'53 B-4TA-190 Fire Engine

[Brent B3B]

On 5/12/2022 at 8:39 PM, Dodgeb4ya said:

Oh that body style is so cool...Brent and Mark want the chrome grille...don't let them around it unless hand cuffed!

Rob, I looked into airfare for me and you to fly back and help get this truck running (early on in the thread) didn’t pencil out (Julie)

 

Truth be told, want the whole truck!

Edited May 17, 2022 by Brent B3B

[E37Bruco]

I'll save the originals. They are actually in good condition and I could probably hone and reseal then the more I look. 

 

This spring maybe an issue. Napa couldn't locate anything. It's 7 3/4 hook end to hook end and 1" thick in the spring barrel. I'll stop by a commercial truck shop sometime and ask around. 

 

So the stock fuel tank was condemned. I just got the sending unit for the auxiliary tank. Next time I'm there I'll fire it up. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

8 hours ago, Brent B3B said:

Rob, I looked into airfare for me and you to fly back and help get this truck running (early on in the thread) didn’t pencil out (Julie)

 

Truth be told, want the whole truck!

Remember...fire season is coming here in the Great North West....

The global warming thing!

I agree Brent that fire truck belongs out here...save the Redwoods, the Sequoia's, Doug Firs, Lions, bears and Tigers too. 

Julie has to agree!

Maybe drive it back here?

At 5-6 MPG how much da ya think would cost?

Maybe load ut up on your trailer?

Edited May 18, 2022 by Dodgeb4ya

[E37Bruco]

Would be cheaper to ship it haha

[Dodgeb4ya]

If you don't find a front brake spring I  might have one loose hopefully or one on a truck ....

[Brent B3B]

Is it the 1261189?

https://www-ebay-es.translate.goog/itm/293375721738?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3D14814cbc012543faaa91fa0cbd5ace7f%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26b%3D1%26sd%3D293375723802%26itm%3D293375721738%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb%26brand%3DMopar&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1&_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

 

let’s see if your good luck continues lol

[E37Bruco]

Yup that one per the parts manual. For such a large use of that spring I'm surprised it's hard to find. I need to measure the drums and shoes Saturday, some of the old Dodge parts sites list the spring by brake size. This maybe an aftermarket spring in here bc it's bigger than anything I'm finding. 1" diameter and 7.75" end to end collapsed.

 

As for the front wheel cylinders, waiting to hear back from our member that works for Napa on what price #UP 28803 would be to us. These seem to be a straight 1.5" bore cylinder that would match up instead of the stock 1-3/8 step to 1-1/2. I'm looking at $45 to rebuild the originals if I can. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by E37Bruco

[Dodgeb4ya]

That return spring is used in all hydraulic 16" front brake trucks...

J thru Y models...2 ton thru 4 ton.

[48Dodger]

On 5/17/2022 at 12:33 PM, Brent B3B said:

Rob, I looked into airfare for me and you to fly back and help get this truck running (early on in the thread) didn’t pencil out (Julie)

 

Truth be told, want the whole truck!

E37Bruco, trailer it a lil south, turn right, head west til you smell the pacific ocean, turn right into my driveway, park it next to my herd of 1.5 and 2 ton trucks and wait for the next BBQ in April.

 

Don't tell Dodgeb2ya or BrentB2B........

 

48D

[E37Bruco]

3 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

That return spring is used in all hydraulic 16" front brake trucks...

J thru Y models...2 ton thru 4 ton.

It looks like it's also the rear spring for hydraulic 1 and 1.5 ton

[E37Bruco]

Y'all see any reason this wouldn't work? Different look from what I pulled off

[Dodgeb4ya]

So long as the return tension is enough to quickly and fully pull the shoes back don't see why they would not work.

If they are modern offshore springs nope.

[Brent B3B]

Sorry I missed it, is the old spring broken or sprung? 

[E37Bruco]

Old spring is broken

[E37Bruco]

So on this big mofo....It looks like a drain plug on the underside. Which would be the fill plug then? 

