Scruffy49

Man, this is making my $125 230 sound better every day. Ran when pulled, gave away the car bell, 3 on the tree car trans, flywheel and clutch, throwout parts and just ket the core engine. Thanks for the heads up on the VPW flywheel, will save me a bunch of head scratching fitting the 218 stuff to the 230 engine, and keep the 218 floor starter in use, since I gave away the 12v 230 car starter...As Phil says on Duck Dynasty, I'm "Happy happy happy". Sounds like a fun challenge you've got going. I'll be watching this one, since people are always trying to give me L6 stuff once thy see the truck in the driveway... I'd love to have a few spare store them right, drop in and go engines in the barn or garage (probably barn, more room).

Saw gas. Seriously, use 2 stroke fuel for the first start, dribble some into the carburetor, cross your fingers/toes/eyes, hold your mouth right, and pray... and stand back, if the mix lights off, any thin spots in the exhaust pipe are going to blow through and flames will go everywhere. 2 stroke mix isn't quite as explosive as straight gas, less chance of a backfire turning the carb into a grenade. And it IS going to backfire a few times before everything smooths out and settles down. You are going to find a lot of dust, moisture and corrosion in the carb, distributor, coil connections, etc. And do not be surprised or alarmed if the starter smokes a bit at first, Mopar engines leak, and oil gets into the starter and generator. I'd suggest you pull the plugs and spin it over on 12v with the coil wire and fuel gauge disconnected until you see oil pressure. The rings in these engines can be rather brittle, you don't want to snap one cranking it dry under compression. Once it builds pressure, install the plugs, hook up the coil wire, leave the gas gauge disconnected (12v will fry it) and start her up.

I fired my 218 in early 94 on oil that had been put into the engine in 1974 when it went into hibernation (in the barn). Flowed fine. Chained the truck to another truck, when he hit 35 mph I dropped it into 3rd and popped the clutch. Lit right off. 40 pounds of oil pressure. The next time I went to start it (2008) it had been in the backyard since 94, it broke a bunch of rings. Haven't torn it down to see what else got ruined, but picked up a running 230 just in case... which has since siezed from sitting idle for 2 years and change. If it was stored properly, she should start for you. Once you figure out the quirks involved in conning an L6 into actually starting instead of just spinning over. My truck has a hand choke, hand throttle, foot throttle, starter pedal and a key switch involved... The cars are a lot easier.

Spend the extra money up front on a new wiring harness if yours is at ALL on the suspect side. You'll get real fused/relayed circuits, brand new modern labelled every 5-6 inches wires, a good installation guide... And everything you need to add a GM alternator from the 1970s. For vehicles like ours, the 12 circuit kit is more than sufficient. You can keep all your old switches, or convert them to GM at the same time (easier to wire in, easier to replace). Change your starter solenoid/ignition relay to a Ford truck unit, 73-86 or so F series work best, but a Ranger unit is easier to hide. A $10 ignition switch from NAPA will bypass the factory push button if your car is so equipped. I've rewired dozens of 30s through early 70s vehicles. It is worth the extra couple hours and couple hundred dollars. You should be able to adapt the alternator bracket off a 292 or 302 GM straight 6 to your engine. Make a tracing of what you have, and hit the local pull your own part junkyard. Bracket should be $5-10 out the door. Or modifying yours is as simple as all thread, a few spacers and bending the tensioner arm (I prefer to replace that with heim joint equipped turnbuckles).

I put a chunk of quilted moving blanket over the springs. Pulled the blanket as tight as I could and stitched it to the upper frame. Then each coil spring was stitched to the moving blanket. Use chalk line twine, it won't wear through as readily as carpet thread or upholstery thread. Layer of batting (craft aisle at Walmart) carpet taped to the blanket, layer of 3/8" Ensolite (camping pad, army surplus store), then add padding of choice and cover of choice. Sounds goofy, works great.

I kinda like those... anything that draws more attention at Cruise In night... I'm still in lust with a 41ish Dodge coupe that showed up 2 weeks ago with a chromed big block sticking up where the hood used to be...

