The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1954 Chevy 3100 1/2 Ton P/U Truck - NEW UPDATE

$125 is good for shipping a fender. Check Greyhound for cheaper rates. I've dealt with them in the past and they've always been great.

Dunno about the pricing for radiators. That's one of the few parts on my truck I haven't had to work on. *knocks on wood*

I buy new when it comes to wear parts like pumps, bearings, etc. Buying used parts like 'untested' radiators don't always turn out to be worth the savings.

DrewP is right about keeping an eye on the Freebies forum. Also ask in the A-D Truckers social group on the HAMB. Lota guys doing V8 swaps over there and they might just give you what you need.

Pictures, you gotta love them. WOW! How lucky did you get? What a find! Good luck with your new truck and congratulations.

Went to pull the radiator today, got evey nut and bolt off besides this pesky one. Its got a rounded head of the bolt and a square nut on the back. How can I get this off? Sorry if it's an easy solution.


[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img29/3861/img20121022133446.jpg[/IMG]


And here's what I think the damage is to the radiator that made it burst:


[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img703/8700/img20121022133452.jpg[/IMG]

Great first truck Chad! And as been said already don't beat yourself up about it! I popped my first restore, 1954 chevy passenger car, after I had totally restored it.. Now I laugh about it. The toughest thing I see on the truck will be the cowl. I would say it will need to "pulled" out with a power post at least which will require a body shop. With the sheet metal in these trucks it will repair very easy.
Your radiator issue looks like a tight fit. Can you get a pair of vise grips on the rounded over side and possibly get a wrench on the square nut and turn it that way?
Mike

After you get it out, I would take your radiator to a radiator shop and see if they can solder it up for you. May only be one or two tubes that have been dinged. It would be a shame to junk a good radiator just because it has a repairable leak. I have soldered up many radiators over the years. you can loose a few tubes and it will still cool just fine.

It used to be that radiator shops would recore radiators. Unsolder the top and bottom tanks and solder in a new core. Don't know if this is still done, but another option if yours cannot be repaired.

Kurt

I went to a radiator shop and had them fix my radiator, they did and I was ready to put it back in. I ran into a few problems. First, I don't remember where I put the nuts and bolts for the radiator. Secondly, The fan is bent and that caused the damage to the first place, Should I replace it with a stock one or upgrade to a flex or electric fan?

Chad,

Great news on the radiator.

Here is a tip for you about bolts and fasteners. When you take a part off, immediately put the fastener back in the hole it came out of. This way you won't loose them or forget where they go. If you cant do that, put them in a zip lock bag with a tag that explains where they go. Have a box or can in your shop for these bags. You will hardly ever loose a fastener if you do this.

I think you should try to straighten out the fan. Put a piece of wood in the radiator frame that will be even with the end of a fan blade when it is pointing straight up. Take the belt off the fan so it will be easy to spin. Use a small metal ruler and measure the distance of each fan blade from the same spot on the wood. Study on it and bend the blades so that they are all the same. I think you will be able to get it to work just fine.

Kurt

Chad,

Another thought for you,

Are you SURE the fan is bent? It could be that the motor and tranny moved forward and hit the radiator when you had the collision. If your motor mounts are loose, this could happen.

Kurt

Bending the fan is easy. Like kurt said, take the belt off and bend each blade so they clear the radiator.


I did too. A '74 CB 750 K4 Honda, five months after I finished it. Got t-boned. Slid my second restoration ('76 Stingray) under the back end of a lifted pickup in the rain three years later.

Kurt, thanks for the input. I was going off of what my buddy presumed it to be. He seemed to think that upon impact , the front end might have flexed a bit into the fan which caused the radiator to be cut. After thinking about this for a while, according to his theory, wouldn't the fan blade have more clearance from bending back rather than not giving me enough clearance between the radiator and fan blade? It seems to be a really really tight fit between the radiator and fan blade with the bottom blade scraping when I turn it by hand. I think your motor mount theory makes more sense. So instead of replacing the fan, do you suggest I replace all the motor mounts? Where should I buy the motor mounts? Any links? Thanks for all the help!


Kurt, such wisdom you have! Such a simple solution to such a frustrating problem! I remember putting it in a zip loc bag but I do not remember where I can put it. I still have tabs on the fender bolts though so that's better than nothing. Thank you for all your help Kurt & the Stovebolt community!

