9 foot box

Nice job. I’ve made a few springs with piano wire. After bending, I put them in the oven when my wife bakes a frozen pie. 425* for an hour and leave them in the oven after the pie is removed, to cool slowly. Rick D.

You might have a 68-73 Mustang or Mercury Cougar rear axle. I would look at drums for those cars. They used the same wheel cylinders as the trucks, but the trucks had 11” brakes and drums, larger bolt pattern axle, and wider axle than those cars. Rick D.

My 46 came with new aftermarket sill mats, without the pins that my 49 has. My plan is to use these panel fasteners with new sill grommets. I was going to prep the head of the fastener and apply contact cement. Set the mat on, and let the cement set. That’s my basic plan anyway. Rick D.

About 15 years ago I installed an electric tankless water heater. Your family could all have a hot shower, and never run out of hot water. I can turn the temperature down to 95 degrees and run it through my pressure washer. It’s on demand, so there is no waiting to heat a tank of cold water. There are special valves that should be installed, so you can flush out the water with air or pump a vinegar solution through it. I suppose it would depend on if you have a large enough electric service box. Two new elements should fix your problem but it’s something to think about for the future. I had to replace one element a few months ago. I disconnected the three elements to check them individually with an ohm meter for an open circuit on the faulty one. Rick D.

When you look for a used original manual, the cover should have a grainy texture. I bought one that has the pages loose leafed. I have the one that came with my 46. It works, but is just too crude, the pictures are good though. Rick D.

I have bought a couple of the original print versions. The pictures in the reprints aren’t very good. I gave a reprint copy to the man that got a 48 P15 Club Coupe from me last month. Rick D.

Like Sam said, the linkage needs adjusting. The gear selector rod is too tight, it needs to be backed off a bit to get a good H pattern on the column shifter. If your rear mounts have collapsed over the years, it would have changed the linkage to operate correctly. I think this from my manual might help. Rick D.

I’m assuming you mean a pinion seal, with a 1.875” i.d. measurement. My parts book lists a 663602 as the original seal. My research a few weeks ago had me save an SKF 99187 as the Speedi-sleeve, to repair the flange/yoke. Rick D.

The picture I showed was posted by dodgeb4ya on Nov.15,2018. I would do a test try with the six guide studs in the block. I had a little trouble clearing the lower timing cover bolts. I must have used four guide pins, with a slot to remove with a screwdriver. Rick D.

This is how I put my pan back on. Rick D.

When I got my 41 WC it had this monster installed. I cleaned a couple stock distributors and will probably use one of them with a ballast resistor and put a plug wire loom on and mount the coil on the firewall. Right now, the plug wires are resistor (and too long) with 295 plugs set at .045”. I have some RJ12Y plugs that might burn cleaner with a correct gap for HEI. This is all temporary, to be able to drive locally. I have another project, but I had to address a few things on the 41 before I was going to drive it. I like the post though and it is a fairly easy adaption to a newer slant six distributor. So I appreciate the information and options provided. Rick D.

DCM classics has a BR-567 for 10” or 11” brakes. You could get some spare C-clips, also. I was looking for something else, and saw those. AB or Roberts probably has them also. Rick D.

I got my corn head grease delivered this morning. I called my friend/ ex-employer, who was in the vicinity. $15 for two tubes.

I put the original steering gear box in and mounted to the dash. I made a battery holder that fit existing holes in the frame. I got a couple nos drag link springs. The steering arm/pitman arm is worn on one side. I’m hoping that one that I bought for $26 online is correct, otherwise VPW seems to have them for $95 and shipping. I’m going to put corn head grease in the steering gear box, I’m just looking for the cheapest way to get it delivered. Otherwise it’s a 100 mile round trip to the nearest JD dealer, for $7 tube of the grease I want. Rick D.

I would replace the tank with one that resembles the the original. I replaced mine with one from Auto City Classics. Sam got one from Vans Auto. Acetone might loosen the varnish in the filter element and the tank. If you can get low pressure air to blow through the filter, dump the acetone and use dishwasher soap and water with a length of 1/4” chain to scrub the inside. There is a special ferrule when you disconnected the fuel line from the tank. Don’t lose it. The tank I cleaned was for a truck, and didn’t have the filter, but I removed the sending unit and capped it and the inlet, for my process. Rick D.

