Starting 1949 B1 PW frame-off Restore - References?

[mageew]

After 10 years of drooling over Power Wagon websites I've finally got a truck of my own. I'm 1 week and 3 busted knuckles into an attempted frame-off restoration on my new (old) 49 Power Wagon and my wife has come to believe that the smell of old grease is my new cologne so I guess things are off to a good start!

I'm posting to get opinions on which references I might find useful in my project. I've got a list of books (below) that I THINK might come in handy but I'm looking for comments on these references as well as other suggestions.

1. Dodge 4-Wheel-Drive PW Shop Manual (VPW)
2. Owner's Manual for DPW 1945-1971 (VPW)
3. Shop Manual B-1 Series Dodge Job-Rated Trucks (VPW)
4. Chrysler Six Cylinder Maintenance and Parts Manual (VPW)
5. Dodge Service Manual (Power Wagon Advertiser)

Disclaimer: My only mechanic experience comes from rebuilding farm equipment (hay bailers, combines, etc) as a teenager so, if my future posts suggest a complete lack of understanding, that's probably not far from the truth!

-Thanks in advance-

[Desoto61]

Welcome and join the club, I'm a little further along but have about the same experience level. I'll try and help out where I can.

I would also recommend the M37 military repair manuals. You can get a group of them on CD fairly cheap, though you only really need one or two of the manuals on the disk, it's still cheaper and IMO more convenient than a physical reprint.

While everything in them doesn't apply, the powertrain is basically the same (axles, transfer case, engine, etc.) as the Power Wagon, and was aimed at military service people vice professional mechanics, so the instructions are a little more detailed.

They are also the last revisions so they will have the most up to date service proceedures, vice the VPW manual reprints, which for the earlier trucks is from the earlier manuals, and some of the service procedures changed in later revisions.

[Doc Dave]

Welcome!
You will find a wealth of information from this site, as well as some nice folks.
One other manual that helped me a lot was actually a Military M37 manual. Some parts are the same in the M37 and PW. This manual was very helpful with the transfer case rebuild for example as well as the steering knuckles...goes into great detail if I recall.
It is available from VPW and is called "Power train body and frame", and was very helpful for the rebuild of the transfer case.
Also from VPW, "Chrysler six cylinder industrial engines" was also helpful with the engine rebuild.
Lastly, Greg Coffin's power wagon survival manual has many part numbers, as does Vaughn Payton's parts interchange file (PIF), located on line at Joe Cimoch's site (dodgepowerwagon.com)

[mageew]

Thanks for the feedback!

Thanks for the welcome & feedback - I'll try to get my hands my hands on those items ASAP. I just finished stripping the cab this weekend and should be ready to pull off the cab as soon as I can get my hands on something to lift with. My neighbor has a front-end loader and some tow straps that should do the job as soon as the equipment is free. I'll start posting pics as soon as I can. It seems to be in great shape so far with very few minor modifications and little significant rust damage. Can't wait to tear into that engine!

Thanks again,
Will

[mageew]

Oh, by the way, Doc...

... I've noticed my truck has the same problem you described in a previous post with the windshield not seating properly. It sounds like you solved the problem with shims & reversing the orientation of the window gasket but in a later post there seemed to be some controversy regarding whether the smooth side of the gasket should face in or out. I'll have to study the picture posted by Bumper some more to determine which way mine was installed (by the previous owner). Anyway, hopefully documenting your struggles with this problem will help me troubleshoot. Thanks for sharing your experience.

-Will

[Doc Dave]

Will,
I got the tip about shimming from this forum. Lotswede told me what he had to do, and it was the answer I was looking for.
I had to use two pieces of 16 gauge metal over each hinge to in effect move the hinge downward 1/8".
This allowed the tape to retract smoothly.
As far as the gasket, I know there is controversy, but I am definitely in the smooth side out camp. I tried both ways and it closed a LOT better with the smooth out.

[PWFFnut]

on the subject of windshields

I have taken one of my best windshield frames apart cleaned it as well as I could without My sandblaster working painted it installed a new rubber gasket but the corners are a pain to say the least has anybody else had the same problem?