If the rubber mounts are old and dry rotted it can all shift pretty easily.

Chad,

On your truck there should be three motor mounts and one transmission mount. One motor mount is under the front of the motor and attaches to the front cover and the frame. Then there is a motor mount on each side of the bell housing. The transmission mount should be at the back of the tranny and attaches to the cross member. Take a good look at these mounts and see if the look distorted or broken. There should only be about 1/2 or so between the fan and the radiator, so you can see that it wouldn't need to move much to hit the fan.

Most of the vendors sell these mounts.

motor mounts

Kurt

Hi Chad -

I've been following the progress on your '54 after your mishap. I applaud you for diving in to fix the problem and for seeking help from the forum. I bet every one of us feels the same and would enjoy being there to help you.

Regarding motor mounts - - Here is a link to a recap of installing motor mounts in my '54. Has sources and part numbers, too. You can read the entire thread to see how little I knew about motor mounts before the guys here at Stovebolt helped me. Unfortunately, some of Denny Graham's posts in the thread were eaten by the forum software. I'm sure that he can fill you in on the missing info if you need it.
> My '54 motor mount recap

Hang in there!

I think that Chaduro is referring to a 1954 3100 truck with a non-Hydra-Matic transmission. The 1/2 ton manual transmission 1954 trucks did not have a rear transmission mount (no matter what the vendors sell (even the 1767-1972 pad sold by Jim Carter is not needed)). There is no need for a transmission mount because of the stronger design of the 1954 and later rear motor mount and frame cross-brace.

Tim,

Yeah, I was thinking of my '51 transmission mount.

Kurt

Kurt,

Jim Carter's 1767-1972 pad should work fine on yours?

Tim,

Can you send me a link to that part, can't find it on Jim Carter's site.

I replaced all my motor mounts and the tranny mount about ten years ago. Made a big difference in drivability. Prior to replacing the mounts, the motor would shift whenever I came to a hard stop. Lucky I didn't ding the radiator.

Kurt

Kurt,

Go to JC's site and search on something like:

mount
or
transmission mount

I got about four items displayed.

I cannot do this on the tablet I am using. JC's site unsurprisingly does not display a search box in Safari on an iPad. When I get on another computer, I'll try to post a link to the search results.

My post about those parts is partially facetious. Jim Carter is one of the vendors that lists a transmission mount for 1954 trucks - his site is wrong. In addition, I further lack confidence in his listings because of the dates listed for that one mount part. I bet he sells very few of those pads for the relatively rare 1767-1775 Pre War (revolutionary) Ticonderoga Series Chevrolets. To top off this silly situation is that there is no photo for a few of the transmission-mount parts on his site.

Here are some transmission mount listings:

Classic Parts - full mount assembly - incorrectly labelled for 54.
Classic Parts - pads only

Chevs of the 40s - full assembly - correctly labelled for use through 53
Chevs of the 40s - pads and bolts - says through 54, perhaps because they know it can be used on the 54 Hydra-Matic transmission's rear mount (it worked for me).

Tim,

Actually they are showing the tranny mount spanning the years 1948 to 1955, and I must say the picture does not look like what I have somehow. Huh.

Kurt

Who is they, Kurt? JC?

Tim,

Yes. JC.

Kurt

Re: Transmission mount - Another option might be to have it rebuilt like the original. Steele rubber products will "revulcanize" you mount for around $73. More expensive, but maybe longer lasting. I haven't had that done (I have a 54), but the rubber products I've bought from Steele have been top quality and fit perfectly.

Agreed. Sorry for the confusion. My comment was intended for the fella with the '51. My '54 does just fine with three engine mounts and no tranny mount, just like it came from the factory 58 years ago.

Time to get back to work on the truck and replace the motor mounts. Can someone please link me to the exact page of the motor mounts I need and how many of each I will need? I don't want to accidentally order the wrong thing. So far from what I have read I need one front motor mount and two rear mounts. Would this mean I need

1 of this mount: http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/product.asp?prodid=ME216&i=10313|||||

2 of this mount: http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/product.asp?prodid=ME219&i=10313|||||

Correct me if I am wrong or if there's another retailer selling these mounts cheaper. Thanks!
and

Chaduro,

If you have standard 1954 truck motor mounts, the parts are straight forward, depending on you having the enclosure/parts for use with the front motor mount (upper right illustration).

http://www.classicparts.com/1932-54-Front-Motor-Mount/productinfo/79%2D005 /

http://www.classicparts.com/1954-84-Rear-Motor-Mounts/productinfo/79%2D111/

If you need a front shield, this will work .

