Jeff Balazs

I am sorry I just didn't see this query earlier. I have a 52 B-3-C that I fitted a 2002 Grand Cherokee M/C to. It sticks out about 5 1/2" in front of the bell housing so no problem clearing at all. Works great Jeff

Re: Manifold and exhaust fasteners. I would recommend you replace with all new. Also you should chase all the threads into the block. Use sealant on any going into the water jacket. I have at times used Stainless steel fasteners at the exhaust pipe connections. They seem to remain usable longer for this application. Hth, Jeff

Best thing about these trucks........once you get them right they don't really require much work. ? Put about a pint of oil in it and then drove down to Dana Point and went out fishing for the day. A fun time was had by all. Thanks good old Dodge truck. Jeff

I carry a spare module just in case.

Point taken. ? There are a lot of these sorts of components that are subject to lack of QC. I chose to get rid of the lot. As a side note the cap and rotor stay nice and clean after the Pertronix upgrade. Pretty much a win-win as far as I am concerned. Jeff

Early on I had issues with replacement point sets. Not spring related........ but quality of the contacts themselves. Saw a far amount of material transfer on 3 different sets I tried. I found this unacceptable and put in a Pertronix module with a matched coil. I drive my truck every day and it never fails to run well with this set up. Jeff

Amen!!!! MMO works and works well. I put about 4 oz. every other tank full on my daily driver 52 B-3-C.

If it were mine I would try soaking the gasket joint with a penetrating solution. Kerosene even. Then put a couple nuts back on loose to keep it from falling and start tapping with a rubber mallet or dead blow hammer. Hope this helps, Jeff

So true. I still can't get over how much crud I got out of my trucks cooling system. And it sat for at least 20 years. Jeff

Could have a blockage somewhere or a bad thermostat?

I bought a surplus HumVee scissor jack and carry it in my truck. Super HD!

Would that be Keysmet? ?

and it will drive him nuts! ?

One addition to what Merle said is that even the later B series 4 speeds only had syncros in 3rd and 4th gears.

Could be? Maybe a different rear axle was swapped in?

It seems to me that it would be a one ton based on the photos. I doubt very much those rear wheels would fit on a 3/4 ton axle.

Amen!

Ah come on. A few beatings never hurt anyone.

And you are probably old enough to remember the "abuse" you would catch if you didn't follow instructions. The old timers I worked with back then literally lived for the opportunity to give us shop rats grief over this sort of miss step. And I think 50 years later.....rightfully so. Because these are fairly old engines now there can be lots of little surprises lurking within them. Could even be that one set of these bolts is different from the rest? I once tore into a early Corvette engine that was loaded with late 50's vintage aftermarket speed equipment. I had quite a bit of trouble locating rings and things like that for it because standards had changed over the years. It ended up being apart for a lot longer than I expected because of the time it took to source these parts. The only saving grace was the orderly tear down process that had been drummed into me. Jeff

Not just you Merle. Standard practice when I was taught 50 years ago. And back then you caught "H" if you did it any other way.

I found that a lot depends on how well the carb is set up. I have a FD 3/4 ton truck similar to Merles. When I first put it on the road it felt like it was going to stall when using the fluid drive feature so I just drove it like a regular stick. Also it didn't really feel right under acceleration. A few months in and I decided to go through the Carter carb again and while I was at it I replaced the step up jet. Bingo! apparently the step up circuit was the culprit all along. After this carb rebuild the truck ran much better and using the fluid drive was no longer an issue. BTW the carb I was using was a complete NOS model that had never been fitted to anything. I have no idea why changing the jet made such a difference but it did. Just something to chew on..... Jeff

Davin; That is a shame. I know this project means a lot to you. Hopefully when you start up again things will go smoother. Jeff

Based on what you have found so far I think it is a good idea to drop the pan. Be prepared for a gooey mess and perhaps some tougher deposits. While you have the pan off you ought to clean the valve galleries as best you can. Anything there would just wind up in the oil pan. Jeff

Standard type timing lights work just fine with the 6 volt Pertronix module installed. I have heard all the rubbish about Pertronix modules failing..........and I believe most of the failures happen because of errors in the installation process. I absolutely love the way mine works and feel it is one of the best upgrades an owner can make. And I unlike most of you drive my 52 Dodge truck every day. Fires right up hot or cold without any fuss. A good vacuum gauge is one of the best devices there is to get the most out of this type of engine. I have one permanently installed in my truck and pay as much attention to it as all the other gauges combined. If you have this sort of set up you will always be able to tell when something begins to go awry. Jeff

My 52 has the same housing as yours. The other configuration was for slightly earlier engines. More important than the housing itself is the condition of the cooling system. If yours has set for a long time be prepared for several rounds of flush outs. There are lots of threads here on that topic. And hopefully your WDT (water distribution tube) that is inserted in the block directly behind the water pump is in decent shape. Jeff