JBNeal

if'n that upper rad.hose ain't too tight or have a good seal on the t-stat neck, that rad. will seep out overnight...been thar, done that...and that's why when I rebuild an engine, I only use straight water as coolant until I get all the leaks figgered out and the fluid level stabilizes (it also serves as a final flush before glycol introduction)

1. Clean all the junk out of it so ya have just the truck to work on 2. Engine: drain the oil(s); pull the spark plugs & add the diesel/ATF/marvel mystery oil in the cylinders for the soaking of the rings; pull the side valve covers and see if any of the valves are stuck once the crankshaft gets turning, prepare to replace all seals, gaskets, hoses & all other rubber on the engine as they'll be toast; with the correct socket & long enough breaker bar, turn that crankshaft (back & forth) to get it spinning again...if the engine has been sitting for decades, ya might have corrosion rings in the cylinder walls, valve stems, etc. so the engine might need a complete teardown, possibly some machine work too. 3. Electrical: Replace all of that original wiring...the original insulation falls off making the wiring harness unsafe. The original 6V system uses larger wiring gauge than 12V, and the original battery cables, which may look okie dokie, probably have internal corrosion that'll boost the starting circuit's resistance sky high, crippling the starter. The generator, starter & alternator will need to be inspected/partially disassembled to verify mechanical functionality and to clean any crud that has built up over the years. 4. Fuel storage/delivery: prepare to replace all the fuel lines as they'll probably be so fouled to be useless; get the carb & fuel pumps cleaned/rebuilt (kits are available for both); get the tank cleaned out & check for leaks (Gas Tank Renu may be in your future as the perimeter seam weld is prone to rust pinholes). 5. Consider some engine upgrades: 180F thermostat to boil out condensation in the crankcase for sludge reduction, PCV system for sludge reduction/cleaner engine, compression ratio increase to 8.0:1 (machining required) for about 20-30 hp increase 6. With a functional engine, prepare to replace seals in the transmission & rear axle as they'll be toast. Check bearings/races for galling/corrosion; be prepared to replace most of them 7. With a functional drivetrain, prepare to replace the entire braking system. The hydraulic lines will probably have corrosion and be prone to leaks. Master cylinder/ wheel cylinders will probably have pitting in the bores that will require sleeving or replacement. There are some brake upgrades out there, but getting the motor running is top priority...what's the point of having the 'whoa' if'n ya ain't got any 'go'?

VINTAGEPIC: saw these B-series trucks while winning a bet with a co-worker that Stuckey's does exist

I have since lost the jpg, but there was a NOS mint-in-the-box hood ornament on eBay several years ago that showed red paint not only in the ram's horns, but also red in the recessed area around the eyes (not the eyes themselves) and in the recessed area around the nostrils. I have one ram that doesn't have the red paint, but in the areas I've described there is a dark discoloration. But from 10 feet away, who's gonna notice?

The steering gearbox can be adjusted fairly easily with a 5/8" open-end wrench & a screw-driver. Find the steering center by turning the steering wheel all the way to the left, then count the turns required to turn the wheel all the way to the right, then turn the steering wheel 1/2 the number of turns to locate steering center. Next to the fill cap, there is a hex-shaped cover that unscrews to reveal the sector gear adjustment. Remove the cap to remove the star-shaped sector lock. Jack the front wheels off of the ground to remove the load from the steering box, then turn the screw adjustment so that there is no binding. The steering adjustment in my '48 was off by a few turns and it wandered all over the road, even with all of the steering components tight. Once I made this adjustment, the steering became true & effortless. I've written a few descriptions of this in my '49 build thread, and Greybeard wrote an article about steering adjustment that talked about finding the high point on the worm gear in the gear box.

