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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Nov 1995 Posts: 5,723 24601 | | 24601 Joined: Nov 1995 Posts: 5,723 | really sucks!! After we got farm chores done today (Thanks again Doug!), Mike Roache stopped by and we took the fire truck down to the pond ... and pumped !!!! After a bit of goofing around with the settings on the valves, Mike got her to take suction and PUMP!!! Thanks again 51Ashton for the stuff -- you'll notice the hard sleeve, float dock, wye gate, 1.5" hose and nozzle all in use here. Totally cool to see the pump finally prove it's 100 percent functional! We didn't go above 100 psi (much ...) Tanker 51 ... Ready for Dispatch!!  John
~ John A kid raised on Hotwheels, Matchbox and Tonka cannot be reasonably expected to own only one vehicle as an adult. 1949 Chevrolet 3804In the Legacy Gallery | In the Gallery Forum1973 IH 1310 Dump1963 Kaiser M38A12001 International/AmTran RE3000 "Skoolie"2014 Ford E-350 4x4 (Quigley) | | | | | Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 568 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 568 | Good pics, I'm glad we were able to make it work. That was lots of fun,the trucks worth keeps going up. Now if we can get it to pull from the pond with an empty tank. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,276 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,276 | Aw drafting drills my favorite, you know John that drafting is some what a lost art in the fire service. Nice to see you having fun with your rig it is really looking good.  | | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,878 . | | . Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,878 | | | | | | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,074 Authorized Pest | | Authorized Pest Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,074 | Besides all that with the water and all, John and Mike got the biggest kick out of going around saying, "THIS TRUCK SUCKS!!" John needs a t-shirt with that. Looks like something we'll be doing for Homecoming next year! Peg
~ Peggy M 1949 Chevrolet 3804"Charlie" - The Stovebolt FlagshipIn the Gallery"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." -- Winston Churchill | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,107 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,107 | Now if we can get it to pull from the pond with an empty tank. you wont be able to until you get that vacuum line hooked up to the pump in a manner it doesnt get into the engine or get yourself a little 12 volt vacuum pump or a diaphragm pump with inlet and outlet check vavles.it wont be as fast as if it was using engine vacuum. for the time being your just going to have to get a prime using some tank water. glad to hear everything is working out for you. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,107 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,107 | Tanker 51 ... Ready for Dispatch!! all we need now is a "ladder 51" and we have a full service department. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 829 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 829 | Looks like a blast... I hadn't thought about that show "Emergency" in years... I have to admit, John, your truck definitely sucks - great! | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 | John, My American fire truck uses what they called a Barton Vacuum Primer, mounted on the fire wall. It's a sorta kidney-shaped beast, one larger float chamber beneath a second, smaller chamber. It's plumbed at the top from manifold vacuum, then to the top side of the pump. Pull the lever, and vacuum pulls water through the hard suction, into the pump, then into the lower primer chamber. When the float raises enough, a drain opens and the water escapes. If, for some reason, the lower float does not operate, the water goes into the upper chamber, and raises the back-up float, which vents the suction, thereby protecting the engine from ingesting water. I've always thought these vacuum primers were elegant in their simplicity, not much to malfuntion, and they don't freeze, since they're in the engine compartment. They turn up occasionally on "The Bay", often sold with the fire pump thrown in! ;-) Other trucks use a large electric motor turning a positive displacement pump to draw the water. Works fine as well. Speaking of which, what happened to your truck's original primer? Had to have one when in service.  Gotta agree with you, drafting is a blast. -Michael | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,893 Socket Breaker | | Socket Breaker Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,893 | | | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 12 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 12 | Here's my old 1941 Chevy fire truck from Rio Vista CA, Montezums Fire District. I got her as is from a retire farmer who was ready to send her to the crucher before I rescued her at once.
Now I have to find her a new home cause I cant keep any more trucks on my lot. Out of room and rent for out side space is killing me each year.
Look over these and tell me what you guys think I can get for her.
I dnt know how to add pix here, so I will create a folder w/ Flickr and edit a link into this post later. If I forget , just look for them under my Flickr name, fleetwood601964.
EDIT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26791669@N04/sets/72157605725096298/
Last edited by SS-427; 06/25/2008 9:42 AM.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 | From these photos, that truck looks VERY restorable, speaking as someone who's working on one a lot like it currently.
From the fire engine side of things, I can tell you that these years of Chevys (Art Deco) don't show up NEARLY as often as the next body style (Advance Design), making them more rare, ergo, to my way of thinking anyway, more valuable.
Also, I think as the collectable car hobby gets more and more INSANE, people will (are) looking with more interest at trucks, and firetrucks are always popular.
Not to mention, there are fewer and fewer out there - hate to see another one get away.
Other opinions?
-Michael | | | | | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,602 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,602 |
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 | SS-427,
I sent you a private message about fire engine clubs in CA., which might be good to contact. Check your "My Stuff" menu when you are logged in to see if it's there.
-Michael | | |
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