1947 Fargo 3 ton almost home

[Young Ed]

Yup dashes are welded in. Not such a big deal unless you get one with lots of extra holes or broken studs for the gauges. Count yourself lucky for finding one in 10000000 that still has the speedo needle attached. The screws might be factory not sure. Heres your american counterpart trim donor

[No Bux Rod]

Pat,

Looks like your engine from the photo is a long block (25"). I noticed that therer were no tapped holes above the generator for an air compressor. The really big block has 4 holes in a square pattern. The good news is that there are pleny of long block parts in Canada.

N B R

[builtfercomfort]

Does anyone know how I would determine the ratios on this thing? (rear end)

If you can jack the rear end up, put it in neutral and slowly spin the rear wheel and count the driveshaft rotations. Then you will need a vacuum source from somewhere else (shop vac? may be too strong?) and put vacuum on the thing-a-ma-bob, and see if it moves. That will be an interesting piece of the truck to work on.

I'm just guessing, but you might need to spin the tires as if you were driving down the road, since I would guess that the actual gear changing uses some force greater than a vacuum actuator, and the only available force is your forward momentum. Default would probably be low range, so granny gear and reverse would work at low speeds, and high range only available on the highway.

Edit: I took a closer look at that actuator- it looks like you can probably move it without a vacuum source. I would still guess you would want the rear end/driveshaft to be turning a little or the gears won't actually change (?)

[Dodgeb4ya]

Pat,

The rear axle ratio- both high range and low are stamped on the top of the differential case close to the top filler plug. It`s a Eaton 1350 series rear end. They are quite reliable. I have a couple of them in my trucks. They shift very fast! Rear axle housing rated at 13,500 lbs. Engine originally would have been a 250 ci. W/ sodium exhaust valves. It appears to be WH series W/5 lug wheels that being a 2 tonner. The 2-1/2 to 3 tonners had either a 281 or a 331ci. 30" long BIG block engine with the 4 bolt air compressor mount on the front top left side of the block as previously mentioned. Most of these heavy series had 10 bolt budd wheels. I once had the identical truck to yours! My "B4Ya" I own is a 1953 4 tonner with the 7 main bearing 413 twin carb engine. Biggest truck Dodge made at that time! Good luck with yours!

Bob

[PatS....]

Pat,

The rear axle ratio- both high range and low are stamped on the top of the differential case close to the top filler plug. It`s a Eaton 1350 series rear end. They are quite reliable. I have a couple of them in my trucks. They shift very fast! Rear axle housing rated at 13,500 lbs. Engine originally would have been a 250 ci. W/ sodium exhaust valves. It appears to be WH series W/5 lug wheels that being a 2 tonner. The 2-1/2 to 3 tonners had either a 281 or a 331ci. 30" long BIG block engine with the 4 bolt air compressor mount on the front top left side of the block as previously mentioned. Most of these heavy series had 10 bolt budd wheels. I once had the identical truck to yours! My "B4Ya" I own is a 1953 4 tonner with the 7 main bearing 413 twin carb engine. Biggest truck Dodge made at that time! Good luck with yours!

Bob

Bob, the tag on this one says GVW of 15,000lbs. Cab and chassis weighs about 5500 so that would be a 5 ton?

Also, this truck is on its 3rd engine for sure so anyones guess what's in it.

There is a number on the pad above the generator but being a rebuilt it may not mean anything.

I don't have a pic yet but there is a large bar on the bottom of the axle housing welded on each side with a large turnbuckle in the middle...it's got me confused. Do they all have them and if so what would the purpose be?

[Dodgeb4ya]

Pat-Your truck is not a 5 ton. Dodge rates the trucks by letters. Is the truck door pillar tag W/ the horsepower and wheelbase- W code info all there still ? It would say like WHA160. I`m pretty sure yours is a 2 ton. I believe that a- say 2 ton rating is the maximum weight of optional equipment installed - like a dump box to be attached to the frame /chassis . If yours read WHA160...That would mean "W" series,"H" is a 2 ton rating , an "A" means 2 speed rear axle and the 160 means length of wheel base. The GVW means the total weight of the truck and it`s maximum legal load. Post a pic of the turn buckle bar on the rear axle-it might be something added later on.

Bob

[Tony WestOZ]

Pat the number 90072558 you posted on the truck page refers to a Canadian 1946, FL-7 (90071929-90072603), 3 ton truck.

Engine code should be T-121. Its a long block and I think thats a 251 cu".

Wheel base variations= 136", 160", 178", 220".

By the way great truck.

[PatS....]

Thanks Bob and Tony...great info.

Here is the tag from the passenger door jamb. Sure looks like FL7 to me. I'll get a better pic today that isn't cut off on the right.

I left this full size for clarity...sorry to dial-ups

[Dodgeb4ya]

Pat,

I forgot that your truck was a Canadian truck- The tonnage ratings and code Letters and #`s are all different!from US. All US trucks 3 ton and bigger have the big engine in them- that is the "Nickel Moly" blocks. That is embossed right into the block.

Bob