The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1946 Chevy 2 ton - time has come to start this project!

Greetings All! It's been a while since I last visited the forum. Life moves in other directions sometimes, and I was a much younger man when I aquired my truck. The truck has been in pieces for too many years, but NOW the time has come. Starting with a little research one of the first things I wanted to do was find the ID tag, and finally figure out exactly what I have.
Cab ID tag: "8PVK xxxx".

I believe I have a 1946 2 ton (second design?), assembled in Atlanta, Georgia, in November of that year.

Would this be correct?

Thanks,
Stan

Looks like you nailed it! "PV" tells us it's a 6100 series (134" wheel base). Second Design means your truck has a chrome grille on it. Serial numbers start at 1001 in each plant...

So what's the plan?

Don't forget, we all like pictures!

Mike B

Saw your other posts. Is this the same truck, Old Gabe, you posted in the Welcome Centre? Just wondered?

Yes, that is my truck,"Old Gabe". It has been completely disassembled for the last 30+ years. When I brought it home I had big plans for it. I took it apart and started by blasting and painting the frame, and the belly side of all the sheet metal. It was about then when I decided to get married. That's when Old Gabe took a back seat. I did do my best to care for the parts. I made sure no further harm came to what I had. The frame had suffered a very hard life. It had been lengthened, gussets added, and a lot of welded up splits. The spring mounts had all been welded to the frame. Rust had bowed the side plates. It looked bad. (Fast forward 30 yrs and another marriage).
I have tried to restart my restoration a few times, but that frame always bothered me. Heck, I had blasted, painted, replaced all of the bearings, brakes, king pins, the works. It still bothered me. A few years ago I happened to see an ad of FBMarket place. A 46 two ton frame complete with running gear, no sheet metal. It also suffered the side plate rust issue, but was in a lot better shape than mine. It was also a 160" wheel base, which meant I could shorten it to 134.5" and get rid of some of the problem. It also has a running 216cu.in. engine, and a single speed rear.
So, it's going to take some time to really get started, but this time, I am committed. It's very satisfying just to know exactly what I have.
My goal is the make it into a nice two ton pickup. A toy to enjoy after retirement.

Stan

So was my truck assembled in November of 45, or 46?

Stan, If I'm reading the info provided in this Legacy Tech Tip on identifying Chevrolet Codes and Models, your 8PVKXXXX would seem to indicate it to be built in late 1946 (see screen grab below). I think that if it had been built in November 1945, it would have been given the interim 1946 model designation of 8OF for the 6100 160" wheel base truck.

My info may be incorrect as I don't own one of these myself. Perhaps a fellow late Art Deco truck owner can shed more light/details on your question?

Stan, Since your truck is most definitely a "Big Bolt" I think further conversation will get better response and helpful info if it's moved to the Big Bolts forum, so I've moved it there.

Dan, Thank you for moving me to the correct forum. I took my best guess.
I didn't know how they designated model years back then. But given the fact that the war ended September of1945, and it is a second series, made me wonder if it had been assembled in November of 46. Very interesting stuff.
The 216cu. engine numbers match the 1952 title I have for it. And I would like to keep that block in the truck. But that leads me to lots of other questions. Mainly, Can I justify spending big money to have a babbit prounder reworked? I really don't mind the smaller engine. I just don't have any experience with them.

Stan

Jerry (HRL) has may different build designs for the 216 with many upgrades to make more power and increase the lifespan. Send him a PM for more info.

That's what moderators are for!

On those engine questions, you might want to post those in the Engine Shop. That's the most active section in the Forums.

Maybe you can add a few more pictures of Gabe??!!

As far as pictures go,..

I only wish I had taken many more pictures of it before the disassembly started. But back then you actually had to use film. I will look and see if I have any others.

Stan

Admittedly, using film that required processing (a/k/a money), most folks didn't snap away willy nilly like we can now with our digital cameras. For us, any photo will do, as you happen to come across them. OR ... even something that you've taken recently that's not film.

Here are two "film" pictures taken back in the day. One as it looked just after getting it home. I can't really say why I didn't move it to get that tree out of the shot. It may not have been running that day.
The second is of me in my truck. I had removed the bed, and was driving it around the community. I remember my dad had stuck his 3/4ton chevy, and 16ft trailer to the axles in the pasture. Old Gabe didn't even strain getting both out. Even without a bed that truck was a tank. I'm sure the two speed axle helped. I may have more. I will post as I find.

Stan

These are good photos! You look quite handsome.

Made progress on another project today. But I did do something toward the big bolt. Baby steps

Well, upon disassembly, I found that my 1/10th odometer wheel is broken. Which means that it will just spin and spin, and never rack up any mileage. Not like I'm going anywhere soon. I just wonder how standard these little wheels are. Anyone here have a plethora of odometer parts?

Stan

Not sure about the parts. May need to post that in the Swap Meet if no one responds to that in here. I wonder if this Legacy Tech Tip, Refurbishing that Odometer, can be of any help to you?

I will have to post in the wanted section. I was hoping that I could put the last wheel in the first wheels place, but they are made different. To top it off, it's broken in the very spot that trips the next wheel. So no joy to be had there. It will have to be replaced before it will work. The least of my worries at this point. My engine rebuilder tells me that a complete rebuild for my 216 will be in the neighborhood of 4k. I will have to rethink the amount of work I do myself. No worries, the project will press on.

Stan


Edited 8/28 by Peggy M FYI: Post in Parts Wanted.

