Yango, that was a big project you jumped on but I must say your doing a good job. Thats one you can be proud of for a looong time. Glad to see your making progress.
Thanks Chip --- Of course, here I am going into the 14th month of this project and still no end in sight. Well...maybe just a little light off in the distance. The engine is ready but I'm waiting on a tranny to be built from scratch and still no luck finding the right rear end. Little things like that. All we can do is to keep on chipping away at all the "little things" and eventually (if we live long enough) they will all get done and we can then move on down the road in what we have built. That's the prize we have to keep our eyes on. But hey...if it was easy, everyone would be driving vintage Stovebolts, right?
Thanks for the encouragement Chip --- I'll take all I can get. And of course I do accept that like "re-doing an old house"...an old vehicle is never really "finished". But I am anxious to hear it run and get it rolling. I used to build 2-stroke formula motorcycle racing engines pretty much from the ground up and there is nothing quite like the feeling when a bunch of inanimate metal you've pieced together comes to life. Looking forward to that thrill with this old girl.
Just plunked down a huge chunk of change for a brand new, factory built Allison tranny (gulp!). After a year of passing on what few 6-speeds I could find I bit the bullet. It's a 2200MH, double overdrive, 6-speed auto with a parking pawl. As it turns out, probably only about a grand more than what I figured rebuilding some unknown used unit to my specs would likely run. Still a lot to pull together to make it work, but at least that's one more major item to cross off the "must-do" list.
Anybody happen to have a transmission wiring harness from an International truck with a 1000/2000 series Gen 4 Allison laying around?
Just got my drivers door window from Peninsula Glass in place. Odd angles and measures made the cut-out a nail biter. Looks square and simple but was neither. Added a couple of pix to the progress album below. Still need to get the skin on the interior, mount the hinges and a few other things, but at least it constitutes SOME progress.
...... I can't help but chuckle when you said it was a "nail biter". I can truly relate. Had to recut both of my side windows on my panel because the guy but them to "square" the first time and my side windows would only roll up half way.....I simply told him to "follow the pattern". Oh well, I bit my nails and finally got them in the second time
Got the rear duct for the A/C finished up today except for paint (still a long ways off). Modeled it after a rear engine duct on a '30's era transit bus I saw years ago. Just liked the Art Deco, industrial look of it. Was a royal pain to put together but I like the way it turned out. New pix now in the Flickr album.
Hot-Ziggity! --- my new Allison 2200MH tranny arrived! It will be on it's way shortly to the shop that will be mating it to the Cummins 4BT in a week or so...then the fun begins. Stuffing that package into my chassis will likely be...interesting. Gotta find a whole new steering gear set up as the original is inside the frame rails and, short of a miracle, will probably be in the way. Looking for a late model power steering set up from a 1.5 ton or maybe a bread van (P20/P30). Any suggestions?
Drove out to take a look at some possible gears last weekend. Fellow had a 1.5 T flatbed sitting in front of his house that his wife is using as a rose arbor. Long story short...still no 5.43 gears. The ring & pinion turned out to be another set of the "Optional" 6.14:1 gears. Too bad, as they were in great shape. Beginning to believe that just about everyone who bought a Chevy truck from '41 to early '47 opted for the Optional granny gears as that is all I've seen during the past year of searching.
Is there really any such thing as 5.43 gears...or are they up there with the Easter Bunny & Santa?
Will finally pick up my new Allison 6-speed on Monday! From Stewart & Stevenson, it goes out to Diesel Specialists to be mounted onto the Cummins 4BTAA. Then the fun begins. I have a feeling stuffing all that metal into my narrow Art Deco front end is going to get...uh...interesting.
Still on the hunt for the mythical 5.43 ring & pinion set.
Well Howdy --- After more than a year of thinking that the Big Bolt Chevy trucks came standard with a 5.43 rear end and had the "option" of a 6.17...I just discovered it is the other way around! That is contrary to what I had heard and been told (online & off). No wonder I have had no luck finding that particular ring & pinion set.
I finally got my hands on a real '42 to '46 Chevy truck manual and it clearly states that it is the 5.43 that was the optional equipment.
I may be stuck with what I have or have to do a Frankenstein transplant on the whole center section.
Thanks for the encouragement Chip --- I should be wrapping up my current commission project by mid-March and then have a little bit of the Summer to get back to work on the old gal. My engine & tranny are mated and waiting to be picked up but right now I don't have the time to sleep let alone work on anything else.
