Wanted to let everyone know I recently took delivery of a 1939 Closed-cab Chevrolet mid-ship pumper, made by Central Fire Trucks of St. Louis, MO.
Stored in a shed for many years. Made a horrible screech when we loaded it onto the trailer. Then, it wouldn't roll OFF the trailer!
Had to winch it off - and it's a tilt-bed trailer!
Got the engine to fire with a little work to the carb linkage and cleaning of the distributor. Rebuilt the fuel pump, drained the gas in it, and it runs on its own now.
Pulled the front wheels off. Drums wouldn't come off - brake shoes would NOT back down, bent the tabs on the adjuster wheels. Had to use a BIG-A$$ puller to get the drums off. Bent one of the brake webs in the process, but it'll straighten out in the press.
Found the right hub wobbly from top to bottom - not good. Measured 65 thousandths wobble in the king pin. Turns out the threaded part of the king pin retaining pin, along with the turn stop, had broken off somewhere along the way, and the retainer was half out of its hole.
Guess I'll have to find another steering stop, or fabricate one.
Took me 3 or 4 hours of diligent work with a scraper and brush to get 60 years of caked on dried grease and mud off the front axle, springs, and steering gear. Oy.
Still and all, it's a great truck, very attractive, wooden ladders on both sides, with one hard suction on each side.
I'll post photos this weekend.
-Michael
