wally’s 1948 B1FA-152 thread

[Jeff Balazs]

1 hour ago, wallytoo said:

 

and i love using it that way.  and i know you are using yours, too!  keep it up.

?Yes but nothing like what you are doing with yours.

Tomorrow mine will haul me and my fishing gear down to Dana Point harbor to go fishing for the day. Not quite as rigorous a use as yours sees.

Jeff

[wallytoo]

i'm hoping to get the b-3-c back in service next year.  it has been sitting in dad's garage since 1988.

 

i often marvel at the fact that my own DD, an '87 4runner, was first on the road about the last time the '52 was on the road and has been garaged the whole time since.  or that i own 3 1987 vehicles (all on the road), an '88 on the road, and an '89 on the road.  i like old stuff.  the '89 is my newest vehicle.

Edited November 20, 2020 by wallytoo

[wallytoo]

put a good half day of hauling manure in.  took my 8n up to the farm location with the manure, and used it to load the truck for 3 big loads.  one more load for tomorrow, then i'll bring the tractor back home.  should have enough manure for about 4 years of garden amendment.  first time in a long time i've needed 1st gear low, mostly just for driving through the pasture.  once on the road, only needed 2nd low from a stop.

 

i think i'll need to replace the exhaust manifold/intake gasket.  i didn't put the nuts on tight enough when i replaced the motor, and i believe i've blown out parts of the gasket.  i'll make sure to torque the nuts properly once the replacement gasket/s are installed, to avoid the same issue.  i do have all of the special cones and tapered nuts, too.

 

still averaging around 6 mpg.  i do wonder if the 2-speed unit in the speedo is keeping accurate measurement, as often, especially in high, the speedo needle will drop to zero.  when it drops to zero, the odometer doesn't seem to move.  so, the mpg is probably closer to 8 or 9 mpg.  it is a heavy truck with low gears and a small engine (251), and i've been freighting it (well over a ton per load for the manure and the cordwood; probably close to 2 tons/load).

Edited November 21, 2020 by wallytoo

[Dodgeb4ya]

A couple things to consider as to why the speedo drops out... 

***the engine vacuum is too low like under constant full throttle during heavy loads ...the speedo sometimes will drop out

***the speedo 2 speed adapter little vacuum rubber diaphram has a small leak or is not pliable..too stiff

***the steel vacuum line from the 2 speed shift valve on fire wall to the speedo adapter ...I have seen two that wore thru the firewall grommet and leaked vacuum. That vacuum line cannot leak vacuum.

 

Dodge did off an optional vacuum tank for the B series trucks to help with vacuum wipers , rear axle shifting, trailer brakes etc.

I put one on my 4 tonner to solve somewhat delayed rear axle shifting.

 

[wallytoo]

i don’t believe there are tubing leaks, the rear shifts exceptionally fast up or down.  could be a diaphragm leak in the speedo unit..

 

it drops in high, not low,  even when under heavy, continuous throttle in low.

Edited November 22, 2020 by wallytoo

[Merle Coggins]

Lovin’ this... Most classic truck owners would say, “don’t put no $#!T in the back of this truck”.  And then there’s Wally. He hauls all kinds of $#!T in his truck, and is proud of it.  ? ?

[Dodgeb4ya]

13 hours ago, wallytoo said:

i don’t believe there are tubing leaks, the rear shifts exceptionally fast up or down.  could be a diaphragm leak in the speedo unit..

 

it drops in high, not low,  even when under heavy, continuous throttle in low.

I think the speedo reads zero at times as the adapter is changing from low to high....only a partial adapter shift ending in a neutral position. Speedo then drops out.

The small 3/16" vacuum signal line thru the firewall to the adapter will not affect the rear axle up/down shifts or how fast.

The 5/8" steel line to the rear axle diaphragm has a one way check valve in it to help cause good positive upshifts.

Edited November 22, 2020 by Dodgeb4ya

[wallytoo]

i was watching a bit closer today - almost exclusively drops in high range.  when in low range, even with heavy and constant throttle, the speedo holds.  at same "pedal effort" in high, the speedo drops and sits at zero for a long time, and even does so under "half throttle" when held constant for a time.

 

it isn't a big deal, i don't use the speedo to figure out my speed, i use the tach.  while i'd like to know the mpg a bit more accurately, it also isn't a big deal.  however, this was one of the reasons i fixed the fuel gauge.  it's accurate enough to show when it's time to fill up.

 

hauled two more loads of manure today, done for the season; 8n is back home.  for the 6 loads, probably close to 10 tons.  should last for 4 to 5 years, unless i expand my gardens.

[Dodgeb4ya]

I drove my 2-1/2 ton for a long time dropping out.

Like you say..doesn't really matter.

