It Runs! The Big Black Beauty

[KJ's Dodge]

The rear end gear ratios are 6.13 and 8.15.

KJ

Edited August 5, 2010 by KJ's Dodge

[KJ's Dodge]

Still waiting on brake parts but here are some more photos of the progress after I put in the vacuum booster.

I scored a vintage Washington plate (1947) from Whitman county. That is the county I live in and the truck has always been registered in. Although the truck is a 1948, the state did not produce any plates that year so it would have had to have 1947 plates. Unfortunately the license plates slipped away at the estate auction that were original to the truck, since I was unaware that I could register the truck with year of production plates.

I am pretty confident that the truck has a Gar Wood Bed which is almost unheard of in the Northwest. Most people haven't ever seen one out here. The significance is that Garfield Wood was the originator of the dump hoist and was the first to patent his invention forever changing how we unload big trucks. These beds were really well engineered and built by the best craftsman.

Chipping away in the cool morning hours.

Enjoy some of my recent pics.

KJ

Edited August 6, 2010 by KJ's Dodge

[KJ's Dodge]

I charged up and down our gravel road today. Tomorrow I will be on asphalt and heading in to town. Lots of fun. The brakes work well and the truck runs smooth. The new 900 x 20 tires make all the difference in the world.

I maybe taking the truck to the Lewiston Hot August Nights tomorrow which has a car show during the day. If not there is still a couple more community actvities with car shows close to home. I will try to post some pics later in the day.

[BobT-47P15]

Although I'm not a truck guy, I think your ol Dodge is looking better all

the while. Looks like it was actually in pretty good shape for it's age.

I suspect you'll have the only one like it in a car show. Enjoy!

Here's a picture of a Dodge flatbed I found on the net. It has silver

painted wheel rings.

Link to the story of their truck in Louisiana....http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/26/hub-and-ann-allums-took-on-the-task-of-restoring-h/

[KJ's Dodge]

That is a nice looking truck. Although my truck has 33,540 miles on odometer, those were hard work hours from the start. Even the break in mileage from Detroit to here was with a load on the bed of the truck (a new Jeep). The previous owner really prized his truck and it was well cared for up and until the person that herited his estate sent it out in to the pasture.

I am passing on the show today but there is an antique cruise next week, a car show in Palouse mid month, the county fair, and AHTS chapter truck show in October in Walla Walla (all of them not far from me). I need to make sure all my systems are operational and tight. The outside tires will be mounted at Les Schwab today and the lugs tightened to spec. More pics are coming.

Edited August 29, 2010 by KJ's Dodge

[KJ's Dodge]

Here are some of my latest pics. I did take the truck to the grain elevator just down the road from my house. The truck weighed in at 10,800. Still more to do but it is looking really good.

Enjoy!

KJ

[KJ's Dodge]

Just a couple more views

[HanksB3B]

I think my B3B would fit on the bed no problem. Not sure I could live with the blind spot from the muffler though...but then again it's not my truck.

Nice to see her running,

Hank

[KJ's Dodge]

Hank,

I am sure I could haul your truck pretty easily. With a 15 foot Gar Wood bed and one of the big Molly Blocks, this Truck would hardly know that your truck was on its back given the previous owner load up to 20,000lb of grain. A few thousand lbs would not slow me down much. My truck tripped the scales at the grain elevator down the road from me at 10,800lbs with out a load last week, without the racks and an empty tank. I will be returning the exhaust to its intended location prior to painting. I can live with the blind spot in the short run.

KJ

Edited September 9, 2010 by KJ's Dodge

[HanksB3B]

Glad you are going to re-route the stack.

Hank

[KJ's Dodge]

Bob came along way out of his way to pay me and my truck a visit. I visited him and his six Pilothouses in July. One of the things that impressed me was his vast knowledge of these heavy Dodges. He took a lot of pictures noting the numerous differences in my truck which is a couple years older than any of his trucks.

He owed his first truck in 1972, thus "Dodge before you" is pretty appropriate for his handle. Since he owes five of these heavy trucks, all of them that run, I was really surprised to hear that he has never seen another one of these running besides the one's he owes. That really states how rare these heavy Dodges are, the rarest of the rare Dodge trucks.

KJ

Edited September 9, 2010 by KJ's Dodge

[Dodgeb4ya]

Bob came along way out of his way to pay me and my truck a visit. I visited him and his six Pilothouses in July. One of the things that impressed me was his vast knowledge of these heavy Dodges. He took a lot of pictures noting the numerous differences in my truck which is a couple yeasr old than any of his trucks.

