Fargo 1953 build

[Teemu]

 

I'll start slowly fix this Fargo F-4-KA-170. It used to be firetruck in sugarfactory until 1981. After that i'm third owner.

Original engine was destroyed in 1981 and now it came to me with three non-working engines.

 

Plan is to get one engine running and make flatbed for it and drive.

I'll ask some dumb questions after i get parts sorted.

 

You can find more pics here https://goo.gl/photo...mdJdDkCtYSgWiLA

 

 

-Teemu

Edited July 6, 2016 by Teemu

[Merle Coggins]

Sweet!! Looks like a good project. Keep up abreast of the progress.

[ggdad1951]

awesome!  can't wait to watch!

[Reg Evans]

Cool !.....factory dual intake and exhaust.

[Teemu]

I don´t know anything about flat six engines, but that dual carb intake looks great.don't really know if its from t357 or t344 block i have.. i also have one block that has 318 number but that is not original number....

[Don Coatney]

I don't believe the dual carb intake manifold is factory. Pictured below is a factory setup.

 

[godenades]

Wow, that things is sweet looking... I love the light on the hood!  I want one. haha

[MBF]

Wow, another x firetruck.  They're a great place to start.  My 2.5 ton started out as one also.   Very solid, and low mileage.   The 6 lug wheels that you have on your truck should be are a lot easier to find than the 5 lug on my B2JA.  Nice long wheel base.  Too bad they cut up the front for the front mounted pump, but everything in fixable.   Best of luck with your project.   Mike 

[Dodgeb4ya]

Nice truck to restore!

 

Your intake manifold is the correct 2-1/2 ton "K" series dual carb intake and does include the factory cast iron "balance' manifold that the two carbs and governers bolt onto.

The factory balance manifrold number starts with a Mopar #1534..... as I recall.

I could not see the factory two dual exhaust manifolds though.

 

Your 5 speed trans is possibly a ovedrive 5 speed. Very rare to ever see one. 

You can see if it's a OD by looking for a "OD" stamped at the very back of the trans down low where the drain plug is on the rear smooth machined surface. I have shown a pic of mine for reference.

 

Your rear axle should be a Eaton 1650 series 2 speed.

 

Good luck with it.   PS...There is another guy here who is restoring the exact same truck!

 

Bob

 

[Teemu]

Thanks bob for very good info.

Must go today check that if it's od tranny and look for those exhaust manifolds.

[Merle Coggins]

The manifold set in Teemu's picture looks just like the manifold set in your picture, Bob. All except for the pieces between the carbs and intake manifold. What are those sections? I've never seen them. Are they part of a governor system?

[Dodgeb4ya]

All the dual carb trucks do have the silver looking governers mounted under the carbs including the bigger moly block trucks Merle. 

They seem to get removed as maybe the truck owners thought they could go faster with out them.

 

When people use the 265 DT truck dual set up on the cars I think the balance manifold and governers are taken off imediately. Then probably put away to be never found again.

Bob

Edited October 13, 2014 by Dodgeb4ya

[Teemu]

I didn't find dual exhaust setup or "OD" marking in tranny. Looks like lots of other parts is missing too... So not a great day for me.

Maybe i'll do diesel swap and build flathead slowly afterwards...

[Don Coatney]

Looks like the governor is intact on this truck.

 

[HotRodTractor]

That

 

All the dual carb trucks do have the silver looking governers mounted under the carbs including the bigger moly block trucks Merle. 

They seem to get removed as maybe the truck owners thought they could go faster with out them.

 

When people use the 265 DT truck dual set up on the cars I think the balance manifold and governers are taken off imediately. Then probably put away to be never found again.

Bob

 

I get removing the governors, but why remove the balance tube unless you have a hood clearance issue? I was planning on leaving my balance tube on. BTW - it looks like my governors are not original equipment with the way the linkage has been cut, and lengthened with a welder.

 

[Merle Coggins]

So, how do those governors work? I'm used to seeing a governor connected to the throttle linkage.

 

Merle

[Don Coatney]

So, how do those governors work? I'm used to seeing a governor connected to the throttle linkage.

 

Merle

They must first be elected and after that all workings stop

[HotRodTractor]

So, how do those governors work? I'm used to seeing a governor connected to the throttle linkage.

 

Merle

 

Vacuum operated butterflies. If the vacuum goes up, the butterfly closes, vacuum drops, butterfly opens. So if you stab the throttle they open up and give you full potential, until you reach a point where the engine is demanding enough vacuum to close the butterflies back down.  Mine are completely disconnected from the vacuum and missing the butterfly plates.... so apparently the firetruck it came out of needed some more oomph according to the guys that maintained it. Quite ironically I found it interesting that the engine came out of a fire truck which typically are well maintained and low mileage, but yet there are no numbers stamped on the ID pad on the block, indicating to me that the block has been replaced at least once..... perhaps when the air governors got installed.... lol

 

I also have an IND265 with a belt driven governor that controls the throttle linkage if someone is interested in what that setup looks like.

