Tony WestOZ

On the 1/2 and 3/4 ton Yes...

Ok a 1952 Pilothouse truck diff is 62 1/4" wide from where the wheel bolts too. It is an 81/4" diff. It looks the same as the 8 3/4" in this chart. This is an 8 1/4" diff. The easyest way to tell the difference between 8 1//4" and 8 3/4" is to count the nuts (bolts, studs whatever) that hold the pumpkin ( carrier whatever) in. 8 1/4 have 11 nuts, 8 3/4 have 10. The other way to tell is the two top nuts are closer together on an 8 3/4 than they are on an 8 1/4. Taperd axles (where the drum goes on) were used on 8 3/4 diffs from 57 to 64. Flanged axles started in 65. There are also 3 pinion sizes from 57 to 72 but thats an other story. Sorry for pinching the pics from another poster but they are better than the ones I have. Forgot, there were some 8 3/4 that had an 4" pcd instead of the usual 4 1/2" pcd. They are rare but it pays to check.

This method can work but usually all you end up with is a large mess. Oil everywhere and still a stuck engine. Best method I have found is to strip the engine down and remove the crank and what pistons that can be removed. Usually its one maybe two pistons that are stuck. Lot easyer to work on with none of the other stuff in the way.

Don, do you have the valve opening and closing times?

Maybe I should send over to the US. I`v got 16 of the things laying around here. Can`t even give them away.

I think it started in 55. You also have to sus out wheather they used Lockheed or Girling parts. In some ways we could say that we were ahead of our US and Canadan brothers as we had Pilothouse trucks fitted with hydraulic clutches. Its just that it didn`t happen until 58.

Something is wrong there. A crank torqued down with the right clerances should spin easly by hand. If the pistons and rods are fitted there will be some increaced resistance but it should turn easly with a wrench on the crank end. Are all the crank bearing caps in the right order and around the right way? Remove all the bearing caps then re-install one at a time and see which one (or more) causes a problem.

Hi Xris, great you found this site. Seeing the pics of your truck remminded me that I have rudly forgot to answer your last email. Great to see things are progressing on your truck. From the pics you sent me it appears you truck is in pretty good condition without a lot of the rust that usually appears in these trucks. Generally the steering wheel is easy to get off the column in your model as it has a splind shaft. You just remove the nut from under the horn button. Be carefull when you remove the instument housing (the black plastic bit) on your truck. They were only made for two years and are impossible to find. Most are either dried and split or turn into a gooy black mass.

Well, sort of, yes and no. Inter through the 40`s and 50s did basicly follow the US model line. However as I mentioned before after 52 the R and S series Inters did start to look more like a Dodge on the inside. I think that the panels from the firewall forward were brought in from the US and everything else was made here. Here is a couple of Inters you would not have seen in the US. 56-57 AS series.

I am not really up on Inter`s so I might just confuse things here. Firstly is at a 1950 Inter? ( sorry if this sounds stupid but a lot of people confuse year models, mostly in Dodges but have found the same with Inter`s) If it is a 50 then I am pretty sure that it will be the same as a US model Inter. If its a 52 or latter then it will be the same as an Australian built Dodge. From 52 on the dash, floor , inner door skins. roof and a few other bits are either direct copies or slightly modified versions of what Chrysler Australia were using in the Pilothouse trucks. There has been along association in Australia with Chrysler Australia making pressings for locally built Inter`s through to 1980 when Chrysler shut down in Australia. One difference in the Pilothouse Dodges in Australia campared to the US and Canadian models is the wing vent window. Ours are a constant curve, they do not have the small vertical piece. I believe this is because we never had the one piece window model, all our trucks have wing windows. When I eventually get around to ordering the rubber parts for my truck I will be using the Steele ones and hoping for the best.

