48Dodger

Hi Tim, 

I sent this message to Brent & Mark already.  The only thing I can think of is using the shotgun approach and contact as many friends and experts I know.

Sorry for being so dramatic but I have run out of all the options I know about and my patience has abandoned me as well.

Quickly as I can, here is my truck life since I last saw you guys at your annual April BBQ in California 2022.

I hope you remember my promise of bringing my 1954 Dodge C1-C V8 poly.

     The truck had set for about 30 years but wasn't a total loss.

(2019-2022) To help me, I contracted with a local repair shop.  They dug in and sent the engine out to a local machinist; the trany to a local transmission shop; the body to a local paint shop.  They tried to work on the brakes & electrical.

Results....

THE machinist finished his work in just a few months; fully restored as close to standard as he could get it.  He turned it over by hand, no drag or noise and each cylinder built compression. 

THE trany was returned to me in a cardboard box saying they could not find parts or knew how to rebuild a transmission that old (I learned where to find the parts and how to rebuild the NP 420 4 speed on the floor)  It worked great on a test bench I built.

The paint shop did not finish their job, could not be reached so I negotiated with the owner of the shop and took the body back and finished up the painting as well as I could.  Not the greatest but it looks good (from a few steps back).  Thanks for the 2022 'Piston award for PAINT'.  I accepted the award expecting that in 2023 I would be driving up your driveway with my baby fully running.

(2022 to present)  Covid being over the repair shop started getting busier and didn't have time to finish up the work on my truck.  They refused to let me help them when they first started, sighting liability issues, but as they got busy they reconsidered and let me come to their shop and start finishing up what they had not completed.  * They said they had installed the engine and hooked everything up but it immediately got hot so they shut it down until they had more time to figure it out.

Yep, you are right.  They forgot to put oil in it when they got it back from the machinist.  Engine seized and could not be repaired.  Another repair shop found me a 241 V8 HEMI.  More on that in a moment.

I finished up all the electrical, brakes, and found all the parts to finish up the "cosmetic repairs" to the rest of the truck.

Now to the new shop that found me the 241 HEMI.  They checked it out and called me in to see it bench tested.  Everything looked and sounded fantastic.

NOTE:  my original was a 241 Poly and I assumed the repair shop knew the HEMI 241 would fit my 54 truck.  In 1954 Dodge did put a 259 V8 HEMI in their 3/4 ton pick up.  (Casting no. C8.  They also had engines; VT-342, 344, 346 (these were 270 ci)  I am guessing if there was a factory HEMI 241 V8 it was a limited experiment.  And not well documented in the public information.

Sorry I digress.  This new shop finished installing the HEMI, they called me to pick it up.  I was overjoyed!  My baby was coming home.  I could get it licensed, final beauty fixups and drive it over to the Claremont MOPAR BBQ on April 1st 2024!

That is when my hopes and dreams began their nose dive and I haven't found any way to pull it out.

Current condition:

1) 241 V8 HEMI is from a car NOT a truck.  Casting no. D502 110990.

     I am not sure the total problems with this little oops.

2) In putting in this HEMI they re-routed the exhaust pipes.  This caused them to re-configure the clutch linkage.  And apparently re-route some of the engine compartment wiring.

Result; the transmission does not work.  The fuel gauge does not work.  The turn signals do not work.  They also 'misplaced' various springs and bolt connections on several other components.  They also said they couldn't find all the old parts they took off.  I had clearly told them that all parts were to be saved and returned to me!

I hope you have not tired of reading this tail of woe.  Thanks for listening this far.  

Taking a deep breath and trying for a positive outlook, this is what I am seeking help with.

A)  My repair manual for the 241 V8 HEMI in the 1954 3/4 T truck says the driver side exhaust manifold has a discharge pipe that is directed downwards in the center of the collection tube.  That matches the 241 Poly.  My old exhaust pipe that has a crossover pipe in front of the oil pan would then fit.  The one that came with the car 241 has the discharge exit out the rear of the collection tube.  That appears to be why they thought they had to re-configure the clutch linkage.

** Do you or one of the other MOPAR experts know where I can acquire the 'correct' driver side exhaust manifold with a vertical discharge in the middle of the exhaust collection tube?

If I am correct?  This exhaust manifold will "solve?" all my problems.

I already have re-fabricated the needed parts from the clutch pedal through the Z-bar & stabilizer swivel ball joint bracket to the turnbuckle connection to the clutch.

I have the new exhaust piping sections.  The passenger exhaust manifold does exit vertical like the old one so the Exhaust Temperature Control Valve and Pipe Y-section should all fit normally.

Hope you can help and thanks for your time.

Ken