New Power Wagon Owner....finally

[bilfman]

I totally have the disease for which there is no known cure, ffpw fever. My ffpw journey started about a year and a half ago. I love older trucks and have restored several gm products. My 6 yr old boy and I were cruising my regular chevy site and we saw a "show some old 4x4s" post. My boy saw a power wagon and said "hey dad that's a cool truck!" , how could I argue.

I then started looking into finding one. First thing I learned, these things don't come cheap! At those prices I could never get one by the wife. Didn't look like it was going to happen. I continued to look at pics on the net and my wife eventually agreed that these were an awesome looking truck.

Next, these things are kind of rare here in Canada, another strike. But in the timeless words of Richard Rawlins 'after cruising the interwebs' I found a truck about a 13 hour drive from me south of the border. It fit a budget I could convince the wife of...and now the rest is history.

The truck is a 1946 and was mostly complete with a great frame and body. Guy said it had a broken rod and had not been running for over 30 years. I took my 1979 Chev dually crewcab 4x4 down with a trailer and picked it up. With these 2 trucks we had a lot, and I mean a lot of conversations at every gas station fill up :)

Since that day I came across a free military style wagon WP/APT, I don't know much about it, I think it is a 1945. It was pretty chopped up body wise but the entire drivetrain was there (seized motor) with 5 locking combat rims. Bonus was that it had a complete winch assembly on it in excellent condition and was only 1.5 hours away. Farmer had it in a pasture and was happy to get rid of it!!

Sorry this is a little long. It is just and exciting time bringing one of these back to life. There is another side story that goes along with it. About 5 months before the purchase I was talking with a guy about old power wagons and he said his old boss used to have one. At this point I am not certain he understands I am talking a ffpw. Most people think of power wagons as the 70/80s units. So I am not to convinced. Any how he gives me the guys phone number. I call, no answer, leave a message telling that I'm looking for a ffpw. I get no response, so I figure it was a newer one.

Fast forward 5 months...I get a call from a random universe guy saying " I got your number from a guy who sold my dad a truck 9 years ago, my dad died 3 years ago and this truck has been sitting in the back woods since then, pretty sure it ran." I ask him to send me some pics, turns out to be a 1947 ffpw in really decent shape but with a wood flat deck. Now you have to understand that the wife is already topped out with my other purchase, but I just couldn't pass this up if the price was right. Lets just say that the son totally could care less about that old truck and was happy to get rid of it. I walked away with it for $1500. The wife even agreed that I couldn't pass that up.

The 47 had a bunch of work done, 12v upgrade, new brake lines, new seat, new glass. The electrical was hacked a bit. But an evening of TLC and the thing was running, wow what a find.

So now I have 3. I have the one all up and running, rewired, heat, signals, wipers, interior all working nicely. Planning to install the winch soon.

I can't get the gas gauge working, so any help there would be great. I have a runtz 12v>6v on the gauge and when I ground out the sending unit it registers about 1/2 on the gauge, so the gauge does move. I tried both sending units from the 46 and 47, they are 2 terminal and nothing. I tried an after market one and still nothing. Any tips from here, I was thinking next step to take the gauge from the other truck.

Long post, I promise following posts will be shorter.

[CSCameron]

Welcome! Great story. Nice trucks!!!! No help on the gas gauge, I am working on mine now with the same results, no workie.

[Gordon Maney]

Welcome to the group! That is a good looking truck you have there — it has really great sheet-metal.

Don't ever apologize for length and detail in posting. Write all you want, people love to read it!

[Matt Wilson]

Most people think of power wagons as the 70/80s units.

Yes, I think a lot of people do assume that Power Wagon means a 70's or 80's model. I remember a time in college, 20+ years ago, when I told one of my classmates I had bought a Power Wagon, and that it seemed like it was a really tough truck. He had a Toyota Land Cruiser, and I must not have made it very clear that my Power Wagon was a '49 model, because he said, "Yeah, Power Wagons are tough. They are second in toughness only to the Land Cruiser."

I didn't think he wasn't being a jerk by saying that. He was just a straight-shooting, but nice guy who was under-informed about the situation. I just let his statement go, figuring it wasn't worth arguing with him when it was unlikely I would be able to sway him from his opinion.

Well, a few months later, I got the Power Wagon up and running and took it to school and parked near his Land Cruiser (not on purpose - it was just a handy space). The next day, he came up to me, eyes about as big as saucers, and apologized for his comment from a few months before, saying he hadn't realized my truck was one of the early Power Wagons.

He apparently had thought it was a 70's or 80's model that he felt was not quite as stout as his Land Cruiser. He quickly acknowledged the Power Wagon as being the tougher, stouter rig. It was satisfying to hear him say that, and I still get a chuckle out it.

[bilfman]

Welcome to the group! That is a good looking truck you have there — it has really great sheet-metal.

Don't ever apologize for length and detail in posting. Write all you want, people love to read it!

Thanx , sheet metal is great no holes to repair at all. I'm thinking to just clean up and clear coat the old patina. Hey it took 60+ years to get that way. I'll totally go through the drive train and make it perfect but I am liking the aged patina. So far rear diff, trans and t-case are perfect. Front diffy drivers axel seal is leaking a bit and the engine runs great but is a little tired. So I will rebuild the other 230 over the winter and put in a fresh one in the spring.

