wallytoo Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 (edited) hello all, i've long had an interest in the pilot house dodge trucks, and yesterday, i purchased a 1.5 ton sight unseen in michigan. my dad owns a '52 b-3-c, and it was the second vehicle i drove when i got my license, back in 1984. dad still has the truck, parked in his basement garage, but it hasn't been on the road since 1988. so, having always wanted an old truck, i bought a '46 chevy 1 ton several years ago. i like it, but it needs more work than i'm really capable of doing to it to get it road worthy, and besides, it wasn't the dodge i really wanted. so, i found the right truck, with a working dump body. just what i need. i'm going out to get it late next week. i may even decide to drive it back to new hampshire, taking the scenic route (3 to 4 days, camping, no hurry). wally Edited August 17, 2020 by wallytoo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintrader Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Good for you Wally and welcome to the group. Please take lots of pictures of your New/Old Truck and the trip. We like pictures, They don't let us out much here at the home. Dutch in NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 the truck arrived via trailer this afternoon. fired right up. so, after some id plate deciphering, the truck is a B-1FA152. a 1.5 ton, with a two-speed rear, and a 152 inch wheelbase. it has a pto-driven flatbed dump, too. the floor and sides are wood, with a steel frame. some minor electrical gremlins to fix, no problem there. the biggest issue is working on the brakes. hello, vacuum booster/master. front ds wheel cylinder leaks, and that's where i'll start. pics soon. wally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder II Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 If its a vacuum shift, do NOT park the truck, with the axle in High range. The vacuum will bleed of, and the rear axle will shift out of gear. If the parking brake doesn't hold, away she goes!!!! Not from experience..... Though I do have a rather funny "no brakes" story..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 it is a vacuum shift. but the parking brake functions well enough to hold it, so it should be good. it is presently "stuck" in low from lack of use. from my dad's b-3-c, with fluid drive, i'm familiar with the need for a functional parking brake. i've got my own brake stories from that truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 pics added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reg Evans Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Hey....that's a nice one. Very straight and no rustout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streamer Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Hey Wally, I to am from NH -- the Lakes Region. I have a 48' B1B. Maybe we will meet at some of the cruise nights in the area. Good luck with your truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBF Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Wow-that's even nicer than the Verizon cable guys's truck. Good luck-Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big50Dodge Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 it has a pto-driven flatbed dump, too. the floor and sides are wood, with a steel frame. some minor electrical gremlins to fix, no problem there. Those beds are not dodge mfg - usually they are aftermarket (I have a knapehied). Do you know which bed you have..? How about the hydraulics..? are they working and not leaking..? I'd be interested in seeing photos or personally the hydraulic line connections and routining. Looks like your truck is missing the fender rivits also - likely been redone. the biggest issue is working on the brakes. hello, vacuum booster/master. front ds wheel cylinder leaks, and that's where i'll start. Changed my rf wheel cylinder in about 30 minutes one day at lunchtime. Pretty simple to do. Should have stretched it to 45 minutes and repacked the bearings while I was there. Guess that leaves me an excuse to pull it apart again in the spring and check everything out. There is another B (1 or 2) (F,G,H maybe) flat bed in the Henniker,Weare,Hopkinton area. Bright ugly Gold color. Was all redone and looked nice - except the color. I'm also from NH. Central Southern - on the MA line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted October 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Those beds are not dodge mfg - usually they are aftermarket (I have a knapehied). Do you know which bed you have..? How about the hydraulics..? are they working and not leaking..? I'd be interested in seeing photos or personally the hydraulic line connections and routining. yeah, i'm aware of the aftermarket dump body. my chevy was the same way. there is a plate under there, which may id the body. haven't gotten that far yet. the unit leaks at the pto-shaft input. the connections are pretty standard - all self-contained with the dump unit, working off of the pto. Looks like your truck is missing the fender rivits also - likely been redone. have no idea. didn't buy it for a resto, only as an old truck that will get used frequently and as originally intended. Changed my rf wheel cylinder in about 30 minutes one day at lunchtime. Pretty simple to do. Should have stretched it to 45 minutes and repacked the bearings while I was there. Guess that leaves me an excuse to pull it apart again in the spring and check everything out. i'm hoping it will be similar to my jeep, just on a larger scale. i know the brakes are slightly different than the jeep, but the principle is the same. as long as things aren't rusted/frozen, it should work ok. what i need to do now is invest in some larger tools. the center cap is 2.5", and i don't have any sockets that large. same with the lug nuts. things are bigger than 1 1/4", so i'll be buying some more sockets, and probably upgrade to at least 3/4" drive. wally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder II Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 Nice ride Wally. Almost a twin of mine, 'cept, mine's blue. Right down to the five window cab. My PTO is also, self contained at the dump unit. The PTO shaft goes to the pump, right at the lift assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted October 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 nice. looks real similar. the wood section of my dump has all been replaced by the p/o, along with the stakes and stake pockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny S Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 Nice truck..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder II Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Because I own a fleet of Roll-off trucks, my B-2 will be converted into a roll-off too. I'll keep the frame assembly, but the acual "Body" will be removed. I'll install a winch system, rollers, and a small "Tub". It should make for a Super Cool Parade Truck.