JBNeal

Fixin' up the motor to get more 'go' is all right I reckon, but ya have to do somethin' bout the 'whoa'...the long stopping distances with the drum brakes makes me drive extra cautious when approaching intersections or merging with traffic. Since I'm running on bias ply tires and the roads 'round here are on the bumpy side, I definitely keep my speeds down as going over 50mph might toss me into the ditch. I took a lady friend on a ride in my '48 & she commented on how bad my driving was as the ride pitched us to & fro, so I told her to watch the steering wheel. I held it straight & true doing about 40 on a straight back road, and both of us were holding onto our respective doors to keep us from sliding off of that bench seat. With a li'l explanation about bias & radial ply tires, she asked me why I would bother putting those bias ply tires on: "cuz this makes the Blue Bomber (my Ram Cummins 4x4) seem like you're riding on air"

'94s had multipoint fuel injection; '87 & '88 had carburetion, '89-'91 had single point fuel injection. If your engine has an AC, it relies on input from the ECM to cycle the compressor. I'm thinkin' the fuel pump also relies on input from the ECM. There's no electric choke as the ECM controls injector pulse width and air intake. It would probably be easier to upgrade the ECM to a '96 or newer that has the OBDII diagnostic system. Scanners are relatively inexpensive these days, and whenever ya need parts, most parts stores will have'm. At any rate, it's been my experience that taking the technology out of an engine can be more problematic than trying to upgrade an engine. A neighbor tried to take out the dual point injection system on his 350 chevy & go with a 4bbl carb, and that truck never ran right, it sucked gas in the summer, couldn't start without ether in cold weather, and never had as much power as he wanted when pulling a load, especially on hilly terrain.

It's been my understanding that PCV systems were developed to withdraw excess combustion gases from the crankcase. These gases would build during engine operation as not all charged air would be ignited during the power stroke, collecting along the cylinder wall perimeter on the piston rings, and become entrained in the oil, much like air bubbles can form in oil. This oil would re-enter the crankcase, and the gases would separate from the oil, briefly pressurizing the crankcase a few psi. These gases contained enough hydrocarbons that they could still be ignited if combined in small quantities with charged air entering the combustion chamber. If moisture vapor was with these hydrocarbons, it would also be removed from the crankcase & out the tailpipe, minimizing the opportunity for sludge formation. Exhaust gas recirculation, on the other hand, can be vastly problematic if not monitored regularly. Excess hydrocarbons in exhaust can still be ignited with charged air; however, these hydrocarbons are more than likely particulates rather than vapor. EGR systems on poorly maintained engines build up carbon, forming a restriction that can cause excessive back pressure and all kinds of problems snowball from there. I recall early Magnum 318s that had plastic EGR valve contraptions that would melt when carbon built up in the intake manifold passages, causing the "check engine" light to illuminate as the O2 sensors were generating readings outside of ECM parameters. During engine diagnosis of the 218 & 230 flatheads, I've noticed a considerable amount of 'smoke' that would exit the draft tube & oil fill tube at engine shutoff. This 'smoke' would have a definite hydrocarbon odor, a mixture of oil & slightly burned gasoline. Redirecting this amount of hydrocarbon through the combustion chambers appears to be a good way to keep the crankcase oil clean by removing contaminated air from the crankcase. If another problem, such as a failing head gasket, were to put coolant into the combustion chamber &/or crankcase, the PCV system would in effect blow any gaseous material out through the tailpipe, which would be a definite indicator of a problem as exhaust gas would change color & density. From what I've found on the technical archives & Power Wagon websites, Chrysler recognized the added benefit of a cleaner crankcase with the PCV system, as several service bulletins were issued regarding field fixes for different flathead induction setups. First, the draft tubes were converted to an adapter + check valve to the intake manifold. Later fixes added a vapor tube from the oil fill tube to the air cleaner base. These setups suggest that Chrysler had done evaluation of crankcase oil with & without PCV systems and found that a field fix for existing L6 engines was worthwhile preceding new designs that would incorporate the PCV system on Slant 6 & V8 engines. IMO PCV systems help more than they hurt. Choosing to not use a PCV system is just that, a choice. Updating a flathead with a PCV system can be considered 'original' as Chrysler had issued service bulletings regarding this topic, complete with assembly drawings, part numbers & installation instructions, much like the dealer-installed radios and heaters of that era. Happy motoring!

The 1 ton has larger hubs that push the wheels away from the frame, but the front axle and steering mechanism are identical to that in the 1/2 ton. The front clips for 1/2, 3/4 & 1 ton are interchangeable.

Make sure that horn works...it's kinda fun to roll up on pedestrians, hammering on the horn while trying to "stop"...if she smokes &/or backfires, that's even more fun to watch folks scatter after getting too close. Ahhhhh, cheap thrills....

