- ground + ground

[dumptruckguy]

My 49 B1 well when we started working on it we hooked it up neg ground, we have been running it like this for 6 mo. I bought an repair manual for it and it says the truck is pos ground. Does anyone have any suggestions what I should do now ??????????

[HanksB3B]

But don't forget to polarize the voltage regulator. When I first bought my truck it was negative ground. I could be wrong but I have long suspected that this is what caused the rivets and surrounding area of the front fenders to rot out.

1. 20 years after my first restoration where I pounded and bondo'd the area, but it resurfaced.

2. What really lies beneath

3. Reconstructed the riveted area.

4. How it looks today.

Hank

[greg g]

You probably don't need to do anything. Just assure that the amp gauge is showing a charge when the engine is running and that the coil is wired ign wire to neg and points wire from pos. If the amp gauge is reading a discharge with the engine running switch the leads on the gauge terminals.

An easy test of gen out put is to momentarily ground the field wire (thiner diameter terminal) to the engine block at high idle. this bypases the regulator and should peg the amp gauge to full charge. If it goes to full negative then swap the wires.

Running with the polarity reversed will do no damage to the components involved. Most likely symptom in operation might be a his speed missfire.

Do make sure your Voltage regulator is properly grounded. Fresh paint will sometime sprevent sufficient contact to assure a proper ground.

[HanksB3B]

I'm just not sure, but then again I don't claim to be an electrical genius just more comfortable leaving things the way they were designed. Following that theory I guess we'd still be driving model T's.

Hank

[dumptruckguy]

Thanks for the input . We will lokk into it after we get through Christmas. Hank What is the paint code for your truck ? Thats the color green I am looking for. Thanks Wayne

[HanksB3B]

Usually I do things in a reasonably scientific manner so I assumed Bob at my body shop/paint shop would do the same thing. The original Color of my 1951 B3B was Dodge Truck Dark Green. I couldn't find the Dietzler paint code anywhere so Bob and I looked through some color cards and mutually agreed on a green that looked about right.

I ordered paint at the worst moment in time, when gas was $5 a gal must have been a couple of years back. To my surprise instead of ordering the smallest amount as a sample just to make sure, Three Gals (the amount I ultimately want) was delivered to his shop at $400.00 a gal do the math $1,200 worth of "AQUAMARINE" color paint. I freaked and realized there was no way I would cover months of restorative body work in that color.

The paint was about the highest quality PPG paint that could be bought (I think one step down from Emeron) but the color was WRONG. I took it back to Bob's supplier. They wouldn't touch it. Finally I found ColorCraft in Downey California a small Latino family run Body Shop supply house that agreed that all that had to be done was to add yellow to bring out the rich green it needed to be (blue + yellow = green).

I have to thank my wife really for directing the effort when they were doing the mix so whenever people see the truck, it’s almost always the color that gets the first compliment.

Since hindsight is 20/20 here’s what I recommend you do:

First go to TCP Global and check out their website.

http://www.tcpglobal.com/

There is a wealth of information there everything you could want to know about paints, bodywork, their materials and applications. Choose the level of quality and the type of paint you want. I think you'll find TCP Global's prices to be excellent and what's more their customer service great! Get a sample amount, spray a part to be double sure it's what you want.

I painted my truck the first time around back in 1979-1980. My totals materials invoice was $239.00 for primer, filler, paint, thinner and catalyst. I used every drop of 2 gallons and never really got that California Custom paint job I was looking for. This time around, I knew it would take 3 gals to do it the way I wanted it to turn out and it did!

Thanks for asking and the best of luck with yours,

Hank

[dumptruckguy]

Thanks for the info. That bodywork and paint looks great. Why did you paint the engine blue? Mine is silver and that is what we are going to paint it.

[Dave72dt]

Hank,

3 gallons of paint to cover how many panels?, both sides? box? inside of cab? underside of fenders? What type of paint? single stage? bc/cc? 3 gal ready to spray or 3 plus reducers, activators, clears?

The results look really good but can you elaborate on the process for me. Thanks.

[1941Rick]

Hank....do you have a part number for the output flange on your transmission....just what I am looking for, for my 41 plymouth....

[HanksB3B]

dumptruckguy

Thanks for the info. That bodywork and paint looks great. Why did you paint the engine blue? Mine is silver and that is what we are going to paint it.

