Los_Control

Bring this back to the top. .... Good looking wheel. They are asking $120 which seems like a fair price for the condition ..... Would take me many hours labor to even try to get mine close to good condition. I asked in my thread hound dog hauler if anyone thought it would fit on my 1949 Dodge truck? A very wise man suggested to measure the shaft diameter & count the splines to see if they match. To be certain it would fit. I'm not ready to pull my wheel, was hoping to just pick something up & set it on the shelf for a better time to install it. This would be a pretty fancy wheel for a Dodge truck .... My heart just does not feel it right now .... yes ... no ... maybe? If someone else bought it first, I would not have to think about it anymore The very wise man @ggdad1951also said to be careful of scammers, he is correct there are scammers everywhere and this could be one. The seller has been a member on the H.A.M.B. since 2011, has almost 2k post and their seller rating is 100% .... I'm guessing is not a scammer. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/vintage-1949-dodge-18-steering-wheel-original-deco-art.1298707/

Certainly looks like gasket sealer .... seems about the only logical solution. I have never used a non hardening sealer. At least check the bolts to see they are tight. Clean it up & see if it comes back. Just guessing metal expands contracts with temps, the engine is cool metal contracted ..... summer heat the sealer starts to ooze ??? Or it could be what @ggdad1951 said

Times really have changed ..... what we use to do in the past is not always a option today ..... I keep forgetting Not what you are looking for, is 2 short videos about working with the rear shackles/springs. Worth the time to watch how the rear is done, will better understand the front? There is a 3rd video talking a little about the front bushing .... reminding us they are left handed threads. Been awhile since I have watched them ..... I wonder if all the bushings are left handed threads ..... first 2 vids should clarify that.

Just saying https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/what’s-causing-“stringing”-on-my-white-wall-tires.1298278/

I have a question for the group. My steering wheel is in really bad condition .... I can repair it enough to make it usable. I could never make it look correct. This wheel the seller claims is for a 49 Dodge car ..... I'm guessing it would work on the truck? Any thoughts on whether this wheel will work for me? I contacted the seller to inquire about shipping charges .... the wheel is not cheap but seems reasonable. It would suck to purchase it just to find out it wont work on a truck.

I would agree with the clamps. I had to do some work on our caravan injector rail which included new high pressure hose & the T-bolt clamps. Same time had a annoying re-occurring leak where Father used regular fuel line & worm clamps for transmission cooler lines. About every year the lines would start leaking & have to tighten the clamps again. So I replaced them with the same high pressure line & clamps .... hoping would correct the problem. I just ordered a assortment kit from Amazon .... think there are 100 or more assorted sized clamps and not very much money .... nice to have extras on the shelf.

Do not blame you on the glass. It scares me thinking about it. I have never installed auto glass before. While my glass is usable, all the rubber needs replaced. My plan is to get it on the road, then drive it to a class shop with all new rubber in hand and let them deal with it. Wishing you good luck on getting the truck back soon.

Flap is a rubber guard that protects the tube from chaffing on the metal wheel. You install the tube into the tire then the flap goes in between the tube & wheel. Then the tire goes on the wheel. Something all big trucks use as standard equipment, should be the same with any tube type tire. You can install without it .... I personally would only do so as a roadside emergency to get home.

I noticed my wife caravan is hard on front tires. The Father inlaw had rebuilt the transmission & installed new axles, he did his own alignment. Not a good one either. When we got the van I put 4 new tires & had a alignment done on it. The front struts were worn and in 2 or 3 years the front tires were almost bald evenly across, while the rear tires still look like new. I replaced the struts & the front tires .... I told myself then I would start rotating the tires front to rear to even out the tire wear. Last month I had to replace the clutch on my truck, while under there I realized the front drivers side tire had some wear on the inside edge. Still a very good tire and no uneven wear on the passenger front tire. I also had a alignment done when I put on 4 new tires 5 years ago. So I rotated them front to rear also. Rotating the tires use to be a common maintenance routine, seems to be a lost art now days.