Howdy All --- seems like forever since I've had time to work on the bus or do any fun stuff...like waste time here on the Bolt.
I do have the engine & tranny together but had to build a hoist before I could do anything else. They have been hanging on it for a couple of months now with no movement and with my current schedule, will stay that way until at least late September. Makin' me nuts! I gotta' back to it soon before the tranny fluid all drys up. Hell...MY fluids are all dryin' up too!
Well Folks --- once again I've found a way to avoid working on the bus. I'm off to France for a month in the morning but will try to catch the forum when I can find a connection. Hopefully I will have the Fall & Winter left to get something done on my baby before she gives up on me completely.
Howdy All --- Finally back stateside but been so busy playing catchup I've only been able to drop in on the old girl once. Lining up some help on the engine/tranny installation right now. Stuffing all that machinery inside this little front end is going to be...interesting. Hope to get back on this project shortly.
Minor progress --- Found the power steering gearbox I've been looking for. Came out of an '03 Isuzu NPR. My original manual box fits inside the frame rails and has to go to make room for the Cummins & Allison so I've been on the hunt for one that mounts outside the rails and would be compatible with the Cummins hydraulic pump (1500psi) and this unit does both. Thinking about going back and getting the whole steering column which would make for a simpler conversion but would like to keep the original Chevy truck wheel...somehow.
Did indeed go back for the whole steering column (minus turn signals). Looks like it might be a pretty good fit and will start working out how to hook it all up soon. Had originally planned on moving the driver position about 6" to the left since it was nearly in the center of the bus and this arrangement will put it just about where I wanted it.
Made a little progress on the engine/tranny install. Finally got a couple of friends over to help position the 1,000+ pounds with an A-Frame (it really does take 3 people). Got it far enough in to see what all has to move or be adapted. Marked and cut away some of the firewall so that the next "fitting" should allow for something close to final positioning. The oil filter definitely has to go elsewhere but I already have the Cummins plate to mount a "remote" filter. Just need to get the related parts and a couple of hoses fabbed.
Wish I'd had time to snap a couple of pix but the "helpers" were on a short fuse and had to beat it outta' there. Will try to update my album soon though.
Doing a little "body work" while waiting on the engine helpers. Test fitting the replacement body panels. One exterior panel will have a hatch to access the holding tank. I just got the SS hinge in the mail today and will fab the rest of it soon. Tere's a qwik pic...
Still at it and still behind --- just test fitted new rear panels I had fabbed at a local shop. The original wheel openings never did look right and were so small I can't imagine how anyone could change a tire. Here are a coupl'a "before & after" pix...
Hope to pick up my new rear end before the week is out. Found a Chevy 3500, Dana 80 HD duallie but the gearing was too low. Swapped out the 5.13 set for a 4.30 R&P. Has huge disks and the same lug circle & pattern as the '46 but my rims will need to have the center hole machined out just a bit to fit properly. Since these are center piloted, the machining has to be pretty much spot on. I will get some pix when we offload it.
Thanks AChip --- finally got to visit the old gal for the first time in a couple of months. Now have the new rear axle re-geared and on site, working on body panels & window frames and she is all leveled up so we can start wrangling the engine & tranny into place. There are 9 or 10 new pix at the bottom of my album page on Flickr...
Guess it's about time for an update --- Been a while since I've gotten back here but some, small progress has been made. Now have the rear axle ready to mount after battling Chevrolet over...lug nuts. They couldn't find their [censored]es with either hand as far as parts. Without a VIN, they couldn't even look up the model of their own truck! Finally got the VIN from the wrecking yard only to discover that Chevy wants $10 bucks apiece for frikkin lug nuts! NAPA...$2.39 each.
Been a real battle prepping everything necessary to hang the new side body panels. They will be welded in place, so I had to make sure that everything in between the inner & outer walls was right first. Wound up having to cut and remake the rear window frames and in the process discovered I cannot keep/use the original windows. More time & bucks. Will be ordering aluminum frame bus type windows from Peninsula Glass. Did a lot of insulating using a NASA spin-off product by HyTech. Micro ceramic beads you mix in with paint. I have seen it in action on a tin roof and was blown away by how effectively it cut heat transmission. What you mostly see in the pix is an added layer of the shiny, foil faced, bubble wrap insulating material that is over the ceramic coating. Hoping between the two to help out the A/C & heater.