Permanent remote fill? Easy, use the clutch master cylinder cup from a Toyota Celica (RWD), Toyota pickup or a Ranger. Whatever is handy in the closest junk yard. Get some extra tubing and a small barbed fitting from the auto parts store of choice. Drill and tap the Mopar mc lid, add tubing, mount clutch mc cup to your firewall or inner fender. About $15 worth of materials. Or you can order nice shiny aluminum remote fill components from any of a dozen aftermarket brake companies. I feel for you guys with cars, at least the truck mc is out in the open. Pain to get a wrench on or to fill, but any spills hit the ground instead of the vehicle's floor/carpet. I'm cheating on my truck's brakes. Ranger rear axle and mechanical ABS rear brakes, Ranger parking brake system since I don't trust the stock unit, Ranger master cylinder (maybe with booster), front disc kit (have not decided which one yet) on stock beam axle. Using what I have on hand, and since i have a complete (wrecked) 92 Ranger parts roach in the pasture... keep flip flopping which old truck will get the HVAC system, seats and 5 speed...

Full on show truck. Biggest engine you can shoehorn into it. Have fun with it, yours is already converted to 4wd so why not...

Not this year, pecans are worth harvesting. Father in law just got back in this afternoon from a week in BSL. Had his house on Hollywood repainted. Are your live oaks dropping acorns yet, I need another couple hundred to pot up. Out of roughly 200, I only got 20 or 30 viable seedlings. Wish I was going, maybe next year. Have to see which "collector" toys are up and running, this year I'd have been in the 85 C10, nothing else will start right now. Hope to get down your way agin soon, I have family/friends in Biloxi and Kiln.

I like the wire wheels. Tested a stainless wire full wheel cover on my 49 1/2 ton, really liked the look. And i do have a full set of 6.00-16 wide whites for the stock rims. I wouldn't have done Canyon Coral on a truck, a darker color would be my preference. Save the odd shades for the cars. But the way the 55 is set up, all in all, it works alright. Considering what the buyer paid, it's most likely going to end up a trailer queen or a static display anyway.

Hudson truck? And you're going to pull the Hemi? Must be a pile, because that would be a really entertaining combo if it is all decent. As much as I like my Grandpa's 49 B1B-108, in all honesty, I'd rather have the Terraplane he traded in on it... I had a couple 49 Hudsons when I was at WSU.

90s Ford Ranger unit heat/ac combo. Still in the bracket design phase, but based on rough measurements will fit with room to spare. Have to source a different compressor or make a serpentine to v groove pulley conversion, and engineer a mount for it.

Scarce, they made a fraction of the amount of Dodges that were made of Ford or Chevy. The only 55s harder to find are Studebaker and GMC (most current buyers switch the Chevy grills and tailgates). But you see more drug out of barns, sheds and fields/woods every day. Ford and Chevy prices are through the stratosphere, so Dodge is becoming the current "cheap project" craze. 39-71 Dodge prices are starting to climb, new stock replacement and new custom parts are hitting the market weekly. Doesn't help when they sell for stupid money on Barret-Jackson or Fast and Loud (Gas Monkey Garage rolling abortions). Couldn't tell you on the bed, I prefer the look/utility of the high sides.

WA license plate? Where are you located? I'm in west TN now but I'm Pierce County WA born and raised... There is a low side 53 in my area that showed up at the weekly cruise in/car show. My 49 is a high side bed, going to get LRE style trim pieces on the bed and tailgate.

My post references the newer water pump kits. Some come with 2 different plates and gaskets that change the water flow for internal versus external bypass use. They both "fit" both head types, but one will block a needed passage if installed wrong... I had a brand new from the dealer t-stat work one time and then fail to open the next start up. Tried a NAPA version, same deal. Both were Made in France parts. I've had them fail fresh out of the box, I've had them fail with a week on them. So now my computer controlled engines have them, the diesels and "carbon dated" engines do not. No problems coming up to operating temps this summer. Pull the stat when you get home, test it on the stove top in a pan of water with a candy thermometer... assuming your engine passes a compression test first and the problem persists. Extra sludge build up? I've had Delo or DelVac in the 318 for over 2 years, still honey colored, t-stat deleted...Rotella 15W40 in the Ranger 2.3L for 2 years, has a t-stat, oil is still honey colored. Not that worried about it. If i ran Pennzoil or Quaker State, it would b a different story I'm sure, I'll have to clean out the 218 in the burn pile to get rid of the parafin build up.

