The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1946 Chevy PW 2 ton dump truck

Hello all. I've been lurking in the forums for a while now and figured I'd post my big bolt. I bought it a few years back not running, with the front end taken apart. Did some homework and found its a PW 2 ton truck built at the Oakland plant -- I believe.

Someone put a 1955 Chevy 261 in it that, with a little work, now runs great.

The previous owner had a wiring harness for it that I've installed and have it all converted to 12 volts. I'm having braking problems with it and am back to digging through the forums!

My hope is to keep the truck as original as possible. I "restored" a 1958 1/2-ton when I was young (30+ years ago) and I changed the drive train and a few other things.

What I love about this '46 is it reminds me of what the '58 was when I was a kid and before I changed it all.

Anyhow, I installed a new master cylinder which fixed the issue I was having, but now of course, at least one of the wheel cylinders is leaking. I have those coming. I think the Bendix booster is working like a charm though, because when you hit the brakes it wants to stop ASAP.

I appreciate all of the help and I dig Stovebolt. It's a good community of folks who care about these old trucks. I catch a lot of flak for my appreciation for these old trucks from friends, knowing I'm not alone is cool.

I'm starting to see how, with time, we all have something to offer to help others. Just put new tires on the front, with these 3 piece rims, it was a learning experience!

Will keep you all posted.

Welcome to the bolt.

Welcome to Stovebolt Bob! Outstanding looking truck! It's clear you've put a lot of detailed work into it. Very glad you decided to stop lurking and join the conversation.

Big Bolts is a great spot to showcase the story. It great to discuss things related to the bigger trucks as they are unique and sometimes a challenge when it comes to parts and resources. You could ask your "brake" question(s) in there as you'll get the best help to try and figure things out.

Looking forward to seeing and hearing more on your truck!

Welcome! Nice looking truck!

I grew up with a '46 1-ton pickup, so I've always had a soft spot for that body style.

First Welcome to the “Bolt”! I too love the art-deco era trucks and you got a beauty.

Let me give you this helpful guide to help you navigate thru the different forums,

Glad to have you aboard!

Pretty cool. Is that dump mechanism a new unit or is it a restored original unit?

Thank you all for the kind words! Otto, I'm not sure, its in great shape and appears to be after market, but I don't have any info on it and haven't done any research yet.

Bob - Zooming in on the picture showing the hoist elevated, it looks like a "Rugby" unit. There should be a data plate/tag with model number and rating capacity that you could check with the company and get more details on it when you get the inclination.

Be very careful if you go under there looking for numbers. Best to block the bed up securely with a good chunk of wood or something similar. Don't want any accidents.

Thanks Gdads, I'll take a look and holler if I find anything interesting. Thanks for the reminder Rich, there is a safety brace that drops down once it hits a certain height, I'll be sure to use it!

Welcome to the Bolt....love the dump bed. Please be safe. (I lost a friend that wasn't)

Great looking truck, and I’m also glad you stopped lurking and introduced yourself. Your “as bought” and “after some work” photos say a LOT.

Nice work bringing the big bolt back to life! That 261 is a great engine, and converting to 12V is always a smart move. Brakes can be a pain—are you running the original setup or something modified? Lots of good info here, and feel free to ask if you get stuck. Looking forward to updates!

Catching flak from your friends? Man, I get as many compliments on this beat up 1950 Chevy truck as I do on my '56 Coupe de Ville.

In fact today, the security guard at Aldi told me he likes this truck even more than the Cadillac.

Bob, I noticed a big hole up front in your “finally got it home” photo, and then the nice shiny grill. Is that an aftermarket piece or did it come with your truck?

I bought the truck from a guy who always wanted to restore it. He had a bunch of extra parts that came with the truck, including that grill. The chrome is not perfect, but there are no dents, its pretty nice. I don't believe its aftermarket based on the condition, but I'm not sure how to tell. You can tell by the rivets on the grills on the early '70s trucks, bit this doesn't have anything like that I don't think.

The hole (bottom middle), is for the hand crank. There is a bracket on the bumper that lines up with the hole to help support the crank.

Ha ha, I was talking about the big hole the grill fits in Phil

I’ve been using boiled linseed oil mixed with mineral spirits to shine up the "patina". Anyone have any adverse effects from that?

That sounds like the same “magic shine juice” that Derek Bieri uses on Roadworthy Rescues. Just be careful about how you dispose of your rags. BLO rags will self ignite if left wadded up in the trash.

Thanks Paul, I've heard of that as well...that's a sure way to tick off my neighbors!

This looks like a great project. Looking forward to hearing more about it, as you get there.

Welp, as most know...you fix one thing just to cause another to fail. I re-wired the truck and actually got the original heater/defroster fans working and set up so they won't catch the truck on fire. I was so happy. Rewind a few months, I noticed the water pump leaking, replaced it without removing the radiator (mistake...need to see what you're doing) and learned the new pump needed some grinding to sit flush, causing the bottom of the fan to push out and ruin my radiator. All said, replaced that wreckage, ground down the new water pump, added a 180 thermostat, where there was none before, and BAM...done. Nope, the OG's know what's coming next. The increase in temp/pressure caused my beautiful, working perfect, original heater to start leaking. I think these old trucks sucker us in by causing more money, blood, sweat, and anger, so we keep them. Dang.

pics

Awesome truck, I love that style of ton trucks.

Keep wrenching.

-Woog

I have the same heater. Are you running 12v motors or did you add voltage reducers to use your 6v motors on your 12v system?

I ran voltage reducers for both the heater and the horn. Everything else I changed over to 12v (except the starter of course!).

pix

Your truck is looking very nice. Maybe I need a bigger truck!

Bob, your big Bolt is a beaut!