Gathering up parts and doing research. Can someone tell me exactly where the numbers are on this diff? I call myself looking on all of the horizontal webbing.
1.5 ton, single speed.

Look on the horizontal part just right of the center web. The 48-51 shop manual indicates the axle numbers are there and I suspect that your 46 would be the same.

Thanks,.. I had given up, and I was right there.
I was more interested in the ratio. But I found this.

I think you'll need to pull the rear cover to find the axle ratio. It's usually be stamped on the edge of the ring gear (# of teeth on ring and pinion) or you can count teeth.

Thank you for the replies.

I was just looking through the manual online. If I'm looking correctly, it may be a 6.17: 1. Pretty darned high. I could always jack it up and count revolutions. Not pulling that cover. No Sir.

6:17 sounds like the normal ratio. Depending on the diameter of the drive tires, you can run 55 - 65 mph.

The PL code on the differential says it's a Detroit built axle, RPO 205, which would be a 6.17 ratio.

Here's a couple excerpts from the 1946 Truck Vehicle Information Kit (with highlights)

Good info, thanks. I have the manuals downloaded, but often end up with more questions than answers. I've learned lots this week. Some good, some bad. My plan was to use a donor chassis and go from there. My truck was a 2 ton. I realized today that my donor chassis is a 1.5 ton. Which I guess doesn't really matter. I can use my 2 ton front axle since it has new king pins and bearings. That two speed axle was going to go anyway. But just yesterday I discovered the engine I was going to rebuild has already been bored .060 over. So plans change again 🙄

I presume you have 5/10 on 7.25” wheel bolt pattern. Your two ton front axle will work fine, a replacement rear axle with that bolt pattern and disc brakes will work on your truck. Dana-80 axles have several suitable ratios. Look for modern heavy pickups and C and C Chevy/GMC trucks. 19.5” wheels and tires are almost the same OD as your original 20” tires. Disc brake front hubs/spindles can be added to your axle. Some fab. skills required.

Ed

GM Motorhome chassis is another good candidate for a Dana 80. I bought an entire 1990 motorhome for $250.00, it was complete and had a 454 with a 4L80E trans. I sold the trans for $500.00.

Good info. Thanks

Stan, are you sure it is a 2 ton, hubs look like 1.5 ton cast iron hub covers, 2 ton caps would be steel with 6 bolts holding them on? Disc brake hubs/spindles do not fit on there.

Ed

Ed, Yes the picture is of my donor chassis. The one I will be using for its frame. My original chassis has the 2 ton front axle, and a 2 speed rear diff. I may use my 2 ton front axle, and the donor single speed differential. I will weigh my options when I get that far. As for now the big jobs are, sourcing a rebuildable 235, and shortening my donor frame to the length I need. I am also learning about parts venders.

Stan

Stan, when shortening one’s frame, it is best to get a suitable bed first so all dimensions can be figured out beforehand. It is often easier to remove a section of bare frame without any
fittings, shackles, spring perches, etc. than have to move and reattach all fittings. I removed 4’ of frame on my ‘54.1 630, quite simple.

Ed

Ed, Since I plan to make a pickup out of it, I assumed that the factory wheel base (134.5) would work for the 3/4, 1, or 2 ton truck.
I've looked at some of the bed kits. Still thinking. Haven't made any cuts yet, so..

Stan

Stan,

My two ton ‘55.2 GMC 370 is significantly longer, will measure if you wish.

Ed

Ed, If your truck has a pickup bed on it, I would like to see pictures and yes I would be curious about the specs. As per the 1946 chevy manual, the 1 ton, and the 1.5 ton (pickup style trucks) had a 134.5 inch wheel base. That what I was going to base my truck on.

Stan

Stan,

While my truck has what many(myself included) are calling ‘two ton front axle’ since that allows late disc brake hubs/spindles to be easily added, the gross weight of 18,000 indicates it might be more than ‘two ton.’ Nowhere have I seen a connection to axle ton size and GVW. My wheelbase is about 156”. By the way, this is not the one in a previous post about frame shortening.

Ed

Well, it wasn't a planned thing. I had uncovered my chassis to do some "planning". I wanted to see how hard the rivets would be to get out. I had already decided not to torch them. One broken drill motor and a lot of grinding the plates are off. I can now see what I'm up against.

Stan,
Well, it looks like you are half done, congratulations, that is a lot of work. Won’t need that doubler plate on a pickup, and you won’t have to worry about the water that gets in there spreading the steel members.

Ed

Ed, The rust was so tight in a few places that it popped when I got it loose enough. The side plate had pressure on it.The rust is another reason shortening my frame makes things easier. I'll be removing about 25 inches of bad material. If I can't deal with the rust to my satisfaction, and the frames integrity is still in question, I will be replicating the side plates. I'm also stripping the frame of everything else to make handling easier.
So I still have a long way to go. The only thing I know for sure, is that plans are subject to change.

Stan

In the course of removing a buch of rivets to move the transmission crossmember 2" forward, which made a whole bunch of stuff easier for my Cadillac into C60 conversion (and a couple things more challenging), I found the quickest way to remove them involves ear plugs, safety goggles, and cross cutting each rivet head so it looks like a Phillips screw. Then those four little quadrants knock right off with the air chisel, and from there it's an easy punch with the proper air hammer attachment and they come right out. If they won't come out you can drill them to release some tension, but I was able to punch most of mine out. It's super noisy so wear ear plugs Also modern day titanium drill bits (the anodized yellow color looking ones) really make short work of old steel when you need to drill holes for the new bolts!