Engine & tranny are STILL awaiting a visit from a Cummins Diesel tech to do some consulting before I stuff it in and find out later that XXXX needed to be somewhere else. Have one lined up to drop by next week. Hopefully.
Also now have brand new front springs courtesy of Eaton Detroit. It was way too easy. Called and told'em I need them for a 1946 Chevy school bus and got ready for the usual 30 minute explanation drill. The gal who answered the phone never skipped a beat..."What tonnage & wheelbase, Hon?" They even had all the hanging hardware to go with them as well as giving me an extra 300 pounds of grunt to compensate for the weight of the Cummins. Best service I have gotten anywhere in the last 20 years! Maybe 50.
Any how, there are some new pix in my Flckr Album for anyone who likes that sort of thing. Take a peek here...
Progress is progress, Tango. I looked back at all your pictures and you HAVE come a long way. We're all in your corner and it looks like things are coming together. You'll be riding soon.
Thanks Chip --- I sure hope so. When I look at what "Ol Trunt" pulled off in four years on his '35 school bus it makes my efforts look simple by comparison. Don't know if you have seen it or not, but you can take a look here...
Jack is definitely a master builder. He has restored or modified quite a few rigs over the years as near as I can tell and everything I've seen of his has been first class.
Me...I don't have his skill set, so I'm just schlepping through as best I can. I do seem to learn something new every time I work on mine. Just not always somethin' I necessarily wanted to learn.
Example...all the new metal I have fabbed is hot rolled steel. I learned two things about the mill scale that comes on all hot roll. 1. It has to come off before welding or painting. 2. It is a royal PITA to remove!
Spent three hours and wore out myself and nearly every flap disk I had just trying to clean up a little section about 18" x 24". Went online last night and discovered that Muriatic acid is about the only way to get it off without spending three hours per square foot and breaking the bank. However...you have to have access to plenty of water to flush off the acid before it eats everything. The crappy shop I'm working in has zero water so now I need to build some kind of portable tank just to lug H20.
"If it isn't one thing it's another my little Rosannadanna."
PS...if anyone here knows an easier way to clean off mill scale...I am very open to any suggestions.
In case anyone else out there runs into the same issue regarding the removal of mill scale from hot rolled steel, there is a solution. A chemical solution...Muriatic acid. Did some homework online, tried it out and it works like gangbusters. Still need to polish off the residue but it softens the crud enough that a stripping pad makes light work of it. Was a real life saver for me as I have some really big areas that I am replacing with new steel.
Just give the stuff the respect it deserves and take all the necessary precautions when using it. Long rubber gloves, eye protection, lots of ventilation.
More minor movement --- Now have my new front leaf springs and working on new shock towers. As with everything else on this beastie...having fits locating shocks. May have some on the way that will work but won't know till they get here.
Also dropped the old rear axle and am in the process of cojoling the new Dana 80 to take its' place. New rear springs on the way for it too which will also require re-locating the spring perches out about 3/4 in. on each side. The fun just never ends!
Howdy All - Been a while but I have made some minor progress. New springs are in front & rear and the Dana 80HD axle is now hung. Added a 3 degree wedge to try and get the drive angle close but won't really know until I start putting the driveshaft together. Also gathered up 6 new 19.5" rims and tires to go all around. Had to make adapters so that the front rims would fit, but that was easy enough.
I gave up on pickling the cold-rolled steel with acid. Every time I'd paint some on, the wind would change. Not pleasant stuff to breathe so I broke down and had the remaining body panels sand blasted and primed. I just applied a couple of coats of latex paint with 25% of the HyTech ceramic beads on both sides of the interior panels to help with insulation. They will also get a layer of the silver "bubble wrap" insulation as well. The outer panels will get two coats but only on the inside surface.
Still have not stabbed the engine and tranny in but I have added an aluminum accessory bracket to handle mounting an A/C compressor and relocate the new alternater. A 250 amp monster that should handle just about anything I want to run off of it. It also relocates the water inlet & outlet. Still having fits locating a driveline brake that will fit my Allison 2200MH trans so if anyone has one laying around...?
I hope to have the front disk brake kit from Randy Domeck in the next week or so. Once that kit is installed at least I'll be able to take it off the jackstands for the first time in many months.
There are some updated pix in my Flickr album here
Tango, looked through your photo's....again, and wow, there's been a ton of work going on. Keep pecking at it, it will get done and you'll stand back and think....did I really do this"
