Hi folks, just registered on this site, so please bare with me.
Recently I purchased my grandpa's old 1954 Chevrolet flatbed truck. I have been keeping an eye on it for about 15 years, watching it pass from one person to another. Well after seeing it sit for the past several years just a block from my house. I decided it was meant for me to have it. I bought it for 650 bucks and drug it home. The old thing hadn't been started since 1993, so I took a chance that the 235 would run, it did run and ran like a dream, didin''t even puff out any smoke when it first started either.
NOW, after all the years since grandpa had the truck, someone converted it over to 12 volts, not a bad plan. The original engine was terribly sick and needed rebuilding or replacing. Now I have two problems. The first one is the fuel gauge won't work. I thought to myself, well since they used a 12 volt battery in it, possibly the guage itself is fried and/or the sending unit too. My second problem is with this enigne, that I assume is newer has an electrical temp gauge sending unit. The original temp gauge with filled with ether, murcury or what ever they are filled with is still intact and the small copper tube is not kinked or cut and works when a slight amount of heat is applied to it. I do not know what that adapter is called that goes on the top of the cylinder head for this type of unit to thread in for the original gauge. Let alone where I could even locate one. Every engine I found in the salvage yard had the electrical sending units.
I did find me a 1960 Chevrolet school bus with almost the exact same instrument cluster (exception of an electric temp. gauge) I took out the complete assembly out of the bus brought it home and knowing it would be a 12 volt system, put it in mine and I still have no fuel reading. Leads me to belive it is the sending unit. How do I check the sending unit itself?? I think they read off of resistance somehow. If I had to I could also use the electrical temp guage out of the bus and run a wire from it to the sending unit where the original one ran, if I have to, I'd rather find the correct adapter.
Now finialy my last question is I have no clue on what this old truck is. I have it insured as a 1 ton grain truck. There is a aluminum tag on the drivers door post that say GVW 8800 lbs. the hood emblems are missing and I can't remember what they said at one time.
The truck has 700 X 18" wheels with dualls on the rear, has a 4 speed transmission with two independant Power Take Offs. 1 is for the hydraulic pump and the other must be for a winch since it has a forward and reverse lever. I got REAL confussed when I started reading about series 1 and 2 and so forth trucks and what that meant and how you know the difference?? I would think the serial number would tell me what the truck is, but I don't know what the codes that they used back in them years.
Anyone who can help me, I would be forever grateful and if there are any places where I can get parts for this type of commercial turck.
Thanks,
John Niekamp
Quincy, IL
http://www.geocities.com/jniekamp/
