Hello, new member adding a new member

[dragogt]

My first car had a choke that you had to play with or set as the case may be.

 

[Lost]

U From PA ? I'm just above u on map a bit. If u r storing in unheated area I'd top off tank to keep upper yank from rusting. (I just syphon out and use the next summer for Mowers. And stabil will help . I have stored deveral cars and they get ran once in while . Started often.

 

[mtflat]

Congrats on getting to drive your truck - it's an awesome feeling that will stay with you for a long time.....enjoy your 'smiles per gallon'.....but people will wonder what you've been up to.

Yes, on a 49 "under the dash underneath the ignition" the handle operates the cowl vent - works same as Brian's.

Regular gas is fine. Lead additive is not necessary. Hardened valve seats or not - unless you're making it scream for hours each day, every day. Hardened seats are only necessary for severe duty applications.

Rest of the advice is right on. Use stabil and make sure it mixes with the gas in the tank. Also run it some to get the stabil into the gas lines and carb before you shut it down.

Oil filter - NAPA Gold 1006
Gas filter - NAPA Gold 3006 is a plastic 5/16" inline filter that will keep the crap in the tank from plugging your carb orifices. Put it in the flex hose between the metal line and the fuel pump. Don't count on the glass bowl to filter for you - it just strains out the big stuff.

 

[pgh49ford]

Wow, spent all day staring at that beautiful beast in the garage. Of course, spent most of the time installing a gas line and a ventless heater so that I can sit and stare at it while being warm!!! lol. It was 25 outside today! I think someone had asked me if it still had a choke, and it does. I tried playing with that lever to release the cowl vent, but no luck yet. I am not sure whether I should leave the garage in the 50 degree range all winter or not, I guess that might have something to do with whether I fill the tank full or not right?? Anyway, my friend is bringing me up some tools tomorrow, telling me that he never thought he would use them again, but when I told him what I bought, he said "i wont, but you will". lol. His dad had a 48 ford f series and he is pretty familiar with the flathead and how to work on brakes and such, so, i think i might be in luck with some help on it. Actually, his dad drove it for 16 years and he told his son that the only reason he ever got rid of it was because he got tired of looking at that green hood year after year and figured the truck wouldnt quit on him anytime soon, so, he got rid of it cause of that paint wearing on him! Well, thanks for the tips and I will post some pics for sure!

 

[radialarm]

There's something beautiful about an old flat head V8. Is yours a 6 or an 8?

 

[Brian_B]

Some vehicles! (laughing) A garage...and its heated? Lucky truck. Don't let mine find out about that. It would be really jealous.

Mine sits outside and becomes a weather truck. If it is wet..I know its raining. If it is white...its been snowing. .........................



Cool deal that you have a friend who knows something about those engines. I never knew a Y-block existed until I actually bought mine. I had never seen an old truck that still had one. I had seen the flatheads and knew they stopped making them by the time mine arrived. I just assumed they had the later FE blocks.

Has the Nephew seen the truck yet? I want to hear what he says....

 

[pgh49ford]

It's an 8. Yea, the wifey never could figure out why I built such a big garage, but with that beautiful 49 sitting in there, I am sure she is putting two and two together! Brian, yea, the truck is gonna be spoiled I guess. Actually, I have a second floor to the garage which I promised my nephew that we would build a room with some "O" gauge trains up there, and with his immune system so drained, I couldnt do it without the heat out there. Thus, when I ran the heat for the upstairs, I treated myself downstairs so to speak! He hasnt seen the truck yet, but I am hopeful that the holidays will see a break in the weather so that he can come over. Keepin my fingers crossed! Thanks so much for asking about him!
PS.....as I mentioned, this truck has the 6 volt still, and I was curious as to how many times is normal to hit the starter button before the engine will fire. Tonite, it took me three times and I didnt think it would go, but then vrooom!! Is that typical of a 6 volt, or is it typical of a battery low on charge??? Also, noticed the horn didnt work and I opened the hood and began my search for it. Hope I found it in front of the radiator???? Anyway, noticed it had two connection points on the top and the one was disengaged from the top screw and the other wasnt. So, figured what the hey and connected it and she made a noise, but kept on making a noise! lol. Anyway, figured that is why it was not connected anymore, but wondered if anyone could give me some ideas on what might be goin on there??? Well, off to bed, looking at that truck all nite wore me out!!