 

And why isn't there a cover on the back to take off haha I'm sure there's solidified oil in there like the transmission was.

[Dodgeb4ya]

The rear end in your truck is a Timken L300 and that upper square plug to the front is the fill plug.

About 30 pints to fill it.

 

[E37Bruco]

Ok it runs!!! Now get off my back haha ?❤️

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/vAMuzkJkiHo?feature=share

 

Gotta get this brake system finished and the tires handled so I can road test it.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by E37Bruco

[E37Bruco]

What's the difference between the diff filler plug and the pinion bearing oil plug?

[Dodgeb4ya]

Ok...

First off congratulations on firing the engine up! A happy man in the cab!

I see no radiator in it so you cannot run it long enough to heat it up, time it and sync carbs etc....just even more fun stuff to do.?

It will run smooth as silk idling and at full governed rpm's when you are finished...I just had my "Big Red" out today...first time this year.

You are a trooper to tackle one of these big brutes for sure.

As for that front differential pinion housing  top square filler plug...

It's purpose is to add 1 pint of SAE 140 Hypoid mineral type  gear oil only when the complete differential assembly has been  rebuilt. The pint of oil is to assure the two pinion bearings have enough initial lube after a rebuild whether just the pinion case or whole differential assembly.

The front pinion bearing case has two lubrication holes at three and nine O'clock postions. Once the rear axle gears are rotating gear oil is forced in one side of the front pinion housing and out the other side lube hole lubricating the pinion bearings.

Normally the pinion cage is always half full of oil because of the height of the two oil lubrication holes....this unless the housing is removed and drained...then needing that initial pint of oil.

You will normally not need to add oil to the pinion housing doing a rear axle drain and re-fill.

But....in your case of the truck sitting for 15 years I would run the rear end on rated stands for five minutes after a re-fill to circulate the oil through out the rear axle.

Shut it down for 5-10 minutes and re-check the oil level to be sure it's full.

 

[E37Bruco]

The man in the cab is my father haha. He use to drive this fire engine so I asked him to start it. 

 

I was holding off on installing the cooling system till I knew the motor would start. I had to address some fuel leaks. But now I'm good to throw all that back in the engine bay. 

 

Waiting on brake parts to come in. 

 

I'll drain the rear axle next week. That's for the explanation. I'm sure the oil has solidified in there like it did with the transmission. There was 2 " of sludge like oil on the bottom. 

 

Once the dash is painted and the windshield re-installed I can tear back into the wiring. 

[ggdad1951]

you keeping that plastic inline filter or goign back to vintage?  Clean up the rubber in the fuel line and go back to hard tubing?

[E37Bruco]

All of the original hard tubing broke. Once the truck is back together I'll look at replacing it. I know that plastic inline filter needs to get set flat but should there be any issues running it as is once that's corrected?

 

Also any information on the brakes for this timken l300 rear axle? I'm sure I need wheel cylinders and probably springs. 

[ggdad1951]

2 hours ago, E37Bruco said:

All of the original hard tubing broke. Once the truck is back together I'll look at replacing it. I know that plastic inline filter needs to get set flat but should there be any issues running it as is once that's corrected?

 

 

all depends on how "orignal" you want to make it

[E37Bruco]

I'm not worried about original. I'm worried about functional lol then outside look...then maybe I'll go back and tweek things like that back to original.

[E37Bruco]

New "hmmm" moment. Pulled the heat exchanger off the thermostat housing bc I found coolant in the lines to the fire pump. (Designed to circulate cold water from the pump thru the heat exchanger to help cool the motor while pumping at fires). The internal cooper coil is leaking. I also noticed there isn't a thermostat in the housing. 

 

I'm currently working with fire engine restoration friends to figure out replacing the coil, but my question to you guys is... This coil is tight with a disc welded in the center, is that enough flow restriction to allow the motor to still heat up or should a T-stat be installed.