rustrunner

Thanks Merie - followed your directions, and it worked great. Seal # NOS 24459 Dan

Back again on seal issues. Decided to replace the grease seals on the front hubs of the 53 B-4-KA, and after removing, no # on seal, and cannot find a #. Anyone have a starting point for me? ALSO - Is there a parts manual for this truck that I need to pick up to answer a lot of my questions? Again, Thanks all.

Mike: When I took all the numbers to O'Rileys we ended up with a couple of possible National Seal Numbers. We ordered both Seals, and National Seal 455547 was the correct one for my B-4 -KA. Dan

+1 on the park light housings

OK Will look into having one made, or I will remove the top spring on each side. However, have a trip planned to look at a couple of Dodge trucks remains, and will see first if I can pick one up. Thanks ALL - Dan

Well the good news is that I have a rolling frame for the B-4-KA restore. Have brakes done, with relined shoes, new wheel cylinders, new seals, and back bearings replaced. Ready to plumb 2 speed axle, air Hyd. and Vacuum brakes. Still have crappy old tires, but that's about the last thing. However, I have one leaf of the overload pack that is broken, and was wondering if anyone has ever welded a spring leaf? Is the top leaf, and not broken completely in half, but looks bad. And since it is a road tractor it will show unless I put fenders on it, which I had not planned on. Do not ever anticipate loading the truck to the point where the leaf would have a load placed upon it, but one never knows. Thanks Dan

Had a cross member on my KA that was rusted, and they are not that hard to rebuild. Either take some good measurements, or do as we did and weld a support across the top and bottom of the frame, cut out the bad, and weld in new. Lot of grinding but not all that bad. We made a complete new (side to side) bottom plate to weld in. That mouse pee does a lot of damage. Dan

Thanks all, got my seals. Now if just didn't have so much work to do for our Church, could get a rolling frame going - Oh well, next week.

Thanks again, this restore has been a real challenge, and this site has been so much help. Will see if I can get 2, hope to have a rolling frame this week, so I can start putting this truck back together. Dan

Need to replace the Rear oil Seals before I go back together with the new brakes, and all on the B-4-KA restore, and cannot find a number for the seal. Is what I would call the inner Hub oil seal that seals the hub to the rear axle. Have looked at all the Dodge info I have, and even the blowup of the rear axle does not list this seal. Have gone through NAPA, and O'Rileys and neither of them can match it up. Seal is 5 1/8" OD, 4" ID, and 5/8" thick. Does anyone have a # that I could xref to get a seal. Again, thanks for all the help - Dan

One more Question: Is the water pump the same for all the engines? Mine has a 117001 number on it, which I believe is the Dodge 1064 925 part #. Thanks again, Dan

Found out (and have in hand) that the Dorman W17786 or Raybestos WC17786 is the correct Rear Wheel cylinder for the J and K truck. Also have new W17789's for the front. A couple of internet sited claim that the Dorman W37317 is the same, but on that wheel cylinder, the round part that fits into the back plate is to small. Couple of other questions: Is the Oil Washer ( the washer that holds the oil felt) for the brake shoe post available. Have a couple that are rather thin. Can always make the felts. Know that the keepers are available. Also, was the Bendix - Westinghouse Air Compressor for the K model painted RED? That seems to be what mine was, but that could be the primer showing? Looks to have been red with a black pulley. As always, thanks for your expert help. Dan

I have seen engines that have a small Number after the engine #, like 010, which I always thought was an oversize indication. In a junk yard I saw one engines with a spot ground flat to the right of the engine # that had a number stamped in it. It was a 3 digits and then below an F and 5 digits. like 060 F44690 Do not know what this implies? Dan

Mike: This is what I think is correct for larger Dodge truck brake cylinders, anyone with better info please correct. #'s are old Dodge part numbers Front Wheel Cylinder For B1, B2, and B3 (F,G,H,J,K) they are all the same, but different part for each side. (R1271 426, L1271 427) For B4 (F,G,H) it depends on Serial # (1393 321, 1271 426, 1271 427) For B4 (J,K) they are the same, and same part for both sides (1393 321) (new # EW17789) Rear Wheel Cylinder For B1, B2, B3 (F, G, H) they are the same, but different part for each side (R1271 418, L 1271 419) For B1, B2, B3 (J, K) they are the same, but different part for each side (R1271 422, L1271 423) For B4 (F, G, H) they are the same, same part for each side (1500 485) For B4 (J, K) they are the same, same part for each side (1394 347) (new # EW17786) Dan

