The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts puzzled in N.C.

I have two items that are on my 46 1.5 that I have no idea.First is a Tach(looks orig)just behind the left front fender. Second is a foot switch(also looks orig.) above the dimmer that when the engine is running and I press it down sounds like something is trying to engage.Any ideas??

Need some pictures.

The tach would be an add-on. Can't say anything about the additional foot switch. Can you see anything hooked to it?

Harvester

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http://www.photoworks.com/members/greggmoore

Pictures of the items I don't know about.

Bota,

Pretty darn interesting, I can't wait to see the outcome!

Stuart

Wow, that is strange.
Find the wires on the back of the switch, follow them & see where they go.

have seen two floor switches on more modern truck 1971 freightliner one went to headlights other went to fog lights only truck i've seen with dimmer for fog lights. But you say you hear some thing trying to engage.

Wonder if tach was to run a belt off the drive wheeland keep a constant rpm. it certainly wouldn't do the driver any good in that location. Years ago people would jack rear off ground to run portable equipment such as sawmils with belts. do you know the history of the truck at all?

I wish I knew a LOT more about this truch,but I don't.I've looked under the hood and toward the area of the switch and about all I see is a rod and some kind of lever system.Thanks all for the information.I'll keep looking and maybe consult some of the 'ol timers around here.

If it is a 1946 model it could well be a truck built to War Production Board specs for an essential industry. JFFL has a GMC which I believe to be from the same era. I posted what I know about the subject on his GMC. If your Chev is a truck that was built to WPB specs, it could well have been a specialized truck for an essential industry.. Possibly a pumper. The vehicles built to WPB specs do not appear in civilian parts books.

more pictures under the hood might be helpful. normal manufacture plate(s) would be located under the hood passenger side cowl. Are there any apparent id plates elsewhere that might indicate a speciality vehicle. Any pto shafts coming off the transmission?

does it have a pto?

Haven't looked yet! Been focusing my attention on the brakes.I was hooking up the braket for the ck valve when I noticed the extea dimmer switch.I was on the Fire Dept and it almost feels like the switch used for a Federal siren.I'll keep cking.And I'll look for that plate on the pass side.

That button looks like the starter button that was on my '45 Mack when I got it. I changed it over to a push button on the dash and a Ford solenoid. As for the Tach,I agree the truck was probably used frequently to run a drive belt off the rear wheels for some sort of power tool or a generator (Seems like there would be a locking throttle cable somewhere near it,accessible from outside the truck,but ???).
Speed

Bet you right Bota, Probably was a FD pumper truck or water tanker. The button was for the rotary siren and the tach for the engine driven pump. Check the front of the engine to see if it has ever had a driveshaft connected to it.

That is just like the layout on the floor of my firetruck. One is the bright lights and the other is my siren so you do not have to take your hands off the steering wheel.

floor button holes

I'm guessing if it was a firetruck, there would be much more obvious evidence. Beside, that's a VERY queer location for a tach. A pumper would have it either up front for a front-mount, (again, there would be an extended bumper or something giving a clue), OR on the side behind the cab door, with the REST of the pump controls. Whichever, it would also typically have a remote hand throttle located near the tach somewhere.

The switch certainly looks like a siren switch. Maybe this was a Civil Defense truck of some sort? Not sure what they would need an alt. tach. for . . .

I LOVE a good truck mystery!

-Michael

I have a 1946 chev. fire truck pumper that I am restoring. The tach is for the operator who stood either along side the truck to operate a front mount or side mount pump. The button was for the siren.
The front mount pump would have been mounted off the front of the truck & ran off the front of the engin connected by a PTO from the lower front crank shaft pully. The mid ship pump would have been run the transmision. You could check and see if there is a side plate where the PTO box ran off the transmission.

You guys have been a great help .Thanks to all of you giving me some more ideas of what I really have.

OK,I have just one more question---if you have done a COMPLETE brake job do you have to adjust the linings before you bleed the brakes?

yes adjust the brakes

Thank you,thank you thankyou!!!I'll let you know how it all comes out.I've bleed and bleed and bleed and still no pedal.

If its feels like it pumping up you may still have the shoes to far away from the drums. Have you rebuilt the master Cly? On some of my older trucks I found some of the small holes in the master Cly plugged with rust and dirt not letting it get fluid fast enough to get a good pump on the 2nd pump of the pedal. It should act like a pump and pump out fluid faster then it returns if you don't wait to long between pumps. Or your second or 3rd pump may not be increasing the PSI and adding more fluid.

You could try getting a shot brake line and attaching it to the masted Cly and plug one end and see if you have a hard pedal that stays hard. And you can also see if it pump fluid out as fast as you pump. It should have a check valve in the master CLY that bleeds back slowly to allow you to get a 2nd and 3 pump with out all the fluid returning.

I hope this was a clear as mud LOL.

Good luck

Brian

Brand New Master cylinder--But,if I don't get any Pedel after I adj then I 'll try the old brakeline method,Thanks.