Maybe a silly question... did you use the "either/or" generic waterpump? Double check that the plate is the right way, I think the thread is on the truck side... You are in TN, in the hills, in summer. Pull the stat out. I'm in the TN lowlands by the MS River, and most of my equipment I've pulled them out and left them out. Been getting a lot of bad parts new in the box from NAPA, John Deere, and other sources lately. All made in France, Mexico or Brazil.

Texas BBQ if done with oak instead of mesquite is outstanding. Puts the local pseudo-Q to shame, and I live in the Memphis area (famous for lemon and vinegar soaked slabs of fat cooked over tire fires, or maybe that's just the tourist traps like the Rendevous). If you plan to sample any fried catfish, ask what kind of oil they use, and if it is soybean oil, do not eat it. American soy has something wrong with it that makes a lot of people, especially Europeans used to GMO-free foods, violently ill. In fact, ask about the oil anytime you want to have a fried food stateside, most restaurants use pure or blended soybean oil these days. Would hate to see your trip ruined by eating the wrong things. USA food purity standards are a joke, the beer standards are even worse. Stick to micro-brews if you don't want to consume any formalin, commercial beer in this country is awful. Enjoy your vacation. Texas has to be experienced to be believed...

I still get recall letters on a Ford Aerostar I sent to the breaker's yard in 2004, several states away. GM isn't exactly known for customer service, or build quality.

Round one in the dash, square ones in the doors, ovals in the rear under the windows. Will you be hiding a modern tuner in the glovebox, or is the dash raggedy enough to justify adding it there? My 49 truck/s dash is uncut, so I'll be using either an underdash mount, or a header panel mount like in a Peterbilt. Unless i decide to deep six the stock small gauges, then the stereo goes where the gauges were, with a dash speaker and cab corner speakers out of the parts Ranger. I kind of like the Ranger speaker mounts...

I'd add the filter, basically because every 4 stroke infernal combustion engine we own, be it a 99cc offroad motorcycle engine, a motorhome spec 413-3 , a truck LA318, naturally aspirated or forced induction diesel tractor, or Lisa's Subaru, gets the same oil. Rotella dino juice 15W40. Best bang for the buck, I've had it in my 2.3L Ranger for 2 years, still honey colored, well over 30K miles on it. Good filter, and quality oil, makes life easier.

Man oh man... for some reason I'm seeing a buttercream roof and a 90s Ford Dark Iris pearlescent metallic paint on that. And a Desoto grill... Cream leather and curly maple interior... Twin Appleton spotlights, period correct foglights, wide whites... All sitting about an inch and a half off the pavement. Sorry, 49-51 Merc coupe at the Bartlett TN cruise in tonight got me worked up. So did the L'il Red Express, a few big block push button transmission early 60s coupes... and a former wrestler named Jerry "The King" Lawler showing up in a functional tv series Batmobile... and a 53 PH with low side box, spring under 8" rear end and a small block V8 (had his grade school aged daughter with him, they start rodding young down here). Edited for typos, long night.

I'm partial to the single groove ones off of Toyota 22r engines. Great fit in tight quarters. V belt Ranger or V6 units are fine too, just avoid the serpentine belt versions, for some reason they seem less durable. If there is room, I like the round case 61-69 Mopar units (single field) or square back dual field version. The Chevy unit is comparable, and less expensive, but doesn't have the visual appeal.

The collector pricing guides are officially written by people who should be in the state loony bin... there is no way that even in perfect working order, my truck could be worth this much...http://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Cars/1949/Dodge/Pickup/1-2-Ton/Values Same wheelbase as a base model Ranger, with less power at the crank, let alone the rear wheels, and atrocious fuel economy to boot... Same bunch of loons who appraise my 85 C10 short wide at $4800+ in its current condition... Think they cater to the "more money than brains" set? Still not for sale, at any price, has been, and is staying, a one family truck.

My first thought was "Why did you paint the inside of the combustion chamber"... looks just like 1/2 cured flat black Rustoleum. Followed by, the ring gaps weren't set right or the wrong rings were installed. Interesting video, soundtrack must have been on vinyl or an even older medium though, awful lot of needle pops...

I know the LT235/75R15 tires on my Sweptline have been on it since before I bought the truck Labor Day weekend 2004... The blackwall bias ply tires on my B1B are older than I am, as are the wide white replacing them (for showing off use, not road use). The road use wheels are 1978 Dodge truck 15 inchers that are getting new radials and full wheel covers as money allows. I run tires until they either pop or have outgassed enough that I can see cords in the cracks.