Been awhile since I posted on here. The last time was when I rescued a '51 6100 from some Chinese scrap iron buyers. I ended up locating the family of the original owner of that truck and sold it back to them, so I never got a chance to mess with it. This time I'm posting to show off what I found this past weekend, a truck that I have always wanted. This one is a '50 4100 - cab and chassis. This truck originally belonged to the town of Dime Box, TX Volunteer Fire Dept. It was their brush fire truck. It had a tank on the back of it and a PTO-driven water pump back then. I'm not sure how long it has been since was owned by the city, I suspect it has changed hands many times since then. Nonetheless, it appears to have always been kept under a shed or something, because it is in amazing condition. Best I can tell it has been sitting since about 1986. The engine turns - I reckon it'll run. It's missing the water pump and t-stat housing. Story is that the pump went bad, they tore it down to fix it and it just never happened. Here's a few pics - I'm going to restore this one.
Congratulations! Any idea how many miles are on it? Keep us posted on your progress.
It's showing 37k and change on the odometer. The last time the truck was registered was 1986, so that means it was in road service for 35 years...which works out to about 1,100 miles a year which sounds just about right for a rural Texas fire truck. I have already started working on the engine in preparations of getting it running and so far I haven't really found anything to be worn out. The starter is in fantastic shape, so was all the throttle linkage. Also very little wear on the distributor gear and oil pump drive. I am certain the mileage displayed is the original mileage. The speedo cable is also still intact.
1950 4100 - unrestored and driven weekly for almost no reason at all.
The engine in this truck appears to have a throttle stop or governor of some sort between the carb and the intake. Looks like it must be vacuum operated, or possibly air flow-operated (sucks closed on high flow to prevent overspeed). It appears that someone has removed the throttle plate from it to prevent it from working. Are these things available? What are they called exactly? I'm not even sure how to search for one.
1950 4100 - unrestored and driven weekly for almost no reason at all.
Wait to hear from others, but I think your guess is correct in describing its function.
If no one else replies, I'll post my BS opinion on if it can be removed or "defeated" without harm (if you are careful not to high-rev your engine for long periods: for example, while hi-revving and running a PTO). I have removed one with no apparent ill effects; but, I do not high-rev the engine.
Yes Tim, that's what he has...it can be seen in his bottom picture linked in his first post. Most vocational trucks had them installed to keep employees from overspeeding the engine and blowing them up.
Thanks for the replies. Since I posted that querie I have discovered exactly what it is, it's a Vari-speed governor <-- like the one in this eBay ad. At first I was worried that it may have just come apart while the engine was running and the pieces were ingested by the engine. However I examined it more closely last night and took it apart and it's clear that someone went into it and physically removed the pieces. The butterfly is missing as well as the plunger parts that were attached to it. I doubt the plunger pieces that are missing could've fallen out on their own. You would have to take it apart in order to get them out. I figure it has some vacuum leaks the way it is now, I am planning to re-install it after I have sealed up all the holes in it with JB Weld. It won't appear tampered with externally.
1950 4100 - unrestored and driven weekly for almost no reason at all.
Throttle linkage will be wrong length if you take the governor out.
What people did, as what was done to my son's 1946 2 ton was the throttle valve was removed from shaft in the unit so the governor no longer restricted speed while allowing the original throttle linkage to not have to be changed.
Finally going to start the bonded title process on this old girl. Been driving it around in my local area and using it to do chores with for several months now. Figured it was time. I'm sure the last time it was titled it was registered to the engine s/n, this time it will be registered to the number on the ID plate in the door jamb.
1950 4100 - unrestored and driven weekly for almost no reason at all.
