The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Got my Big Bolt!

I finally got my Big Bolt! It is a 1952 6400 that I had talked to some of you about and I have a friend who has 6 19.5 inch rims and tires he wants me to take off his hands for free! A neighbor of mine who is familiar with this truck says it was running when it was parked 20 years ago, so it shouldn't be too hard to get going again.
One question though: Several electrical parts say it is 12V, but it looks like it still has a generator, not an alternator. Maybe this is dumb thing to ask, but are there 12V generators? Is it a better thing to convert to an alternator? It does need reewiring before I can try to do too much, so this is the time to make that kind of decisions.

Short answer is yes. If it works leave it original.🛠

yes, on 12v generators, I would leave it alone and get it running before messing around with generator. I believe the belt for your generator does not get tightened as much as an alternator belt though. The generator has bushings and not bearings in it and you will wear out the rear bushing real fast if you tighten the belt too much (ask me how I know! LOL)

Delco Remy 6 volt generators have Black ID Tags.

Delco Remy 12 volt generators have Red ID Tags.

Now would be a good time to buy or make a new harness including a fuse block and alternator. I like the American Auto Wire kits, but they are pricey.


Mike B

That was my net question, Mike. I find lots of people who handle Stovebolt parts, but so far no one lists the 6400 for parts. Is there somewhere there is a cross ref. for what fits what? Specifically, I need glass and brake wheel cylinders.

Cabs are the same on AD's front fenders and I think hood are different for the Big Bolts. Brakes I can't advise.
Chuck

Thanks, that will make getting the glass easy. Actually, I know the brakes don't work, but right now I don't know if the wheel cylinders are bad or not. I expect to pull them in the next few days and check them out.

I found wheel and master cylinder kits and brake hoses at Napa and then cross-referenced their part # with Rock Auto and got it all from them. Steel line, I bought a roll and fittings from Ebay and made my own.

Thanks again for the info. We don't have NAPA around here that I know of and most of the parts places stop in the '60s or '70s. I'll start with them and see what they have.

Trick is to find an old time real Parts Store with an old fart behind the counter. Problem solved. Ask the area farmers where they go for parts.🛠

Looks like Collier Auto Supply in Mountain Home Arkansas is the closest NAPA store to you

Started cleaning it up today. Enough rat's next under the hood to fill a 30 gallon barrel, so there is no insulation on any wires. Is it worth the effort to replace one wire at a time, or better to buy a wiring harness? I'll wire up just enough to get it started to begin, but I haven't decided on a long term plan yet. all the exterior body looks good except for one dent on the top of the cab. Inside there are minor holes in the floor and the passenger kick panel is a mess, but shouldn't take too long to get it all straightened out. My kids gave me a Harbor Freight welder, so tomorrow I will see if it will work well enough to do the body work. I need to learn how to post pictures too. There is a thing under the hood I can't identify that looks like it runs on vacuum. It looks like a heater control valve, but is on the other side of the engine from the heater.

If your new welder is a Flux Core wire welder you don't want to use it on automotive sheet metal, the flux in the wire gets into the metal and causes future corrosion, so a year or two down the road you have the same problem to fix all over again. The MIG welder you need will have solid non-flux wire and a gas bottle with a mixture of Argon which is used as an arc shield that doesn't leave any bad stuff behind.

Mike B

Looks like you have a Stewart Warner SouthWind heater.
A real gem. Burns gasoline, instant heat (90 seconds), reliable and never leaks water.
Well worth restoring. Research it (Don't cut, break or loose any parts)

Depending on your end product, you can buy an authentic cloth insulation harness, a less expensive stock harness with plastic insulation, an upgraded modern harness with extra circuits and fuses, etc.
All much easier than building your own harness.

Final comment, I don't believe that 19.5 rims will clear the rear Huck brake drums. Someone else could confirm that.

What is your wheel bolt pattern? There are 22.5 tubeless options. If 6 lug Budds, plentiful.

Ed

I have the standard 10 bolt with 8.25 X 20 tires. I've not been able in the last few months of looking to find 22.5 rims. I'm sure there are new ones out there, but I am a teacher, and that means no money for new stuff. For my other truck I have been able to barter for many things and buy only a few. That could be why it is taking so long to get things done. Weather permitting, I plan to go tomorrow and pull one wheel from the 19.5 set to try on my truck. Then we will go from there.

Another question: It looks like the frame isn't full length on the tilt bed, it is filled with big timbers for strength. Is that normal?

A picture would help.
If you mean that the flatbed body extends beyond the pivot point at the end of the frame, that's normal. Dump truck bodies end at the pivot point.
If you mean that the steel frame of bed it's self doesn't go to the end of the flat bed, people were always extending them to carry more.

19.5's look undernourished when replacing 20" wheels and tires. Look around on farm trucks from the late '50's, they are out there, that is how I found mine.

