JBNeal

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

here's a li'l anecdote about steering

if not the Cherokee, then maybe a Dakota rear could make the modern traffic driving a reality

if the pinion and/or differential bearings are too worn, that'll mess up the pre-load and backlash adjustments...they can be set as required, but if the bearings have too much endplay, then the effective pre-load & backlash will vary in & out of specifications. The bearings in my '48 & '49 were tight enough, but since both trucks sat for decades, several bearing rollers and partial race surfaces showed galling, so I replaced them all. FYI water pump leaks: didja put pipe dope/thread sealant on the mounting bolts? cuz they are screwed into the water jacket...same for the manifold bolts.

hmmmm...what kind of shape are the wheel bearings? on them axles, they had a plug that had to be removed, replaced with a temporary grease fitting, lubricated 1/2 ounce, then the plug replaced. Maybe they need to be lubricated if they aren't too far gone...whenever I grease up some wheel bearings like this, I try to have them rotating slowy as grease is applied. That way grease will contact more surfaces than if the bearing was stationary.

I don't have the specs memorized, but from what I've read here & there, the last few years they made the flatheads, the compression was increased to 8.0:1 (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) to squeeze about 30hp more out of the same engine, even briefly using a 2bbl carb. Over the decades these flatheads were manufactured, they underwent several design changes to improve performance. I am in agreement about being leery in trying to make power out of a slow-turning flathead 6 that is competitive with a fast-turning V8. But I look at the last years of manufacture to see what kind of modifications that Chrysler sold to the public as something to aim for in possible engine improvements. The only problem is that 'increasing compression ratio' is easier said than done. Were changes made to the engine block casting? crankshaft? connecting rods? bearings? pistons? Some of this can be verified by consulting parts manuals to cross-reference part numbers used from one year to the next, tracking any changes made (i.e. rear main seal changes). But even that doesn't always tell the whole story, as sometimes they would change part numbers on parts with no discernible changes (the Ram hood ornament on '50 & '51 trucks is a good example). I reckon bottom line is that ya do what ya feel safe doing: keeping things original to a certain year model, or making improvements for an older year model to a newer year model

that's what I was wondering, if the right kind/amount of oil is in the rear (should be about 5.5pints SAE90 or up to the fill plug). There's a diagnostic diagram in the rear axle section of the shop manual that shows if the gears are meshing properly (pre-load, backlash & whutnot), depending on how the gear oil shows up on the gear teeth. Or ya could throw some sawdust in the oil and that'll quiet it down fer a li'l while

At some point, I will post more info on the PCV system I have installed on my '49. I modified the stock draft tube with a fitting, routed some hard lines to a FF-Power Wagon PCV valve I found on eBay, then into the vacuum port on the intake manifold. I also added a fitting to the oil fill tube, then routed some hard lines to a fitting I mounted on the top of the stock oil bath cleaner. Both circuits are linked by the crankcase to vent volatile gases through the combustion chamber then out through the tail pipe, rather than venting directly to the atmosphere through the stock draft tube & oil fill tube breather cap. There was a discussion about this with Grey Beard some time ago, I may have a link buried to it in one of my build threads found in my signature...at any rate, this system I have installed is based on the systems that DC is talkin'bout, and they work well. I had a small backfire thru the carb on initial startup with this system installed, and it was clearly heard that the PCV valve slammed shut, doing its safety job...once the engine warmed up and ran for a while, no smoky vapors were observed venting from the engine compartment...parts of this system look something like this grey beard's thoughts on mopar flatheads

Circuit breakers are meant to be replaced if damaged, I would not bother with repairing it cuz a new one is far safer. The headlight switch contacts can be cleaned & lubricated with dielectric grease as the switch can be carefully disassembled by prying them metal tabs back to release the 'circuit' board. Checking with a ohm- or mulit-meter is straightforward if ya know which post to check; I've got a wiring diagram stashed somewhar in one of the links in my signature that'll help a bit, looks kinda like this modified wiring diagram

older grease seems like it gets a skin on it when it dries, so when this NOS part was first used, ya probably broke that skin and revealed a bit of slick grease underneath that skin. That slick grease eventually dried up too, making it gum up your parts. But a good point about lubricating the moving parts in the distributor after it has set up for awhile. The shop manual points out that there are several lubricating points within the distributor (including a wick or two) that need a drop of oil applied on them periodically. Also doesn't hurt to lube any linkages also, as the little amount of oil that they require can flash off or accumulate dust and get gummed up also.

that light bucket looks good, although it's missing its electrical terminal boot and a rubber gasket

Hey Brad that big beast is over near Lampasas, I would be making an offer on it to put it to work hauling water since he was only wanting scrap value for it but I have no way to get it home...hope y'all can make it happen

I put a link to the build threads in my signature

VINTAGEPIC: spotted this B-1or2 car hauler over on The HAMB

A spongy brake pedal that firms up after being pumped a few times indicates a leak in the hydraulic system. Inspect the system for any fluid leaks as this would cause a spongy pedal. A poorly formed or split tubing flare or a worn wheel cylinder cup will cause a fluid leak. The master cylinder can be bled inside the truck, but the main fluid line coming off of the master cylinder will have to be removed and a temporary line installed that feeds back into the fill plug opening. This temporary line is to be watched during the master cylinder bleeding process to see when the air bubbles disappear from the fluid stream. If the bubbles do not disappear after multiple bleeding attempts, it may be possible that the master cylinder bore may be scored from abrasion or pitted from corrosion, and the master cylinder piston is not sealing against the bore wall. This would result in fluid leaking into the master cylinder plunger boot. Honing the bore may help to improve piston sealing, but too much honing will result in a worse fluid leak condition. Sleeving the bore or replacing the master cylinder may be the next step in resolving this issue.

I had not tried the member name rollover, but was looking in the members list. I tried the "Find Content" button on a member's profile page, and it does the same thing by pulling up their previous posts...thanks!

I've purchased several units from Roberts for the '48 & '49, and they have pros & cons. The variable resistor is built similar to the originals, and are prone to the same failure as the originals as corrosion from condensation inside the tank damages the very small gauge wire enough to break circuit continuity. The metal flange is zinc plated, making it a good candidate for updating with a newer variable resistor/float assembly from JC Whitney (if they can ever keep them Datcon units in stock). Before I re-fired the '49 from its 4 yr hiatus, I pulled the 7yr-old sender to find that it didn't work from a li'l less than half to empty. Also, I noticed the plastic float had started to deteriorate & crumble, so it'll have to be pulled again sooner than later...

While doing research, I have tried looking up other members' posts while viewing their profile. Only a few posts are shown on the page, but I cannot find how to view older posts on a member's profile page. However, if I go to the advanced search function, enter in the member's name, what forum to search, and specify "posts" for search results, the member's posts will be listed. So this is not so much having trouble getting something to work as it is using the search function for something that was on the old forum's member's profile page.

UPDATE: looks like thread subscriptions on the old forum have gotten lost in the shuffle, so now I've got some rainy day research to do, as well as updating the plethora of links to posts I have made in posts...heck I might go bonkers during a stretch of inclement weather and make a page of links to posts of interest in some tech articles