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Hey WM,
Your truck sounds great! Very smooth! It sounds like your wife is into
your truck project too! That's nice. Good job over there in Pennsylvania!
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
Thanks Ben. We both wanted to do one big thing before we start trying to have kids. She's going to Paris with her girlfriend, and I'm building this truck!
Originally Posted by topmoo
Nice! And looks like a great place you have. If I drive mine I am immediately into traffic here in Houston just a few miles from downtown. I have only been down the block and back a few times so far - way too many cars around and many of them hit 40 or more between stop signs each block.
Thanks Topmoo.
It looks a little deceiving. The reason I kept it on the driveway is because I live on a steep hill of a windy 40 MPH road!
Originally Posted by abe
Nice truck. It sounds nice too. What do you have to do to get the PA state inspection and road worthy?
I didn't know there were any wooded lots anymore in Radnor! Nice place.
Thanks Abe!
With the antique plate, I believe I don't need an inspection at all. (So technically I could take it on the road now.)
On MY list before I do though is permanent seats, seat belts, a stronger response from the E-brake, and a muffler.
The house in Radnor was a mess when we got it. We had a hard time even getting a mortgage due to its condition. That project took ~2 years, so I'm hoping the truck moves a long a little faster!
Truck is coming along. I will definitely keep an eye on this. Everything reminds me of what Im doing with my 56. Be careful of junkyard seatbelts. Make sure they are 100% strong and do not have any tears or weak spots.
Truck is coming along. I will definitely keep an eye on this. Everything reminds me of what Im doing with my 56. Be careful of junkyard seatbelts. Make sure they are 100% strong and do not have any tears or weak spots.
Went around the block today, and had a hell of a lot of fun!
Also saw third gear for the first time, which was a nice relief.
Before I could celebrate too much back in the garage, I realized I was leaking coolant. The leak seemed to stop when the truck cooled down, but not after I had a little puddle on the floor.
I was only able to look for a few mins, but didn't find any obvious source for the leak. (And it seems leak-free when the truck's not hot.)
I'll investigate further later this week....
Any advice on what to check would certainly be appreciated.
probably at the top seam, or out of your overflow if you do not have a reservoir for your overflow. You can rent a radiator pressure test kit from most auto parts stores, which may help you spot the leak
It is cheap insurance to take your radiator to a radiator shop and have them check it out. If it is a seam they usually repair them for not much more. You might find out that you're radiator is junk and it's better to find it out now then on a cruise or in a parade.
The "tool loaner" program at AutoZone is a great suggestion Thomas. I didn't know any of those shops still did that...
The more I thought about it though, the more I started to think that I likely wouldn't be able to repair the link even once I found it - so I look I'm going to pull out the RAD and let a pro give it a once over. (thanks BJ)
Drained and uninstalled radiator
(so I can take it to a radiator shop to see if it's worth saving)
Pulled and painted radiator shroud and horn
Reinstalled with all new bolts and rubber mounts
Welded-in driver side shoulder harness mount
Made a cover for what used to be the MC access
A couple broken bolts can take up hours...
Was able to cut the head off one, but the other needed to be drilled out.
My intent was to do all the seat belt mounts, but I got distracted by the radiator shroud. Looks like I don't have a free weekend again for a while, so they'll have to wait.
Got the better part of the day Sunday to get some work done.
After the last test drive, I found the radiator leaked under pressure. I found a radiator repair shop not more than 10 miles away who was able to seal the leak at the seam, add a new overflow outlet, new drain, etc. and paint for just $130.
add stainless overflow reservoir, attach with rivets
reinstall and refill radiator
lubricate e-brake cable
weld-in second shoulder belt mount
install all lower seat belt mounts
The seat belts turned out to not be long enough, so I need to get some extenders.
I have two questions I'd love to get some advice on:
What is a normal operating temp (as per the gauge in the picture below)?
Even with the lubricant, I still can't seem to get the E-brake to pull tight enough to hold the truck stopped on a hill. Does anyone have any advice for getting more travel and therefore more power from the E-brake?