Ans: Because I didn’t know about the forum, Don’s book or much of anything else concerning our trucks. Silver is factory and looks great especially done to the level of excellence that John did on his 53...

but since my first rebuild in 1979-1980 where out of ignorance "just picked blue" decided I liked it because it's more forgiving (dirt-wise). Oh well, count me out of the Concours de Excellance...

Dave72dt

3 gallons of paint to cover how many panels?, both sides? box? inside of cab? underside of fenders? What type of paint? single stage? bc/cc? 3 gal ready to spray or 3 plus reducers, activators, clears? The results look really good but can you elaborate on the process for me. Thanks.

Ans: 3 gallons of paint covered both sides of all the panels. Front, Hood, Fenders, Cab and Bed. The interior surfaces received 2-3 coats whereas the parts exposed to the sun received 5 coats with an emphasis on the roof, hood and fenders (anything perpendicular to the sun) would get extra coats of paint. The paint used was a PPG single stage I believe it was Deltron DAR, a Polyurethane Acrylic Enamel requiring reducer and hardener additives. I spoke to PPG this morning and because of AQMD it seems everything is moving to waterbase. You might want chat with them as well because regulations are constantly changing.

https://buyat.ppg.com/refinishProductCatalog/ViewProductListing.aspx?BrandID=5d7b4ed7-f83a-4469-b68c-04551702a5df

(On a more personal note, I’m a little more concerned about the WMD than the AQMD)

1941 Rick

Hank....do you have a part number for the output flange on your transmission....just what I am looking for, for my 41 plymouth....

Not sure what the Output Flange is can you describe where it appears in the photo.

All's fair in Love and Automobiles,

Hank

Edited December 27, 2010 by HanksB3B

[1941Rick]

Hank.....the out put from the transmission where the driveshaft attaches..

[HanksB3B]

I have a Parts for B Series Trucks 1948-1953 or there about. It shows both 3-Speed column and floor shift, a couple of 4 and 5 speed transmissions.

Not to slow you down and because you said,

"Hank....do you have a part number for the output flange on your transmission....just what I am looking for, for my 41 plymouth...."

I've attached the illustration for my 3 on the tree setup. When you view this please post the part reference number then I will scan the page that has the part number.

Hank

[Merle Coggins]

I believe he is asking about the u-joint flange at the back of the trans. It would be item # 16-20-1 in the Propeller Shaft and Universal Joint setion. And to make it even more confussing the differential input flange is also #16-20-1. See attached pdf file.

Merle

Parts pages 16-2 and 26.pdf

[1941Rick]

That is just what I am looking for......now to find one here and make it fit.....

Thank you

[Dave72dt]

Thanks for the info, Hank. My local jobber thought it would only take 2 qts to paint it. Might have if it was just the outside of thge cab. Didn't understand the world of high end and restoration paint jobs and how much surface area there really is on one of these trucks

[HanksB3B]

Did you tell him your truck was bigger than a bathroom?

My body shop laughed at me when I said I wanted three gals (they thought 2 was more than enough) but since I had painted all the parts on my truck from bare metal back in 1979-80, I knew I had to stretch the 2-gals to make it work. You wouldn't want to have to color-match paint midstream (probably what happened to that 2-tone burgundy and black truck for sale a few weeks ago) If you think about it all the labor...metal etching zinc-chromate, body work, priming, blocking, more priming, all the way to finish prime is the bulk of the expense (it's the time). Even if you have to pay $400/gal extra comparatively, it's still a drop in the bucket. I ended up with 1 quart extra, and if you remember, the color was adjusted by adding 2 quarts of yellow to get rid of the Aquamarine look, you'd do well to complete the truck with 3-gals If you want the same look I did. I told the body shop "I want my truck to look like one of those California Hots Rods that you just can't believe the paint job".

(Marten...Thank You!)

Hank

Edited December 28, 2010 by HanksB3B

[HanksB3B]

That is just what I am looking for......now to find one here and make it fit.....

Thank you

Was looking at Valley Vintage Catalog:

1189331 yoke 3 speed trans shaft 41-50 dod truck 1/2-3/4 ton 45

Not Saying it's the correct piece but it may be worth a shot. I think the key question is the number of splines? I think 45 is the price

Their Contact Info is:

By Phone: 440-355-4085

Valley Vintage Auto Parts

P.O. Box 748

Lagrange, OH 44050

Hank

[1941Rick]

Hank............Thank you.....will check my spare and count the splines