1941 Dodge WC and Horse trading

[9 foot box]

   I traded a 48 Plymouth Club Coupe for a 41 WC pickup today. The Coupe needed too much work and the truck runs and is drivable. The 41 needs a few changes to make muster, in my opinion, but it was a good trade. The owner drove it on my trailer. The trim and rear window for the club coupe were in the trunk. I gave the new owner a reprint service manual. The club coupe was a project I didn’t want to take on, but the truck is doable to drive and clean up. The truck has a D5 rebuilt engine tag that says it’s a 37 engine. It should be a T112. The front trim is all there, but will need some finessing to look better. I couldn’t refuse the trade offer. Rick D.

[bkahler]

Dang!  That was a great trade on your part

 

[Young Ed]

Looks like a great truck. Welcome to the club ? 

[9 foot box]

   As I mentioned, the truck needs some attention. The PO put a manual rack and pinion steering in the truck. Today, I pulled the column, pitman arm, drag link and tie rod off a 45? WD-20 that I have at hand. I will fix that first. Probably restore it to foot stomp starter and eliminate the solenoid. It’s been converted to 12 volt. The gauges will be restored to original. Sorry no picture, but the waterfall dashboard wasn’t cut, so I can cleanup some gauges that I have and use them. I didn’t need another project, but I couldn’t pass on this deal to get rid of one that I would never finish, to a runner. The 54 2 door Savoy was another trade deal for a 35 Ford rolling chassis truck frame with a 8ba flathead and spare 8ba engine with a 3 speed. The engine I got with the Savoy is a rebuilt T336. Another project I probably won’t do, because I’d rather have a four door, for the ease of my passengers to enter and exit. But I have a rebuilt 230 engine. Someone will see the Savoy and want to put a different engine and transmission in it anyway. I stopped at a convenience store, and a man asked what my 49 coupe was, I told him, and he said that it would make a good hot rod. I replied that it is just fine as an original. And it is. Rick D.

[Veemoney]

Seems like a truck with plenty of character and being it is a runner, well worth the trade and effort to get it the way you would like with the parts you have on hand. Looking forward to seeing it's progress if you post it. 

[9 foot box]

   Put the 41 on the lift and removed the steering. The floor board was one piece, with no access to the battery, which was moved to the right side. The battery holder sides for frame mount are there, so I will make a tray and put it back on the left and cut the floorboard for access. Then I can get to the transmission fill plug. I’ve been coming across all sorts of buffoonery. I took all the hub caps off and the left rear drum nut was loose, no cotter pin. That drum shouldn’t be hard to remove. Today I fixed the frame, where it had been butchered for I don’t know why. Another steering column? The truck has a four speed with 4.3 rear gears. 3.9 would be what I am going to try and find. I haven’t looked at the rear spring bushings, but the front bushings will need to be fixed. Rick D.

[Young Ed]

If you're lucky enough and it's just the bushings the jeep ones work and are way cheaper. I'm running jeep shackles in the front of mine but they are slightly shorter. 

[PT81PlymouthPickup]

9 hours ago, 9 foot box said:

3.9 would be what I am going to try and find.

Quality looking repair on that frame! It's not often to see someone going back to original after those kinds of hacker modifications. Too bad you're not close. I have a perfect complete rear end 3.9 ratio that I'll give to you or anyone that would actually use it. I won't ship it however. Too much hassle.

 

I'm curious how the truck steered with that rack and pinion in there?

[9 foot box]

   Young Ed, I looked at some greasable shackles at Morris 4x4. The PO’s have a cobbled together shackle on the right front. I have some Jeep springs with hangers, maybe I can use these shackles. Or use the rear front spring shackles from a 53 B model chassis I have. I won’t know until I can assess the damage done to the frame and springs.

   P81, it surprisingly seemed to steer okay, but it hung below the axle and just wasn’t up to my standards. The double joint universals flopped around too much and interfered with the clutch pedal movement. I’m too much of a purist to use that type of steering on a 41 WC. The plus is that I have a truck chassis I bought for the lock ring wheels, and it has the parts I need to put this back to original. The spring is broken in the drag link , but I think a Century spring LL-49 will fix that. I looked up the number for a drag link spring, 318748, and found two at Parts house clearance in Oroville,WA. Len Dawson has one in stock.  Then I can adjust the the tension on the ball joint.  Rick D.

Edited May 10, 2023 by 9 foot box
More information

[9 foot box]

   I put the original steering gear box in and mounted to the dash. I made a battery holder that fit existing holes in the frame. I got a couple nos drag link springs. The steering arm/pitman arm is worn on one side. I’m hoping that one that I bought for $26 online is correct, otherwise VPW seems to have them for $95 and shipping. I’m going to put corn head grease in the steering gear box, I’m just looking for the cheapest way to get it delivered. Otherwise it’s a 100 mile round trip to the nearest JD dealer, for $7 tube of the grease I want.  Rick D.

[Young Ed]

You're battery tray looks 10000 times better than the one I made. I might have to try again 

[9 foot box]

   I got my corn head grease delivered this morning. I called my friend/ ex-employer, who was in the vicinity. $15 for two tubes. 

[9 foot box]

   My replacement steering box had too much play after doing a minor adjustment to the cross shaft. I pulled the column and the roller on the sector shaft and the worm were in good shape. The problem was the tapered ends on the worm gear were worn from excessive end play. I couldn’t find a worm gear. I bought two new top and bottom bearings, gasket set and a seal from Dennis Carpenter. I built up the ends of the worm gear with a mig welder and turned the ends down in my Atlas lathe. Luckily the shaft fit in the spindle. I had another worm gear and the bearing races to determine the degree of angle for fitting in the box. I turned down both ends equally from the measurement at the base of the taper and ended up with .060” lower bearing race protruding. I used the gaskets that I had to allow for free movement and set the major adjustment to the worm gear bearings. Then I tightened the cross shaft sector screw for free movement of the steering wheel, left to right, for the minor adjustment. The wire in my welder is .024” 7018, CO2 shield gas set at the high heat and I used a slower wire feed than is recommended. I sent a message to Cavallero for a worm gear, but for now, it has taken the free play out of the steering and I have a gaskets to remove if it wears in on the 7018 weld. I chose not to heat and quench it to harden the weld, in case I need to do any additional lathe work. I refilled with corn head grease. This project made me aware of the fact, that the steering gears are overlooked for lubricant, so I checked and filled the steering boxes on all my drivers today with GL1. They all had sufficient lubrication.   Rick D.

Edited November 21, 2023 by 9 foot box