Dont use your dummy temp gauge as your guide. Get yourself an infrared thermometer, amazon has them under $20. You will get plenty of use out of it. Always handy to keep in the glove box until you are comfortable with the truck. Check your inlet and outlet at the radiator, make sure it is doing its job properly. Under your truck should be an adjustment buckle for the ebrake cable. You may have to put a few turns on it to get it adjusted to the right pressure.
Dont use your dummy temp gauge as your guide. Get yourself an infrared thermometer, amazon has them under $20. You will get plenty of use out of it. Always handy to keep in the glove box until you are comfortable with the truck. Check your inlet and outlet at the radiator, make sure it is doing its job properly. Under your truck should be an adjustment buckle for the ebrake cable. You may have to put a few turns on it to get it adjusted to the right pressure.
Thanks Thomas. I don't know where else I could go for tips like this....
Two questions in follow-up hoping you don't mind:
1. Awesome advice on the IR thermometer, $13 and it will be here Wednesday thank-you Amazon Prime. I tried looking up "safe" temps for inlet and outlet on radiators, and it seems it very much varies.
Do you have a good rule of thumb for these old trucks?
2. I crawled under this evening and adjusted the e-brake yoke. As expected, the e-brake starts to "catch" lower on the lever, but still after pulling it like hell, I can't seem to stop the truck from slowly rolling on a hill. Maybe I'm just expecting too much from the drums? If not, I guess I'll pull the drums off and see why I'm not getting sufficient travel from the shoes when I pull the e-brake.
Thanks Thomas. I don't know where else I could go for tips like this....
Two questions in follow-up hoping you don't mind:
1. Awesome advice on the IR thermometer, $13 and it will be here Wednesday thank-you Amazon Prime. I tried looking up "safe" temps for inlet and outlet on radiators, and it seems it very much varies.
Do you have a good rule of thumb for these old trucks?
2. I crawled under this evening and adjusted the e-brake yoke. As expected, the e-brake starts to "catch" lower on the lever, but still after pulling it like hell, I can't seem to stop the truck from slowly rolling on a hill. Maybe I'm just expecting too much from the drums? If not, I guess I'll pull the drums off and see why I'm not getting sufficient travel from the shoes when I pull the e-brake.
Thanks again sir.
1. I am no expert, but I would say about 30 degrees differential from inlet to outlet. Get the truck up to normal operating temperature and post your readings. Bad readings can mean so many different things, but we can always lead you to the easier things to check, IE bad thermostat, air in system, bad cap, plugged tubes, etc.
Also, I have a few of the amazon thermometers, they are also good laser pointers if you have cats or dogs lol
2. My truck is similar. My driveway has a small decline, so I chock the wheels for safety. If you jack up the rear end with the ebrake on, see if you can hand turn the wheels. If you can, obviously its not doing its job. Then, since its jacked up, you may want to take a look at your rear drums, it may be time to rebuild them. You dont want to skimp when it comes to stopping your truck lol
1. I am no expert, but I would say about 30 degrees differential from inlet to outlet. Get the truck up to normal operating temperature and post your readings. Bad readings can mean so many different things, but we can always lead you to the easier things to check, IE bad thermostat, air in system, bad cap, plugged tubes, etc.
Also, I have a few of the amazon thermometers, they are also good laser pointers if you have cats or dogs lol
2. My truck is similar. My driveway has a small decline, so I chock the wheels for safety. If you jack up the rear end with the ebrake on, see if you can hand turn the wheels. If you can, obviously its not doing its job. Then, since its jacked up, you may want to take a look at your rear drums, it may be time to rebuild them. You dont want to skimp when it comes to stopping your truck lol
Thanks again Thomas.
1. Got my IR thermometer in the mail. Man, that thing is awesome! And totally worth the $13 paid. Took the truck for a ride around the block again. No issues with the radiator this time. I measured the block at 150° the top of the radiator at 130° and the bottom at 115°
It seemed stable there, but I'll keep an eye on it.
2. I did rebuild the drums completely. I'm just used to drum brakes on a modern car that keep the car locked on a major incline, and either these won't do that, or I don't have them adjusted appropriately.
Hey, I started following your thread. Awesome truck there. Subscribed!
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