[bilfman]

Yes, I think a lot of people do assume that Power Wagon means a 70's or 80's model. I remember a time in college, 20+ years ago, when I told one of my classmates I had bought a Power Wagon, and that it seemed like it was a really tough truck. He had a Toyota Land Cruiser, and I must not have made it very clear that my Power Wagon was a '49 model, because he said, "Yeah, Power Wagons are tough. They are second in toughness only to the Land Cruiser."

I didn't think he wasn't being a jerk by saying that. He was just a straight-shooting, but nice guy who was under-informed about the situation. I just let his statement go, figuring it wasn't worth arguing with him when it was unlikely I would be able to sway him from his opinion.

Well, a few months later, I got the Power Wagon up and running and took it to school and parked near his Land Cruiser (not on purpose - it was just a handy space). The next day, he came up to me, eyes about as big as saucers, and apologized for his comment from a few months before, saying he hadn't realized my truck was one of the early Power Wagons.

He apparently had thought it was a 70's or 80's model that he felt was not quite as stout as his Land Cruiser. He quickly acknowledged the Power Wagon as being the tougher, stouter rig. It was satisfying to hear him say that, and I still get a chuckle out it.

Great story, the old pw's are all beef. They get respect even from non car peeps:)

[Jerry Henry]

Thanx , sheet metal is great no holes to repair at all. I'm thinking to just clean up and clear coat the old patina. Hey it took 60+ years to get that way. I'll totally go through the drive train and make it perfect but I am liking the aged patina. So far rear diff, trans and t-case are perfect. Front diffy drivers axel seal is leaking a bit and the engine runs great but is a little tired. So I will rebuild the other 230 over the winter and put in a fresh one in the spring.

That was an incredibly fortunate find. If the body and the finish are anywhere as nice as the pictures show, I would do all I can to preserve it. But be very careful about clear coating. I'm not sure that is the best idea. There are some theories on other applications that might work better. Most clear coat doesn't hold up for as long as we want it to, for our Power Wagons. I had this truck painted and clear coated. Now I wish I had just had it painted with single stage, semi gloss. I noticed my '68 W300 which was clear coated about 10 years ago is peeling.

[gmharris]

I agree. I would just keep it out of the weather. No reason to chance screwing up that original patina if you don't have to.

[Frozen Parts]

Nice Truck

Gee. You're way ahead of the game with that one. Not missing much and actually running around! BTW I always have too much fun when I run through Canada although I don't get that far south that often.

[76WAGON200]

Gee. You're way ahead of the game with that one. Not missing much and actually running around! BTW I always have too much fun when I run through Canada although I don't get that far south that often.

You don't hear that too often around here....an American saying he doesn't get this far south that is ;) I have a friend in California that had no idea that if you wanted to drive to Alaska you had to drive through Canada to get there. Great guy, just not very worldly.

Good job on the three wagon score Bilfman! You are bang on with everything you have said. I have been looking for one of these in my price range for years and have had no luck yet.....until recently. I just found out the guy I bought my acreage from has one, one mile north of me. I had a look at it and asked him to sell it to me but he has plans for it too so I will have to be patient and see what happens. Maybe by the time he decides to sell it to me I will have my other project done.

[gmharris]

"I can't get the gas gauge working, so any help there would be great. I have a runtz 12v>6v on the gauge and when I ground out the sending unit it registers about 1/2 on the gauge, so the gauge does move. I tried both sending units from the 46 and 47, they are 2 terminal and nothing. I tried an after market one and still nothing. Any tips from here, I was thinking next step to take the gauge from the other truck."

The early three wire gas gauges are interesting units.

They can be tested by running power to the single terminal, then grounding one of the other two terminals. When you ground one of the pair of terminals (I forget which one, but you will figure it out) the meter should read "full" or a little above depending on the voltage applied. When you ground both of the secondary terminals, the meter will read half-full.

Since your gauge reads half, I suspect that both wires to the sender are shorted or the sender is bad. But, If there is no movement in the needle, the needle may be just coincidentally resting in the half-full position.

You can test the gauge while still in the truck by disconnecting the pair of wires from the gauge. Make sure the single post is getting 6 volt power. Then ground the pair of poles and check as I have described above.

If the gauge checks out, you have a wiring or sender problem. All power Wagons that have been sitting long while should have the fuel tank removed for cleaning. You can check the sender then by reading resistance between the two poles on the sender. Remember to ground the sender body itself or you won't get any readings, even with a good sender.

OEM senders for this truck are hard to get and expensive. Since the truck was converted to 12 volts, you might explore using 12 volt equipment which is more readily available. You will need to change both sender and gauge. The mounting of the sender on the fuel tank may also be different.

[bilfman]

Thanx so much ill dig a little deeper and let you know how it goes !

[Tom Petroff]

The early three wire fuel gage is an "Auto-lite Thermostatic" fuel gage.

This system is slow and takes up to a minute to registor after the key is turned on.
Current flows to the sending unit and back heating a bi-metal strip in the gage causing the pointer to move.

Troubleshooting is the left colum of the scan
The diagram is the top one.
Copy the scan to your PC so you can enlarge it
TGP

[CSCameron]

Hey Tom, what manual is that?

Thanks,
Clark

[Tom Petroff]

Hey Tom, what manual is that?

Thanks,
Clark

Old "Motor's Truck Repair Manual" 10th edition.

Any Motor'a truck manual from 40's to early 60's will cover it.

I see them on e-bay time to time.

Motor's is one of the best manual's out there.
Mine was left over from my Dad's Garage.

TGP