Ed

What I mean is that in the middle of the frame between the cab and the pivot point on the rear, there is no steel, only a big wood beam about 3 inches thick that extends the entire length of the frame from the end beyond the pivot point all the way to just before the cab. I hope I explained that right. When the rain stops, I will get a picture to clarify.

Chris

Here is the promised picture.

http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums...7-4643-833C-BF4D7309B5EF_zpstepligef.jpg

Seems odd they would leave that gap,but it is the same on both sides.

oldie, the 'big wood beam' is the dumper subframe, that holds the bed to the truck frame, and maybe goes up with the deck, the metal parts front and back keep the deck aligned to the truck frame - it's pretty common for dump beds to be on a wood frame

Bill

Then I assume this is normal? The wood is pretty rough, I'll probably have to remove the bed and replace the beams.

Chris

Here is a picture of my wood bed if that helps. Burgy Dump Bed
That bed in now off and being refurbished. In the meantime I am putting on a steel bed for regular work.

Roger

Google

404. That’s an error.

The requested URL was not found on this server. That’s all we know.

I was cleaning the '52 out today and noticed on the passenger side near the gas tank in the cab there is a thing that looks like the lower two inches of a modern oil filter. It has a pipe about 1/2" sticking out of the other end and it disappears behind/beneath the gas tank. Does anyone know what this is?

Does it look like a Valve Cover breather cap? If so it's could be the fresh air filter for the Hydrovac unit.

Mike B

That would be the "breather" for your hydrovac unit. The half inch pipe goes through the cab floor to the hydrovac mounted underneath inside the passenger side frame rail.
Seems Mike B and I were typing almost simultaneously!?

Thanks guys. Is there any maintenance I need to do to it? I'm trying to service everything before I try to start it, probably tomorrow. I changed the oil, plugs, etc., but they gave me the wrong il filter, so I will have to get the right one tomorrow.

Actually, thata was an OIL filter, not an il filter.

The air filter canisters I have can be removed by twisting and pulling straight out. They have a clip around the air pipe that holds the metal screen in place. If you remove the screen you can then remove the fiber mesh and wash it in warm water soapy water, rinse and let it dry before reinstalling it. Keep the area around it clean as fresh air needs to flow both in and out.

Mike B

Mike,

Does just the cap come off, or does the tube come out from behind the tank?

The ones I have the entire cap slides out of the pipe flange that's bolted to the cab. You end up with a cap/filter with a 3" smooth pipe nipple sticking out the bottom that slides into the pipe on the mounting flange . It may be tight requiring a little twisting back and forth as you pull up on the cap. If you can get to the mounting screws remove the entire unit from the truck and see how it comes apart, it could be different that the one's I have.

Mike B

Thanks Mike, I'll take a look at that. I tried to remove that bolt, but it wouldn't break loose. I did remove the fuel tank that had a few gallons of 20 year old fuel in it. One of the strap mounts was broken, so I need to see where I can find one. I'll probably rinse the tank out with soapy water today and see what I have. It doesn't seem to have any leaks, and I still need to see if the float and sending unit works. I tried the 19.5 inch wheels a friend gave me and they fit. I know that will make the truck slower, but at least I get rid of the widow makers until I can find a good deal on some 22" wheels. The tires are even good on the 19.5's. I got the seat out too and peeled it down to the metal springs to get rid of the rat poop. I have a few days worth of stuff to do now and I still need to get the wiring set up to start it. Everything turns, but I want to check the valve train for corrosion before I try to start it.

The wheels you want to look for are 22.5 tubeless, not 22 as stated.

Ed

Thanks Ed,

1) Where do people get an adapter for the difference in hub size of the old/new wheels? My local shop says he would charge about $50 a piece to make adapters as I explained to him. I just planned on a thin plate with a bushing to adapt between the two hub sizes.

2) My fuel tank doesn't leak, do I need to use some special cleaner inside the tank, or can I just clean it with soapy water and then rince well?

3) Without buying a full floor pan, where can I get the bracket that is tacked to the floor to hold the fuel tank in? One of them rotted away. Either that or maybe I can just make my own bracke tof some kind. I am not making a fancy rest, just making the truck function so I can use it as a farm truck.

If I haven't said so yet, I really appreciate all the input that is helping me get this thing together. I think I will have this one on the road before the '54 I have had for years.

Jim Sears,

My research on the Stewart Warner heater says they are dangerous and can catch fire. Any experience with such a thing? I want to leave as much the way it is as I can, but I would rather not burn to death.

Mike,

My hydrovac breather appears to have a strap attached to it that is bolted to the floor. I still have not been able to get it off.

I guess $50. each isn't too bad for the bushings. Stewart Warner fuel heaters are used all the time in aircraft, they do not(there are built in safety features) fail as long as they are maintained properly.

Ed