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodscavenger Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 That would make an awesome parade truck!! Post pics when you are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder II Posted October 17, 2007 Report Share Posted October 17, 2007 I will... Trouble is, I'm spending too much time working on the other trucks. It doesn't leave much time to play with the "Old Dodge". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted March 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 update. took the truck for its maiden voyage. success. after a minor carburetor issue (inlet needle not seating - old fuel line gunk), it performed quite well. wound it right up to around 3200 rpm up a few hills, in 2nd. near home, decided i'd give high range a shot. more success. it works. the rear end shifted into high range after pulling the "button" up. bonus, as i wasn't positive the unit would shift into high range. that makes "hiway" travel a little better - 45 mph is fine. all in all, a good day. looking forward to working it. wally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey beard Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Wally, Congratulations on a very nice, straight truck. As you will learn if you lurk on this forum very long, many of us here were not as fortunate with our purchases. This translates into many hours of rust and body repair we needed to spend while you will be able to spend that same time driving and enjoying your truck. Number one son lives in Montana and owns five 1 1/2 - 2-ton B series Dodges - one is a cab over that is quirte nice and straight. Most of his have dump bodies but no two are the same. Keep us posted as to your progress and problems. Lotsa' good wisdom in this group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted March 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 thanks, dave. the major project for getting it road-worthy was to replace/repair the wheel cylinders, and for this size, those are somewhat difficult to locate. however, once obtained, the replacement was pretty straightforward. i also cleaned/repacked the wheel bearings (based on info from the forum here), and replaced the inner seals on the wheels. the minor issues were some rewiring, and adding directionals to the back. the cloth wiring was brittle, so i replaced some of it. i'll continue to replace sections as i get time. got the dump body fully raised the other day. the cylinder reservoir was more or less empty, and the fill plug was in a very difficult to reach location, especially with the bed down. i've also greased all the fittings on both the chassis and dump body, in addition to the fittings in the engine compartment (water pump). finally, before i took it out on the salty roads, i sprayed the entire chassis and inner side of the body panels (and inside the doors) with used gear oil from my jeep diffs. no acids in it (unlike used motor oil), and with the high viscosity, it adheres well to the metal surfaces. i applied it with a wagner power painter. it actually rides pretty decent - better than my '75 jeep. wally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Job~Rated Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Hi Wally! I was just wondering what year your truck was manufactured. I'm still learning about these Dodges... It's very nice, by the way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted March 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Hi Wally!I was just wondering what year your truck was manufactured. I'm still learning about these Dodges... It's very nice, by the way... hadn't noticed, but you caught it - i hadn't listed the year. it's a 1948. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted June 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 (edited) rather than make a new thread, i'll dredge this one i started a long time ago.... ran the truck for 10 years, put about 9k miles on it. in november 2017, saw a c-list ad for free manure, about 25 miles away. called and arranged a meet, and got a nice full 2-ton load. the folks with the manure were impressed that i showed up on time, and that i would be willing to take as much as they'd give. so, i made another trip. and there was still more, so i made a third trip. while heading for home, coming up a modest hill at 40 mph, the #2 rod bearing decided to start wailing. oh well, a full load on (and a spare block in the garage), might as well see if i can make it home.....so, i didn't. came up about 1.5 miles short, before the rod decided to exit the side of the block. SCRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEE-BANG. put an end to that trip. called a tow service, and they loaded it (fully loaded with, uh, *******) onto the rollback. deposited it in my drive/yard. had to unload it using my 8n tractor's bucket, since the pto obviously wouldn't work (blown motor). and there it sits, still, in june 2020. but i've slowly been pulling things to ready removal of the engine. toe boards, transmission cover, parking brake handle assembly, starter linkage. and then the engine stuff - vacuum tubing for the brakes and 2-speed, throttle cable, choke cable, carb, pan, filler pipe, oil filter, etc. oh, and brake/clutch pedals, driveshaft, pto shaft, alternator, starter, etc. almost ready to pull the transmission, and then i can remove the radiator struts, hood, and radiator. all to be able to get to the block to pull it, along with the bellhousing. can't forget to remove the brake master cylinder, either. soo, that's where it's at. also rebuilding the spare block, which is a passenger car 251 (and full-pressure oiling), so an upgrade to the 237. buuut, i have to swap the oil pan, since the truck pan sump sits at the front, not the rear. no problem, the pan is salvageable, with only a minor dent from the #2 rod disintegration. did i mention that i've got a disassembled '75 cj-5 in my garage? well, it's been there since 2013, when i bought my '87 4runner to replace my '95 subaru. owned the cj since 1992, and i want that on the road again, too (frame finally failed, but i found an exceptional replacement frame several years ago). lot's of projects, plus my job. and kids (who are now 22 and 21). enough cash to make 'em happen, not enough time to make it happen quickly. and that gets it to about today.....to be continued...... Edited August 11, 2020 by wallytoo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dozerman51 Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 Well, how many miles did the 237 have on it when it decided to grenade? What were you taching? Must have really gotten your attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted June 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 35k, so likely really 135k. only sitting at 2900 rpm. the #2 rod bearing was bad for at least 6 years, still put almost 7k on it. but that 2-ton load, throttle down, pulling the hill was enough to pop it. these engines are tough. it should have blown much sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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