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51 B3B build thread - after all these years


bkahler

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1 hour ago, bkahler said:

 There were more bubbles streaming out of the fins than when a submarine blows it's ballast tanks.

 

Wow that's too bad, I hope mine is okay I like the style of the core on these old radiators, almost honeycomb-like.

 

I've got a spare but it's not a factory core and I think I've got another set of tanks, but I want that original one to be good.

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I doubt that many radiator shops have access to the " honey comb radiator core type " these days. As they do not cool as well as the later types. I have read many, many times.

 

There may be some really $$ replacements for the absolute Restorers?? I think that the answer to that would at least be interesting to know??  Are they available  somewhere?

 

DJ

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29 minutes ago, DJ194950 said:

A long shot but could the core you had from the previous radiator be used for this with using the tanks that match the outlets as you need?? Maybe the mounts positioned as needed also??

 

As I said, A Long Shot or wishful thinking I know!  ? ?

 

DJ

 

That was the first thing I checked!  Unfortunately the cores are different sizes.  The Desoto is a 1/2" wider and the 49 is 2" or 3" longer so there's no chance of a swap.  

 

Good thought though!

 

 

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26 minutes ago, billrigsby said:

 

Wow that's too bad, I hope mine is okay I like the style of the core on these old radiators, almost honeycomb-like.

 

I've got a spare but it's not a factory core and I think I've got another set of tanks, but I want that original one to be good.

 

He told me it leaked before I drove down there so I knew there were problems.  It does leak a lot more than I figured it would but once the core is bad it doesn't matter how many holes there are, a leak is a leak.

 

As far as I know the cores are called honey combs.  Do a search on the term and you'll find lots of info.  I like the look of the cores also but getting two good tanks and the mounting flanges at least lets me get the rest of it right.

 

 

 

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18 minutes ago, DJ194950 said:

I doubt that many radiator shops have access to the " honey comb radiator core type " these days. As they do not cool as well as the later types. I have read many, many times.

 

There may be some really $$ replacements for the absolute Restorers?? I think that the answer to that would at least be interesting to know??  Are they available  somewhere?

 

DJ

 

From what I understand the honey comb cores are no longer available.  However, I found a source in Australia that is now reproducing them.  They bought the equipment from some shop and started making them.  But, there's always a but, their online estimator for a core for my radiator came back as $2800 Australian dollars plus shipping. Still, that's $2000 US plus shipping.

 

A tad more than I care to spend :)

 

 

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Bars-Leak - KIDDING!!

 

Two good tanks, a drive through the mountains, whata day

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About 8 or 9 years ago when I was working on my truck a core like that was about $1000 plus labor. I am not surprised they have gone up.

 

I had mine recored at the time with a modern 2 row. I used it for a couple of years that way. But it is so hot here that I ended up getting a new Desert cooler 4 row radiator just to be safe. That cost $600

 

If you need a good used one Pm me.

Jeff

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1 minute ago, billrigsby said:

Bars-Leak - KIDDING!!

 

Two good tanks, a drive through the mountains, whata day

 

The seller did suggest that stop leak might work but he wasn't sure.  I suppose if I filled the radiator with stop leak it might have worked, not sure how well it would have cooled though!

 

The seller didn't try to miss lead me or anything, I pretty much knew what I was getting when I bought it.  From my perspective, even finding a radiator within striking distance was a minor miracle.  At best I was hoping to be able to find something and have it shipped which wouldn't have been cheap either.  I guess the diesel I used to get there and back was the shipping cost.  But, I did enjoy the drive and I got to see a nice 49 1/2 ton, a 55 or 56 1/2 ton and all the other bits and pieces he was selling.

 

So yeah, it was a good day :)

 

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10 hours ago, JBNeal said:

 

It looks like I'll have about the same amount or less in rebuilding this radiator compared to buying a new replacement.  It is nice that there are places you can still get a drop in radiator even if it doesn't look quite right, if it functions that is certainly better than the alternative.

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

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12 hours ago, Jeff Balazs said:

About 8 or 9 years ago when I was working on my truck a core like that was about $1000 plus labor. I am not surprised they have gone up.

 

I had mine recored at the time with a modern 2 row. I used it for a couple of years that way. But it is so hot here that I ended up getting a new Desert cooler 4 row radiator just to be safe. That cost $600

 

If you need a good used one Pm me.

Jeff

 

Same here... When I was building my truck in 2006/07 a new honeycomb core was around $800, but a tube and fin core cost me around $300. It's only noticeable to the most knowledgeable, if they bother to look closely when the hood is open. 

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$753.66 later I walked out of the radiator shop with a rebuilt radiator this morning :)

 

A little more than  was expecting but I can't really complain.  I'm lucky to have a good old school radiator shop less than 10 miles from my house.  

 

They are really good at building radiators but their painting skills are not quite on par with their rebuilding skills.  After I took these pictures I applied a coat of radiator paint to one side and tomorrow I'll do the other side.  Needless to say I'm looking forward to getting the radiator installed for the final time.