Being a-retentive as I am, I couldn't help but notice the lack of a Little Red Express, a Warlock, a Dude, or a Camper Special. But then that was offset by the appearance of the red '49 1 ton, the '59 Sweptline and '66 & '68 stepsides. Yep, I swear I've seen that '49 somewhar before...

I had a '89 Dakota 2.5L short bed for almost 8 years, got it at 39K, sold it at 119K. It got 25 around town, 28-32 on the highway, and the only speeding ticket I got was doing 45 in a 40...yeah, it was slow. That motor was just as powerful as the 2.2L I had in my '86 Omni, but ran smoother, especially in cold weather. I traded up to a '92 Dakota 3.9L longbed, and it had waaay more power. It didn't handle as precise as the shortbed going around corners, but that was about the only complaint I had. It ran super smooth in town & on the highway, averaging 22mpg on the highway, 18mpg runnin' around town. I traded that for a '92 Ram 250 only because I needed more payload capacity...I had a tendency to load that longbed Dakota so full with stuff doing chores & whutnot that I'd bottom out the rear axle. IMO durn near all of the motors set up with carburetors + smog equipment or single-point fuel injection + smog pumps are PITA. They're detuned gas hogs that are the product of well-intentioned goverment regulations & hastily cobbled automotive band-aids. Yards of vacuum hoses, weak vacuum switches, scabbed on EGR valves, power-robbing smog pumps...BLAH Properly maintained multi-point fuel injection systems crank out waaay more power...heck, that new Camaro has a V6 that cranks out over 300hp...YOWZA. Anyhow, I tell people who'll listen to avoid this problematic era in automotive history. A simple carburetor system or a good MPI will get ya down the road for many a mile without too many headaches.

How'bout this nice one or this li'l number?

I had estimated an added .002" when I set the valves cold. Once the engine got hot, valves only needed small adjustments to get them within specifications. I wore an old pair of leather work gloves that had the finger tips cut off, and when I brushed up against that exhaust manifold, no colorful metaphors were uttered. Not counting setup for getting access to the valves, it only took about an hour to set the valves, check them hot, then check them hot again. For setup, I jacked up the front of my 1 ton so that the valves were eye level when I went to check them while kneeling in the wheel well. I also had lights clamped to the frame under the cab & by the radiator. This took most of the shadows out of the valve lifter compartment.

The lug studs on my '92 had knurled edges and popped out with a press. I had started smackin'm with a 5# hammer, but after putting forth a great deal of effort to get that one out, I moved to the press. On the '92, the lug studs hold the brake rotor to the hub, so when I had to replace the rotors, and there was 16 lug studs to remove, switching to the press was a no-brainer. But here's where things get a li'l fuzzy. My '49 1 ton has lug studs, and they did not have the knurled lug studs back then. I was told that they used a special tool to deform the head of the stud so that it wedges into the hub, something similar to a cold chisel. I reckon the 3/4 ton has similar style lug studs, albeit smaller ones. Popping those out would probably be best done with a press cuz they're probably froze up with rust. A big hammer should be able to knock one out, but take care with the neighboring studs. Another suggestion, remove a lug from a different hub...that way you'll have at least four in each hub.

I ain't tried it yet, but I've heard that if ya fabricate a fitting with a hose barb to replace the master cylinder fill plug, a garden variety pump sprayer can be used to 'power bleed' the brakes. A couple of pumps on the empty sprayer supplies a few psi to the master cylinder reservoir, simulating stepping on the brake pedal. This way bleeding the brakes becomes a one-man job.

Those pinstripes make for a sharp detail...my '48 looks to have had a similar pinstripe that I'm gonna try to replicate. It sounds like the tape stripe would be just as good as masking off & experimenting with pinstriping...didja happen to put some sort of clear coat over the tape stripe & grille bars to seal them off?

...I'm a professional...

I used old bright yellow & black crayons to accentuate the timing marks. I heard somewhar that the eyes track yellow colors better than white on a dark background, so I tried that approach and it worked okie dokie.

I reckon I found a Crate Motor...any takers?

Whenever I've had the '48 or '49 sitting for a few months, the first thing I do is pull the air cleaner off, hook up my temporary linkage to the carb, and start the motor from the driver side. From there I can engage the starter & work the throttle with both hands after shooting a 1 second burst of ether down the carb (choke open). With fresh gas in the filter & fuel pump bowls, startup time is about 10-15 seconds, saving the battery & starter from wearing out, among other things.

I feel your pain...luckily, my local welding/machine shop sees this sort of thing enough that for $10 one of the guys will drill the old stuff out & chase the threads during their lunch break. From the bite marks on my manifold, it looks like they chucked it down in a drill press to get the pilot hole started. Then they collapsed the sides of the old bolt with a punch, essentially reducing the bolt diameter, allowing it to back out of the tapped hole.

