Scruffy49

Yep, just in general. So many people put RV grinds in trucks that don't need them, and hot cams in engines that can't take full advantage of the new profile... That old D100-128 powertrain is almost indestructible, the combo of RV cam and RV shift kit in the transmission keep the speeds pretty much uselessly low. I did use it to tow a horse trailer cross country in Mar/Apr 2011, and the bed was about 1/2 full at the time. Never could break 60mph indicated (if the speedometer felt like behaving at that). I'm "okay" with the power output of the 230 we picked up for the 49 B1B-108. I honestly don't expect the truck to ever see city use, other than cruise in nights. I'll upgrade to a more modern rear axle assembly that takes common parts and has better gearing, but it still won't see the north side of 60-65mph, ever. I'd just like to keep the rpms down a bit, and have easy to get locally brakes. If I wanted Ancient Blue to be fast, I'd run C4 or C5 Corvette suspension parts and a big block V8. I'll be more than happy to just get to drive it under its own power again before it goes to my brother's daughters.

You need to be careful with torque cam grinds as well... My 49 truck's "pasture pal" is a 69 D100-128, with an RV cammed 318, an RV shift kit equipped 727 automatic, and 3.55 rear end gears. It will launch like a top fuel car, to and including frame/body twist. Right up to 55 or 60 mph, where it falls flat on its face and runs out of top end power. If I can get traction, it will pull a 378 Peterbilt coffin box or KW W900 stand up sleeper tractor trailer cab w/o breaking a sweat. But it can't do it fast... A basically bone stock small L6, is not a good candidate for a reground cam profile. A basically stone stock big L6 isn't much better. If you go through the port/gasket matching processes, mill the head and/or swap for an aluminum version, decent overbore, good 3 or 5 angle valve job, headers, dual carb intake, etc... a cam swap would make sense, maybe. It is still an L6, they don't have the best flow dynamics, well, honestly, their flow dynamics are pretty poor. Very inefficient design, and relieving the block in the valve pockets doesn't help much... We built a 1941 or 46 Pontiac engine to the max when I was in college, gained 12 horsepower, 1/2 a mph on the top end, at great expense and a shortened service life (you think Mopar stuff is hard to find, try old Buick, Olds, Pontiac L6 stuff). Save your coin for a rear axle upgrade.

You can get service kits via shops that carry Ford 8N and 9N, and John Deere 1020UL tractor parts. Very generic filter element and gasket. If you have Tractor Supply Company in your area, figure $10-15 dollars plus tax. You should also be able to get service parts through NAPA, Carquest, Federated, and National Auto Parts. Fram element is dirt common still, so are the seals. Drops right in with the AC Delco, John Deere, Willys, and Autolite housings I have in the garage (dozen or better).

You need the box from a straight axle or first generation IFS 4x4 Toyota, plus its pump. And a different steering column, the oem Dodge one is, um, odd... I'm trying to figure out how to use Ranger steering parts, since I have a junk 92 and my B1B-108 isn't usable right now. Certainly can't hurt anything on a truck that hasn't been licensed in 40 years...

10 or 16 spline axles depending on the year, and either 2 or 4 pinion gears, again, depending on the year. I've still got a complete 49 truck rear axle sitting here, been too lazy (and cold) to get it pulled and off to the scrap yard. Unfortunately, it is either a 4.10 or a 4.78 gear set. But if you need it for parts, come get it. Has over 330K miles on it and was still going strong the last time it was driven (1994). Or there is a 1992 Ranger complete rear axle sitting in my parts junker. 4 cylinder 5 speed truck, so it is the weak sister 7.5" ring gear, but it will live behind a standard output L6. Right bolt pattern, 9 inch drum inner diameter. Was going to use the 92 axle in my 49, likely going a different route (like C4 Corvette stuff front and rear).

Can't tell if I'm cold today, or still have the flu. It's a very chilly 60F outside and around 70F in the computer room.

Ratty? That car is way too clean and shiny to be called ratty. My raggedy, rotten, worn out 49 truck is a rat. Or more likely, a roach (dropping)... Until I get around to tinkering with it again, then it is a "jewel in the rough"...

Go for it, I used to bead blast the insides of antique HD engine case sections all the time. Run the thing through the parts washer afterwards, and there won't be any silica debris left to go anywhere.

Mine leaks, um, everywhere... Needs all new cab seals, and I mean all of them, steering column, pedal openings, wire and cable pass through locations, every floor seam, every piece of glass, cowl vent... I may just bite the bullet and weld the cowl vent shut. My grandpa caulked it shut with white kitchen/bath caulk in the late 60s or early 70s, and it was fine, until stupid me came along and pulled the caulk out in the 90s... and there isn't a cowl seal made that is worth 10 cents, let alone the outrageous prices charged for them. I do plan to order good pedal and column seals, and then use Julianos machined aluminum trim pieces over the seals to protect them. Correct look? Not even remotely. Do I care? Not in the slightest, I want a dry, clean, kind of quiet cab.

Good luck. And like I pointed out earlier that engine block is from a Plymouth car, P15. My 49 B1B-108 has a 1948 P15 engine in it right now that has ben there since 1958 or so when the original engine blew up. Literally, crankshaft snapped and shredded the block... My dad told me pieces of engine block were scattered for a mile down the road. Pilot House is 48-53, Functional Design is 54-56, Power Giant is 57-60. They all had an L6 base engine, so, they're all good to go here. My favorites are 48 through early 49 with floor mounted shifter and parking brake, and the 57 into very early 58 with single headlight per side. Or any of the others so long as they have a 4 on the floor, no 3 on the tree will ever darken my driveway...