PCV-75 by way of Guaranteed Parts Co Inc, Seneca Falls, NY 13148...a guy in Arizona was selling them on eBay, he had a book that said these valves were used on Jeeps from the late 50s-early 60s as well as Power Wagons to the early 60s, and some other applications that I can't recall...the cutoff date on his application table was in the early 70s, so I'm guessing that's how old these things are: UPDATE: AC Delco CV697C (with threaded ports)

I do not understand why they registered trucks with the engine number either, as it was common practice to replace the entire engine with a reconditioned engine when they were worn out. I would not worry about titling the truck until it is road worthy, as the DMV might want to perform some sort of inspection to verify the vehicle's information.

I took a little break this afternoon and broke out the camera for some picture takin'...here's 1/2 of the PCV system I put together & installed on the 230. The crankcase adapter is a modified draft tube with a modified air compressor hose fitting brazed onto it. The PCV valve I found on eBay, looks very similar to the VPW valve but only cost $5. This setup is similar to the Power Wagon setup, and I reckon it works OK (haven't done extensive road testing on it yet nor have I completely adjusted the carb for the controlled vacuum leak). additional information - PCV upgrade installation

truck picture money pit: I got the '48 out of the barn today to take it for a spin while taking a break in between projects and to enjoy the 80s we had this afternoon...the work is starting to pile up around the house already

if my PBS education serves me correctly, I reckon y'all are tapping some maple trees for some goodies?

CORRECTION: this bracket IS factory installed because of restricted access to the bed bolt by the redesigned fuel tank for the B-4s. The new tank rides right up against the frame rail; for all other Pilot-Houses, the tank is far enough away from the frame rail that there is ample tool access. The passenger side of the bed does not require this bracket because the tank is not in the way. So the B-4 has a slightly different bed mounting pattern in the lumber than the previous B-series. MYSTERY SOLVED

I don't recall seeing anything like that on any of the frames I've collected...it appears to have a thicker material than the frame, so I'm guessing that it is not factory-installed. I recall that Dad bought a former highway department truck at an auction back in the 80s; in its former life, it had a liquid tank mounted in the bed as it was used to spray weed killer along the roads' edges. The pump/valves/etc. were controlled with cables & levers from the uninsulated cab, so there were all kinds of brackets (some with pulleys) under the bed for all of that hardware. Ya might be looking at something similar, it might have been part of a spare tire carrier or tool box or whuthavya.

is that tach set to 8 cylinder or 6 cylinder? I bought a tach for my '89 Dakota from JC Whitney years ago, and recall that the operating instructions listed the need to flip a switch for this by removing the shell. But then again, 2500 rpm sounds about right, these flatheads turn like a diesel so rpms ought to keep their distance from 3000 or a poppin' noise will sound and the driver shall become pedestrian soon afterwards.

Get your truck up to cruising speed, then cut the motor off and push in the clutch: thar's yer wind noise My '48 has practically no noise insulation: the original firewall pad is almost gone, the original door seals are history, the headliner...heck I've never seen it. When sitting in the driveway, with the doors closed & windows rolled up & engine off, the open glove box door slamming shut actually makes an echo. So the bare metal cab acts like an echo chamber. I have a new floormat with the padding and tried it out once...it made a heap of a difference. It didn't make it Imperial quiet, but my ears weren't ringing as bad after I rode into town. Looking at my '02 CTD, it has a perimeter door seal, and then another door seal from the bottom of the windshield to the back of the cab, the doors have plastic door panels from the window sill to the door sill, carpet with padding from the padded firewall to the carpeted cab back panel, and a full headliner. That oil burner (almost twice the size of the flathead) makes plenty of noise, and all of this insulation helps but it's still a loud ride (ears ring a bit on trips longer than 1/2 hour). When I drove around for a couple of days with the rear window busted out and the rear liner removed, that truck was LOUD. So if ya want a quiet ride, ya gotta button up every surface leading into the cab.

it was like that when I found it! If it's not 40s/50s Dodge or Farmall, I'm a li'l ignorant of the carb application...I knew this one wasn't correct, but it was on there good so I left it until it was time to redo that part of the engine compartment. I've got a shelf of Carter & Stromberg carbs as well as a few oil bath air cleaners that are salvageable. I want to boost the CR to 8.0:1 and add that PCV system I've been working on so I can maximize pulling power on this beast...if I can get this big guy back in service, it'll make a fine piece of farm equipment that can make the occasional mosey on into town for parts/supplies/chicken fried steaks