He owed his first truck in 1972' date=' thus Dodge before you is pretty appropriate for his handle. Since he owes five of these heavy trucks, all of them that run, I was really surprised to hear that he has never seen another one of these running besides the one's he owes. That really states how rare these heavy Dodges are, the rarest of the rare Dodge trucks.

KJ[/quote']

KJ,

Thanks again, I had a great time over at your place. I thank you for inviting me over! It awesome to see a 100% factory original-not messed with Dodge truck-especially a big series truck that was so nice-rust free with loads of factory accessories. You have done a great job of bringing it back to running condition too! Just keep it under 65! I'll be over again to go for a ride once that front crank pulley is back together!

Bob

[MBF]

Wow-that is beautiful. Guys-here's a lesson learned. A few years back there was a Dodge PH firetruck (same size as this black beauty) sitting in a farmer's parking lot not too far from here. I drove by it many times, and figured it wouldn't be for sale. WRONG! Another collector bought it took the fire body off and put a Flatbed on it. He took it to numerous truck shows before finally selling it. It had less than 10K miles on it, and only required a minor cleanup and scuffing for the repaint he had done. That truck was super clean and very rare for a PH He bought it for almost nothing. Next time stop and ask. Mike

[KJ's Dodge]

The dual drive pulley on the crankshaft is final back on the truck. I moved away from the rivets and the pulley is now bolted in place with grade 8 bolts, flat washers and lock washers. The rivets were 15/64 and the new bolts are 5/16. The rivet holes had to be drilled out a little bit and tapped.

I did a little painting, replaced the two fan belts, all of the radiator and heater hoses (some of them were probably original). I should have it reassembled later this week for further test runs. If my reliability test drives go well later this week then I may hit a car show in City of Palouse on Saturday. Pic below.

Question: What is in the front engine cover to the left with raised circle? Is that the drive chain housing for the timing chain?

Edited September 14, 2010 by KJ's Dodge

[Dodgeb4ya]

The dual drive pulley on the crankshaft is final back on the truck. I moved away from the rivets and the pulley is now bolted in place with grade 8 bolts' date=' flat washers and lock washers. The rivets were 15/64 and the new bolts are 5/16. The rivet holes had to be drilled out a little bit and tapped.

I did a little painting, replaced the two fan belts, all of the radiator and heater hoses (some of them were probably original). I should have it reassembled later this week for further test runs. If my reliability test drives go well later this week then I may hit a car show in City of Palouse on Saturday. Pic below.

Question: What is in the front engine cover to the left with raised circle? Is that the drive chain housing for the timing chain?[/quote']

KJ,

That area behind the raised area on the timing gear cover-not timing chain cover (No chain on the Moly Blocks) is where say if the engine was a industrial Dodge engine a large type of mechanical governer would be bolted to the plate on the backside of the T/G cover and driven by the cam gear . Earlier VKD ect.Dodge diesels had a similar looking gear cover and that is where the large Diesel injector pump was mounted.

Good job on the pulley repair!

Bob

Edited September 14, 2010 by Dodgeb4ya

[KJ's Dodge]

I had another great talk this morning with another neighbor of mine that use to drive for Bud Moys, the previous owner of my truck. He had my truck up to 75 mph a number of times. Wow, I didn't think these old things could go that fast and it will be awhile before I try that.

He also stated that they routinely loaded 160 small bales on to the big black beauty. Hopefully I will come across some pictures soon. Still fighting an ignition or fuel issue since once it is warmed up, it does like to go much over 30 and doesn't like to be under a load (like going up a hill). It starts up easily and I did re-gap the points but same story.

KJ

[razerface]

I have fixed 2 trucks with similar problem in the last 3 months! Turns out both of them had the same problem,,,, Whoever put the points in did not use the chrome spring behind the moving arm. The points work good until you start building rpm,,,then they float. Did you put your spring in

[KJ's Dodge]

Initial I forgot the spring when I installed the new points but I caught my mistake before starting in up for the first time, I got that solved. Also that wouldn't explain why it ran fine for my first long run and than after a two hour or so trek it started acting up.

Some time in here I may have lost the front drive pulley that runs the generator/water pump but now that is back together it is still acting up. I know that the generator is not producing anything when I put a volt meter on the battery terminals (no increase in voltage no matter what my rpm is) and nothing with a volt meter down at the generator. I may losen up the belts and try hooking up the battery directly to the generator to see if she engages turns/spins as it should if it is still good.

KJ

Edited September 30, 2010 by KJ's Dodge