A little vague on the information. .... sounds like a cool project .... or is it a restored beauty? I think that the typical tire height is about 29"-30" .... someone will know exactly what it should be. There are a few tire suppliers out there that will provide the correct tire for the wheel. I'm just not sure if all of them use the same size chart .... one person sells a 6.00 x 16 27" tall .... next persons sells same size 29" tall. The diameter is what you will be looking for. You say it is a project, been used on a farm all of it's life .... whats your plans/goals for it? Restore to original or make a decent driver out of it? A 235/75/15 radial is a nice tire that many swap to for a modern tire wheel. Has the correct height & is reasonably priced & available. The factory rims changed through the years on these old trucks, my 49 I believe came with 4.5" wide 16" wheels .... average 16" modern tire are simply too wide for them. So just about any correct tire you or the tire shop will have to order them online. ..... Depends what your goals are for the truck. A B3B would share the same bolt pattern as a 1990's Ford explorer, Jeep Cherokee or a older 5 lug Dodge Dakota ..... just for easy to find wheels to make it a roller while working on it. .... The bolt pattern is 5 on 4.5" ... many old vehicles used it Mopar, Ford, AMC etc...

I'm just a bit confused on the replacement of the front springs. years ago there was a shop on 2nd street in Albuquerque NM. They would pull my rear springs on my 1 ton van for $250 ... re-arch them & install them. Was a typical spring shop for semi trucks. So when @WPVT starts swapping springs ..... I just have to question why? Then I want to question who is doing the job .... Nosy as I am ..... maybe we should talk before working on the front end. Life is short, do what you enjoy is my motto!

IMHO, you going to have to have a qualified mechanic inspect the front end before you disassemble it. Replacing springs is one thing. ... There are bushings & many other parts included in the front end. Looking for the play in bushings or bearings is usually done before full disassembly. Whats the good of replacing your springs if your kingpins are worn out, or you need a new tie rod? Is true you can replace the springs then find out something else is shot ..... then pay twice to have the job done again. I'm only suggesting that someone needs to raise the vehicle & inspect the complete front end .... then report what needs to be replaced before it is torn apart. Without a inspection in the first place, nobody can tell you what you need before the inspection. I think the first thing to do is find the mechanic you want to work on your truck, then replace what they suggest.

I love you @Sniper .... I live in C City not Sweet water .... getting old does suck. Probably a good thing you not stopped by .... you would have just caught me sitting in the garage loafing thinking about working I sent you the address once in pm, you ever want it again let me know.

When I bought mine I thought it would be cool to have a matching trailer to pull behind the pilothouse. I still have a wild dream as a retired remodel carpenter I might setup a construction trailer with a canopy that opens from the sides with shelf's for tools & material, air compressor nail guns saws all the tools inside, ladders on top .... all locked up & dry. I need to do a small job, just hook up the trailer & go. .... A matching trailer would be cool. Let me start with, I have a good amount of experience pulling trailers. I'm no expert but I do ok. For almost 2 years a buddy & I were transforming a small walmart into a walmart super center. All we needed was to show up with a tool belt everyday. We carpooled in his little toyoyta. My 1 ton work van loaded with tools had the boat connected to it. So we got a box of beer on the way home, jumped out of his car into my van. A 1/2 mile up the road was the boat launch to the Columbia river. We would go fishing 3 or 4 nights a week after work ... every chance we got .... weekends I took the wife out fishing. Working construction I have pulled many different trailers. With all that said, be clear I'm not even good at pulling trailers ... I just get by at a average level. Backing up that little 8' trailer was the most miserable job I ever did. When I bought it & drug it home. I need to drive down the alley behind my house and navigate it through the gate into my back yard. The trailer is so short I can not see it out of my mirrors. By the time I can see it, is already jack knifed. I had a spot picked out I wanted to park it in .... I tried for almost 1 hour & never could park it where I wanted. I settled for where I could get it. I'm only suggesting these pilothouse beds are terrible candidates for trailers. IMHO. Something with a 8' bed would be better .... A 9' box would be ideal These issues can be fixed so you can actually see it when backing up. .... Really makes no difference. I have a garden tractor with a trailer about 5' long .... It really sucks backing it up & I can see it. Life is too short for short trailers. I feel like you are doing yourself a great favor by not finishing this project. I have no hard feelings at all about not wanting to finish mine.

Good link, I went through it and have it bookmarked for future reference. I also found a youtube vid that a older gentleman made up rebuilding a sears 328 jack. He was very thorough & clear on explaining what was going on. The link you post the man explains his guide will work for all Taiwan jacks .... the sears jack falls in that category also. Makes me a little more confident the sears 328 seal kit will work if needed .... I will try the hydraulic repair shop first. I'm hoping for the same result. Thinking the shop in my area survives on rebuilding hydraulic equipment for farmers ...... The same farmers all have repair shops at home with jacks to maintain the equipment. .... possible they have the seals or can get them. I have a project with my daily driver this week end, next week will be back on my pilothouse & will need to get the jack working to work on that truck.

