Ok. On my C1H8 truck the tranny has me kind of baffled. Without moving, I swear I can hit 5 forward gears. When driving I only find 4. There is a lot of slip in the shift lever, but the Rpm’s just seem too high driving down the road, like there should be another gear. Does anyone have a reference for dodge tranny numbers from the 50s?
If this is the stock trans from the truck it will be a 4spd 1st being a granny gear stump pulling low . you should be able to drive at 65 mph or so comfortably. Speeds where no where near what we consider normal on highways now .
Vandenplas. Thank you for the reply. So I guess it would have been normal to run at 3,000 plus rpm’s to get to that speed? I guess I’m used to the sounds of modern day trucks versus this old beast
Kinda , someone with more expertise than me might chime in . I had a 53 Chrysler car with the stock fluid drive and a 50 Chevy car with the stock 216 and 3sp and in a car I could drive 100-120 kmh on the hwy ( roughly 65-75 mph ) and while it was loud it did it easily , I could honk it a bit faster in short busts if I needed to pass someone but definitely not sustainable higher speeds . trucks where also meant for work and farm life , not really intended for “ cruising “ like modern trucks . think about it , even a 4sp is “ old now . The Nissan nv2500’s we have at work have a 6sp and the new Chevy 2500 vans have an 8sp really stupid as the Chevy shift like an 18sp rig off a light and if your just cruising around the city 40-50 mph it has absolutely no clue what gear it wants to be in . Up shift , down shift , up down up down up down !!!!
Vandenplas. Ha ha I hear ya. It does make sense the way you’ve explained it. Guess I’ll stop worrying about over revving the motor going down the road. Have to get used to folks passing me! Ha! Thank you again
A truck from the 50s is designed to go down the highway at about 50 mph. But can do 65 if needed. Yes, older vehicles were designed to be running at 3000+ rpm on the highway. Quite different from modern stuff. But they were designed that way, and they still work that way, if you have the guts to drive them like that. There seem to be a bunch of chickens around today, who can't deal with some RPM, or something.
My old Daddy had a 67 Chevy 1 ton that we used for a service truck for our heavy equipment . It had a granny 4 speed,,,,with an inline 6,,,,,and a 5.38 rear gear . I started out in that truck when I was 14 . It had well over 2000 pounds loaded on it ,,,,85 gallon diesel tank,,,,AOC arc welder,,,,acetylene cutting torch,,,,,two large tool storage places full of tools ,,,,a 10 foot I beam boom crane,,,,and more . That truck was a stump pulling son of a gun,,,,,and still ran 65-70 on the highway ! Lol,,,,,I still miss those old days,,,,,,,didn’t know how much I appreciated those days until now . Tommy
Or you could add an over drive unit behind the trans, change to an over drive transmission, or change the rear end gear to a 3:55 or a 3:23 (its probably got a 4:10 in it now) and run down the highway with everyone else. The motor will still be turning the same RPM, but the truck will be moving faster. It feels like it needs another gear because it could use another gear. If it had another gear and the motor was turning the same RPM you would be running with the traffic instead of watching them pass you.
We often forget that prior to the mid '50s there was no such thing as an Interstate Highway System that we now enjoy. President Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act in 1957 IIRC, and the national project was completed in the late 1960s. Prior to that, most roads were two lane (even 'main' highways) and speed limits were in the 50 mph range. A pickup was a low-speed work horse, not a highway cruiser.
The trans should be a New Process 420. That is by checking 54 Dodge transmission parts on Rock auto. If you don't have one it might be worth it to invest in a manual Amazon link for a reprint. 1954-1955 Dodge C-1 Truck Repair Shop Manual Reprint 2 Volume Set: DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER, DODGE TRUCK PICKUP CHRYSLER: Amazon.com: Books A used owners manual on Ebay but there are several reprints available eBay item number:384721036697
Ran my bus all day at 3000-3500 rpm. Once for over 10 hours on a trip That’s where these old gas engines live at zoom zoom
Lol...yea, drove a car with a sbc from about an hour east of St. Louis back to the OKC area several years back at about 4500 rpm all the way home. But, it was also built to run pretty good right in that range. I also pretty regularly drive my 50 Buick at 65-70 mph on the highway and it sure isn't loafing at that speed. Not sure what the rpm's actually are, but I figure it can still do it...and it does.
Here in North central Illinois in the mid 50's to the mid 60's , " country" ( county& township). roads had a " be careful" speed limit , most all 2- lane state & federal roads were 60-65 mph interstate ( starting in '62) were 70 mph . most cars of the era ran +-3k rpm @ lawful speeds . Engine lasted 50-60k miles till the valves would need grinding , 90-100k for rings& bearings .It wasn't the RPM that hurt the as much as the excess fuel washing away oil & breaking it down.
A V8 (both poly over head valve or Hemi) was an option starting in May 1954. His Avtar shows a Hemi V8 motor between the fenders of a 50s Dodge truck. Either V8 didn't have a problem with those rpms and had the power to push the truck past the legal limits. As far as the Mopar flathead 6, the motor could handle the 3,000 rpms (forced oil system, & forged crankshaft) but weather or not the flathead had enough power to push that aerodynamic brick to speed limits above 60 would be debatable, could depend on which way the wind was blowing (from behind, maybe. Head wind, probably not).
Simple answer: Yes Answering a question with another question: How long do you want it to live while turning those RPM's? Hours, months, years, or decades? Complex Answer: It all depends on the duty cycle. A Flathead powered generator or irrigation pump set to turn 3600 rpms will run for 1000's of hours between overhauls if it runs continuously. The same engine in a car that is started, ran, stopped, rinsed, and repeated, or in other words, under goes many, many more thermal cycles will wear out much quicker. Read up on and understand B10 life expectancy if you want more information.
The Jalopy Journal