My big truck has always worked.

[wallytoo]

On 11/22/2020 at 8:57 AM, Merle Coggins said:

Lovin’ this... Most classic truck owners would say, “don’t put no $#!T in the back of this truck”.  And then there’s Wally. He hauls all kinds of $#!T in his truck, and is proud of it.  ? ?

 

you bet!  that’s why i bought it, to do work.

 

pics of said sh#t:

 

 

Edited November 25, 2020 by wallytoo

[wallytoo]

a little taste of winter here in central nh

 

 

 

to the tune of 35" of new snow.

[Jeff Balazs]

Hey Wally;

All I can say is eeeeeeeek! Too cold for this boy. ?

I can't even imagine.

Jeff

[wallytoo]

hard for me, too.  biggest single day snowfall amount i've ever experienced.  all the snow in the picture arrived today.  we had trace amounts scattered on the ground prior.

Edited December 18, 2020 by wallytoo

[Jeff Balazs]

Yes we are pretty wimpy here by comparison. Temperature drops by 5 degrees and I dig out my sweat shirts. I had the heater on last night on my way home.....and it was probably mid 60s.

My hat is off to you.

Jeff

[wallytoo]

On 11/19/2020 at 5:22 PM, Jeff Balazs said:

?Yes but nothing like what you are doing with yours.

Tomorrow mine will haul me and my fishing gear down to Dana Point harbor to go fishing for the day. Not quite as rigorous a use as yours sees.

Jeff

 

it’s actually pretty interesting what temps we can get acclimated to.  i woke up to -7*F this morning.  that’s cold, even though i’m used to seeing a dozen or more below zero nights every year.

[Jeff Balazs]

Yes you are right about getting acclimated to certain conditions. Out here where I am at it is generally warm.

 

Many years ago I took a 3 week fishing trip down at the East Cape of Baja. It was in July and it was blazing hot. 105 to 108 every day. High 80s or low 90s at night. We drove home after the trip was over and when we got back to Orange County it was overcast and high 70s. I was shivering in a sweat shirt for days. I guess our blood thins out in that case.

Have a great Holiday

Jeff

[ggdad1951]

I don't mind the cold...we have a week or so generally between 20 and 10 below zero with many subzero sprinkled in for the winter...barely coat weather for me...now the heat....I wilt at 95.

[wallytoo]

after a year off, back to sugaring this spring.

 

made about 3 gallons of syrup over the weekend, but the season may quit soon, as we will be having about 3 or 4 days of 60* weather.  at least the overnight temps have been low to mid-20s.

 

new tank for the main line - about 210 gallons capacity

 

using the old main line tank from a different sugar orchard for collecting now

 

about 175 gallons capacity. edit: capacity of this one is close to 250 gallons.

 

i've since moved the tank to be centered in the bed, up against the headboards.  sap is heavy, and it made the dump body lift a bit on the driver side when driving over bumps etc.  this can be seen the the above pic, as the body is squatting to the passenger side (gap in grille above frame rails is uneven).

Edited March 23, 2021 by wallytoo

[Worden18]

What an awesome thing that you actually use your truck. Thanks for sharing!!

[wallytoo]

collected about 150 gallons of sap today, from yesterday's and today's "sap run"; not bad for my north-slope sugar bush.  plan to boil a good part of tomorrow, hope to make another 3 gallons with what sap i've got on hand, and have some left over to boot.

 

pics from the weekend:

 

the evaporator, with it's homemade arch and commercial pans (g.h.grimm co) - 2'x6' setup

 

not the fastest rig, probably boiling 18 to 22 gallons of sap per hour.  the arch was converted from a 2x5 drop-flue rig to a 2x6 raised flue rig, thus the added box at the back, and the hole in the side of the arch where the drop flue drain used to be.

 

getting close to the first syrup draw-off of the season.  hard to see, but to the back right, the flue pan drain is visible (yellow handle at the back), above the arch and below the sap float box.

Edited March 23, 2021 by wallytoo

[wallytoo]

the reason for the whole endeavor:

 

temp indicates 7* above the temp of boiling water - syrup

 

1st filtering, via the paper and wool filters, into the stainless draw-off bucket

 

drip, drip, drip.

[wallytoo]

a few older pics of the sugar house:

 

 

 

[DJ194950]

Got your own "sugar shack" as in  a movie and song?  ?

 

DJ

[wallytoo]

finally know what the hoist in my truck is, courtesy of a BaT auction of a 1951 ford.  it's a marion hoist, made in ohio.

 

pic from the auction truck (hoist and truck are MUCH cleaner and nicer than mine):

 

mine:

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by wallytoo

[Dodgeb4ya]

Nice looking hoist.

I need to figure out what one is in my 2-1/2 ton.