I appreciate the reply, there is some good advice here. I think buying parts for the 328 is going to probably be my best option .... til I find out they wont work .... there is a lot of stuff in those kits, no way you could use them all. I also like @vintage6t solution. There is no indication of any leak around the cylinder. I have a few times jacked up a vehicle & let it sit overnight just to see if it leaked. It never leaked down. So really all I may need is the o-ring & nylon backup ring. ..... I'm thinking I'm going to start there. Just fix what is broken. I will try to source the parts locally .... if no luck I will gamble on buying the 328 kit. I do have a hydraulic repair shop in town. Lots of farms & ranches around with hydraulic equipment to maintain. If they had the parts I need, they would just be doing me a favor to get out of their hair & get back to work. I actually bought a motor from the kid .... Father owns the shop. He had a Ford Flathead V8 advertised on FB for $350 .... had been listed for several weeks. I contacted him to see if he still had it, then offered him $100 scrap value for it just to save it from the scrap yard .... he accepted. When I went to pick it up it was already in the back lot sitting in his scrap pile. ..... The karma was bad, he just thought I was taking advantage of him & that engine was worth a million $$ I'm just saying if he remembers me, he probably not looking to do me any favors

Yeah I bought mine from a estate sale for $50. I have tested it several times overnight sitting above jack stands .... no leaks or lowering while unattended. Great little jack. Now it is leaking. Looks like it has been seeping for a long time at the lever .... I just want to order the right parts to fix that. A seal kit is about $60 plus shipping. ..... Be really stupid if I ordered a seal kit I thought would work .... Then would not. Would be time to buy one of those cheap imitations of a race car jack from harbor freight. My jack now spits fluid out of the seal when I raise it under any load. .... Now it is low on fluid & not raise. I need to replace that seal .... in order to get it I need to buy a whole seal kit ..... how do I know what kit to buy? Let the question ride for a bit, possibly someone has a idea .... I suspect I will order the seal kit for the sears 328 & hope it fits.

I have a leak in my old floor jack .... bought it a few years ago & works great .... except for now it does not. Right here on the lever it is now obvious where it leaks. .... been seeping for awhile, now it is just useless til fixed. I'm thinking these jacks were sold in the 1980's? The orange paint. In the 1970's Sears sold a jack that looks just like them except a different color ..... A model 328. I'm guessing they were the same jacks built in Japan, distributed to different stores ...... How do I know what seal kit to buy for it? I guess many would just toss it in the trash, I like it & is a quality built jack .... better then some of the junk available today. Just not sure how to order parts for it. ...... I'm only guessing if I order parts for a Sears 328 they will work on this jack. Any ideas on how to get the right parts?

@Dave72dt I'm really out of place here .... @bkahler has their own opinion .... I'm only offering my opinion that may not be the same as any others. The problem is the 6' metal pipe or tube on the top of the bed side. Once that is damaged or bent .... you will not be hammer/Dolley it out. Yes there are ways to fix them ..... at some point you need to justify the time & labor into it. My low side bed at about 1' from the tail gate on the driver side has a hit. I will have a really bad gap on the tailgate as is. If I find a pipe that will fit inside the top rail, a cumalong to pull tension on it, maybe some heat on it to help out. I can fix the 1 ding and make the tail gate fit better ..... will not be perfect, good enough for me. Just picture a front end loader whacking that top rail for decades .... and trying to fix the dents. I believe a serious body man would just start from scratch & build a new bedside. Restoring a original bedside is more effort then some would think .... that top rail is a job.

