Projects The rebirth of a 1952 pilot house dodge pickup

ps. the truck is getting hulled to my stepdads shop tomorrow. big nice and cool?warm dumptruck shop with all the tools i could ever need yay!

 

Looking good like an old Dodge should.

I don't know if you have either a Repair Manual or a Parts Manual, so am
posting this pic regarding the water tube.

Water distribution tube.....in block....behind water pump. Would be #26
in this picture.



You may know about it and that it has slots to distribute water in
specified places. The person who mentioned it earlier probably wanted
to point out the tube, and other water passages can become clogged
with rusty crud over time, thereby causing the engine to run hotter
than it should. Another way to deal with internal crud--is to remove
the freeze plugs from side of the block and may need to dig stuff out
as well as flush.....replace with new plugs.

Of course I'm saying this AFTER you've painted the engine. But I just
happened onto this thread. Good luck, and keep on keepin' on.

My car is a 47 Plymouth with the same flathead six as yours.

 

Thanks brotha for the advice! i have the origional repair man for it and we regasketed it. the engine looks really good. couldnt find any gunk or rust in the water passeges. i was really suprised how good the engine looked internally when we had it apart.

ps. anyone know what that odd little spring loeaded thing in the middle of the intake/exhaust heres a pic of it it seems to be loose?broken?

 

that "thing" keeps the exhaust gasses in longer when its cold to warm up the engine faster. it opens up just like an automatic choke when the engine warms up. if the spring is broken just cut the thing out of the inside and outside and braze up the hole. youll get better flow anyway.

and someone mentioned the water distribution tube.



gotta help my friend change the motor in this, sounds like the pistons about to come through the side of the block.

 

oh ok! so thats the heat riser! good luck with that engine swap! im hoping mines not locked up again. its ben sittin for a couple of weeks without being spun.

 

todays truck move was a flop. didnt happen. =( ever feel like youve come to a dead end? i haven't gotten to work on the ol pilothouse in weeks. i just wanna hear it run.. before its cold =(

 

theres a third in the third pic behing the bush in front of the brick!

 

the pilot house in its new location. at my step dads for the winter. nice big shop with heat and lotsa tools welders and torches!

ps i got the doors on! still gotta sand em and primer them...

 

anyone have a pic or diagram of a stock 218 flathead intake and exhaust? i just put my new intake manifold on and there are a few bolts that just thread into the block and head at the top and not through the manifold. they just kinda fit through the gaskets. i cant figure out what im missing! ps im going to post up some new pics of the intake bolted up to the engine. it looks great!

 

got the new intake on!

 

the old pilothouse in the new shop!

 

This is a good page to bookmark. When you have a part that you can't figure out how to put back on, this has all the exploded diagrams.
http://dodgepilothouseclub.org/know/51-53_parts/51_53.htm

More good stuff here
http://dodgepilothouseclub.org/know/know.htm

Looks great. I might have my engine mounted by this weekend. Depends on how fast the USPS can get a box here from Oregon.

 

what size rims and tires do you have on your truck. I have been trying to fine some new tires for the orginal 16 in rims. I put a jeep wheel and the rim / tire rubbed. I put on a ford 4X4 wheel and very tight between the rim and tierod.

 

mine are the stock rims.. i believe 15s?

 

Stock rims are a 16" on my truck. I put a Firestone 215/85/16 on it. That's a pretty standard size for a modern pickup with a dually rear end. Because they have a strong load rating, they are a bit more money, but they work.

I got the tire size recommendation from a few guys at the pilothouse forum. Quit a few run this tire with no interference. Fits great on my truck.

Here's a shot of them on the truck. They are a bit taller than the original tubed tires..but look good.

 

16" I believe are the factory diameter.

 

i like! im thinking mybe whitewalls.. not sure yet

 

got the front of the body on!



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lookin'good...was the hood ornament original to the truck or didja add it?

 

Awesome.


BloodyKnuckes

 

its hard to make that style of truck look good with whitewalls. One was because of the era they were made, by the mid 50s you did not see many trucks with wide whitewalls and because they sit so high, it takes a tall tires which means a huge white wall.

Here is about the only one i have seen (from Dave Lindsay site)

 

its been in there since i got it. i believe its original. the only thing im missing is the emblem on the front... =)

 

my old pilothouse even came with the windshield visor.. i think im gonna knock out the dents and sand blast it this week and go ahead and mount it up to see what it looks like

 

That visor is cool! I'd love to have one for my truck. Once you get it installed, please take some pictures of how it attaches to the truck.

 

i absolutly will dan! if you want i can snap a few pics of the mounting brackets and stuff before i put it on so you can see them if ya like?

 

the visor should end up looking like this....

 

sweet truck, it looks like it's well on its way. Nice work!

 

thanks! Its been a few weeks but im gonna get workin on it again!

Gotta get the fuel pump and wires and it should start and run...

 

I have a new fuel pump sitting in a box here if you need one. It came with the truck when I bought it. I'm assuming it's a stock replacement piece...never really compared it to the original.

I don't think I'll be needing it (it doesn't fit my hemi), so it's yours for the cost of shipping.

PM me if you need it.