 

[Brian_B]

Me? I would like a small home with a huge garage. Or better yet...a small apartment in my huge garage. Can you tell I am not married? LOL

I do not know anything about 6V. Mine is 12V, but...it is cold natured. In the summer...it is running almost as soon as I hit the key. In the winter...not so. It takes a couple of tries. Then it usually runs rough until it warms up. I have to keep the choke part way out for a while.

As far as the horn staying on...sounds like either a stuck relay...or a stuck horn button. I don't really know enough about your truck to even tell you where to look.

 

[Lost]

We changed ours to 6volt just because we always have extra 12 v laying around . That way didn't have to worries about battery dieing .

As for garage size They r never to big. .Dads 28 x 32 is not big enough for 2 cars and a work bench mower storage .

Like Brian said 2 stall house 4 stall garage.

 

[jeffh]

You could ask a dozen people about 6V vs. 12V and get a dozen opinions. I've kept mine 6V and been pretty happy, but if I had it to do over again would probably switch to 12V. 6V works great if the wiring is all in good shape, all grounds are solid, generator is in good shape, etc. I bought a 6V alternator for my truck so quick trips don't wear the battery out. The 12V conversion is pretty basic -- other than the battery, replace all lights and get a 12V alternator (or have the generator rewound for 12V).

As for starting, my truck will start right up if I've driven it in the past couple of days. If it has set for several days it may take several tries before the engine catches. Acts like all of the gas has drained out of the line or something. I can prime the carb with maybe a teaspoon of gas and then it will fire right up. As Brian said, leave the choke out a bit until the engine warms up. If the engine runs rough as you accelerate, push the choke in some. You'll get a feel for it.

 

[Lost]

There r also box that u can get that lets u use 12volt to starter but steps it down to v6 for rest of truck .We use it on all ours save on wiper motor swaps ,guage issues down road.

 

[pgh49ford]

thanks for some more input! Well, today, decided to delve a bit deeper and a couple of more issues surfaced. First, what is it wih the hood and that cowl vent? I kind of remember seeing some paint damage on trucks at shows being caused by the hood opening and the edge of the cowl and hood rubbing, and mine is no different. Is it caused by roof being off or by cowl not being completely closed flat?? Just curious as to why all seem to be like that. Also, noticed today that i have taillights, but no brake lights and when my headlights are on, my front marker lights dont light, but with the light switch pulled halfway, the front marker lights are lit as they should be. Speaking of that light switch, pulled it out and it came out alright, right in my hand! lol. Any thoughts on where i can get a motor's manual for my truck and does anyone recommend a good supplier for parts and accessories (ford specific) that i can utilize? Also, looking at my firewall today, i noticed that the factory holes and such for wires to lead to the engine and where the heater hoses might have come through, are punched out and I am thinking if i dont find some grommets or something to fit in there, i am gonna get some fumes from the engine compartment into the cab. Any thoughts on the grommets idea or something else i might want to consider and where I might find something to plug those open holes not being utilized by anything? Thanks!

 

[Brian_B]

My cowl vent is no where near the hood with both open. I guess I never paid any attention to the older ones. I am not able to find a picture at the moment that shows this. If I remember (old age is an issue), I will take one.

As far as the electrical...you would have to find (someone here probably has one) a wiring schematic and trace your wires. I would imagine grounds or the switch itself would be the issue.

The service manuals are available from several suppliers. They are reprints of the original ford ones. All the suppliers are about the same price. Give or take a buck or so.

Blue Oval Truck Parts has the one for the 48-52:

http://www.blueovaltruckparts.com/i-4448-0-287-1949-52-ford-truck-shop-manual.aspx

That is actually where I got the one for my truck...before I found a truck to buy. It has the wiring and all the maintenance stuff in it.

