This has me nervous...

[wayneh]

Before I twist off the electric temperature sending unit on my '56 PW I wanted to look more closely at the cylinder head to see how much drama is involved if that sending unit breaks forcing me to remove the head.

I noticed this before, but never worried about it since the engine does not mix oil/coolant, and the coolant/oil level seem to not drop, but it looks to me like one of the head studs broke off and somebody hung this nut on there with one or two threads....

Any thoughts on somebody that knows more about these engines than I do? (and that does not take much....)

Thanks

Wayne

[Gordon Maney]

Your description is accurate, but... no, nothing broke. That is a special head bolt that was used to provide a tapped hole allowing the attachment of something else.

Someone else will come along and say what was often attached there. As I sit here, I cannot remember.

[JStinson]

I ordered some head bolts from VPW today. They're also sending some threaded head studs and nuts so I can create exactly what you're looking at there.

I don't know if yours is set up the same way, but on the M37 I have to attach the oil filter bracket, engine hoist loop thingy, and maybe something else.

Maybe that's where the oil dipstick bracket attached on yours?

[wayneh]

Gordon/Jstinson: Thanks for the fast reply. Any chance you might have a picture of one of those things not attached to the head??

Wayne

[Clint Dixon]

Your description is accurate, but... no, nothing broke. That is a special head bolt that was used to provide a tapped hole allowing the attachment of something else.

Someone else will come along and say what was often attached there. As I sit here, I cannot remember.

On my WDX the horn bracket, oil filter bracket, and coil bracket all use these special head bolts for one or more of their mounting points. These start at the very rear head bolt on the driver's side. (Horn to the rearmost two, then oil filter bracket to the next one forward, then the coil bracket to the next one). On my B3PW the horn bracket changed and it faces forward instead of rearward. The rearmost head bolt is plain, then the horn mounts to the next two in line. Neither the oil filter nor the coil brackets mount to these special head bolts on this truck.

I have also seen the passenger side of the head using these special bolts starting at the very front, first one to the left, and the first one to the back in a triangle pattern. Sometimes the mechanical governor bracket bolted to this triangle pattern though there is not much thread engagement to hold the torque of the governor working against the springs. Most often, this forward/right side triangle consisted of studs in place of the head bolts.

[JStinson]

Gordon/Jstinson: Thanks for the fast reply. Any chance you might have a picture of one of those things not attached to the head??

Wayne

I'll try to remember when mine get here in a couple of days.

[Bumper]

picture

Here is a picture with the governor mounted as Clint stated above.

T-roy

[wayneh]

Bumper:

Thanks. And I guess then that the three "head nuts" that your governor is bolted onto looked like mine? I'm sure you're all 100% right, just without seeing one of them out of the engine it still "looks" wrong since I don't know how it is made.

Wayne

[Clint Dixon]

Here is a picture with the governor mounted as Clint stated above.

T-roy

Nice picture. But that truck sure does not look like your '48. It does not have your '48 fuel filter. ;^)

You been holding out on us?

[Clint Dixon]

Bumper:

Thanks. And I guess then that the three "head nuts" that your governor is bolted onto looked like mine? I'm sure you're all 100% right, just without seeing one of them out of the engine it still "looks" wrong since I don't know how it is made.

Wayne

This is what those special bolts look like.

[wayneh]

Clint:

Thanks so much. How clever... That also tells me that the head was off my engine at one time. There are three of those special head nut/bolts and they are randomly place on the head. The randomness of them helped worry me, since when I break off bolts and such they kind of do it randomly...

regards

Wayne

[Gordon Maney]

Great background....

[Gordon Maney]

It is always a good work habit to lay fasteners out in rows, showing the locations they were originally installed. Various reasons can support that. This topic has been one.

Broadening the discussion beyond Dodge, there are other engines that have individual bolts with hollow cores to deliver oil to rocker arms. I recall — I believe it was an International — an engine I reassembled once.

The rockers were not oiling. Fortunately I look for that kind of thing. I got out my squirt can and oiled a bit as I watched it. I studied a manual and learned of the hollow bolt. Once it was in the right place, the rockers oiled nicely.

Work neatly. More neatly than you think necessary. It yields benefit.

[Bumper]

Non-"Good Roads" truck

Wayne,

The bracket is held by 3 short bolts that thread into the top of the head original head bolt. See Clints picture.

Clint,

This is the Non Good-Roads truck. Why is there yellow on that Governor spring???? Ha Ha

T-roy

[Clint Dixon]

Clint,

This is the Non Good-Roads truck. Why is there yellow on that Governor spring???? Ha Ha

T-roy

In order to match the yellow grease pencil mark on the radiator cowl?

Send me an email when you get a chance. I have lost all my contacts on my computer. Thanks!