It took me awhile to figger out that I had seen this type of paint job before...flipping through one of Don Bunn's books I spied a b&w photo of that style of paint, then found this with a google search:

It's been parked in front of the house since July '08, with many many interruptions & foul weather that have put off repairs. I blame myself for the whole thing cuz as soon as that moron hooked it up by the rear axle, I should have put my foot down and told that goofball to take a hike. If I had replaced the fuel lines when I replaced all of the brake lines, I never would have broken down in the first place. I haven't done any cosmetic restoration yet, so it's only got liability insurance on it. I didn't want anymore aggravation as I had that day, so I chalked it up to another expensive experience builder. When it comes to carb rebuilds, I remember what Grandpa told me way back: if ya have to get your carb rebuilt, make sure there ain't gonna be no hippie working on it, cuz then you'll invariably get one of his whiskers in the works and you'll be back to square one before ya know it.

I reckon the spark plugs should give a hint as to whut's going on here. Oil-fouled, replace'm; fuel-fouled, clean'm with carb.cleaner. If there is oil coating the throat of the carb, spray carb.cleaner down that. Sediment in the fuel bowls might point to something hanging up in the internals of the carb. My '49 had a disasterous failure a year and a half ago that I ultimately decided started with clogged fuel lines. I had gotten the fuel tank cleaned & sealed with Renu, as it had pin holes along the perimeter weld. I had rebuilt the fuel pump & carburetors, but retained the original fuel lines. That was an oversight on my part cuz I reckon I just flat forgot to replace those rusty things. It had a hard starting problem that eventually was rectified with new battery cables with soldered lugs. During my shake-down cruise into town, the truck just cut off while going 40mph up a slight grade. I coasted to a side street and noticed that the fuel bowls & carb were empty. Using ether, I was able to start the truck, but it would quickly die. Filling the fuel bowls & carb with gasoline, the truck started right up & ran fine until the fuel bowls emptied. Attaching a temporary fuel line to the fuel pump from a 5 gallon gas can, I was able to start the truck & keep it running. That's when it dawned on me that the original fuel lines were clogged, cuz I recall seeing sediment in the fuel bowls when they were dry. The disaster was getting the truck towed home. The wrecker that I called (cuz I knew the owner) dispatched a boom wrecker rather than a flatbed. Since I was on a sorta bad side of town and had already had a few trouble-makers eyeballing me, I just wanted to get outta there asap so I didn't think ahead about what could happen. Two-tooth Timmy tied a rope around the steering wheel & cinched it by wrapping it around the door hinge before closing the door. He then hooked the truck by the rear axle, and when I questioned this, he told me it was safer that way. After pleading with this big-mouth redneck four times on the back roads home to keep it under 40mph cuz of the unbalanced lock-ring rims, he topped a hill and started to pick up speed when I saw the front fenders of my truck flapping in the breeze and a cloud of rusty dust billowing from the front wheel wells. I yelled at him to slow down, and right then & there the front end broke loose and nearly clipped a light pole. As I looked in the engine compartment, I could see the steering box adapter that bolts to the frame had busted, rather than the mounting bolts. Seeing this, Two-tooth Timmy pops off "it was like that when I hooked it up". The moral of this story: never ever get your ride towed unless they use a flatbed, cuz the boom wreckers are just another accident waiting to happen.

heck, I put too much work into my rides to want to compete with the drunks & the uninsured drivers...back roads are adventurous enough for me, dodgin' rabbits & coons & hitchhikers/escaped convicts

The top half of the air filter is the part pictured; it has the cellulose filter element and drops into the bowl with the oil. There are several modifications on this site that show how to remove the cellulose & replace it with a disposable paper element. A variation on this modification that I'm kinda wonderin' about is using a K&N filtercharger in lieu of a paper element. It'll give ya the cleanliness of a paper element & the reusability of the cellulose element. I still have to do some more research on that one.

I was told waaay back to take an emery board & clean the contacts in the regulator. When I checked my contacts, they were dirty and looked to have been sticking as evidence of some charring. After cleaning the contacts, I could clearly hear the contacts opening & closing at idle & when coasting to a stop. Simultaneously, the amp gauge showed when the generator was sending current to the battery. My guess is that your contacts are sticking instead of vibrating while driving. btw There is an entire section in the shop manual on checking & adjusting the circuit breaker and voltage & current regulators. I made a small adjustment on the current regulator after cleaning the contacts, and it seemed like the battery was able to keep a consistent voltage and I didn't need to top off the cells every month or so.

I put a sheet of pressure treated plywood in both of my trucks until I get around to fixing up the bed. It was quick & easy and can take a beating.

Diesel is a decent alternative...I think they specified kerosene because it was commonly used as heating oil back in the day. Parts cleaner will strip the paint off if ya soak it in a parts washer.