, the apparent rattlecan paint atop dents & scrapes, the plywood bed, exposed fuel tank, non-original front bumper...I dunno that price seems kinda high for something that is nowhere near original condition, it may be a timebomb of a moneypit...ya might start having problems down the road, and attempts at repair may snowball as other things break down...this could lead to some bad feelings with your mechanic...I've passed on opportunities similar to this as it was apparent that the tinkerer was no craftsman and was looking to make some $$$, not interested in a quality repair as in getting it "close enough"...tread carefully

Them catch fences do ok when they are hit broadside, but they do as much good with a head-on strike as fending off a shark with a flyswatter...from the court-mandated defensive driving class I took in '92, the DPS officer explained that the only people not allowed to leave the scene of an accident are those directly affected, unless there is property damage, a physical injury or fatality involved, then all witnesses are required to give a statement for the accident report...in this case, my guess is that the offender who crossed the median and caused damage to the safety device is required to report this; witnesses may report this accident to dispatch so that the safety device can be repaired asap

Ya know the Amish have get-togethers of fellowship and barn-raisings, supplied with a hearty meal to keep folks rejuvenated...maybe ya could save some of them chores for when some of them able-bodied fellers wander onto the premises

My starter rebuild guy is not much for talking, he's had his own business since the 60s and stays quite busy...he did offer one piece of advice once: on 6V systems, relocate the system ground to a starter mounting bolt, and he left it at that...while working on the Farmall 1206, I noticed that the ground strap on that big diesel was on one of the starter mounting bolts. The two 6V batteries straddle the starter, so it was a very efficient and powerful setup. The original location of the B-series ground cable on the transmission case was done as a cost savings apparently, as corrosion at the threads of each connection would drive up impedance across the starter. With a longer ground cable plus the starter bolt mounting location, starter performance should improve over the stock setup over time.

truck picture B-4-B-116: '53 Spring Special glass labeling rear glass (same as all other glass)

truck picture B-1-B-108: '48 glass labeling: curved glass rear glass windshield

TOOLBOX ARSENAL Additional information on drum removal

It looks like the '53 tank was the same shape as the '54, with the top half having embossments for the filler neck in 3 locations...I reckon the B-4 frame and tank changes were already figured into the upcoming C-series for the cost savings of not having that rear bracket used on the '48-'52 models.

on these vintage engines, I tell folks that the auto parts store brand (cheapest they have) is way more advanced with its blended detergents than the high quality lubricants of that era. I also point out that as long as ya use a quality filter (Wix is excellent; Fram is garbage), then that low cost oil will last a good while and still be cleaning the engine innerds. a few flathead topics of interest

rear axle end play: .003" to .008"

I took a day trip down to Waller a few days ago to visit with the Renu guys down there about a tank that I got with a whole trailer full of parts a few years ago. They were very busy and shot me their price at a glance of the tank without looking at it thoroughly. The top of the tank is in good condition; the bottom, not so much: rust-through in places, mashed at the draw tube. When I pointed this out, they hesitantly said that it would be much higher to get it straight, even mentioned replacing the tank with a cheaper substitute than using their process. I inquired about cutting the tank open myself, doing the tin-knocking and reworking the draw tube after cutting 2" above the perimeter seam weld. They agreed that would be a much cheaper route, for me to do the preliminary metal work, and they could shot blast and weld it back together to complete the process for slightly higher than the original price they quoted. So I am gonna take a stab at that, taking a few pics along the way to document the work. FYI I believe the '54 tank is the same as the '53

I looked through the parts manual, and only found the bolt on cover for the rear shackle on early B-models. Looking through the seven Bunn books I have, I could make out plugs visible for promotional Dodge photos from '54 through '60...however, non-promotional period photos showed no plugs installed. Since my Spring Special came with plugs, I'm gonna preserve them...if I want to add plugs to my other buggies, it looks like McMaster Carr has plugs available (modifications may be required)...otherwise, not having plugs in place is a good start on weight savings

The leaf spring zerk that should line up with the access hole is centered not only by the thickness of the bed wood, but those rubber pads as well. This forces the bed side panel onto the running board. The Spring Special has its bed mostly intact, although the rubber pads & bed wood have compressed over the years, but there is still a gap between the running board and the bed side panel.