I would check with your local NAPA. The price might be better.

Chad -

> Shop Manual 6-13, plus 6-14

> Factory Assembly Manual Sect 6, Sheet 12

> Here is my recap that I posted previously

Here are the parts (The Filling Station) and hardware (Fastenal) that I used when replacing the motor mounts on my '54 3104:

FRONT MOUNT HARDWARE:
> Shield - GM #3656502; Filling Station #TR-182
> Cushion Assembly - GM #3657520; Filling Station #CV-335A
> Plate - GM #3657522, used original plate that was on the truck
> Retainer - GM #368449, used the original retainer that was on the truck
> Middle Bolts (2) - GM furnished by engine plant; Fastenal #21879 7/16"-14 x 2-1/4" Zinc finish SAE J429 grade 5 round head carriage bolt ++DO NOT REPLACE IF YOUR ORIGINAL MIDDLE BOLTS ARE STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE FRONT PLATE.
> Middle Washers (2) - GM #352282 7/16" ID, 13/16" OD, 0.062 thick; we used 3/8" stainless washers that are the correct OD and filed the hole to 7/16". the 7/16" washers that I bought were 15/16" OD and might touch the crossmember.
> Middle Nuts (2) - GM furnished by engine plant; Ace Hardware 7/16"-14 top lock nut. ++SEE NOTE ABOVE FOR MIDDLE BOLTS. THESE ARE WRONG THREAD PITCH.
> End Bolts (2) - GM #3701135 3/8"-24 x 1-7/8" carriage bolts; used the GM carriage bolts that were on the truck. If you need the end bolts, you could use Fastenal #0159808 3/8"-16 x 2" Zinc Finish SAE J429 Grade 5 Short Square Neck Round Head Carriage Bolt
> End Washers (2) - GM #365685 3/8" ID, 1-1/4" OD, 0.187 thick; Fastenal #11101273 3/8" x 1.250" x 0.125" Thick Zinc Finish Extra Heavy Fender Washer
> End Nuts (2) - GM #117212 3/8"-24 hex; Fastenal #37464 3/8"-24 Cadmium Finish Grade A Flexible Lock Nut

REAR MOUNT HARDWARE:
> Upper Mounting Assy (2) - GM #3705444; The Truck Shop #54-07609
> Lower Mounting Assy (2) - GM #3705447; The Truck Shop #54-07610
> Bolt (2) - GM #3705450 1/2"-13 x 3-1/2; The Truck Shop #54-07611
> Bolt Lock (2) - GM #3717280; The Truck Shop #54-07612

So I got under My truck and looked at the motor mounts. The two rear are the more expensive polyeurthane mounts with metal and look rather new the front motor mount looks old and coated in sludge. Should I still replace the rears? Could the engine still shift if it was just a bad front mount?

I would probably replace all three while I was at it.

Hey, all sorry for the sporadic update. Anyways, here's what's been going on with my truck lately. First of all, a guy in Toppenish, Washington from the HAMB was gracious enough to give me the driver's side fender for my truck for free on the condition that I found a way to get it home. and a Greyhound ride later and here she was. By the way, while trying to mess with setting the fender on, it flaked some paint off the grille, as it turns out it's a chrome grille! here's what it looks like set on there for now (not going to mount it till I patch the cab panel.

