Need "experienced advice" please

[chucky07]

Ok..I know i'm new here and i promise i wont post a bunch of dumb questions..but here is my situation: I just got this 52..and I love it..have been looking at pilot house trucks on the internet for the past 4 or 5 days.

This truck was parked in 2000...I smelled the gas and it smells like turpentine.....I bought a new 6 vo.t batt and tried the lights and they came on..then tried the starter button on floor and it started to crank (I stopped real quick) ...

What procedures do i need to do to start it up..I know i'll have to drain gas etc..but I've never done this before..And is there any chance the engine and transmission (fluid drive?) will work and not need rebuilt??? The old people i bought it from said they drove it into the driveway when they moved to my city in 2000..then parked it till i bought it last week.

Oh..also the voltage regulator wires were disconnected ...just 3 wires hanging next to voltage regulator and i cant find which wire goes where...?

any ideas?

thank you in advance

[48WingNut]

First of all Chuck...welcome to the site. Secondly....there is no such thing as a "dumb" question. You'll find out that there will be a lot of help on this site for just about any question you have. Here is a link to the Pilot-House website:

http://www.dodgepilothouseclub.org/know/wiring_harness/wiring.htm

Click on that and then go to "PilotHouse Knowledge". Scroll down just a little bit and you'll find a wiring diagram that might help you with your question. If not then somebody will take a pic or give you some advice as to what to do.

I'd drain the old gas from the tank using a siphon hose and put in a small amount of gas to start with. Make sure all your linkages aren't stuck. Check and make sure there is oil in it and give it a shot. Good luck with your new adventure!

[Thunder II]

First of all, Welcome. Just like Wingnut said, there is no such thing as a dumb question. These guys have answered a lot of questions for me too...

My fuel tank has a drain in the bottom, if yours does also, I would think that its better than siphoning the tank. Be sure to drain the carb, and fuel filter bowl too. Get rid of as much of that bad gas as possible. After you fill it with good gas, be sure to check the system for rust and particulates in the tank, the years and condensation, might come back to haunt you here. So be sure to check your fuel filter quite frequently after you get it running. You might also want to replace the fuel lines before putting in clean fuel. This might seem like overkill, but once it starts running, you wont want it to stop due to a problem that you could have avoided..... Oh.... Be ready to wave at lots of people when you drive too.

[Merle Coggins]

Good advice so far, but I'll add a little more anyway.

Have a good look at the wiring. If it's the original wiring the old cloth covering is subject to deterioration, causing bare wires and nasty short circuits. You don't need to turn your "New" truck in to a Car-B-Q right away. The only fuse in the system is attached to your head light switch, for the lights only.

Finding the right order of the wires for your regulator isn't too difficult. The regulator should be labeled with a "B", an "F", and an "A". "B" is Battery, and will be coming from the Ammeter. "A" is the larger wire going to the generator. And "F" is the little wire going to the gen. If your wires are like mine, the color codes won't do you much good as they'll all be faded white.

I would probably squirt/spray a little oil into the cylinders to aid with cylinder lubrication. They will probably be a little dry and rusty from sitting. And if the fuel tank cleaning proves troublesome, you could always run a temporary hose from the fuel pump into a gas can to get it running. That'll then provide much motivation to keep going.

As for your trans/fluid drive question... You can probably just change the oils and you'll be fine. The trans uses regular gear lube (GL5 80w90 or similar). The fluid drive uses a HiTrans type oil. I got a 2 gallon jug of Universal Tractor Hydraulic Fluid (ISO VG32 grade) from my local farm supply store (Farm & Fleet). You'll have to remove a pan under the clutch/fluid drive area, then rotate the engine until the drain plug is at the bottom. Pull the plug and let it drain. It'll take a while to drain it all out. Let it sit there over night if you can. Then you'll have to pull out the floor plates and you'll see a round plug at about 1 O'clock on the bell housing. I believe mine says OIL FILL on it. Pop out this plug and you can see the fluid drive. Now rotate the engine until the drain hole lines up with the hole in the housing. You'll need a long nose funnel to refill it. Again it is slow to fill. You'll add fluid until it bubbles out, then wait several minutes and fill again. If you let it sit for an hour and it still won't take oil, it's probably full now. As I recall, mine took over a gallon and a half. Now the trick is getting the plug back in without dropping it. A magnetic socket helps. Or a piece of paper over the head of the plug to make it fit tighter into the socket to hold it.

