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Big bolt for sale between ft.Worth and willow park on I-20....south side. body appears to be 48-54

Well my wife and I went to check it out but it is no longer there......... Because it is now in our driveway!!!

Once my wife saw it she had to have it! It is a 1948 two ton 161 inch wheelbase with a good working stake side dump bed. It will need a little love to really get going but it drives pretty darn good. My wife and I took turns driving it around last night.

I am brand new to this forum and I will have a bunch of questions as we dig deeper into her. She will definitely need a tires and clutch soon and I could not get the two speed rear end to function. I am pretty sure it is stuck in low. The exhaust manifold also seems to either have a crack in it or something is broken down below the carb. You can feel the exhaust blasting out as it putters along.

Everyone needs a dump truck right?

Many more questions to follow shortly.

Welcome to the "Bolt"! You may have a crack in one of the rubber lines,connecting the manifold to the steel lines that run the frame rails,to the 2-speed diaphragm. There are 2 more rubber lines connecting the diaphragm,at that point. It's best to replace ALL of the lines, (vacuum and brake,rubber and steel),since they're 65 years old. My diaphragm was dry-rotted as well. Send me an e-mail,(since you're moderated),and I'll be happy to tell you how I fixed mine,and had FUN doing it! Enjoy your truck!!

Welcome to the group Flight Test.
You now have the addiction.
Congrads on your new truck and yes, everyone should have at least a couple of old trucks and cars.
Start asking the questions, this is a great and friendly group.

Also, Keep in mind a trip to the KC reunion in Sept.
You and your wife, WILL have a great time there.

Everyone DOES need a dump truck! Anyone can have a pickup!
Welcome to the Bolt! Lots of good info here. When you get a chance we'd love to see some pictures of your truck.

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome! We are working on figuring out a way to post some pictures so you can all see her.

Thanks for the tips on diagnosing the two speed vacuum diaphragm. I have checked the soft lines in the engine compartment and there is a metal vacuum block that I assume is the switching valve. It appears to have one good connection on it but the other is plugged and a line is laying below it with a bolt hose clamped to it. Is the switching valve a two way vacuum selector or is the diaphragm on the diff spring loaded to a default position and the vacuum pulls it off?

I guess I am still moderated so I have limited capabilities and can't IM or look up your email addresses.

The starter seems to get stuck and you have to tap on it to get it to crank. The previous owner put a new starter contactor on it and the battery seems a bit weak. What do you recommend for 6 volt batteries? Optima perhaps? Right now it won't start without a boost.

The next item I need to get to is the large exhaust leak. There is either a crack in the exhaust manifold or missing gasket under the intake manifold in addition it looks like the heat riser flapper holes have really worn. The flapper moves easy but you can wiggle the end shafts quite a bit. When it is running though the exhaust pulses seem squirt out of the area where the exhaust and
Intake manifolds meet under the carb. Any ideas before I pull it apart?

When is the big meeting in September? That sounds fun.

Thanks again for the hospitality.

here is one that is about a mile from my country place, we have a few pix of it...
license plate says 69..

here are a few pix

curious about the hood ornament,
appears to be a piece missing on the very top...also is this ornament usually found on these type trucks

Sounds like the exhaust pipe to manifold donut is blown or gone.
A new donut is cheap, but the fix can get ugly.
The two bolts/nuts that hold the pipe to the manifold will not want to come out. As I remember they should be a 5/16-18 thread and will want to twist the stud off. Then you will be pulling the exhaust manifold to get the broken stud out.
I would first try warming the engine up to where the bolts are good and warm, then quench the nuts with pee oil while they are hot, but not too hot to catch the oil on fire. I prefer Kroil but PB blaster is also good.
When it cools down, give them a try. Not too much though, the studs will be rusted pretty bad where they go thru the clamp.
If you don't twist them off and they still don't want to turn, hit them with pee oil again and let it sit overnight.
Next day heat the nut fast with a propane torch or better yet a acetaline torch to make the nut grow faster than the stud, then try them again while hot, before the stud gets hot.
Hope this helps some.

Here is also the link to the reunion in KC.
The show is the Midwest all truck Nationals and we'll have our oun area to gather, BB-Q and talk.
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1020166#Post1020166
Just be there, if your truck can't make it, that"s ok also, just bring pics and stories

Fred
Tried looking up the hood ornament here and it come close to the 1938 to 1940 Cadillac, but not quite exact. Some of the Pontiacs were also close.
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/08/hood-ornament-identifiaction-guide.html
Let us know if you find out for sure.

Don

I was telling my wife that but..
looks like it has been on the truck a long time,
also the head lights look non stock and the ring around them
is perfect.. I did not open the hood because I did not want to take a chance and get bitten by wasps.. looks like he was asking $2,500 and then erased it... thanks

I will give him a call and found out more about the truck.

Flight Test,

Regarding your slow cranking issue, check not only your battery connections, but the cables themselves. 6 volt systems require heavier cables than 12v systems, and if someone replaced them with off the shelf 12v cables, that could explain your cranking problem.

Thanks for the tip. What gauge do you recommend?

Joker,

I believe the hood ornament ia s 1938 Caddilac knock-off and it would have had a glass vane inserted in the slot.

Mike B

I think the conventional wisdom is either 0 or 00 gauge for the cables. Hopefully someone else will chime in and verify this.

There seem to be two topics going at once in this thread.

Hello Flight Test, my name is Jesus, I live in Bruleson, right off Remfro Rd. I just removed the cab (COE GMC) of the original frame, you may want to look at my frame to see if there is some thing you can use, I am setting the cab on a mid 2000's ambulance rolling frame. It sounds like you are near Burleson, so give me a call if you want to meet with me. 817-657-1832

Regarding the slow crank issue... check grounds and clean. Using a dielectric grease will help ward off corrosion.

Also, pick up a few commutator stones. Some places will sell individual, others you gotta buy the box of 12. About $30 last time I got a box. Measure the frame and buy the stone size that will fit in the frame cut outs.

The copper on the commutator will oxidize and cause a problem. Esp. in starters that don't get used much. One of my annual pre-driving season PMs is to clean the starter and genny commutators to remove oxidation. Then normal starting/driving keeps them clean in the summer.