Picture 1
Picture 2

Picture 3

My friend has a 1966 Ford Mustang coupe I help him work on every once in a while and he dropped off the carb at a carb shop about 3 miles from my house that we didn't know about. It turns out that its behind a major store and very few people know it's there. The nearest classic auto junkyard we knew of was over 15 miles away. To our amazement there was a junkyard full of classics. We called the number on the sign and I asked for a headlight bucket, ashtray, and some other misc. parts (not expecting them to have all of what I needed because it seems anytime I ask a junkyard manager if they have 1954 Chevy Truck parts they say oh, we've got that coming out of our ears, and I always end up disappointed after the long drive to see 47-53 Chevy Trucks and parts laying around. Anyways, the guy says he will look around and let me know later in the day. About 3 hours later I get a call from the guy and he says he has the parts I'm looking for. Of course, I was a bit skeptical after my rather disappointing past junkyard experiences. We get there and no one is anywhere to be found. We call, we knock on any door we can find, nothing. We start up to car to leave and all of a sudden this jolly old man walks out and signals for us to come to him. We get out of the car and he says he has to do something but its just gonna take a minute and he'll be right out. After a minute, he walks out and we go over to where he supposedly has a 1954 Chevy. I see a 1952 Chevy Panel Truck but nothing else that looked even close. He had these rolls of barbwire stacked up and we walked around them to see the rear of a flatbed 50's truck. The first thing I looked for was a split-windshield. To my delight, I see a one piece windshield, I walk quickly to the front of the truck and see it is indeed a 1954 Chevrolet Truck one or two ton (not sure yet, anyone know)? I start naming off the parts I want off of it and he then says, heck, just buy the whole thing! So $300 later we parted ways and I had a new parts donor truck.

1954 Chevy Flatbed

I have a few questions about the truck. I have read that the cab and front end sheet metal is the same as a 1/2 ton truck as long as it's not a cab-over-engine as it obviously is not. Is this true? Are the front fenders the same, etc? What all can I use off this truck that is the same as my 1954 1/2 ton. I'd really like to use as many parts as I can for my truck but I need to know what's the same and what isn't. If the cab is the same, can I cut and weld the cowl patch panel piece I from the parts truck to my truck?

Today my neighbor yelled at me repeatedly telling me off and saying to take the truck back to the junkyard. I just parked it in the front yard in the RV driveway and my mom parks in front of it every evening because there are two utility trailers and my truck I'd have to move to get the flatbed parts truck back there. I'm not sure what some different inexpensive ways are so that I can maneuver the truck to get it in the backyard with two flat tires on the passenger side rear (it's a dually). Any suggestions so I can please my neighbor?

PS. The pictures of the fender set on my truck is after I installed the headlight bucket it on it off the parts truck.

Thanks for everything!

That's a nice looking flatbed truck for $300.Does it have the 261 engine in it ?
You have been misguided on the front sheet metal,it's different,larger.The cab is the same as your 1/2 ton.


Tim

I count 8 lugs. That would make it a 3/4 or 1 ton. Post the door plate number. If it is, those fenders will fit. Good find.

I was looking at the fenders,they look like 1 1/2 ton up,but Ive been wrong before. 1/2 ton to 1 ton front sheet metal is the same. 1 1/2ton up is different than 1/2 ton and 1 ton Tim

What would 10 lug be ? Tim

Ten lug would be a big truck. They usually had 5 on front and 10 on rear.

1/2 ton to 1 ton same front sheet-metal. 1 1/2 ton up is different than a 1/2 ton to 1 ton. The fenders just look big to me in the picture. Tim

It's 8 lug all the way around. No door data plate like my 1/2 ton. Is there any other place I can check? I'm not sure what size motor it is, how can I tell? So because it's 8 lug all the way around I can use all of the front end sheet metal? Is it a good idea to cut the piece I need from that truck and weld it onto my truck after I've cut the damaged piece out? I need to find a good body guy/welder because I have no welding skills. I'm planning on scrapping the frame, bed, and whatever else I don't need or doesn't have value. What's worth saving to either sell or use and what's worth scrapping? Any suggestions on moving the car to my backyard when there's 2 flat tires?

Thanks for everything!

Chad

If you have flat tires on the passenger side of the rear you could take one of the tires off the drivers side that has air in it and put it on the drivers side. You can get by moving it around your yard with only one of the duals on the truck.

I think I would fix the panels in your original cab.I wouldn't cut up the cab you just got.

I would evaluate all of your sheet metal and keep the best parts for your project.You could sell that cab and parts not needed and recoup some money.If you advertise in the parts for sale forum,you could sell the extra parts including the flat bed.

casting numbers should be on the block above the starter and on the pad by the distributor.You can look at casting numbers here inliners or post the numbers and we will figure out what you have 235 or 261.You just never know,someone could have installed a 261 engine in it,a jewel.Check Tims site as well,he has some good information there. tims site
1954advance-design

I hope all the sheet metal is correct for your truck.Good luck with your project and just holler at us and we will try our best to help.


Tim