"New" Fargo Truck

[MB Black Dog]

I have a 1950 Fargo 1/2 ton truck how do I correctly ID the engine model? I believe it is a 218 CI Flathead six, the head measures 25.5 inches long. All the pistons and valves are badly rusted / corroded in place as she was parked in the bush for the last 48 years. I may have found a replacement motor and want to be sure she is correct, thanks.

[9 foot box]

      The serial number on left front top edge of the block would start with T173 if it’s original 218. Search “t137 other engines”. It will tell you what engine you have and what the donor engine you intend to use is from. Or post the first letter and following three numbers, if you’re not sure. Rick D.

[RobertKB]

I see you’re in Manitoba. I live in Alberta. Canadian vehicles after 1938 all came with the longer engine like yours. Finding engines for Canadian vehicles is pretty straightforward. Cars and trucks came with different oil pans and bell housings but they can be switched. I have a 251 CID from a two ton truck in my ‘48 Dodge D25 club coupe and I had another truck 251 in my ‘38 Chrysler which I have since sold. Good luck with the search. Message me if you have further questions. 
 

By the way, we all love pictures so any of your truck would be welcome!

[MB Black Dog]

Thanks for the input. My truck engine is T173 and 25.5 inches long. I will have to do some more cleaning to find any other numbers. The used engine I just looked at is IND followed by 8 digits then C, it came out of a combine, the head is 25.5 inches, at least she has sat inside. I will collect her when we can get a loader to her, the price was good. Then I have a possible transplant or just an organ donor, not sure at this point.

 

I will also need a radiator and carb.

[MB Black Dog]

First photo shows the tag on the donor engine. Next shows the truck engine, she was parked in the bush for 46 years and rain and snow was allowed on the engine! Then we have the neat Fargo tag on the door pillar.

[RNR1957NYer]

Really nice truck!  I dunno, I think a good soaking with PB Blaster will free her up!

[MB Black Dog]

Thanks, she is soaking in diesel right now, surprisingly the cylinder walls rub clean with your finger, the dipstick shows clean oil so I am hoping the bottom end is good. My main concern is the valves and cam shaft. The engine is coming out this winter.

 

Someone had removed the hood in order to take the rad, the hood had not been replaced correctly and the rain and snow had blown inside, the air cleaner was full  and water  sat round the spark plugs. Two spark plugs disintegrated in my fingers when I went to pull the plug leads off. 

 

The body work is really not bad.

[Los_Control]

Honestly I feel you have more choices for a engine then those of us south of the border.

 

USA it would have been a 24" 218 or 230 engine. .... North of the border they used 25" engines and I just assume the engines will fit fine if you stay with 25".

 

The 24" engine would work also, then you need to move the radiator closer ..... you have no radiator sooooo?

 

Just saying I believe the bell housing transmission do interchange. So nothing changes besides radiator location .... I guarantee I'm over simplifying it.

 

The big trucks down south of the border did get the larger 25" engines ...... They just moved the radiator from the rear of core support to the front of core support.

 

Only thing I have to say about the industrial engines .... They are a good choice and often have low hours on them.

Typically they are in service to run at a specific speed.  ..... Often they do not have a vacuum advance on the distributor .... carburetor may or may not be a issue..

Rumors have been spread the internal cam & timing has been changed ..... I can only say that many have installed industrial engines in their vehicles & 100% satisfied.

 

I just feel at this stage of the game you can install a 24" 218, 25" 251 or 265  .... 318, 440 .... sbc or a LS  .... Do not hate me.

 

Your truck is nice but really rough, reminds me of mine when I first got it. ..... You can see in my avatar it looked like yours.

Today it looks different, after many hours of working on it ...... not once did I ever think I would restore it to pristine condition.

While physically it is possible, financially it is just pure stupidity. ..... Making it a fun to drive truck to enjoy is priceless.

[keithb7]

She got a new engine in 1975! Just barely broke-in. Lol. 

 

I see 3 7/16” bore stamped on the engine rebuilder’s tag. 25” long. 4 ¼” stroke would be a 237 ci. Those were mainly reserved for Desoto.  