MTflat posted this thread that you might want to look at. I want one of these CDS too.

http://www.fordtruckfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4740

 

[pgh49ford]

Well, put a bunch of cardboard on the floorboard of the cab and sprayed some penetrating oil onto the lever for that sticky cowl vent and let it sit. Thing works beautifully now....opens and closes without any sticking whatsoever. Did notice though that the hood was a ***** to get open and once open it certainly stayed up, so, got some 3 in 1 oil and lubed up the hood hinges and such and thing sure does open without any trouble now, however, the damn thing wont stay up now! lol. All the way up, let it go, it drops to about half way open before it stops. Is there an adjustment on there, or did I lube some areas I should not have?? If I might, can I ask about tire pressure and get some input? There are 7.50x17 Heavy duty tires on this truck and the Max cold psi is stating 65 on the sidewall. I noticed I have about an 8" flat spot on each tire where it meets the concrete and took a regular tire pressure gauge to it and each tire was in the 20psi range. Am I that low on tire pressure, or am I using an incorrect tire gauge for a heavy duty tire?? Also, would that tire size indicate I do not have those widowmaker rims on there? Anyway, that whole widowmaker thing makes me nervous and I guess that is why I am so alarmed about the tire pressure thing. Hope I am not bothering anyone by posting so many questions, it is just that I am really kind of feeling my way through this and having a blast!

 

[Brian_B]

Please post away. I am glad you have the lever working now. I recently had issues with my hood opening. A little lubricant and that was fixed. As far as staying open...some just have issues. I would tend to believe (if your hinges are like mine) that the springs are not wound tight enough. Just a guess.

As far as the wheels...Just go to bobj49f2's site and see if they are what you have. Bob is a member here:

http://www.fatfenderedtrucks.com/widowmaker.html


The flat spots on your tires...sounds like you have the old bias plies. I think they still make them, but look at the weathercracking on yours to be sure they are not toooo old. I would not put a lot of air in them unless they are in pretty good shape. 20 is low though.

I had some horribly old bias plies on mine when I bought it. At 30 MPH I could barely hold it in the road. The tires were shot. I am running radials now (but I drive mine constantly).

 

[pgh49ford]

Brian, just read your project journal and really enjoyed it!

 

[Brian_B]

I appreciate it. That journal is missing a lot of stuff. None of us (on that site) could get logged into our journals for a while. LOL

This is the only pic I can find of mine with the hood open...that you can sort of see the cowl vent in. The vent is almost always open in the summer and the hood is always up at the cruise ins, but rarely (apparently) does the vent show.


Note to the rest: This is the one over in OK that Tom and I went to.

If that is not clear enough, remind me to go out Tuesday and take one. Tomorrow...ummm...today I will leave well before daylight and won't get home until the AM.

 

[pgh49ford]

Hello! Well, have had a few glitches along the way in the last few months that have prevented me from spending alot of time browsing the fanatics page. Wife was terribly ill for 4 months, but is doing fine now. Have spent what time I have had, ordering parts for the f3 from Sacramento Vintage Ford and spent a great deal of time cleaning and degreasing the entire underside of the truck and replacing some glass and some door parts and buffing and buffing and buffing! lol. Have not yet been able to tackle the electrical issue regarding the lack of brake lights, but ordered a motors manual that should arrive in the next few days, and am hoping that will kind of help me troubleshoot that light problem and a few others. Would like to get some opinions on a few other issues if you all would be so kind. I will preface my questions with the statement that "I am not mechanical at all"!! lol. Ok, here goes.....I have noticed that the needle on my temperature gauge, when the key is not engaged, is on "H". Looking at the owner's manual, I see that is the normal position. However, when I engage the key and start the motor, the needle goes to "C", but even after 15 minutes of idling, the needle does not move off of "C". Any thoughts? It has me alarmed. Also, the weatherstripping between the cowl and fender is sort of dry-rotted and have received a replacement pair of weatherstripping, but wondered if the entire fender has to come off or if I might just have to loosen the fender enough for it to allow me to slide the new weatherstripping into it's place? Noticed also that I am missing a great number of grease fittings at the various grease points and wondered if this is a standard grease fitting I can buy at a local parts store in bulk or special order deal. On that subject, would certainly welcome any recommendations on type of oil to use, type of grease to use, is a lead additive necessary in the gasoline, and where in the world can I find a 7.50-17 rim and tire to have as a spare?? Help! lol. Also, as I am hoping to keep this thing as stock as possible and keep the 6 volt system for now, what are my options should I get stranded with a bad battery? The nephew and I were hoping to get our beauty out and running, but the temperature gauge thing has me concerned, as well as the fact it is 29 degrees in Pittsburgh today! Oh, I tried to download some pictures onto this site for you to see, but they were too big and I dont really know how to reduce them. So, if anyone would like to see some pics of the truck out of curiousity, please email seperately and I will send some along. Addy is [email protected]. thanks in advance for the info and fellowship! Oh, forgot to add that I got my antique plate today in the mail and putting that thing on the truck sure did put a smile on my face. Getting insurance is the target for tomorrow!

