Jeff Balazs

Hi Doug; Here is a scan of the parts book for this transmission. The pin I was referring to is up at the top and would secure the lever #21-30-02. The forks are secured with square head screws and are all safety wired. Thanks for your help......I will add some photos tomorrow. Jeff

Hank; I believe doing a T5 on this is not as simple as it would be on a non-fluid drive model. Different bell housing, etc.. Besides I am pretty certain this can be fixed to work just fine.....there doesn't seem to be anything at all wrong with the transmisssion itself. I just need some guidance from somebody who has more experience with these trannies than myself. Years ago I had a similar problem with an Austin-Healy I owned. Instead of a top loader it was a sideloader. Anyway there was some slop in the shifter that would cause it to get stuck in first gear occaisionaly. The slop was actually wear on a square end of the selector linkage. It had sort of rounded over and had to built up by welding and then ground square and relieved a bit. Once done it worked just like it was supposed to. I don't know if this is a similar problem.....but it may be something as simple as this. Jeff

I posted that photo to show how much crud can accumulate in the water jackets........and not come out with the most energetic flushing. I'd bet that there is probably a lot of these engines out there with that much junk in the water jackets. I spent several hours fishing this stuff out. I don't know how long mine had been parked but 20+ years would be my guess. I imagine that it had water in the system most of the time.....but when I got it the lower hose had rotted and it was dry. I had the radiator recored and put a two hour pressure test on the whole system with 15# and it held. No leaks and engine does not overheat. Jeff

So I pulled the top off again and I have a few questions before I start taking this apart. It seems to me that the issue I have may be wear in the lever end or lug components. I drove it around for a while before tearing into it and I had to "hunt" for third ...... sometimes it would go right in and other times I would get a false third and it would grind a bit......and then with a bit of fussing would go into gear fine. I cant see or feel any play in the rods or the detents. Nothing appears to have moved recently. With the top clamped in a large vise it seems to get hung up when trying to go throuugh the shift pattern. I am not sure if this is normal ? or if it is an indicator of wear? The pin that holds the lever in place has been welded in place so removal for inspection of the lever end has been complicated. Any suggestions on how best to proceed would be appreciated. Thank, Jeff

Bravo Tony; Looks like your WDT was in better condition than mine. I extracted it in 14 major segments and then pulled the head and got more. Here is a photo of some of the stuff I fished up through the top of the block using a magnetic wand. Our LA area water might be to blame. Oh yes.....and this was after I flushed the block with a power washer 3 times. Jeff

Nice job Paul Looks like you are on the right track with this design. Since you have started this thread I have been giving a lot of thought to building a removable wooden camper for mine. It is a ways off but it sure would be fun to have a funky little rig to take some road trips with. My brotherin-law has utility trailer that is built with a Pilothouse short bed that he want me to take ......so maybe a camper for sleeping and the trailer for a camp kitchen and hauling a cartop skiff. Have fun with it. Jeff

Ditto on what Hank said........I and I am sure others, would be very interested to see this article. I looked through the reference files here and could not find it. Thanks, Jeff

Thanks Doug; I will take a closer look. I don't recall seeing any brass colored stuff. I think it almost has to be shifter related as it was pretty good before removing the shifter during the clutch replacement. Jeff

Doug; You know it is funny but the floor had a couple of notch cuts in this area and looked as if it had been bent up at one time. Of course I "fixed" this when we were adding the seat belt mounts to the cab. So much for trying to do it right. What should I be looking for on the synchros? The only transmission work I have ever got really comfortable with is the old Burman boxes used on Brit bikes of the 30's thru the 60s ....... I am pretty good at getting those to work properly.......but when it comes to automotive type stuff I just don't have much experiance. Jeff

Thanks very much Doug; I will look at these items and see if I can't get it to work properly. It wouldn't be a bad job at all if they had extended the access cover cutout back another couple of inches. As it is with the additional length of the fluid drive the shifter mechanism cannot drop straight in......it has to be cocked around to clear the rear section of the cab floor. This complicates things and makes it a more difficult job than it really needs to be. Again thanks for your assistance with this. Jeff

Doug; I was wondering if it could be something like what you describe. There isn't too much to go on in the manuals regarding this .....or how to adjust it. It just feels sloppier than before going into 1st or 3rd. I knew I was going to have to pull the top off again to resolve this.......I am just not certain what to do when I get the top off. I see the bolt or set screw in the parts diagram. I suppose if one is loose I will have a clue.....but if not? There isn't any data on what the actual position should be. Jeff

