Hey, I'm new to this site and new to restoring ANYTHING! Now that I am old, will be 50 this year, I am going in a different direction with my hobbies. Picked up a sweet 49 3100, and it is stock. Hasn't been started in about 20 yrs, but was running when parked. Is it worth messing with the stock components like motor, tranny, rearend? It will be a weekend driver, and occasionally taken on 200-300 mile long trips. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Welcome!!! restoring these trucks is fun... no matter what you do to them they are always cool!!! there are several guys here that know what is going on with practically anything you can do to theses trucks Whether you want to remain stock or close to it, all the way to hot rods. There maybe a way to do some minor things to the engine / drive train to get it up and running anyway best of luck, do some searching around on this site and you will find a lot of information, and if you can't find it just ask.
Thanks for the encouragement! Looking forward to modifying and restoring this truck. I picked it up for $1,400.00, so anything I do to it, within reason, will be money in the bank. The other hobbies I had like drag quads and modifying diesel p/u's, were a huge waste of money and time. It was only for the fun factor........no return for your dollar! Plus, I figure you can use these projects as a stepping stone for bigger and better builds.
Hi WHITEBULL! Glad you decided to check into this forum. Great group and will help you through anything you throw at them. That's a great looking truck!
Welcome Use SEARCH at the top of the page and start reading up on some of things you have questions about. We're all learning from each other. Most of it is good
My suggestion to you is to search the archives and find our mentor's (vwnate1) method for reviving old engines that haven't been started in a number of years. Even if the motor is stuck, patience and a month of soaking the cylinders with Marvel Mystery Oil can usually free it up and get it running. These trucks are TANKS. Farm trucks meant to be repaired in the field, there are MANY stories of old trucks found in fields with stuck motors that are now running again. what a joy it is to get that motor up and running again! As far as young kids restoring old rusty trucks is concerned, just check my photos in the member gallery and you will see my kids, now ages 15, 13, 12 and seven who were my "pit crew" and did much of the work putting the truck together. They had a blast doing it and now all of them (except the youngest) regularly drive it around my property. Keep it stock for now, get it running and decide where you want to go from there. It's always better to have a running truck than one that is completely taken apart and in pieces scattered around the yard and garage. enjoy it for a bit before deciding which way you ultimately want to go. Welcome to the forum. You will find all your answers here. Andy
Thanks Andy.........sound advice. It does get a little overwelming when you start to go over in your mind all the possibilities, to do a motor/trans/rearend swap, 12v vs 6v, high perf. upgrades.......... I do plan on getting it running 1st then take it from there. I've searched this site for a few hours now and have found ALOT of useful info, and you'all are a hoot!
Welcome aboard WB. You should enjoy your stay, be sure to ask the questions and read first before taking on the changes you are wanting. then
While you are letting the engine soak to be freed up you may as well look for an alternator & 12 volt battery. 6 volts have not been on the shelf for a while. Just my opinion but a 6 volt is just a little better than the hand crank.
Absolutely take Andy's (chiro) advice and get it running as is if possible. This will give you the experience of the ride, handling, smells, and other traits like wind noise and really gaining strength in you right leg from the ancient brakes. If you like all this THEN spend some money on it since you will then know what you want to improve or update the most. Steering and brakes first since they protect your neck. After that the fields wide open but if you are going on ocassional 2-300 mile trips you might check out posts on our hosts or Patrick's ring gear and pinion for shallower gearing; it makes a huge difference. The other route is a modern drivetrain but all those fun decisions are in your future. By the way, I graduated from college before you were born.
Welcome Newbie I"m sorry to say Whitebull that all these oldtimers are delusional and these old trucks are just a waste of time and money. Most have been working on them for years and years (including me) with little progress so I would like to help you avoid all the frustration and hard work. If you tell me where you are at I will come and take that old thing away and you won't have to worry about it any more!!!
Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong decade I absolutly love the 50's era. the music to the vehicles to just about everything. yet i was born in the 80's But there is just somethin bout these old trucks that i love. ever since my dad had a 51 chevy when i was younger... i was hooked! I remember helping him paint it yearly with a can of paint and some paint brushes. as you can figure it wasn't a show truck, but it hauled everything and anything and did what it was supposed to do! anyway good luck with your truck. you got a good deal!!! thats what i paid for mine too even though its a much better looking GMC my engine ran when i got it, i just had to rebuild the carb, new gas tank, fuel pump, tune up, and it runs like a champ! i had to do the entire brake system also. I just went back to stock. for a 52 3/4 ton that meant "huck" brakes. They seam to work just fine for me for now. now i just need to get the door on and away i go!!! Some pics of my old truck!!! https://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?t=8752&highlight=wolf https://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?t=9213&highlight=wolf
Welcome ! To The Asylum Take the time to make it run then fix the brakes and give it a go , these are well designed trucks and make good drivers when 100 % stock so them you can enjoy it whilst up-fixing and deciding what to do . The original engines are robust units , not overly suited for blasting down the freeway tho' (yes , I KNOWQ it'll easily go 70 , just not for long it won't ) so hop in and have some fun . 6 volts is no problem unless you want a modern radio , you can always slap on a Pontiac or Cadillac 6 volt generator as they charge better and higher output for nice bright 6 volt headlights and easy sub zero starting too . You didn;t say where you're from . BTW : I've been working on & rebuilding rather than restoring rusty old trucks since I was in short pants . Lastly , listen closely to anything Even says ! .
Man, am I glad I found this site. I haven't felt this young in years! I will defintely go this route.........as everthing is there, and a good starting platform for sure. Evan, what items in the steering assembly are problematic, and what should I be looking for to replace? And lastly, are the stock brakes worth rebuilding? Thanks, Ron
Thanks for the advice Nate. I am going to try the 6v first, I am sure a generator would be easy enough to find. I'm from a little town in Cali, Portola. Its North of Lake Tahoe. About 2 hrs from Sacramento. Ron
Steering Get yourself a factory shop manual and factory assembly manual. Indispensible items for sure. First, follow the adjustment procedure for the steering box TO THE LETTER, but before you do it, make sure the box is topped off with GEAR OIL. NEVER...I repeat...NEVER use grease. After adjusting the steering box (you can use a cheap digital fishing scale to get the tension right according to the shop manual), figure out which components are still loose. Hopefully, your king pins are good as they are a bear to get out. Rebuild kits are available for everything else as the hard parts do not wear, only the parts available in the kits wear. Rebuild the spring attachment points by getting new shackle kits front and rear. All those parts are really inexpensive and a good place to start on making sure the truck's stock steering and suspension are fairly good to go. The inserts in the frame for the tapered pins on the shackles can be tough to get out, but mine were okay and I left them in as the play was really okay (I couldn't get them out anyway, even with LOTS of swearing). This is a good, cheap way to get started. You have a '49 so you have the HUCK (rhymes with SUCK) brakes. However, completely rebuilding the stock brakes is also not terribly expensive, just time consuming. Even the brake lines can be bought pre-bent to fit the truck. Pre-bent lines are a little $pendy, but if you're new to the game, it's probably the easy and safe way to go instead of bending and double flaring your own lines. CAREFUL when disassembling the brake system. Take digital pictures beforehand so you have reference once everything is apart. Use Line wrenches and lots of KROIL penetrating oil as well as patience. The interesting looking attachment for the brake lines at the back of the master cylinder is known as a "Banjo" bolt. It has copper washers fore and aft of the metal block that the lines attach to. Often, the line fittings and even the Banjo bolt head itself are severely corroded at this point and can be tough to get off. Do NOT damage the Banjo bolt assembly. They are made of unobtanium. If the fittings are really corroded and a line wrench is going to "spin" on it, get the smallest pipe wrench you can find (about 6 inches long) and use that as well as a lot of KROIL and maybe some heat to get it dis-assembled. If the Banjo bolt head is corroded and the line wrench feels like it is going to "spin" on it, you can ever so carefully file down each flat surface on the bolt head with a very small mill file until you can get the next smallest line wrench on it snugly. Replace the copper washers as this is a common point for brake system leaks (ask me how I know) There ya go!!! Now...HAVE AT IT. That oughta keep you busy for a while. Andy
good stuff Thanks for the reply Andy. As soon as I get to taking these components apart, I take some pics. One more question........where can I get the shop and assembly manuals? Sounds like I shouldn't even get a rag dirty before I have these. Thanks, Ron
