Jeff Balazs

Paul; Maybe it is just me? but this seems a bit drastic for a cosmetic change that is not even correct for the truck. I could maybe see it if you were keeping it......but since you are passing it along it is just going to make it harder for someone to save in the future. Just my opinion for what it is worth. Jeff

You can try testing it by filling the float chamber with denatured alcohol and putting the top back on. Then simply operate the throttle and see if you get a good stream. If all you get is a dribble then you may have a clogged passage or the check ball may not be seating. Hope this helps. Jeff

Joe; I just want to say what a wonderful job you have done with this truck. You will have something to be proud of for a long time to come. And FWIW I think it is great that you are putting it back to work. After all that is what they were built for in the first place. Jeff

Every time I read comments like these it makes me glad I switched over to the Pertronix Ignitor and matched coil set up. It is a very effective way to eliminate a few common weak spots in these systems. I am sure that back in the day when OEM parts were of a consistent quality these sorts of issues were less common. But with todays parts situation and frantic traffic the last thing you need is a marginal ignition system. Do yourselves a favor and consider this upgrade. It is essentially a fit and forget fix for these sorts of problems. Jeff.

Butch.....Big Utility Truck/Car Hauler.

Fred; I brought this up because I kinda think that there are a lot of these engines out there that could benefit from this sort of treatment. And you are correct I was lucky......but I knew it had a chance because I pulled the head and oil pan before I ever turned it over. I won't go into that whole story here. One point I am trying to make is that these engines can hold a lot of sludge and deposits and they can run better once most of this crud has been flushed out. I know I had a couple of sticky valves early on and that is no longer the case. The other point is that a vacuum gauge can be one of the most valuable tools you have in assessing the condition and state of tune. They seem to get ignored by many and for the life of me I can't understand why. One thing I believe in very strongly is if you do your best to keep the oil in the engine clean ......and the fuel and air going into it clean as well you will see the benefits. This isn't as easy as it sounds if we are talking about an old engine that has not been completely torn down and rebuilt. There is plenty of areas for the crap to form and build up and one or two quick treatments are not going to get it all. And I don't think the situation is helped at all by retaining the old road draft tubes and 160 degree thermostats. . Jeff

Looking good........but I kinda did a double take when I first saw these photos. Looks a bit like the back of a VW Bus. Jeff

That is true enough. When I first got my engine running I did the compression test and found #4 and #5 were a 10#-12# lower than the other cylinders. I think that is pretty typical of one of these engines that has been sitting for a long spell. I had an initial vacuum reading of 17" with a bounce of 1" or so. I was able to get a higher and more stable vacuum reading of 18" at idle by reworking the carb and replacing the faulty PCV valve. I kept after things by doing several oil changes to flush out all the sludge and deposits. Things actually got better with this treatment. Now I get a steady vacuum reading of 19.5" when cold and once it warms up it is at 20.5" or better. The last time I did a compression check all the clyinders were within 5# of each other and had an average of 116#. I am happy with that sort of number considering I did not do a rebuild. I think these engines can respond very well to modern detergent oils. Once all the old sludge and build up is flushed out even a worn engine isn't so bad as long as there is no serious damage. Jeff

After what you did to that poor truck you should go back to her with a big bag of money........shame on you.

Not saying that it is but it may be restricted.......and that could cause it to smoke quite a bit. I suggest a vacuum gauge ....it will tell you more about this engine than a compression check. Jeff

I think you need to remove the road draft tube and make certain it is clear before doing anything else. You should also make sure the breather is not stopped up too. I would suggest you put a vacuum gauge on it and see how it reads after these items are checked. FWIW an oil change is often the best thing you can do when beginning to assess the condition of an engine. Jeff

Female of course.....they are not attached ....just hanging there like a trophy.

Nice COE Mark. Looks like you have enough in the way of projects now to keep you out of mischief. Jeff

If you stop and think about what was going on in '51 and '52 it makes sense the radios sold in that time period would have the CD stations labelled. Scary stuff huh? Came pretty close to using them again.......... An old buddy who was a marine at Inchon told me just how close it was there. Good thing Ike threw his hat in when he did. Wise Wat Tu might have gotten a bit burnt around the edges. Jeff

I wonder what is hiding behind that delete plate? Jeff

Some possibilities? 608....604...607....? ? One thing is for certain these trucks didn't get cut for that 610T.....It may not have even been available when these were stamped. There was a war going on. I don't want one.......but I am curious.

No doubt. And I do remember being a bit surprised by the location of it. At one point I went back over this carb with denatured alcohol and that was when I "found" some dirt and blockage that the earlier cleaning didn't get. It was a "If at first you don't succeed....try try again" moment. To be honest ...out of habit I use the clutch 99% of the time too. Jeff

You may well be able to get the carb you have to work. I think the real key is a very stable idle with a steady vacuum reading. If you have not put a vacuum test on this yet I suggest you give it a shot. Ideally you want a very steady reading on the gauge. If the needle is bouncing around much you wont have any luck getting the FD to operate correctly. And by much I think a fairly small needle bounce of more than a half an inch is probably too much. If you have a exhaust leak or any sort of vacuum leak.then you probably have to correct this in order for it to all work correctly. At one point I had a PCV valve connected that was not functioning properly and it was enough to cause an issue with stalling. Fluid drives are very nice if they are working properly......but they add another few details that require owner attention. Merle I don't have a picture of it but there is a small passage from the dash pot chamber back into the float chamber. Mine was stopped up when I first rebuilt it....took me a few attempts to find and get it clear. Jeff

Mark; I think you might be looking for a series 800 radio. Do an image search for Motorola 803....843.....looks like the cutout would work with these....but I can't say for sure as the resolution on this computer screen is terrible. Jeff

Dan; I have seen these for sale on ebay a few times. I hate to say it but these are going to be tough to find otherwise. Jeff

Get plenty of extras as you will surely Lose a few during the job. Jeff

The dash pot on the DTG1 carb is there to provide a "cushioning" effect on the throttle return. It is essentially a form of stall prevention. Fluid drives are engine speed sensitive and only work at their best when kept within a very specific rpm range at idle. The dash pot linkage provides this "cushion" by pumping a small amount of fuel through a orifice.back into the float chamber. It works very well when everything is properly adjusted. I found that my set up benefited from the addition of an aux. throttle return spring. It's effect is very brief but it is there to keep the idle speed from dropping to low when you take your foot off the pedal. When I first got my truck running I had some trouble with all this. The biggest problem was caused by a vacuum leak. Fluid drives are more sensitive to a good steady idle than a conventional set up.. I tried my truck with the dash pot adjusted as Merle suggests but I found the factory adjustment really worked best. Again I do have an aux. throttle return spring installed and this addition definitely has an effect on how the dash pot works. Hopefully you still have the DTG! or can find one. I have been looking for a spare for about two years with no joy. Jeff

Your carb does not have a dashpot. The one you want is a DTG1. You may be able to get this one to work OK but it will depend on state of tune and perhaps a slightly higher idle. Have you checked your engine with a vacuum gauge? Do you have steady vacuum above 18" at idle? Jeff

Paul; Have you used a serrated washer at each screw terminal? Jeff

I had the same problem with the NGK B4. It simply runs too hot. It may be listed as a direct crossover but I think this is incorrect. Autolite 306 seems to run well. I have not tried the AC plugs. Jeff