A rebuilt clutch has a break in period. I would drive the car and let it go through your shifting sequence, and see if it doesn’t improve and come up to your expectations after driving a few miles of stop and go driving. Rick D.

Young Ed, I looked at some greasable shackles at Morris 4x4. The PO’s have a cobbled together shackle on the right front. I have some Jeep springs with hangers, maybe I can use these shackles. Or use the rear front spring shackles from a 53 B model chassis I have. I won’t know until I can assess the damage done to the frame and springs. P81, it surprisingly seemed to steer okay, but it hung below the axle and just wasn’t up to my standards. The double joint universals flopped around too much and interfered with the clutch pedal movement. I’m too much of a purist to use that type of steering on a 41 WC. The plus is that I have a truck chassis I bought for the lock ring wheels, and it has the parts I need to put this back to original. The spring is broken in the drag link , but I think a Century spring LL-49 will fix that. I looked up the number for a drag link spring, 318748, and found two at Parts house clearance in Oroville,WA. Len Dawson has one in stock. Then I can adjust the the tension on the ball joint. Rick D.

Put the 41 on the lift and removed the steering. The floor board was one piece, with no access to the battery, which was moved to the right side. The battery holder sides for frame mount are there, so I will make a tray and put it back on the left and cut the floorboard for access. Then I can get to the transmission fill plug. I’ve been coming across all sorts of buffoonery. I took all the hub caps off and the left rear drum nut was loose, no cotter pin. That drum shouldn’t be hard to remove. Today I fixed the frame, where it had been butchered for I don’t know why. Another steering column? The truck has a four speed with 4.3 rear gears. 3.9 would be what I am going to try and find. I haven’t looked at the rear spring bushings, but the front bushings will need to be fixed. Rick D.

I took the plug off the rear of the mc and honed it. Use a light at the front, to check your honing progress. I dip the hone in clean brake fluid as a lubricant. Clean it good before assembly. I used a Raybestos MK143 kit. Rick D.

This might help, it should be in downloads. Rick D.

As I mentioned, the truck needs some attention. The PO put a manual rack and pinion steering in the truck. Today, I pulled the column, pitman arm, drag link and tie rod off a 45? WD-20 that I have at hand. I will fix that first. Probably restore it to foot stomp starter and eliminate the solenoid. It’s been converted to 12 volt. The gauges will be restored to original. Sorry no picture, but the waterfall dashboard wasn’t cut, so I can cleanup some gauges that I have and use them. I didn’t need another project, but I couldn’t pass on this deal to get rid of one that I would never finish, to a runner. The 54 2 door Savoy was another trade deal for a 35 Ford rolling chassis truck frame with a 8ba flathead and spare 8ba engine with a 3 speed. The engine I got with the Savoy is a rebuilt T336. Another project I probably won’t do, because I’d rather have a four door, for the ease of my passengers to enter and exit. But I have a rebuilt 230 engine. Someone will see the Savoy and want to put a different engine and transmission in it anyway. I stopped at a convenience store, and a man asked what my 49 coupe was, I told him, and he said that it would make a good hot rod. I replied that it is just fine as an original. And it is. Rick D.

I should get my new turn signal switch tomorrow. Last week I made a battery rack. The powder coated grill allows dirt to fall through and hold down bolts to attach to the grid. It’s under your left foot, sitting in the seat, like a lot of Dodge trucks. Rick D.

Horse trading is a reference to shrewd bargaining. It wasn’t necessary in this case, but I wanted it to mean that no money was exchanged. Just a a fair exchange of vehicles. Rick D.

I traded a 48 Plymouth Club Coupe for a 41 WC pickup today. The Coupe needed too much work and the truck runs and is drivable. The 41 needs a few changes to make muster, in my opinion, but it was a good trade. The owner drove it on my trailer. The trim and rear window for the club coupe were in the trunk. I gave the new owner a reprint service manual. The club coupe was a project I didn’t want to take on, but the truck is doable to drive and clean up. The truck has a D5 rebuilt engine tag that says it’s a 37 engine. It should be a T112. The front trim is all there, but will need some finessing to look better. I couldn’t refuse the trade offer. Rick D.