The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts PTO knob pictures please

I'm sorting out the dump assembly on my '51 Chevy 6500 and I noticed that the knob which engages my PTO is where the ignition needs to be on the dash. May I get a picture of someone's dash from an Advanced Design truck with PTO so I can see where everything is supposed to go?

PTO was not a factory installed item. They were installed wherever the installer thought they would be the handiest. They were usually installed for a winch, dump, or pump. A bracket right under the ignition switch was quite common.

In 51' there were only lever shift PTO's on the floor if your looking for originality.
Cable shift PTO's didn't come along until the 60's. Most floor shift lever assemblies were supplied by the hoist manufacturer and had both a PTO and pump control lever that pivoted on a steel bracket that mounted to the floor. That is one reason so many of the floors rusted out. Transmissions with a drivers side PTO were a particular nuisance since they would have the controls on the left and directly in the drivers way.

Most installers, including yours truly, of cable controls put them under the dash near the drivers door or often through the floor beside the seat as a direct pull operation. I always preferred the LH under dash location because it would allow the operator to stand outside the cab and see what he was doing. This was the best location since many of the older trucks had small mirrors or occassionally none at all.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/.../BpHpyYQWkKGrHqUH-CkEuZlFKgFSBLqBg6C.jpg

This is the setup in my -59

Dump controls were levers in the 50's because it takes two of them. However I remember my father having a 47 KB7 International with a PTO driven gasoline pump that had a cable. My father traded the truck in 55 which means cables had to be available in 1947. I mount the controls for our end dumps between the seat and the door. However,our insurance wants us to move them to the center of the cab. They say having them next to the seat allows the driver to stand outside and operate the controls and be crushed if the load were to go over. Hydraulic hoists have safety break aways, but they could always fail. We have had 2 end dumps to go over in the past 6 years and the break away worked both times and the tractor did not go over with the trailer. However our insurance wants the driver to stay inside the truck with his seat belt on.

Then perhaps I could have said cables were not "generally" available until the 60's and that is certainly true. I would take exception to the insurance companies position that someone is safer inside the truck than outside of it. If it starts to roll over the operator can see it happening and has at least a chance to run like hell. If he's inside the cab there is nowhere to go fast enough. I had an insurance carrier deny me coverage unless I stopped selling fifth wheels. If there is a safer device on a truck then I've never heard of it. I've seen them stay attached in unbelievable situations. Likely some chair bound underwriter who didn't know what they are.

I am about to test the matter in Texas court. A dump site required us to stay in the truck and they would direct the dump.
Here's the result:

http://picasaweb.google.com/crenwelgeoil/MACTrailer#5508245913420802274

The tires are the ones that came on a MAC aluminum half round and it is a total loss.

Another place I've seen those cables is in the holes where the radio knobs would go. I'm not recommending this-just saying that some people have put them there. The picture that Last Chance put up is probably the most common set up that I've seen.

Ive found that those cables are great for what they do but their operation deforms and tears up dashboards with that in and out motion. I put mine on the floor or a floor mounted raised console whenever possible.

Ive found that those cables are great for what they do but their operation deforms and tears up dashboards with that in and out motion. I put mine on the floor or a floor mounted raised console whenever possible.

I'm with John, put mine on the floor just forward of the seat on the left corner, easy to operate when I'm out side

Thanks for all the help! With the information from y'all I found that I've still got the original dump lever coming through a nasty cut-out in the floor pan (connected to nothing) and the driver's side floor mounted knob.

The floor mounted control would be nice, but the handle looks real classic... I'll get to all that once I'm ready to put the dump hydraulics back on.

BTW, the knob I was talking about (placed where ignition should be) is connected to the transmission, and activates the PTO shaft there. I think I'll fab a bracket up to put it below so it's not clustering up the dash anymore.

I have had the idea to use a Mopar pistol grip shifter, (you know those cool looking rose wood ones) for the trough the floor dump and tailgate controls until I seen the price they bring. Now I will try my skill at making a close reproduction. I will also fabricate nice mount and boot for both. As for the PTO cable I am going to replace it with a neat little electric solenoid I found on a 90s non air brake two ton dump in a wreaking yard. This solenoid bolts right to the PTO cover is self grounding and uses one power wire so all that will need to be on the dash is a switch. I will also add a nice bright red idiot light to the dash to indicate that the PTO is engaged.
If you would like to use one of these solenoids look at late model nonair brake medium duty trucks with PTOs for used or you can just call a PTO parts supplier for a new one I wouldn’t expect that they are too exspencive.

Floor levers are the most common controls encountered on older dump trucks, not necessarily grain trucks or others but in the 40's fifties and into the 60's even those often had them. Enough on the levers, suffice it to say cables offer installation flexibility not seen with levers through the floor. location is optional.

Electric shift conversions are not adaptable to older 40's-50's PTO's as the models are special to that feature. Modern units are available in a variety of shift options but not all PTO models offer all options. There are probably 6000 possible PTO combinations available for hundreds of transmissions so going to the wrecking yard and finding a correct unit is a needle in the haystack. Being correct for the application is a lot more than matching gears...a LOT more. And if your feel inclined to buy a new one please be seated when they quote the price for that "electric" option, if available.

53moneypit: the electric unit I found is a simple actuator that trips the PTO lever I see no reason it wouldn't work anywhere that a cable or a lever will work. it mounts to two of the 6 PTO mounting bolts and holds it in position just as the cable would be look pretty universal