I am sure this is the same truck that was for sale about 3 or 4 years ago. $12,000 was the asking price then. Anyway this is the 326th of the 1068, 108A`s made in Australia in 1953. This one is known as a Standard Utility. These A`s were made from the left over Canadian parts. The chassis on this will have a Canadian number and the engine should be a Canadian T307 218 long (25") block. It will have the cross-over stearing set up. It will have the twin round gauge dash set up which is different to the Canadian and US setups. All the body panels were by this time made in Australia. The dizzy cap shown in the pic is a bit of a strange one. Never seen anything like that on an Australian pilothouse before. In 53 when we started making the trucks here the electrics were changed from the 6 volt to 12volt using Lucas parts. Starter solenoid on this truck is not original as well. You could build one of these if you wanted to. All you need to do is remove the roof and upper side sections from a van then fit a roof and rear window panels from a Deluxe cab. Easy. Just use lots of lead fill like they did in Australia.

Andy, what model strombergs are you using on your car? I have 3 or 4 here to sort through to set up twin carbs on my 251. With the twin exhaust set up, there is not a lot of room there to play with on a RHD, and I`m lucky I have a truck. When I weld up mine I will be using oxy with cast iron filler rod. There are some good iron -nickel rods I have used before for welding cast iron using arc welding I can find the numbers I your interested.

I use to crank my old Dodge on a fairly regular basis. Always started first or second throw of the handle. As mentioned before allways have your thumb and fingers on the same side and push with the heel of the palm.

The old rules were if a vehicle was over 25 years old and being keep in a fairly standard condtion it can be kept as LHD. The rules have just gone (or may be still going) through some changes were motors and brakes can be up graded and still remain LHD.

I agree Lee it looks like a hole has been cut in the bumper for the crank to go through. I have never seen any pics of a tool kit either. Crank handle came with the truck tool kit but not the car kits. (well not much use with the car as there was no were to put it)

I knew I was a bit slow but this is ridicules. It must be a good 4 or 5 (maybe even more) years since I first posted pics of this Desoto Deluxe (coupe) ute and I have just realised the front bumper bar is in the wrong position. The bumper is sitting about 2 inches to high. There is no way you could use the crank handle to start the engine if need be.

If you have got really deep pockets, try this one. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p284.m184&_trkparms=algo%3DDR%26its%3DS%252BI%252BSS%26itu%3DISS%252BUCI%252BSI%26otn%3D4&item=110371174199&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget&itemcount=4&sspagename=MERC_VI_RSCC_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT&refwidgetloc=active_view_item&refitem=110392981506&usedrule1=StoreCatToStoreCat&viewitem=

I would be very interested in a copy as well.

Sorry to change track but does the Richards book give a break down of truck or ute numbers made?

Bob, over the next week I shall scan the book then start emailing it to you.

Bob this is one book I have, it gives model and serial numbers for all Chrysler cars and trucks made in the USA and Canada up to 53. It does not give a break down into what was export or for the local (US, Can)market .Just total numbers. Not sure if its what you are looking for but there are about 30 pages in the truck section. I you want I can scan and email to you. For Australian trucks there is no specific numbers on how many were imported from Canada from 48 to 52. The production numbers below are the same as the ones for total production in Canada. From 53 on it does show how many were made of each model in Australia.

The book I have quotes the above numbers, the engine number prefix that goes with those ones is T-143-######. They are 218.06 cu" long block It also list 90086151 to 90086798 that carried the engine prefix T-173 which is also a 218.06 cu".

Nice looking truck. Would this style of 108 truck would be pretty rare in the US, most of the 108`s I have seen are the pick up style back. In Australia the stake bed trucks (called tray tops here) used the long running boards from 48 to 52. We did not use the rear fenders though. Ian in QLD truck is a great example of this. Just realised, for the price you would think it would have the right mirror arm.

I have just been trying to find a filter here in Perth. The closest I can find is a Baldwin P73 (actually made in USA). Though the filter fits I don`t think it is ideal. The openings don`t seem to be large enough and the locating washers sit on top of the filter rather than in it (if you get my drift) Does anyone have a filter that they can measure so I can see how different they are to the one I have.

Its probable the reason most of the truck engines don`t have dampners on the front, they have heavy flywheels on the back.