austinsailor

Far more important than the brand or weight is getting oil that has the proper amount of zinc in it. In recent years they've removed most of the zinc additive. It's hell on our old cams. Back when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's , it was common to have lobes wiped off of cams. In about 1960 or so, they added zinc additives to oil to solve this problem. For years you never heard of lobes being wiped off of cams. A couple years ago, they removed most of the zinc additives because it shortened the life of cat. converters. Now, lobes are disappearing again. I have a friend, for example, who just lost a lobe on his '74 Corvette he restored a couple years ago. You can buy additives, expensive racing oils that have zinc or old oil made before zinc was removed.. You need a diesel oil with a rating of CI or earlier (CJ, I think, is the current and has little zinc. SE is current for spark engine oil and has little zinc. I bought a drum (55 gallons) of Rotella 30 weight CI to solve my problems for some years. Check with your local oil distributor - he may have some. Mine was $7 a gallon. Do a search on zddp and you'll probably find enough info to explain it. This link has some info: http://www.motorists.org/blog/warning-if-you-have-an-older-vehicle-choose-your-oil-carefully/

Have someone point it at the manifold while you're pulling hard up a hill! Gene G.

For what it's worth, there are two sizes. I ordered one for my '40 Dodge from Andy, it was too small. Called him, he said it must tank the bigger one. He was out of the bigger one, suggested I stretch it. That didn't look like a good option to me, I searched around and found the correct one from one of the others, don't recall which. It fit just right, no stretching, no splicing. Just had to loosen the vent from the mounting, sticking a screw driver through the holes in the screen. I don't recall what years were supposed to be small and and which were big.

Not sure what happened to the engine chart link. I'll try again: www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/tengines.html help/otherengines/tengines.html I can't figure out why it changes the link when I post it, but if you patch in the above to cover the dots, it should work. If yours is a '48, it should have either a 281 ci (T156) or 331 ci (T158).

those u-joints are not available anymore, so if you disassemble anything, take real good care of them. If you lose a part, or find one bad, you'll be doing some converting. Not fun - I just finished one today. As to the motor number, it's on a flat place just below the head, a few inches forward of the distributor. You should be able to see it in this picture of my motor. Then, you can look on this chart and see exactly which motor you have: http://www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/tengines.html Oh - I'm not sure they put that motor in a 2 ton, I was under the impression it was only 3 and 4 ton. My '47 3 ton has a gross of 21,000. Gene G.

Yes, it is 3 bolt. It's clear in the picture. Regardless of whether it is too pitted or not, and it probably is, I'd consider sleaving it. And the wheel cylinders. As little as we use these things, they'll get pitted soon anyway, and you'll end up going through them again. I also have a 40 Dodge car, and after the second time going through the brakes, I just had them all done so that they won't get pitted and leak again. The other thing we should do with these is to just flush the brake fluid out every year or two. As little as we drive them, they'll never evaporate any water out of the system. Part of our normal maintenance should be to just bleed them well, pushing enough brake fluid through to completely replace it. Gene G.

Here are pictures of a 47 Dodge 3 ton master cylinder. This was used in at least some models through '56.

The master cylinder for the 3 ton Dodge is different than any of the smaller ones. Most have 3 bolts holding it on, the 3 ton has 4. The parts book will show a drawing of the 3 bolt one, but if you look, it'll list 4 bolts to hold it on. I seem to recall it has a 1 3/4" bore. I looked for one for a time, but then found it in my scrap pile. Sounds strange, but when this thing was young, it was converted to air brakes, or at least air over hydrolic. The master cylinder was removed, and an aftermarket air controller was installed. Then in the front and back, 2 diaphrams were added, each driving a master cylinder, which drove the original wheel cylinders. One day I noticed the big rusty mess of old brake parts in my scrap pile and realized ome of the master cylinders took 4 bolts. On a whim, I tried it and it fit. They'd re-used it as one of the 2 in the new system. The fluid tank was so rusted that it was completely full and solid. I sent it to Whitepost and for $350 they made it look like a new one. So, if there is one around for $300, I'd say it's not such a bad deal. And, it was also used in the bigger trucks through 1956. As to the one in England, I saw that some time ago. I spent a whole night reading that, and never did get all the way through it. His motor is the big 6, the 30" head model. It's similar to mine, but there are differences. His is a couple years older, which is probably why. I'm putting the drive train back together right now. U-joints are not available, nor any the right size. I think I have it covered, and this weekend I'll find out for sure.

I have a WKA, a 3 ton. this truck is much lighter. Mine has a gross of 21,000. Also, I don't think it would have 6 lug wheels. Drive shaft, u-joints, and the rest are lighter on this truck. 3 ton Dodges have the big 6, a 30" head model. I'm guessing this is a 1.5 or 2 ton. Sign up for the 39-47 Dodge (and Fargo) yahoo group. Those guys know it all about these trucks. Here is mine if it helps: http://www.geocities.com/rainbow_chaser.geo/47_dodge/47dodge.html Gene G.

It sounds like I should load my 40 dodge and head to both events. It's 150 miles one way, but would be an interesting weekend. I could unload a few blocks away and let everyone think I drove there, huh? Is there a schedule of these type events somewhere? I'll bet there are many more I never hear about.