@Dave72dt I agree with you 100%, problem is @bkahler bed sides are in such poor shape ... upper rail bent bad enough just not worth trying to fix them ..... old farm truck loaded from the side for decades with a loader. So cutting the top off of them would not be any loss to the Mopar world. .... Reusing the bottoms would be considered a save. Brad is just in a tough situation, truck is on the path to final assembly .... still needs to work out the bed. There are bed sides out there for sale .... just need to find them close enough to be practical. Even if a flatbed was a temporary choice .... one step closer to getting the truck on the road. Next year when not looking, might find what they need cheap & local .... build a original bed and swap it back over. I would love to help them out, living in West Texas is like living on another planet .... were not close to anything. I have a old trailer out back that I just store scrap iron in .... flat tires, no lights, no fenders .... needs work. I bought it for parts if I ever need them. None of the sheet metal works on my low side. If I were to ever use the trailer .... I would prefer a flatbed trailer .... where I could haul 8' lumber with the gate closed. There must be 50 trailers or beds sitting in fields somewhere closer to Brad then West Texas. So in my personal opinion, the high side beds of Dodges are fugly. The low side beds are just as fugly, because of the proportion of the cab height & bed sides .... they add comical relief to the viewer. This bed is way better condition then my low side .... I should use it .... the low side makes me smile. I would rather go a flatbed myself, then install a high side bed ..... that I already own.

Just another idea. I'm thinking the fenders on that truck are trailer fenders. This photo is from tractor supply, they sell for $100. They are smaller/shorter then the original fenders. The height of the fender would set the location of the height of the bed. So if the factory fenders are too tall & would look goofy ... you can use trailer fenders & drop it a few inches. Random photo from FB. You can see how tall the fenders sit. Probably too high to put a bed over them. You could cut 3" from the sides of the fenders & weld them back together to fit the fender lower & tighter over the tire. I'm not a good enough fabricator to know what would happen to the profile of the radius if you tried to section the fender. ..... Could turn into a mess. Or need to rebuild the radius also. Might be easier to just start with new trailer fenders. They look good on the flatbed truck pictured above.

I'm a fan of flatbeds, done right they look pretty sharp and very useful. I like several things with this one. I like that it has fenders, these are not stock for a 41 chebby but they look pretty close to our stock fenders. I like the idea of hanging storage/tool boxes underneath. Think I would prefer black painted boxes .... just me. While it would take some fabrication to use your stock fenders, you could use your running boards all the way to the fender as designed. ...... Possibly use the bottom 1/2 of your existing bed sides? Just looks clean to me with having it boxed in under the bed ... you cant see under the truck. No idea what wood is being used here. You could use pine & stain it to get the color you want .... I like this color. Then use penofin oil on it for protection. Parked out in the driveway for a few months would look dull & crappy. Just use a rag & wipe on more oil. Wipe it right over the hardware no masking. Get some on the paint just use a clean rag & wipe it off. Same product is used for outdoor decks & wood .... let it dry a few hours and can sit on it without it rubbing on your clothes or hands. ..... 15 or 20 minutes you can do the whole bed & look like new. A extra chore but a easy one. Hauling furniture & put a gouge in the wood, wipe on some stain then oil. Gouge will still be there but will be camouflaged with the new finish & disappear ..... Easy to maintain. https://www.streetsideclassics.com/vehicles/3351-nsh/1941-chevrolet-pickup

Now is time to be disappointed Like you say, you are building a engine anyways ..... I suspect it might not take much to freshen up the 218 you are running now.

As earlier stated, just to hear it run would be easiest to just disconnect the rubber fuel line from the fuel pump. Use a 2 gallon gas can & a length of 5/16" fuel line to connect the two together. ..... I tie my 2 gallon can onto the bumper so can move it around. Sitting for 10 years in a barn covered up .... should not be to bad on the engine. The old cast iron rings like to stick to the aluminum pistons .... whatever they are made of ... dissimilar metals. Adding a little marvel mystery oil in the cylinders to soak the rings will help loosen them up. Running the engine through a couple heat cycles will also help loosen them up. Just saying if the rings are stuck to the pistons, you will have low compression. As the rings loosen up & begin to spin on the pistons as designed and seal against the bores, the compression will come back. So don't be disappointed with a low compression number at first .... totally normal. My truck sat for about 20 years outdoors in a field. I had 2 cylinders @100-110 psi, 2 @80-90 psi And 2 more at 20 & 60 psi. .... All over the place. Last time I checked the lowest cylinder at 20 psi was up to 95 psi .... I have never driven it on the road, still painting. A nice long drive would help it out a lot.

I dunno about it being a valve. .... I thought the valves are located to the side of the piston? Piston not going to hit the valve. I had one 218 engine .... was in "flower pot" the engine was loose & could turn it by hand using the fan & one finger .... zero compression. It would only turn 90% one way & stop with a loud metallic clunk .... spin it the other direction ... loud metallic clunk. I just always assumed it was something in the rotating assembly .... broken rod is my first choice ... could be several thing maybe even a cam .... I did not suspect stuck valves though.