austinsailor

And I thought I was lucky my wife never objects when I do it!

Sorry, when I didn't see anything this morning I figured you didn't need it. Steering box takes National Federal Mogul seal # 240151. Both Napa (about $15) and Oreily (about $20) can get it. It also crosses to about 12 more manufacturers (of vehicles) numbers. This should fit Dodge and Fargo, 1/2 to 1 ton from 48 to 53 or maybe later.

These guys have what you need. Go here: http://www.lambertenterprises.com/ Click on their catalog, go about 2/3 of the way down. Gene

Honey do commitments. I don't want to have to sleep with it! Besides, I slipped off and bought a battery while I was gone, and I have to go through the carb. Might have gunk in it. Bet it runs tomorrow. Won't be able to drive it, though. No tranny. I have heard that motor run, though. It was in a parts truck I bought to get my rusty 48 b1b going. I since have salvaged a number of parts off of it. Now I'm salvaging off of others to get it going. It's a vicious circle!

You really ought to put a new seal in it while it's out. I can get you the number in the morning.

Well, it's going to be a little like Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time", but the Fargo will live again. Today I stuck in the B1B motor, using modifies motor mounts. Built a distributor out of 3 old ones. Part 40 Dodge sedan, part B1C, part Fargo. Got a 48 Desoto Carb to put on it. It's timed, tomorrow I'll put on the carb, hook up a fuel line and fire it up. Transmission needs seals - I'm sure, because when I picked it up oil just poured out the back. Someone cut the e brake cable out of it, but I think I can salvage one out of a 53 b4b I have, or maybe take the hand brake off a 48 panel and make it work. Got the steering box I stole out of the b4b together with new seals and it seems like new. It's in place, got to tighten up everything. All the front end parts, including kingpins, are tight. I'll get some kind of pump for the hoist, (it's a little dump truck with a pickup bed, but the pump was gone) fix the brakes and be off to get a load of gravel soon.

I just took apart 3, ended up having one that was good. To answer some of your questions, not as an expert, but from observations from messing with them. 1. Not sure about the top bearing, assembly, disasembly, etc but I'd put a little grease on it. 2. It shouldn't leak. It should have a fluid type lubricant in it, not grease. Refill it by removing the plug (the one closest to the frame). But, before filling it, I'd pull the pitman arm, pull the top off, and pull the sector gear and shaft out (One piece) This can easily be done with in the chassis without removing anything else. I'd inspect it for any gouging or damage to the worm and sector. If none, I'd replace the seal in the bottom (about $15 at NAPA) which is very easy, and start fresh so it will hold the fluid lubricant. I don't recall any sort of seal in the top, I think it uses gravity to keep that end sealed. From the three I just took apart, and a number of other steering boxes I've taken apart, I'd say most damage to steering boxes is improper, or no lubricant. I think actual normal wear is way down the list. 3. Holds the outer collar of the steering shaft to the box. The worm gear and shaft is one piece from the bottom of the box through the steering wheel. This is like a cover. It's actually very easy to remove the whole assembly if you want. 1. Pull the pitman arm using a pitman arm puller, a pretty cheap tool. 2. Remove the floorboards. 3. Remove the 3 bolts through the frame into the box. (My 48 had an additional casting between the frame and box with a hidden bolt, the others I've worked on only had the three bolts. 4. If you have turn signals added, unclamp them from the column. 5. Remove the two bolts holding the clamp around the column to the dash. 6. Lift it out and walk away. If your floorboards come out easily, this can easily be a 15 minute job.

when we were kids my brother and I decided we would hop up our mopeds by running alcohol. Ran like a striped a-- ape until they siezed due to the oil not mixing right (2 cycle). We used the rest up in the lawn mower. Had to run the adjustment all the way out to run, but they idled at about 2000 rpm, and sucked that alky down real fast, but they cut like a brush hog! I think the whole thing needs to be designed to run it or it's not going to be real practical. If you come across a drum of it real cheap it might be a fun experiment, but if economy is your goal I don't think the results will be real good. Keep us posted if you try it.

So I could find wheels with split rings to fit my truck? Pick my poison, huh?

Mine are the solid ring. Sandblasted clean, and repainted, they still have enough dings and hammer marks from being put on and off over the years that they are hard to get to fit correctly. I'm used to the rings with the split, these are new to me. I'm not sure in the picture if that is a split, or the notch to stick a tire tool in to pry off a solid ring. Otherwise, that looks like my wheel. Sounds like I need to just be very careful and live with them.

