I just bought a 52 3100 and there is a few things I have a couple questions about. 1st off, is there any way to tell if it has been converted to a 12 volt already without trying the lights? Also, the previous owner has installed a oil filter on the passenger side frame rail. Filter reads "Commercial Filter Melrose Mass" Is the a replacement filter I can get for this? Does the filter need to be filled up with oil when changing oil? Lastly, There is a "track" running around the top of the dash above the radio, what could this have been used for? Thanks for the help, Cody Picture of "Track"
The track is something a previous owner added for some unknown use. There should be 12v markings on the generator, coil, voltage regulator, and maybe horn relay. The seal beam head light is very easy to remove and will definitely have 6v or 12v printed on the back side of it. It is easy to remove an instrument cluster bulb also with a #53 being 6v and a # 56 12v. You can avoid buying the wrong battery if you have access to a 6/12v battery charger (most are). Hook to the cables and set at 6v, if lights are (relatively) bright it's 6v and if barely glowing 12v.
Your New Old Truck I assume the picture is at the auction you bought it at ? . That dashboard thing was to hold things for easy reach ~ you have an honest work truck on your hands . Look under the hood at the engine's left side : aluminum alternator ? 12 volts . Old cruddy looking generator ? (carefully) wipe the metal tag (if still present) off , red background = 12 volts Black background = 6 volts . Or as Evan said ; GENTLY remove a headlight , 6006 ? = 6 volts . 6012 / 6014 ? = 12 volts . Look up older posts about " Tune Up " and back to life etc. ,m do ALL those little things before trying to start it , these old nails are *very* hard to kill , how you bring it back to life will affect how much $ Vs. labor you put into it in the end .
Yeah the picture of the truck is where I bought it from. It was a restoration shop and he was selling off some of his projects. The truck is full of knick-knacks. The previous owners added a ton of little things here and there. Things like extra gaskets hanging on the firewall and a flashlight holder, holding clips attached to the middle of the windshield bar. It has a ton a character thats for sure. I am able to turn the engine over by rotating the fan blade by hand, which seems to be a whole lot better than the previous engine/truck I had to work on. The restoration shop said that it had ran about a year ago. It didnt come with a key though so I'm gonna have to start it it differently. Is there any way to get a key made for the ignition switch? I'll check on the 12 volt stuff. Thanks for the info, Cody
Lost Keys Yes , Any locksmith can make you a new key , DO NOT let him take the switch out of sight ! I stupidly did this after looking for years for an original '49 ign. switch and he instanly drilled a hole in the face of it, ruining it even though I'd just told him DO NOT DILL THIS OUT ! he was just being lazy.... Most thrift stores , junk dealers & estate sales places (auto swaps too ) have dozens of old keys , once you know what the GM keys look like , you can usualy test fit them until one gently operates the lock , buy it for the .50 cents or dollar they want and have multiple copies made right away . DO NOT force the lock ! . If it turns , change the oil , remove the rockerbox and squirt oil on the valve stems between the coil springs , adjus the valves and do a tune up , adjusting things for now , new parts later , then see if it runs ~ it's a rare one that won't and once you get it running & do the brakes , the smoking will stop after some miles .
careful on the generator thing. i had my six volt generator rebuilt with twelve volt coils at an automotive electrical shop, so it still has the black tag. I didnt have a key either went i got my truck so when i rewired the truck i just put a hidden switch in place of the ignition switch being i have a foot starter. another long term fix, you can buy a new lock set.a temporary solution for engine testing would be jumper the correct terminals on the switch.
Ok, I'll look into finding some old keys to try. I have another 12 volt question. Is there any way to tell the difference between a 6 volt voltage regulator and a 12 volt one? I have a parts truck that I think has been converted to 12 volt but im not sure to what extent. I didnt know if there was a way I could tell just by looking at the regulators? Thanks, Cody
Voltage Regulators Sometimes , the sheet metal base has the info ink stamped or punch stamped into the bare metal part.... Kinda hard to see .
The dash rack looks to me to be sized to hold about a six-pack... I think I'm replacing the switch on my 52 and eliminating the foot starter engagement...I could make you a heckova deal on the switch and original key...let me know.
Thanks for the awesome deal spika. On another note, I managed to get the engine running. Fired up with not too much effort, hard to keep it running cause I dont have a choke cable but managed to hold the choke closed manually to hear it run. Was warming the engine up this way when I had forgotten about the un-plugged gas line coming from the what I thought, empty gas tank. I was wrong. Orange rust gas shot out the tube after a minute or so of running and the instantly caught fire but i had some water nearby and some rags ready just in case this happened. Put it out without any damage being done.
