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I am the most recent owner of a 1965 GMC 5000 flat bed dump truck (listed at 8200 lbs unladen). I was looking for an engine and found this truck that I could not pass up. It needs some repair, and I am working at it. But every time I want to do something in the engine compartment, I am confronted with wires where the latches should be. Can anyone tell me if hood latches for this truck can be purchased? Two of the four are missing entirely, I have a handle for one, and one still works so that I know what they should look like. These latches consist of plastic handles with a cam connected to a rod that compresses and releases, as the handle is lowered and raised, a rubber plug that fits through retainers in the engine compartment. When the handles are lifted, the rubber plugs can come out of the retainers, which releases the hoods. When the handles are lowered (closed), the rubber plugs expand to prevent the hoods from opening. Any help in finding replacements would be greatly appreciated!

It is great to read what other people are doing with their trucks and how to fix problems.

JRMunn

Welcome to the site.

It sounds like you don't have a Conventional Cab. Is your truck a Cab-Over? or possibly a B-Model?

Bill

I am new to the GMC medium duty truck world, but I think my 65 has the standard cab for the 5000 model trucks. I am sure it is not a cab-over and am not familiar with the B-models. Inside, it is much like a GMC pickup cab of the same period (and, in fact, looks like an oversized pickup cab), and there is a distinct front hood that is hinged at the center with the cowling lifted from both sides to expose the 351C V6 engine (which looks very small in such a large space) behind a large radiator. If needed, I could try to figure out how to include a picture.

JRMunn

Sounds like you have a B-Model.

Does it look like this:

http://www.tocmp.com/pix/GMC%20Trucks/images/1964-B-model_jpg.jpg

C90 Bill - Thank you for trying to clear this up.

My truck looks a little like the B-model cab, but it is not a tractor and has a dump bed installed over the truck frame. Although it is heavy duty, I can't imagine it pulling a semi-trailer. However, I did get the model number wrong. It is a 5500. And the hood latches I described previously are different than what is shown in the B-model picture.

I took the hood latches off today. They include a large rubber plug or grommet. This is what fails. But I am also missing two of the four handles, so need to find complete latches.

JRMunn

The B-Model picture was just for identification. They made lighter models as well.

But now, I believe I know what style you are referring to. Although if I'm right, I got thrown off by some of your info and desrciptions.

Does your truck look like this:

http://img.machinio.com/fl/719916915.jpg

C10-C90 - Yes, this latest picture is very close to my truck. Small details may be different, which could be differences between model years or how paint looks (mine is a two tone (white above green). However, as best I can tell from the picture, which gets grainy when expanded, the hood latches that I am asking about are probably different. The pictured truck may have "Jeep" style hold downs instead of the rubber plug type that I need. Can you tell me what model information I should use to describe the truck better?

JRMunn

I know just what Hood Latches that you are talking about. I had first thought it might have been those, but got thrown off by some of your descriptions. One would be that they actually never made a Pick-Up in this style cab. The other would be the year. Your truck should be no older than a '66, although I have discovered some indications of them being produced in '65. Not sure if they were just factory proto-types or if the public actually got any. I would double-check your numbers. If you actually do have a '65, in my opinion you have a very rare truck.

Back to the Hood Latches, I had the same ones and the same problem with my '67 GMC 7500, which had the same Hood and Latches your truck has. Luckily my truck had 1 good Latch on each side. The second one I just fastened the best I could.

There may be some new ones floating around somewhere in the US, but they will be very hard to find. You best bet is good used although they will also be a little hard to find.

You are right the truck in the picture has different Latches for some reason. I could not find a quick example of the correct ones.

Also the model identification is a little complicated on these style trucks. Unstead of having one identifying letter, like the B-Model has, it has a few different ones depending on size of the truck. I would have to research what your truck is, but an example of a 9500 would be a J. The 9500 Extended Hood truck would be MH.

Post a picture of your truck if you can.

Bill

C10-C90 Bill,

On second thought, you are right about the cab. I have a 64 GMC pickup, and the truck has the same basic shape and "feel" when I am in the cab. But the truck cab is wider and has different instrument and controls lay-out.

All I have been going by for model year is what I was told by the seller, and the pink slip shows the truck as having been first purchased in 1965.

In case it helps or you are interested, the VIN is HM5670VD1279E. The unladen weight is 8,200 lbs and the maximum GVW is 19,500 lbs (although I can't imagine having that much weight on it).

I currently have one good latch, can put another together from the three broken ones, and would like to have another two in case one or both of the ones I have break.

My only pictures right now are of the back to document the agricultural license. There was a good picture on Craig's List that I should have downloaded, but is gone. I will try to remember to take some more next week when I am back to the ranch where the truck is being parked.

Do you have any suggestions of businesses or web sites to get parts (new or used) for these trucks? The air quality rules in California have forced out much of the older equipment, so it is hard to find parts here.

Thank you for your interest. I am learning a lot in trying to get this truck into working condition.

JRMunn

JR,

Is the Month also listed on the pink slip? As if it is September or later, it should be a '66 Model. I'll check on the numbers in my book when I get a chance to try to decipher it for you. It should also tell us the year of it.

The Model identification should be the first 2 Letters in your VIN. I believe you have an HM. If the Empty Weight of your truck is 8,200 and the GVW is 19,500, that means you can legally carry 11,300 lbs.

We have a couple of small Big Truck junk yards around here, but I don't remember any early model Hoods there like you have. As you may have already realized, it was not the best design and somewhere around '68 they changed to an improved type of Latch very much like the ones in the picture above.

My best suggestion is to start a new post here on Big Bolts asking for Big Truck junkyards anywhere around the country. You also want to consider changing your Hoods to the newer style, if you can't find the old style type parts you need.

You could also possibly convert your Hoods to the new style Latches with a little creative body work.

Bill

C10-C90 Bill,

The sale month for my truck is not included on the pink slip, and the model year is listed as 00, which does not help.

It sounds like the truck is a 1996 model purchased in 1965. Knowing that it is not a 1965 model should help a lot in my search for parts. Thank you for figuring this out.

I will begin a search for big truck wrecking yards looking for 1996 GMC trucks. If I can't find replacements for the current latches, I will see about using the Jeep type hold downs.

My truck will be used in the Sierra foothills, where we are usually going either uphill or downhill. In either case, putting 11,000 pounds on this old truck is probably a bad idea.

Thanks again for your help.

JRMunn

JR,

I checked my books as I mentioned I would and got re-reminded that GMC Numbers are different from Chevrolet. Even though I've always liked both, for some reason I end up with Chevrolet books. Although I did find out a little info on it. The HM 5500 is listed in one of my books that it was made for 2 years only, in '66 and '67. Therefore it looks like your truck is a '66 as there is no mention of an HM 5500 being made in '65.

Bill

Bill,

With help from Jolly's "GMC 3500-9500 Year and Model Information" web page (recommended by another Bill?), I have been able to decipher parts of the VIN that confirms my truck to be a 1996 model, although there are still parts of the VIN that don't seem to work out as described. I am sure that this will all help in my search for hood latches and other parts. Thank you again for all the time you spent helping me. Now I hope to have the truck on the road tomorrow for a Highway Patrol VIN check because the California DMV entered a "4" instead of an "H" as the first character in the registration VIN, which didn't matter until it came time to transfer title.

JRMunn