Getting started on the '51 has been delayed by inclement weather, a cold/bronchitis spell that hung around purt'near 9 weeks, 2 neighbors with tractor problems, 3 neighbors with emergency house repair requests, fallen trees that needed clearing, surprise (& extended) social engagements, and a couple of trips out of town to corral parts. But today I finally got started by 'exhuming' the beast from its resting place; it appeared to have sunk 3 inches in the black clay over the past 2yrs. I dragged it to some firmer ground for more cleanup and assessment in the next few days. One thing I'd like to verify is the dimensions of the rims. I thought it was odd that this 1-ton is riding on 6.50-16s. Researching the parts manual showed that the tire size for the 1-tons is dictated by the rim width. I've got the spare in its carrier, so I'll see about starting there...scraping years of crud off the rim before breaking that crusty old tire off the bead. GOOD TIMES

http://www.cokertire.com

that's why I like my parts manuals: if'n ya can crack the code, the good ones are full of insightful information. Rear fenders, rear main seals, thermostat housings, turn signals...while doing the initial inspection on the '51 1-ton flatbed, I was surprised to see the truck riding on 6.00x16s; researching the parts manual, I found that this was indeed an optional tire, but only for certain rim widths. Yep, not only do the 1-ton wheels have different offsets depending on whether the axle is a single or dual rear wheel, but the rim widths vary by options

wellllll I went to verify my sources, and could not find the text that I see in my head, thought it was in one of my Bunn books...but I did find some verification in the parts manual: rear fenders 1096972/1096973 were used on B-1 Cowl, Cab & Express models; 1199509/1199510 were used on B-1, B-2 & B-3 Cowl, Cab & Express models. Notes in the manual denote serial numbers for part applications, I'm guessing the s/n split is about mid-year '48. Also, while driving my '48 & '49 around on the back roads, I've gotten caught in the occasional summer downpour. The '48 would shoot some rooster tails and slush all over the back of the truck; the '49 would barely slush up the rear homemade bumper.

the new bed in '48 had a profile that matched the departure angle profile of the bed side; the only problem was that when them back tires ran through a puddle, they'd shoot a rooster tail all over the following vehicle. So late in '48, Dodge extended the length of the fender to align with the bottom edge of the running boards, which did not match the departure angle profile of the bed side. It's a subtle difference, but it makes the difference in keeping your fellow motorists from going bonkers.

Have ya gotten anything regarding the infamous Dickens' Cider?

When I see a nice truck like this in a museum, I cringe a li'l bit as it has obvious flaws to the trained eye. My a*retentive personality assumes that when I see something in a museum, it is a representative article from the past, either preserved in its original form or restored to near original form. The rear fenders are 48, the front clearance light is an aftermartket bolt-on assembly, the wiper assembly probably came out of a '51-53, the non-black wheels, the chrome bumper...it all looks nice, but if this truck had a little more work done to it, it would pass my 'museum quality' litmus test. But then again, this particular museum is more of an enthusiast showroom and not an automobile archive, so I reckon I should plan to visit it someday in my old '48, and swing by downtown to enjoy a few Manske Rolls

originally, the tail lights mounted low because it was cheaper to run 3' less wire if the tail lamps were mounted at the same height as the head lamps. With the right tail light as optional, as well as arm rests, heaters, turn signals, etc., these trucks were sold as utilitarian machines that were optioned as the buyer wanted and their budget allowed. The tail lights stayed mounted low on stepsides, moving a li'l higher than the tailgate hinge point in the 60s. But no tail light was lower than the last gen El Camino...

I set up a group on The HAMB called 'Pilot-House Truckers'...it's a low-key group that doesn't curse much; we don't get much done, but we mean well

they don't call it a 'shakedown cruise' fer nuthin'...on a project like this, button it up, give it a final inspection, take that buggy on a bouncy road and see what jars loose...rinse, repeat