 

[mtflat]

Ok, here goes.....I have noticed that the needle on my temperature gauge, when the key is not engaged, is on "H". Looking at the owner's manual, I see that is the normal position. However, when I engage the key and start the motor, the needle goes to "C", but even after 15 minutes of idling, the needle does not move off of "C". Any thoughts? It has me alarmed.

Have you run it long enough to get warm? I doubt 15 minutes will get the T-stats open. Are the hoses hot up top? Your gauge is acting normally so far. Try driving it a little longer at various speeds and when it gets noticably warm see if the gauge moves. It could be a bad gauge or sender, but they don't go out very often.

Also, the weatherstripping between the cowl and fender is sort of dry-rotted and have received a replacement pair of weatherstripping, but wondered if the entire fender has to come off or if I might just have to loosen the fender enough for it to allow me to slide the new weatherstripping into it's place?

You could probably just loosen the fender and replace the stripping. It's bolted to the running board. The old stripping is likely stapled in place - you'll be digging around in there for pieces. The new stripping will slide in place but might not stay where you want it without being glued or fastened in some manner.

Noticed also that I am missing a great number of grease fittings at the various grease points and wondered if this is a standard grease fitting I can buy at a local parts store in bulk or special order deal.

Grease zerks are just normal modern thread.

On that subject, would certainly welcome any recommendations on type of oil to use, type of grease to use,

I use 90-95W GL4 in my transmission. My engine is clean so I use modern 10W40 in the crankcase - or actually I'm running diesel engine oil for increased zinc content. In an old dirty engine, try to find non-detergent tractor oil at your local tractor supply house.

is a lead additive necessary in the gasoline,

NO

and where in the world can I find a 7.50-17 rim and tire to have as a spare?? Help! lol.

Go to a high profile 16" and use modern truck rims on your 8 bolt wheels. The wheels are the same bolt pattern used by Ford up thru 1997 when they went to metric patterns.

Also, as I am hoping to keep this thing as stock as possible and keep the 6 volt system for now, what are my options should I get stranded with a bad battery?

You'll have the same reliability issues with 6V that you will with 12V in any other car. I can pick one up at my local NAPA store any day. No problem there.

The nephew and I were hoping to get our beauty out and running, but the temperature gauge thing has me concerned, as well as the fact it is 29 degrees in Pittsburgh today! Oh, I tried to download some pictures onto this site for you to see, but they were too big and I dont really know how to reduce them. So, if anyone would like to see some pics of the truck out of curiousity, please email seperately and I will send some along. Addy is [email protected]. thanks in advance for the info and fellowship! Oh, forgot to add that I got my antique plate today in the mail and putting that thing on the truck sure did put a smile on my face. Getting insurance is the target for tomorrow!

Glad your wife is doing better. Putting the legal plate on the truck is a major accomplishment.... happy motoring.

 

[pgh49ford]

thanks for the info!

Tim, thanks for taking the time to send some info along. It sure seems as though my radiator is hot after 15 minutes, but no movement on the gauge. Now that I have the license plate, I can get it out and about to see if driving it will produce a different result. I did notice that the fender was mounted to the running board, but hoped that by removing just those bolts and a few of the ones up the fender to the end of the old weatherstripping, that I could sneak the old out and slide the new in. My engine is fairly clean, thus, will go the route you have suggested. Might I ask what the increased zinc will provide in the way of a benefit?? When I purchased the truck it had 4 nearly new 7.50-17 tires on it, minus a spare rim and tire. Thus, I was hoping to locate a 5th. I certainly would settle for a rim and tire along the lines that you mentioned since I am struggling to find the 17's. Can you clarify a bit more on the "high profile" and modern truck rims? Would the rims be something I could locate easily at a junkyard in the area and the tire something I could find through Coker? As for the battery, not being familiar with a 6V, I was kind of wondering what my options would be should I get stranded on the road with a dead 6V battery. Am I left to letting it drift and trying to pop the clutch or are there options out there for trying to revive a dead 6V, aside from carrying a spare one? Sorry for the stupid questions, if they appear so. Went with the Hagerty insurance with agreed upon value and 50 mile flatbed towing and unlimited miles a year driving restriction. Thanks again for the info!!!