And while you're changing oils, you might as well to the axle too. And while you're back there be sure to check/clean the axle breather.

And one final piece of advice (for now). Once you get it going, you'll want it to stop. Be sure to give the brake system a thorough inspection.

Merle

[PatS....]

"You'll have to remove a pan under the clutch/fluid drive area, then rotate the engine until the drain plug is at the bottom. Pull the plug and let it drain. It'll take a while to drain it all out. Let it sit there over night if you can. Then you'll have to pull out the floor plates and you'll see a round plug at about 1 O'clock on the bell housing. I believe mine says OIL FILL on it. Pop out this plug and you can see the fluid drive."

Just to clarify, you are actually using the same drain/fill plug to drain AND fill, just rotating it to the different access positions.

[chucky07]

you guys are great .....giving me the confidence to do this..I've never taken on a project like this.....

I just tried out the brake pedal and all the way to the floor it goes..so i'm sure i'll have to replace m/c...wheel cylinders etc...gonna be a big job to get it going but will be worth it ....

Keep the Advice coming..i'm taking it all in and appreciate it very much.

[Thunder II]

Brake fluid has a strange way of going bad, which can cause problems. Pull the drums and check for brake fluid leaks. If there are no leaks, then flush, and bleed the ENTIRE brake system. See if that solves your problem before throwing money at new components. It may be a waste of time, however, it may save you a few bucks.

I've had a lot of good times at China Lake NWC. I bet the town is huge now.

[Vintrader]

Chuck, I agree with Merle. Try and run the engine off a small gas can at first. getting bad gas the the lines and the carb can be a mess. Also before you take the brakes apart just try filling the master with fluid and bleeding it and then work your way to the wheels, see if you are loosing the fluid any where. This is much better with someone that can pump the pedal in the cab while you get the air out. I don't think I would trust it on the street but it should let you move it around until you can get deeper into it. Good Luck and Welcome. Dutch

[bach4660]

too bad you are looking for "experianced advice" leaves me out

[Dodgeb4ya]

If after the truck is running I probably would leave the Fluid Drive coupling itself alone if it is working ok, I`ve had a couple people had some leakers after a fluid change at the graphite seal , plus it`s a very slow process to refill the FD. Fluid changes are good- but the fluid drive units are one area I leave alone if they work good!

As for the bad gas- Do NOT start the engine with it as I`ve had valves stick up because the varnish gas will get in the valve guides and cause the valves to stick in the open position and thats a hassle!

Bob

[48Dodger]

Most gas starts to go bad in 90 days. condensation doesn't help either. Take your time and "work out" the downtime the truck has gone through. Write down all the little things you notice as you comb the truck with curiousity (i.e. the wires you saw, brake pedal, rust spots on the frame, missing bolt heads....).

These are two very good books I would recommend.

Dodge B-Series Trucks

I]Resotorer's & Collectors Reference Guide and History[/i]

Don Bunn

This gives you a feel of where the truck comes from history wise.

Project Charger

"The step-by-step restoration of a popular vintage car"

Larry Lyles

This book is by far one of my favorites as far as restoring vehicles in general. It gives you an idea of what to expect of yourself, as well of people you hire to do work for you. It's a good way to baseline your skills. No matter how you restore your truck, you need a point of reference.

I've made a lot of friends on this site, I know you will too. Good luck

48D

[Bouncy B]

ON THE BRAKES...

Start by checking the fluid. It has a way of disappearing when not in use. After six months or so mine does. Probably slowly leaks out the wheels. Fill the master cylinder and then start bleeding.

By the way if it was last running in 2000 I wouldn't expect the worst. You might be better off than you think. These old vehicles can really surprise you!

I recently resurrected a WWII jeep that has been sitting in a cotton field for over 35 years. Fresh battery and fresh gas made it run like a top!

[Reg Evans]

Chucky, Did you get it running yet?

[jschultz]

How about now?

[Fernando Mendes]

In the voltage regulator we have fourwires:"B+"(bat),"D+"(arm),"DF"(field) and "D-"(ground).In the generator we have only threewires:"D+"(arm),"DF"(field) and "D-"(ground).The "B+"(bat) wire of voltage regulator will go to the starter switch.Good Luck Chucky 07.