[Charles Talbert]

After 10 years of drooling over Power Wagon websites I've finally got a truck of my own. I'm 1 week and 3 busted knuckles into an attempted frame-off restoration on my new (old) 49 Power Wagon and my wife has come to believe that the smell of old grease is my new cologne so I guess things are off to a good start!

I'm posting to get opinions on which references I might find useful in my project. I've got a list of books (below) that I THINK might come in handy but I'm looking for comments on these references as well as other suggestions.

1. Dodge 4-Wheel-Drive PW Shop Manual (VPW)
2. Owner's Manual for DPW 1945-1971 (VPW)
3. Shop Manual B-1 Series Dodge Job-Rated Trucks (VPW)
4. Chrysler Six Cylinder Maintenance and Parts Manual (VPW)
5. Dodge Service Manual (Power Wagon Advertiser)

Disclaimer: My only mechanic experience comes from rebuilding farm equipment (hay bailers, combines, etc) as a teenager so, if my future posts suggest a complete lack of understanding, that's probably not far from the truth!

-Thanks in advance-

Any type of mechanical experience is in the plus column. Check out our site listed below, let us know if we can help.

[mageew]

Thanks to Mr. Talbert

Thanks for the offer for assistance - beautiful rebuilds on your website. I think you've done a great job of keeping your trucks as original as possible while incorporating some key upgrades. I've read every post on this site that hasn't been archived & you seem to know these vehicles as well as anyone. I'm sure I'll take advantage of your advice many times in the future as I progress with my project.

-Will

[Gordon Maney]

Thanks for the offer for assistance - beautiful rebuilds on your website. I think you've done a great job of keeping your trucks as original as possible while incorporating some key upgrades. I've read every post on this site that hasn't been archived & you seem to know these vehicles as well as anyone. I'm sure I'll take advantage of your advice many times in the future as I progress with my project.

-Will

Full access to all the archives is available to subscribers to Power Wagon Advertiser and to premium forum users. Along with that comes a search function.

http://www.powerwagonadvertiser.com/...ad.php?t=10811

The 1-ton Power Wagon archive contains 689 threads including 5,364 posts going back to May of 2003. As a magazine subscriber you get that free. Premium forum users pay $17.50 per year to access that, and all other archives on this site. I think you can see that either of those two approaches provide a really great value. If you consider that in the context of the cost of your restoration project and all your other references, the cost of the content is negligible.

Premium forum user

$17.50 per year works out to $1.46 per month.....

[dougdodgeman]

Not to steal this thread, but it reminds me, Gordon, I forgot to ask you at Iowa rally about the archive access. I'm a subscriber, but don't seem to be able to enter the archives. I've tried previously in the '61 - '71 area. I could be doing something wrong, so just let me know. Thanks Doug Ryan New Baden, Il.

[Gordon Maney]

Not to steal this thread, but it reminds me, Gordon, I forgot to ask you at Iowa rally about the archive access. I'm a subscriber, but don't seem to be able to enter the archives. I've tried previously in the '61 - '71 area. I could be doing something wrong, so just let me know. Thanks Doug Ryan New Baden, Il.

I run a monthly update on the forum database. It responds to the presence of your subscriber ID entered in your user control panel. I just looked, and you don't have it entered. The code is on your mailing label of the magazine, at the top. [Not the date, like 8/1/2010, just the code which includes a string of letters and numbers.]

Up near the top of the forum page you will see a row of links. One is called UserCP. That is user control panel. I would urge anyone to go into their user control panel and look around. You will find useful things there.

I will move you manually into the subscriber group. Subscriber status will get you access to all of the archives. If you don't get that code in there you will be dumped out when the update script is run again.

You should be set for now, but.... BE SURE to get your subscriber ID entered.

For those who are not magazine subscribers, they can become premium forum users and access all forum archives, also.

https://powerwagonadvertiser.com/forums/payments.php

Magazine subscribers don't need that, as they have full access already.

[dougdodgeman]

Thanks Gordon, I'll do my best to get that info tonite when I get home and enter it tomorrow! Doug

[Gordon Maney]

Thanks Gordon, I'll do my best to get that info tonite when I get home and enter it tomorrow! Doug

You have a couple of weeks, probably, so don't rush needlessly.

You should be all set now, however. Thank you for asking. I have others in your situation and too often they hesitate to ask.