 

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Oh yeah, I also just finished moving the manifold nuts, washers and studs around to match the diagram Bill supplied.

 

Brad

 

 

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Yep, that's pretty, and a decent price to pay for modern cooling and as you mentioned I've never found a radiator shop that could paint    LOL

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18 hours ago, 48Dodger said:

I've always had radiators shops NOT paint the radiator.....I take care of that myself for the reason you just laid out.

 

48D

 

I would have thought after having them rebuild three other radiators that I would have learned by now to ask them not to paint it.  

 

Nope, not me......!

 

 

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A while back I installed the cowl vent gasket that I bought from Frank Mitchell back in 2007.  Even though the gasket was the right overall size to fit around the opening (one piece) it didn't seem to fit right in the recess opening for the gasket and was wavy and lumpy after it was glued down.   

 

After trying to install the vent itself I found that the gasket just wasn't going to work.  Reading through past threads I opted to buy a replacement from Vintage Power Wagons.  The VPW gasket is an extruded piece that you cut to length while gluing in place.  In the picture you can see the difference in profiles between the Frank Mitchell gasket and the one from VPW.  There's a world of difference between the two.  

 

This week I plan to clean the glue remnants from the opening and install the VPW gasket.  With luck I'll finally be able to finish the cowl vent installation :)

 

Frank Mitchell gasket on the left and VPM on the right.  I noticed that Frank Mitchell is still selling their gasket on ebay.  Buyer beware, I would steer clear of their gasket.

 

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Edited by bkahler
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I'm finally making progress on the dual carb installation.  Main thing left to do is fabricate the actuators between the shaft and the carburetors and between the shaft and the throttle cable pivot.  I'm hoping that work will be done by next weekend.

 

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As part of the dual carburetor install I'm also installing a PCV system similar to those documented elsewhere on this site. I mounted the PCV valve on the center blanking plate where the original carburetor sat.    

 

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I will be routing the hose and tube around the back side of the carburetor to the old road draft tube port.  

 

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For the crankcase breather I silver soldered a fitting to the oil filler tube and another fitting to the bottom of the front air cleaner and I'll route a tube between those two fittings.  The only thing I have to figure out is what to use as a non-vented cap for the oil filler tube.

 

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Brad

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I got a call yesterday from the driveshaft shop, they said come pick it up :)

 

After dropping off my old one I left thinking that the price would be in the $700 to $800 range.  So when then bill came to $534.64 needless to say I left their shop happy.

 

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Brad

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Curious, what was the reason for a new driveshaft?

Did you need to change the length?

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Actually there are several reasons.  The main reason was my differential ring gear was cracked in about 10 places (badly) and so I made the swap to a 98 Wrangler differential.  The Wrangler diff yoke uses the more modern 1310 style of u-joint and the yoke on my driveshaft was for the earlier u-joints that used straps on the ends to hold them in place.  

 

In theory I could possibly have swapped yokes between the two differentials but then I would have had to set up the pinion lash and I would have still had a driveshaft with worn splines.  When I took the driveshaft in originally I was going to just have them replace the rear yoke with one that would work with the wrangler diff.  The splines really did have a lot of slop in them and in the end there wasn't a lot of difference in price having them build a new driveshaft compared to cutting the old yoke off and welding on a new on.  

 

Now originally my truck would have had the later 1310 style of u-joint but some time in the past some PO swapped out the diff for one with the earlier style of u-joints.  I believe my truck originally was a 3-speed column shift that someone swapped over to the old crash box 4-speed and a different differential.  

 

Clear as mud? :)

 

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It would appear I have a problem with my upper floorboard.  Looking at the pictures below it would seem that the slots in the floorboard for the pedals are way to wide.  I have a hunch some PO has cut metal away to open them up.  This particular floorboard is one I bought as a replacement because my original one had been cut and mangled horribly and was actually in two pieces when I took it out of the truck.  

 

Could someone post some pictures of their upper floorboard and possibly provide some dimensions of the slots?  I have a feeling I've got some patching to do :(

 

Two steps forward, one step back......

 

Thanks,

 

Brad

 

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clutch is about 1-1/8" wide and column shifter ~2"

My clutch I think is original but worn and boogered ... the clutch shaft bushing wears out, instead of replacing they cut hole bigger in the floor on yours, mine they just let it rub.

Also I have a column shift, so a little extra doowiggie on the column for the shifter to run through ... guessing you have a floor shift.

1113201708.jpg

1113201708a.jpg

 

Edited by Los_Control
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Thank you for the photos and dimensions.  The 1-1/8" opening for the clutch won't work for mine.  From other discussions I've had I believe Dodge moved the clutch pedal to the left for some unknown reason on the 51 and later trucks. 

 

Any idea what the small holes are around the steering column slot?  

 

I guess another question I have is how is the upper floorboard fastened in place?  I have all the j-nuts and bolts for the lower floorboard but I'm not sure how to fasten the upper one.

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

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