[Teemu]

Any ideas for steering gear for v8 swap? Original is between frame rails and v8 wont fit. Frame swap is not possible but any ideas for steering box out of the frame?

[NiftyFifty]

Problem is the Dodges and Fargos are rear steer, which leaves you pretty limited as to what steering box you can use, and most will be way too light for your application, and a rack and pinion is out of the question too. You may need to look at some equal size truck options, something from the bigger class that steers from the rear of the spindle.

[morgoon52]

What an awesome truck

There are lots of "big" trucks going on around here lately.

I'm excited to see your progress...good luck

[timkingsbury]

In the 1953 the overdrive on the 5 speed is not marked on the end of the transmission. It is on our 1952, but isn't on our 1953, 1954 or 1955..  I have 2 1953's and 1 as a 5 speed with 5th being direct drive, and in that one 5th gear is over and down, and on the other which is also a 5 speed, 5th is over and up and it is overdrive.   The overdrive truck was a municipal plow truck and came with the 265 ci, dual intake and exhaust and the other was a dump truck, it came with a 5 speed and a 2 speed rear axle but also the 265 and dual intake and exhaust.

 

As others have already pointed out, the start of this thread had carbs on the equalizer tube and was missing the intake... and I saw another one with the equalizer tube off of it and carbs right on the intake.

 

In 1952 the stock car guys in several states and in Ontario Canada were allowed to use that dual intake and exhaust because it was seen as a factory parts and  lots of them pulled off the equalizer or balancing tube.  Actually they went further than that and jetted  the front carb differently than the back.

 

In any case, I will attach a picture from the engineering manual with the part breakdown of the dual carb intake and exhaust and a few pictures of a complete original setup restored.  I will say from the intake down complete.

 

Tim

 

[Dodgeb4ya]

I have a 2-1/2 ton JA with the factory 5 speed that says OD.

The OD truck trans and the std direct in 5th have different shift patterns as mentioned. The OD shift pattern is goofy.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Dodgeb4ya

[timkingsbury]

I have a 2-1/2 ton JA with the factory 5 speed that says OD.

The OD truck trans and the std direct in 5th have different shift patterns as mentioned. The OD shift pattern is goofy.

What year is your 2 1/2 ton ?  The last ones we have that say OD on the end are early 1952 production. So the only ones I have ever seen were 1951 or 1952 production units. Come 1953 they were no longer marked or at least none that we have  and I hate to admit just how many we happen to have.

[timkingsbury]

This one is the "big brother" to out 1953 Fargo plow truck and it is a 1953 Dodge  which has its own cute story. It was shipped

to Wellington Motors in Guelph Ontario, which was owned by the one of my Grandfathers best friends, and today is owned by his son

Ted Woods who was one of my Dad;s best friends.

 

In any case it arrived a branded 1953 Fargo, having been ordered by Eramosa Township as a plow truck. It has a factory 265 and a full load.. 4 ton, dual intake, dual exhaust, 5 speed overdrive,  2 speed rear axle, dual fuel tanks and actually a pretty tiny box which does

have a hydraulic dump, however what they did was mount or fasten in four large cement block as counter weights..

 

The truck was delivered and was rejected by the Reeve or Eramosa Township. They had ordered a Dodge not a Fargo..  

 

Lol.. Ted Woods (the son of the dealership) phoned my Dad who called his father in law, my grandfather and before you know it

the fargo underwent a rebranding from Fargo to Dodge at Wellington motors. 

 

I have the original letter from the Township rejecting it, and  somehow Dad, and no I have all of the NOS pieces that came off it with the Fargo branding.   With the dash badging with serial number on it, its cool to have dual badging.The truck which ran from feb 1953 until spring of 1973 came out of production as the municipality couldn't insure anything over 20 years old.   It was sold to Muskoka Township which is in northern Ontario, and they ran it as a backup plow truck until 1983.  They truck went up for tender and the municipality contacted Wellington Motors as some of the original paper work was still in the glovebox under the seat.

 

The Fargo/Truck network kicked in, and Dad bought the Fodge  (aka Fargo than became a Dodge) as a non-runner and we went up with a tilt and load, to tow it home. Dad puddled with it for about and hour and fired it up and drove it across the parking lot to load it up.

 

The pictures below are how it looked when it arrived.. Just a tad tough.. It underwent a paint job from the red ordered by Eramosa township to the Green of Muskoka and according to the maintenance log book it was "touched up" the year before it was sold..

 

Lol..touched up.. lol  the sprayed it right over the licence plate..

 

It is one of those things hanging out at the Kingsbury Farm that should be restored some day although it is a tad on the rough side.