The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Another 1954 6400

After posting a link to an ebay ad in response to Jolly's thread about a 54 6400 he was looking at, I got to looking at the pictures in the ad I referenced and decided to go have a look at the truck in the ad.

The guy that owned it had sold it on ebay but the buyer only wanted the unison seat and so here sets this virtually rust free and complete truck without a seat.

I have an extra seat and cushions so that got me to thinking...

I pulled the gas tank a couple of days ago since the truck wouldn't run except with a hose from the fuel pump to a can on the floorboards and found the pickup tube blocked with rust and or dried varnish.

Also found fairly recent battery cables but in the modern 12v 4ga variety. Even had an extra cable from the battery ground cable to the engine block.
Had a set of 1/0 gauge cables made at NAPA this morning and picked up a new 6v battery.

Loaded the pickup with tools, small gas can, generator and the shop vac and headed up this afternoon and vacuumed up all the loose dirt and mouse doodys under the gas tank and seat areas, bled the brakes, installed the battery, dumped a little gas down the carb and put the hose from the fuel pump suction in the gas can and voila', a running truck.

30psi oil pressure, ammeter on high charge, temp gauge normal as it warmed up and without the gas tank installed, the fuel gauge was on full. It felt like 1959 all over again.

Checked all the lights and turn signals and most of them work so Saturday I go back up with the cleaned out gas tank fitted with a new sending unit, my spare seat frame and cushions and an air compressor and I'm ready to DRIVE this one home.

1954 6400

looks like you did well

Sounds good. Keep posting what you find as you hawk everything out. Been doing body work on my `67'c 50. Front shocks lower bushing are rotted out & dangling on the shock mounting bolts. the more you take apart to fix, the more you find that needs fixing. Ain't that the way though.

The '54 6400 is setting in my driveway this morning but it was an adventure as usual.

Getting the truck ready to drive turned out to be the easy part.

Retrieving the 6400

When I pulled the truck down to the road, I discovered that a pretty hard brake pedal doesn't always mean you have brakes! There was enough to stop it if I was nearly stopped already. I'd chosen a route with minimum traffic so I figured I'd just go slow.

The next discovery was why the trucked was parked in the first place. The transmission has a howl so loud that it's hard to hear the engine! Never heard anything like it. It howls loudest in 4th gear which lead me to believe it's the rear bearing that's gone.

The good news is the engine ran like a top and had lots (well OK it is a Stovebolt) of power. The two speed rear end also shifted perfectly.

So my friend and I had a nice long drive through the wheat fields enjoying the scenery, the weather and the sounds and smells of the '54 Stovebolt

OlBlue,

Science is working on a cure for the 'rusty iron' bug as we speak...it sounds like it's too late for you though. Great score, I have your trucks brother, sans fender muffler hole.

Stuart

I love these find 'em and bring 'em home stories. Nice find and recovery OlBlue.