Sometime in the next week or so I'm going to go look at a big truck, probably a 2 ton. It belongs to a farmer/dealer nearby, and it is either still in dealer stock or first owner, not sure if it was ever registered. The brothers were a dodge dealer for many years, and had about 8 trucks they used on their farm and stored inside - always. They've gotten up in their years and are now selling them and their farm equipment. They already sold the "new" '47, which I would have loved to at least see. There is a 48 and I think a 58 there yet. If anyone wants pictures of certain parts to verify their restoration, I should be able to get them. I have no idea what the price is on them, but I can probably come back with that info as well, although I'm sure it's out of my budget. More to come. Gene G.

It also says "Heads and Intake are 1955 correct." Must mean for a Dodge. I was into Mopars back then, even had a '55 with a 6, worked at the dealer a few years after that and I, too, never heard of a Plymouth having a hemi. Cool setup, no doubt, but not original, I don't think.

You really need to sign up on the 39 to 47 Dodge truck group. You'll most likely find a door there, and a lot of help. The truck I see in the picture is a Dodge. Is there a reason you're saying Plymouth? ( I figured out where local is - I noticed your location is in the upper right hand corner?) http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/39-47Dodge/

I agree with your second statement, (not included above) but this one is not correct. I can weld a pop can together with TIG and have done it. I've never seen it done with a mig, although I expect with the right one and someone who knows what they're doing, it can be done. Not the same thing, though. Tig has to heat the spot you're welding to make a puddle to dip your rod in. That heat is radiating all through the metal while it's heating up a puddle (no matter how small), same for a torch. With a mig the tip of the wire is melting into the puddle as it is creating it. Just a fraction of a second burst with the wire will add to the weld. Not so with tig. For what it's worth, it's not exactly the heat warpage that makes a makes a panel wavy when you weld it. It's the fact that you welded it while it was warped. That may not seem like a difference, but you can take a big panel, heat it, and it'll warp a lot. Don't weld, hammer or touch it, and when it's cool, it'll return to the same shape as before. But - do anything to it while it's hot, and it'll mess it up. Hitting it will distort it and it'll stay that way, welding it will hold it in that position. Of course, heating too much will also do it, but not mild heating. The point is to do very small welds, get off it before it distorts. Let it cool, then hit another small spot.

If one side won't turn, just count the other side's turns, divide in half. No big deal.

I have a small 110 volt lincoln. I use it for sheet metal, using gas. You can just tap tap tap the trigger, never getting the metal hot. You can just "stitch" it without any adapters, just a twitchy finger. When I bought mine, they were about $700 or so, they've come down a lot. Some years ago I tried it with 1/16 steel rods in a small arc welder, no comparison. I also have TIG and gas, but either of those put too much heat in thin panels and you will end up with a lot of warpage. With the wire, you can jump around with very small spots and never heat it up enough to cause problems. Heat control is about the most important thing.

I have Hagerty on 3 cars. Although they don't require me to report mileage, they have told me it is only to go for maintainance and car shows, no traveling. I once asked if I could drive mu '40 dodge to work once a month or so to show it off. They said once a year, maybe. Also, I learned that if you connect a trailer to your car, you have no insurance. It's not in the policy, it's in the application. If you have an accident and had a trailer on the car, you have no insurance. Actually, if they found you ever had a trailer behind your car, it would be void from the time you took it out.

The cummins is going to be a much longer engine. It would either have to go back into the cab quite a bit, or redesign the front end and push it out. I have an older 3 ton and I also have to cummins powered dodges. I've stared several times at it with a tape measure. My 3 ton has a 5" longer engine than yours and would only fit if I left off air and the intercooler, and then would require going back into the firewall a little. It would be cool as could be, but a pretty big project. A 318 or 360 or something like that would most likely work pretty well Gene G..

or: http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html

Call Whitepost (540) 837-1140) if you want to get in touch with them. They've done all the cylinders in 2 of my vehicles. Good work, probably the best, but there are cheaper places. It'll come back read to bolt in. A year ago master cylinders were $160 + about $15 to ship it back. However - I had the master cylinder from my 3 ton 47 dodge done, a 1 3/4" big one, it was a total rust mess. Cost $350 when done, but was like new. It looked just like yours, just bigger. Gene G.

I used my engine hoist. Put a board through the cab, set it under the board and jack it up. Very simple. http://www.geocities.com/rainbow_chaser.geo/47_dodge/feb_24_2.jpg <img src="http://www.geocities.com/rainbow_chaser.geo/47_dodge/feb_24_2.jpg">

When I cleaned it up just a bit, I dound there were more numbers and they are actually Chrysler numbers. C38, which is 46 to 48 Chrysler Royal 6 and Windsor 6. The charts I know of don't show cubic inches or anything. I'm going back today and try to see of it is frozen or what. Gene

Well, I'm not lucky yet. It's not mine. I'm sure it can be bought, but we haven't talked about price. It's sat in a garage since the 80's (He parked it when they made insurance mandantory). It appears to have no dents, no rust and seems solid. I do need to pull some more junk away from it to check it closer, but I'm thinking $500 will get it. Have no idea if the engine will turn over. I've got too many projects stacked up now, but I'll find it hard to pass this up if the price works out. Gene G.

I just found a 1950 1/2 ton. It has a spitfire head, and a fluid drive. The motor has obviously been rebuilt by an after market house due the the non-dodge serial number. Is a motor with a spitfire head likely to have been a factory motor, or is this out of a Chrysler? Was fluid drive offered in these trucks or is it likely the whole package came from something else? This is a straight, rust free truck that just might follow me home in the next couple days. Gene G.