I just put a tire on one of my one ton wheels. These are the type that have a solid ring that comes off, not the ring that is split. I've never messed with this type before and am not real excited about them. I'm in the process of trying to get a spare wheel and am talking to another board member who may have one to fit. Before I buy it and have it shipped and all, I should check to see if there is a more modern wheel I can easily use. Anyone know what else might fit this thing? Preferably a one piece wheel? I'd like to keep it more or less as it was built, but after cleaning, painting and mounting one, I'm not so sure I like these. Bolt pattern diameter is 7 1/4", 6 bolts, the hole in the middle is 5 1/2".

It may vary slightly from state to state, but basically you provide some sort of proof it is your car, usually a notarized bill of sale, a statement or old documentation of some sort. In your case, the signed title and a statement from you that you bought it in Nevada and didn't realize it needed a notary. You buy a surety bond that is intended to pay the real owner the value of the car, if such a person steps forward and proves it is really his car. In the event that happened, which I've never heard has happened (I'm sure it has somewhere sometime) the bond company would pay the real owner, then they would come collect from you. The title in most states would be a negotiable title, but would have "bonded title" written on it (similar to a salvage title marking) and they usually stay that way for 3 years, at which time you can get a new title with the bonded title designation removed. You can also sell it at once, or register it in another state with that title. I've taken a bonded Texas title, with the ink still nearly wet, and registered it in Missouri, getting a clean Mo. title without anyone blinking an eye. You have two places you have to make them happy. You have to satisfy the state license people and meet their requirements, and you have to make the bonding company happy. I've done several in Texas, and the bonding company is more particular than the state. Cost of the bond is based on the value the state sets for the car. Some states, Texas for one, goes by blue book value. For old cars there are 4 levels, the top one being "Show car" or something like that. It's pretty high. They go by the next one, whose name I forget, but it's like "Nice driver with no flaws". Some states allow you to get an appraisal and use that. In Missouri, an appraisal from 2 car dealers will work. Nothing fancy, just written on the letter head of any licensed car dealer will work. In Texas, it used to be one appraisal from a licensed car dealer. The last one I did they would only go by the book value. I don't know if it really changed, or the area office just didn't know. They do a lot there, though. It's real common in Texas. In this case, I paid for a $9000 bond (about $300) on a nearly junk dodge panel truck I paid $125 for. Minimum bond cost is $100, which covers about $3000 in car value. In Missouri they have 2 bonded title programs, one for cars 25 years or older, intended to cover cars in fields, etc. The other is for cars at least 7 years old and worth $3000 or less. The big difference, though, is that with the 25 year method you get a salvage title. Then there are hoops to go through to get a title you can get tags with, and it'll always have a "previous salvage" designation. With the second method, you get a clean title, no salvage involved. And you might wonder why you don't hear much about this. I found it by going through my legislator, trying to get him to introduce a law to allow such things. I'd asked at several license offices and nobody had a way to register old stuff like that. So, doing his research, he went to the Department of Revenue (who license cars) and asked them to tell him what was what. Lo and behold, they came back and said they didn't need such a law, as they already had one, the salvage title one. Nobody knew. I did my own research and found the other. I went to Jeff City to the main HQ and quizzed them. I found that only there did they know, and they did about 1 a month - for the whole state. If nobody knows, nobody is going to do them. Anyway, More than you ever wanted to know, but you now have at least 2 methods. Bonded title, with possibly breaking new ground if they haven't done many, or any, or bring it to MO and we'll get you one in a few minutes after you make a very long drive. If you are moving to another state you might check to see if it'll be easier there. If they require no notary, you'll be set with what you have.

turns out the seal is used by about a dozen different brand vehicles, each has their number. still, nobody here had one. napa could get one for $15 in a few days, oreily could get it overnight for $20. I'm on the way to pick it up.

for about $125 you can buy a new one. Bolt it on and you're done.

35 degrees out this morning, but I went and pulled the steering box from the b4b. It was the loosest of any of the boxes, so I thought the chances of it being usable was slim. Got it apart, it was full of flowing grease. Adjusted it up, it's like new inside and adjusts up with no play at all! I doubt it was ever adjusted in it's life. The seal still held, but I got it out and am on the way to town in a bit to try to locate a new one. I may be lucky, but I don't want to push it. If anyone has a part number for this seal, I'd appreciate if you'd post it. The tally - a 49 B1C, a 51 Fargo 1 ton and a 53 b4b all have the same box. My 48 B1B looks similar, but I haven't taken it out.Mounting on all are not the same, the 51 and 53 have a doubled area of the frame bolted on, the box bolts to it with bolts through the frame. The 49 had a casting bolted to the frame, the box bolted to it. Box itself is the same. I think the reason this box was good was that it still had flowing grease - I'd say 160 weight or so - and it stayed lubed throughout. If someone had pumped gun grease in it, it would probably have been toast like the rest. Just a thought. Gene, getting lucky in Mid Mo.

