Decided to paint it while waiting for the new pumps.

 

Inside of engine has been de -sludged, carb rebuilt, fuel tank flushed.




Distributor and starter rebuilt, new solid core wires, points, condenser, plugs, cap, rotor, solenoid, made some nice fat #00 battery and ground cables. Patched up some of the wiring for now. Lubed up the choke and throttle cables so they are working now.

 

I thought the bottom of the shroud had rusted out. Possibly from wet pine needles. After cleaning it up I see that it was cut with a torch. I'm going to have to patch it up. That is a big air leak. I need all the cooling I can get in the summer months.

 

I'm going to keep running the stock thermostats. They were working fine and cleaned up nice. They look like they would flow pretty good compared to some of the newer T-stats.




Jan 1952

 

The radiator cap I bought is 7 lb instead of the stock 4 lb cap. Radiator shop said no problem and I'm thinking the new Drake pumps should be ok with it. I'm going to run 30% coolant and some water wetter also. Should cool fine. It wasn't over heating as it was and that was with a dirty system and 30% plugged rad. I have a 6 blade fan and shroud which helps even more.

 

My Dana 60 is all cleaned up Purdy, painted and ready to go. I found some stock steel rims from an E350 with 235/85R 16 tires. Tires are just rollers so I still have to buy tires. I plan on some baby moon type hub caps and maybe some beauty rings on painted rims. I have U-joints ordered. I'll get the driveshaft shortened when I'm ready to install diff.

 

Wow, lots of progress. Thanks for the updates and pictures.

 

Nice job with all the details and paint - it really looks nice! I see the front of your intake is chipped some where the generator bracket fits. I've seen a lot of them like that over the years - will still work fine if you're careful to align everything when installing. The threads on the stud at the front of the intake looks like it has odd LH threads, or is that an optical illusion? - Bob

 

Thanks Bob. Optical illusion on the threads. Probably happened when I resized images.


I was temped to paint the frame rails and inner fenders but, I'm holding off for now. It'll just make more work when I pull it down for the really good clean and paint.

 

I just went back to your earlier post about the Dana 60 with the 3.73's. If you now have 4.86's, that seems like a pretty big change. High gear would be almost like an OD compared to what you have now. Might be OK for you, but I know I wouldn't want that tall of a gear in my F1 with the flathead. I recently switched tires from 235/75-15's to 265/75-15's and that made a big difference in how mine drives, especially with a load on it - and that was only a change in the tire size. Maybe you'll be OK with it, but you might want to check with some of the other guys who have swapped out their diffs. I had a '78 F-250 4x4 with the 400M engine and I believe 3.55's with 235/85-16's - it felt a bit "tall" on the gearing, but good on the highway. The tires on my F1 are about 30.5" diameter. If you run the standard F-250 tire size, I'm guessing yours will be around an inch taller-probably very close to the same height of your original tires. - Bob

 

I guess I'll find out soon how the gearing works out. I did go from a 4.86 to 3.73 but also going from a 34" tall original tire to one just under 32" tall.


If it ends up being too tall of a gear I can go to 4.11's. I can actually leave the stock rear diff if I had to. The 16" rims I just got bolted right on. No brake drum clearance issues at all. I never measured. Maybe I don't have the 14" rear brakes.


Thanks for the heads up. I'll find out soon how it all works out.

 

My change from 29" tires to 30.5" made my 4.27 ratio about the equivalent of 4.06:1 - I believe your switch from 34" tires to 32" would make your 3.73's equal to about a 3.96:1, so might be OK depending on hills, etc. Once in awhile I forget, and take off from a stop in 3rd gear - it shudders a bit but gets going! The 3.73's just may work out OK for you. Years ago, my wife would drive my pickup occasionally on short trips and would start out in 3rd, then just leave it there until she got where she was going, rather than learn how to double clutch. - Bob

 

I'll just have to stick a nitrous kit on for special occasions! With my semi worn out flatty, I can probably only use it once though. My wife wants nothing to do with manual transmissions let alone double clutching so no worries there.


Got my water pumps today. Was all ready to get the engine back together and radiator in and it was raining BAD all day today. Supposed to rain all day tomorrow too. Truck is in the driveway.


May have found an Express Bed and running boards. I'm excited to keep moving on this build.

 

Saw the reference to the cheesey piant job. Was all the chrome trim original or replacement when you acquired it?

 

The chrome is all original. Most of the truck is original. Looks like somebody decided to paint it. Didn't even pound out the dents. Bondo, masking tape and paint. Better than rust guess.


I'll post my latest progress once I can post pics again. Bought a really straight 1948 F2 for the bed, running boards, rear shock mounts, 16" innie wheels and hub caps, and some other misc parts. Also found a T98 to put in my 52.


I'll put my stake bed and short running boards on the 48 F2 and sell it or part it out. The F2 had a hack job engine swap. Somebody put a 1955 Olds V8 and auto trans in it. I may be able to get some money for the Olds stuff or trade it.


I need to figure out what the PTO that is on my T98 is worth. I don't need the PTO and some forum members are asking about it. It came out of a 1950 F6.


Wish I could get pics up.