Rick: The EW17786 # looks like what I needed. We had been able to xref the front to the EW17789 # from the original Wagner FD-17864 #, but could never cross to a correct rear # Thanks. If this doesn't work, then rebuild the ones I have.

Thanks Mike: Have two good NAPA stores that I work with, and neither one could find a replacement. The fronts were shot (tooo much mouse peeee, and they may have been leaking when the truck was parked). Will attempt to repair the rear. Have one apart (after soaking in PB blaster) and it looks like they will clean up and be usable. Would like to get new pistons for them, but have not yet found 1 1/2" replacement pistons. Same with the shoes, the backs look new, but the fronts were worn out, having them relined, should have them back next week. Thanks for the Alretta info, looks like they could be helpful. Dan

As before, still working on my KA. Trying to get the frame back to rolling so can plumb and install rebuilt motor and trans in a month or so, but have brake problems. Am OK on front brakes, for I could xref the BW Fd-17864 number to a good number and have new wheel cyl. Back brakes are a problem. Current Wheel cylinders have a 394548 number on them, and have a LOGO of a diamond with a S in the center. We thought that this xrefed to a Raybestos # of WC37317, but that then provides a part where the round part that goes into the back plate is to small. all the rest of the part is correct. 1 1/2 inch bore Any help would be appreciated, would like to get the wheels back on in a couple of weeks. Dan

Thanks BOB and all. From the documentation I had, I could not figure out if it was a 875 or 895. When we tore the truck down, there had been some leakage out of the rear seal, so thanks for the information, will purchase a new one and replace. Dan

Rebuild going alone, but working on the Trans for the 1953 KA, and would like to replace the main shaft seal. Do not want to take the old one out until I am sure that a new seal can be found, but can't find a number on the old seal to see if replacements are available. Trans is a New Process 875 or 895 - 5 Speed. Trans was manufactured in 11/52. And help with availability, or seal number? Seal can be seen in pictures, and I assume would just pry out??? Thanks Dan

Great information, but it raises a question about the fuel lines for my truck. With both saddle tanks and the cab tank, I have two lines going to the carbs. One from the mechanical fuel pump, and one from the electrical pump mounted on the frame behind the cab. Is the a REDO, or was this correct for a truck with factory saddle tanks. Under the seat there is a valve that turns on either the saddle tanks or the main cab tank. You can see in the picture that the two lines to the carbs come together just before the carbs, and both lines cross the truck in front of the engine and behind the radiator.

Have the Four Dodge Rims sand Blasted and I have had (What I consider) a very reliable Tire man (Second generation, been in business for 60+ years) look them over. All 4 are fine from a ring/rim standpoint, One has a badly rusted spot on the center, but we will mount a tire on all four so we can move the frame/truck around, and then see what we can purchase. Will be going to look 4 used rims local next week. I am glad we planed over a year for this rebuild

Thanks, the front 2 are the center split widow makers, (which I call Split Rim) that I think I will replace. Gives me the information I need to continue on - What a great resource to have for my first Dodge restore. Dan

What is the correct rim for a 53 B-4-KA?? Mine has 20" split Ring on the back (all 4) and 20" split Rim on the front. I thought all Dodge's were split Ring, and not the split Rim's, where the rim splits in the center. I would much rather deal with Split Ring. Thanks

The back tires on the truck are interesting. It looks like it has tandem axels, but each with only one tire, and with the front turned out, and the back turned in. Or am I just seeing things.

Got into the Master cylinder today, and as I thought, left the worst to last. Full of crud, and the actual master cylinder is toast, and broke a bolt that I now have to drill out. Does anybody know if there is a newer unit manufactured that will replace the Wagner Lockheed FE786 hyd master cyl?