 

Same bore with 4 ½” stroke would be 250 ci. I’d wager the that’s what you’d have in the truck.

 

Later they went to same bore 4 ¾” stroke for 265 ci used in the big Chryslers. 

 

The Industrial engine found in the combine should work. You could swap over needed automotive parts as needed. I believe there were set up for more continuous RPM. Different torque curve compared to an engine for a vehicle on public roads. Different cam. Different distributor. I am surmising here. Can’t speak of fact.

 

My Mopar industrial engine book here claims the 8A 250 ci engine made 206 ft lbs of torque at 1400 rpm. 113 hp at 3600 rpm.  Didn’t Industrial engines have sodium filled exhaust valves? To assist with extra valve cooling.  The industrial engine you found could be a 265 ci. That would be a nice bonus!

 

Looking at your rat-engine photo, 2 cylinders appear to be at TDC. 2 must be at BDC. Head is off. Easy to measure the stroke.  It would take me about 3/10 of a second to say yes and bring that truck home. 
 

Cleaning that engine up, with a valve lap too. She might go. For how long and far, using how much oil? I can’t say. 

Edited May 4 by keithb7

[keithb7]

Is there a cast part number on the cylinder head? Look at both engines. It might help me looking in my parts books. 

[MB Black Dog]

The truck engine has a 3 3/8 bore and the stroke appears to be 3 3/4. assuming I have a piston at BDC. All I can make out on the head is D140 over 1139403, not 100% certain on the 3 and 0. More to follow on the combine engine when I get her home which will be in a few weeks.

Cheers

[MB Black Dog]

Time to remove the engine, I have removed the doors, grill, front fenders and the three floor panels. Which is the preferred way, remove the cab or not? I think taking the cab off will be easier. The only problem I foresee is removing the steering wheel! Then I may as well remove the box which will mean I can clean up the chassis and paint that.

[Los_Control]

1 hour ago, MB Black Dog said:

The only problem I foresee is removing the steering wheel! Then I may as well remove the box which will mean I can clean up the chassis and paint that.

That is probably the best way if you know what you are doing.

Personally I just did not have the space to blow my truck apart.

 

I did the front first ..... then finished it ....

 

When I got that back together I then took the bed apart and finished it .... Just depends on what level of restoration you are going for.

 

I simply do not have the room for a full blown frame off restoration ..... my end goal is a daily driver.

I never did take my cab off the frame, I just do not have space for all the parts.

 

It would have been nice to at least change the rubber cab mounts .... While mine look ok visually, I'm sure they are shot.

 

 

 

 

I'm just saying for my purpose a daily driver I did not remove the cab ..... for a restoration and if you have the room removing the steering box & cab is required.

[MB Black Dog]

No problem with room and I have a well equipped farm shop. Can I leave the steering column attached to the cab and remove together? New cab mounts certainly would be a bonus.

[Los_Control]

The steering box and column are 1 piece ..... basically you disconnect the front tie rods to the box, then the column supports and then the steering box from the frame .... it all comes out in one piece.

 

This also makes it a pita to rebuild since you basically need to cut the shaft, replace the steering gears then weld the shaft back on ..... you can do what you want, it all comes out in 1 piece or you make it separate pieces.

 

Removing the steering wheel then lifting the cab high enough to clear the column is a luxury most do not have .... You may have that with a fork lift or high ceilings ... many do not.

 

Again I'm disqualified because my box is in great shape ..... I have no desire to mess with it.

[MB Black Dog]

My search for a half decent engine has not yielded anything super yet, the industrial engine I found is seized and has very rusty valves, but I have found two more Fargo 1/2 ton trucks: A hideous yellow 1952 Fargo which has been kept inside and the engine is supposedly good although currently not running and a  1950 "black"  Fargo she will be the organ donor, very rough but this engine is not seized so may be usable., also has a floor shift so I assume a 4 speed. This engine # is D32C 8789C if that means anything to anyone?

[MB Black Dog]

In the above photos, top to bottom. My first Fargo waiting for a new engine, second is the Black Fargo also a  1950 and I will look at rebuilding her engine and finally the yellow 52 which supposedly has a running engine.