Hi Guys; I just recently replaced the clutch in my truck. I had a struggle to get the shifter mechanism back in and working. My truck is a fluid drive with a synchro 4 speed and this combination results in a situation where the access to the top plate is somewhat limited. It took me several attempts to get it in so that I could actually shift through all the gears. Now it works but is particularly difficult to shift from 2nd into 3rd without grinding. It didn't seem to be that way before all this. What I am wondering is if one of the selector forks is in a position that that allows it to shift......but not correctly? I don't know if I am making sense.......but I can get it into gear.......just not as smoothly as I think it should be. Before I go after this again I thought I would see if anyone here had any pearls of wisdom on this topic. Thanks, Jeff

That looks pretty darn close in shape and size to the original tank. Who would have thought? Very clever! Jeff

Paul; That is why Plymouthy has 45 mopars???? Really? You believe that? I know he is your "mentor"......... but really? Just a guess but I'd bet more than a few of his "friends" wear white coats. Wow!!! Believe me when I say one Mopar is all I am ever going to have. I guess I just don't care enough about providing entertainment for my "friends". Jeff

No doubt Doug. But then Pauls' middle name is trouble. One is more than enough for me. Since it is going to be my daily driver it is sort of a never ending project. Jeff

:lol: Oh you guy's are too funny. Unlike some of you....I actually have some self control left... ..granted not a lot.....but this is definitely not my hobby. Much rather go on some adventures and do some fishing. OK so my brother-in-law does have a trailer that is a match for this truck.......and maybe at some point I will do something with that.......but as I have always said this is my last vehicle. Jeff

Thanks Guys; Won't be long now. I got the wiring done this week. The upholstery is next. Then it is odds and ends like having the alignment checked and doing a safety inspection. Here is a few more shots. Jeff

With the addition of this bumper it is finally starting to look like an old work truck. This is the bumper my truck came with narrowed up a bit with longer side extensions. It is not real pretty.....but it sure is functional as a step bumper. Plenty beefy for a small hitch too. I need to add some amber running lights, a back up light and a license plate mount and the rear is done. I am toying with a couple of wooden tool box ideas for the bed area but haven't settled on a final configuration. Jeff

Hey Guy's; Love that photo with the Buffalo. Very cool trip so far. I gotta do something like this once I get my truck all sorted out. Thanks for sharing and have a fun time. Jeff

Merle; Sorry 'bout dat. We learn something new every day. I have never seen any of the wide belt stuff........but it explains why Quality Power sent my new alternator with a wider pulley even though I ordered it with a 3/8" one. When I called them about it he was confused but sent out the narrower pulley next day. Mystery solved! My 52 truck has a DT engine but it has a later casting date on the block. It is a T342 series, a 54-56 230 engine for what I believe was a heavier truck model than a 3/4 ton. I had assumed that all the bolt on stuff had been transfered straight across when whoever had done the swap. Hope it works OK and you all have a great time today. Jeff

Same here. To be honest I was not impressed with Steele Rubber quality or customer service. I got my vent window rubber from Gary and it fit perfect. I think he is a stand up guy.......perhaps with the same limitations most small business's have.....but he seems to care and is helpful. Steele on the other hand were completely useless when it came to install suggestions for the corner windows. Their answer was " Yes they are a PITA" When I found the right tips here it was easy. Jeff

Brad; I tell you what after meeting Merle the other night.....I am going to shoot for it next year. If only to shame locals.....like Mark......into stopping with all the excuses. You guy's have a great time. I know you will. And post plenty of pictures........but please.....none of the cornhole stuff! Jeff

Jim; I just put in new Steele Rubber gaskets all around. They recommended ..... and I bought some clear 3M sealer to use to prevent leaks. I used it and it was crap. I ended up spending quite a bit of time peeling it off. If I was patient it would have fell off on it's own. I found a Permatex product that is a special flowable silicon made specifically for this application. Much easier to apply and seems to have bonded nicely. I have not done a leak test yet but will do so soon and report back. Jeff

If you are doing the corner windows then I recommend you use plenty of masking tape to hold the gasket in place on the glass. Soap them up good too...... and have a helper. One man in the cab and the other outside. Lever them into the corner and work the string from the edge closest to the door piller back towards the center window. Once they are in the tape is easy to remove. It is the only way to go when doing these. Jeff

Hey Merle; If you were to make it by the shop while you are here you can have my freshly rebuilt genny. I decided to go with a 6V alternator instead. Kind of a heavy carry on....but it's yours if you want it. Jeff