I like it. Is it an optical illusion, or did your bumper and running boards get chromed?

P-15 car engine block. Value is too subjective to honestly set. Bed floor is junk, and to replace correctly is not cheap. Stock wheels and hubcaps are getting hard to source if you wanted more of a restored look. Stock seats worth rebuilding are harder to find yet. What route do you want to go with it? Resto, resto-mod, retro-mod, lowrider "bomb trokita", rat, grandpa's old farm truck... end goal is going to also help set your upfront willing to pay price. If she'll run and drive as found with some fresh fuel, air in the tires and a boost, pay the man $1500 and drive her home. If she's just barn art, 10 cents a pound.

Paint the background with appliance epoxy. Use a toothpick to dab model paint into the letters. Did the hubcap lines red the same way. Slow but works fine. I do plan to replace the cables, knobs and switches with aftermarket, mine are a hodge podge mess as is. Anyone succesfully integrate dash and headlights in one switch like a more modern version would have?

For non road use, sure, safe enough. And they did pass a tire inspection at the farm co-op, if they were junk, the shop wouldn't have mounted them up, I had them go over the tires with a fine tooth comb. If I can get to any of the weekly local cruise ins with it this summer, I'll swap them on when I get there. Blackwalls for the drive down.

You want to drag it behind an RV (easy) or use it as a yard donkey? Yard donkey use is also easy, $115 for a receiver hitch kit at Walmart, mount it to the front of the frame instead of the rear. I have 2 Rangers, the front bumpers are junk. Just decoration. If you plan to move a bunch of stuff around, pull the factory bumper off and use one made from structural C channel with a hitch plate welded on.Any decent welding shop can put one together in less than an hour. Run down to the boat dealership in Stielacoom and look at their launch truck, any of the marinas around Everett, etc. Piece of cake.

Hmm, haven't been on in a while, but my truck wears: Stock blue 16s with wide white wall bias plies (early 1960s made) for it's "dancing shoes". 1978 Ramcharger white 15s with blackwall 7.00-15 bias plies from the local farmers' co-op for for regular use, getting full wheel covers once I decide between Oldsmobile Fiesta or Dodge Lancer. 1978 or 1979 Dodge L'il Red Express chromed steel slot wheels with LT235-75R15 for playing on the farm... wheels are normally on my 69 D100. 1992 Ford Ranger "Outlaw" style alloys or 1994 Ranger "Snowflake/Deer Track" alloys just because I could. Black late 50s to late 60s horse trailer 15s (Dodge truck and Ford car rims) with P215/75R15 cheapies from Walmart. Still needs a ton of work to be a usable vehicle. Pulling the bottom 2 from each spring pack, leaving 5 front and 7 rear, cheating by cutting the center pins and those leaves fall off... needs new shorter pins anyway, why fight with them. Frame paint isn't finished, let alone the Spring Special style 2 tone job. Modern rear axle and driveshaft swap, fender skirts, spotlights, bed boards, really want a visor and a big block V8 swap... Or it may just get brush painted and used on the farm. I'm too broke to pay attention.

That's how my driver door sags. It's the cab mounts on mine, the truck was retired in 1974 and left to "cure" in Grandpa's dirt floored barn. The oak bed floor turned into punk wood, the cab floor has a few minor pinholes, and the cab mounts need reinforcement. No biggie, it's just metal, it can be fixed.

Any truckstop should have them in stock. You can also get them at any big rig dealership. Lace on or rubber slip on types. Usually around $8-12 plus tax.

It put me in Spokane, Salt Lake City, and Modesto. I'm from WA so, close enough.

Drained the blocks, left the drain valve open. Hard freeze tonight and tomorrow night. Really hard freeze and high winds so trees explode type hard freeze. Both engines are outside right now, have kept the 218 full of coolant/antifreeze/rust inhibitor in case I needed to swap the 230 guts into the block with the numbers matching my title. Radiator is out, in the barn, cap on drain open. Did I miss anything?

Sand bag as a backer, grind the profile needed into some scrap and use it to reshape the metal. Oak pallet chunks and a belt sander make really quick and surprisingly durable dies...

Not all Carter chokes are electric... the 230 I picked up in early 2011 has a factory hot air choke mechanism on it. Run via hard line plumbed into the exhaust manifold. I'd get a pic of it but the whole mess is not accessible currently.

57 to 60 truck, most likely 1/2 ton. My horse trailer runs those same rims.They will work on at least 1948-84 trucks, most drum brake cars, and the rear axle on Ford Rangers/Aerostars/Exploders... 5 on 4.5 is 1/2 ton and cars, 5 on 5 is 3/4 ton. Hope that helps.

Found it... I need new bifocals.

Here's how the stock hoses are on mine... Rear cylinder head gets the upper hose, shut off valve on top of water pump gets the lower hose. Heater has been in the truck since it was brand new or shortly there after. I'll call my Dad, he still has the original paperwork on it (and original title) as it was HIS Dad's truck... I KNOW I have a shot showing the heater itself. Can't find it right now, I REALLY hate photobucket... No idea what model the heater is, if it works, etc. Haven't run it since 1994.