The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 1949 1.5 ton Chev: need radio removal tips, how many fasteners hold it in,

Subject pretty much says it all: I have a 1949 Chev 1.5 ton 5-window with it's original radio. Knobs are crisp, but I got a repro set. Do the old knobs pull straight off???? Anyone remember how many fasteners under the dash hold it in? I'm looking up there with drop light, but a few tips might prevent me from damaging something by missing a screw, etc. It's time to pull the old radio out and see what I've got and I just want to be careful. Not sure how practical it is to have it rebuilt....I know there are modern, "replicas," but there is something to the original set. Thanks, Dennis

Knobs pull straight off.
Two screws on the bottom of the radio thru the dash, with
spacers between the radio and dash.
Two pal nuts behind the knobs on the controls.
Out it comes.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/140406124

dg

Sometimes those knobs get really tight with age. If you pull hard enough you can actually damage the controls, especially the left one or volume control. If they are really bad, I would try a heat gun or hair dryer. If that fails, I would break them with a large pair of side cutters. Finding replacement controls is really difficult.

There is a recent post in the radio forum by a member who bought a new repro and wasn`t very happy with it. I was hoping other people would comment on it.

Make that impossible Fred. Been looking for a volume control
for mine for almost a decade. And I used to go to a dozen or
more radio swap meets around the Midwest when I was into the
antique radios. Watched ebay, had a standing order for any NOS
ones with all the antique radio parts dealers around the
country and never got a nibble. Closest I got was a used one
from a guy a few town's over, which didn't work either.
Yep, you can damage the control by pulling to hard but worse
yet, are the ones I've seen that were damaged when they fell
over front wards, cus they're top heavy sitting on the bench.
That drives the shaft back into the control and shatters the
phenolic contact discs inside.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/113240252

I've got a little mini pry bar that I made up to push a
stubborn knob off from the back.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/160718797
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

trucker...and all: trucker, couldn't have done this right without you. Thank you. I never did pull very hard 'cause I've been through some of this kind of thing before. Knobs were really brittle, (dry - hot climate here) So I broke them off. Rest was easy. Found the hefty little brass sleeves over shafts with set screws. Screws loosened easily. All came apart well. Radio settled right into my hands. Still has that tan/maroon color on the case, (or whatever one calls the original color). Very little or no rust on everything. Wonderful photos you also linked. Radio is inside the house now. 'Gotta find my repro knobs next.