ggdad1951

ok, thanks everyone! I have NO desire to have to find replacement pats so your help is MUCH appreciated! I have the locking bolts out but those pins are IN there good! I'll keep soaking them w/ smutz and I like the suggestion of the slide hammer! WHEN I get thme out, I'll have to post a picture of them and my method!

ok, but what if mine look like this? front of rear spring rear of rear spring are these puppeies threaded in somehow? Notice the cross locking bolt ala the king pin from the front axle/spindle....

yep that's it. I'm pretty sure when we stripped down the engine we got the spring in the ziplock with the bolt but didn't know about the plunger and it just fell out.

I started about a month and a half ago and have an out of work buddy helping every Friday all day so I've got lots of hours in already. I'm also very mechanically inclined (I'm an ME), but never had worked on vehicles in my past (divorced now, any correlation?) I don't like to waste time, I want to get this running by fall hopefully (maybe no body panels done by then, but the power train good), but yes I'm busting on the project and it doesn't hurt that it's in REAL good shape and came down for the most part really easy. Plus, I want my garage back for the winter! I joined the board here when I really started to get into trouble and after reading a few post realized you guys know your stuff and could solve some mysteries for me.

Excellent! Thanks!

I've been soaking them with my good shmutz, so I guess I keep waiting. According to the parts manual they don't look to be threaded in? They look to be a slip in with a keeper bolt that lives in a keyway? Or DO they thread out?

yah, I had no intention of throwing away! Bigger question is does it pay to tear that down? Seems fine, but since everything else is in pieces it seem a shame not to do that since it is all off and just sitting there! How do the plugs come out?

yep that is what it is, the shop manual shows it plain as day...now to see if I have that spring somewhere...if I don't, where can I possibly find one?

taking apart the front axle prior to blasting, anything I should do/not do before I rip it apart? How do the king pin plugs come out/off the ends? Are they throw away? Where can I find "new" ones? thanks again!

ok, are you guys sick of me yet? I've got the "keeper" bolts out but the "bolt" that actually holds the spring/bushing in won't budge, before I use a BFH to hammer on them, any thoughts/tricks? The lower one on the rear shackle is the only one I can get to the back of the bolt...

great, a spring you say....that may have gone the way of the shop vac....or it's hiding under the stacks of parts laying in the garage and stupid me, no pictures!

yah, my buddy that is helping me thought it might have something to do with the oil pressure, it doesn't appear broken at all, looks like it should "float" in some place that allows oil to pass around the groove....I'll have to look for a picture I may have taken.

Ok, all you guru's and experienced guys I have a question. While tearing down the engine a small part "showed up" by falling out of the block as we were rotating it. It is a small cylinder about an inch long X ~.625 diameter with a wide groove in it, kind like a small grooved cap. The parts manual doesn't seem to show it and the engine repair place (VERY reputable) can't seem to place it's location in the engine....sooo I leave it to you to help a guy out! Thanks!

yes please, I can't move forward w/o getting the blasting done. I've heard rumors of a place up by the 'Maid and a place in Inver Grove....

anyone have a good place near the Cities that blasts frames they'd reccommend?

you guys are all a blast, I think I may have found a new place to hang out, next thing you are going to tell me is you like to drink beer and look at lovelies as well! Just to stir the pot a bit more notice the decal on the rear driver corner window... The original tailgate will never be sold, or tossed out, there is no way to "repair" it that would look at all good, so if nothing else, I make a frame out of the old bed boards and it hangs on the wall and travels to show with me!

ok thanks, I was wondering if those were weldnuts or not, I was scared to start taking that apart!

thank you MUCH, looks like I picked up the one I needed at the swap meet on Sunday!

If I keep the grain door I 'd want to keep the decals...and GREAT grandpa would just shake his head!

that is the EXACT picture that got me in trouble! The '51 is represented by BOTH types! I've gotten a real nice in shape art decco and gotten 2 of the 3D types (one with a tab on back for a piece of trim that continues up the hood and a simple rounded off back one). I'm SO confused! I've seen both styles on pictures here on this forum!

you all sound like my nephews! Problem with keeping that "old" is that the rest of the truck is being restored, so yah, I guess it'll have to stay as is untill I can find a replacement and hang that one up on the garage wall. The DODGE has been cut through on the very bottom, so replacing the steel would be QUITE the project! on another note, I noticed the bolts that hold the end hinge pin parts on the box have nuts on the INSIDE of the post hole, if I take those off to just remove/work on the tailgate, how in the H-E-double hockey sticks do I get that all back together?

sorta yes, sorta no!

trying the shotgun approach here, my post on the 'parts needed' forum seems to not being put up. I'm looking for a tailgate for a 51 1-ton, great gandpa decided he wanted a grain chute and I really don't! now if I can figure out how to post a picture here, I can show you what I mean!

you did a WAY better job than I saw some do at the Back to the 50's show here in Minneapolis. You found a good piece of ply w/o any "footballs" in it. Others I saw this last week had them all over the beds.

RATS! there goes the simple answers! there are 7.5 - 16 tires on there now, not having much luck finiding a hoop that will fit. I *think* I measured the centers to be about 15.875 O.D. and no hoops I can find (so far) will marry up nice. Issues with the backset and clearance and LOOK is why I am trying to re-use the centers w/ a new hoop....I DON'T want to spend the $$$ for custom made rims, and really want to avoid the issues w/ split rims...this might take a while I think... Any other ideas?