I'm going to try to pull the box out of the 53 half ton today if the weather isn't too bad. If your worm on that cut off shaft is good, you can do what I did once. I had a 49 Dodge coupe with a worn out box. I took a box from something else, can't recall what it was. (this was in 1969. I've been patching together Mopars for a few years!) It would fit except the shaft was a different length. I cut both off, welded on the end from the other to make it the right length, and it worked fine. I have to make a puller to get the steering wheels off, too. Going to be a busy day.

I needed a gasket, too, and when I found the number I called my local NAPA. I'll have 2 in the morning for about $2.39 each, no shipping. Thanks for posting the number.

Thanks. It does help. I suspected that is how it came apart, but I've been wrong before. I tried to drive out the pin in the bottom but without success. I think I need to use a small press so I don't mushroom the pin in the hole or bend the shaft.

In going though the '51 one ton Fargo I'm working on, I pulled the steering box this afternoon. It didn't feel good, and as I suspected, it was dry, and both the worm and sector were gauled. I recently took apart a 49 3/4 ton steering box which had similar problems. I find that the sectors seem identical. I haven't gotten the wheel off yet, so I can't compare the worms exactly, but they seem the same as well. Now to the questions. I also have a 53 half ton which has a box that feels ok. Loose, but no feel of bad gears. I'm wondering if it will be interchangeable? Or, at least the guts. It'll take a bit more work to get to it, so if it won't work, I'll spare myself the pain. I also have a like new sector hidden away somewhere that is for a 1940 Dodge sedan. It is similar, but until I find it again, I can't measure it. Is there hope it might work? I can answer that question now, I searched my attic and found mine. It's different. NOS for a 40 Dodge, doesn't have the place on the top to hold that adjusting plate. But I'm curious - can the gear be removed and put in the other one? I'll save my questions about shims, setup and all until I locate some usable parts. Thanks for any help.

Might work. I'd like to fix it, but I just got to thinking I have 2 other motors with what should be good distributors, so it might go on the back burner if I find another is usable in the morning.

Ok, I'd already gotten all that out. Under it is the mechanical advance. That is what I need to get apart. The part with the lobes should rotate a small amount on the shaft coming in from the bottom as the weights swing out against the springs. Mine is stuck. I may be able to get pictures later tonight if that doesn't make sense. Thanks for any help.

So do you just grab one (or both) ends of that spring and pull it up, spread them apart and pull or?? Once it's out, will the part of the shaft with the lobes just pry off the main shaft? I already checked the vacuum advance, it works. The manual has a strange way of checking it. Drive about 25 mph, hit the gas hard, and if it's working, the motor will have a brief spark knock if it's working. How's that for high tech?? I just used the vacuum method and watched.

I'm trying to get enough parts together to put my b1b motor in my Fargo. In trying to get a distributor working, it appears the centrifugal advance is not free in either distributor. The b1b has vacuum advance too, so I'd like to use it. I don't know how to get them apart. I have manuals, but they don't go into that depth. Looking down in the top of the shaft there is what appears to be a little wire spring snap ring with two little wires sticking up. I'm guessing that is the keeper that holds the top with the lobes on the shaft. Since it's frozen, I don't want to just start prying and pulling, I'd probably break the thing. Can some one tell me the steps to get it apart so I can get to the springs and weights, and the spot where it should move to advance? Once it's apart I can probably clean and lube it enough to get it going again.

I have a receiver hitch on my 40 Dodge car. A shop in Austin, Tx built it for about $300. It attaches to the frame and is invisible when the ball mount is not in it. When it is, it looks like it should be there. I built one on a Ford Escort wagon back in the 80's. It was also attached to the frame and worked quite well. Both are quite strong and I'm sure the frame would distort before the hitches failed. It's not that hard to build. Just have your framework lay against the frame, then put a plate on the other side and strong bolts through the hitch, frame and plate. Make it attach two places on each side about 3' feet apart and it'll work fine. You can hide most of the works up high where it can't be seen.

is that second boat a redfish? Guess I've exceeded my toy quota! About 20 boats and 10 old mopars! Don't turn me in to the toy police! Also, as to towing you boats, check your insurance. Most collectable carriers will cancell your coverage, actually the call it "void fron inception" ie, you never had coverage- if they find you ever pulled a trailer. these include Hagerty and most of their equals. There are a few that will cover you, but none of the big names will.