Greetings from Idaho I just joined this forum and thought I would introduce myself. My name is Dan, I live in Idaho and I love old trucks. I currently own a 51 3/4 ton which I bought for $800.00 about 23 years ago. It was a runner when I bought it and I drove it exclusively for about 12 years. Camped with it and hauled alot of firewood until it started randomly cutting out while cruising. I replaced head gasket, carb, tried new plugs & wires, fuel filter, timing etc... even took it to a shop.. couldnt get it figured out. I quit driving it and just parked it for many years. My youngest son was graduating a couple years ago and going into auto body. I gave the old truck to him for HS graduation. We had the fuel tank refurbished.. and it drove fairly well for him for a few days until it started cutting out again. He decided old trucks were cool but just not for him.. so he gave it back to me. I thought I was fairly knowledgable about old trucks but when I ordered some parts recently and found that some of them were not going to fit.. (wrong sized dist cap) I began to distrust my knowledge. I decided to start over with getting this rig back on the road. Firstly I better make sure I know what engine I got in this rig. I figured it was 235 of a newer year than 51. I didnt think it was of babbit bearing make. Anyway, I wont go on and on in this intro. I hope to post some pictures here soon. I am hoping if I post the VIN and casting numbers someone here might help me difinitively identify my engine. I have checked out inliners and many other sites already but still pondering. VIN IDA30174 3835499 GM 6 stamped on head KEA 24668 stamped on engine (maybe KFA?) Chevrolet Thriftmaster (L) side of hood and Chevrolet Loadmaster on the (R) (I think a friend who was restoring and selling his old Chev took one of the emblems and replaced it with the Loadmaster).. cant remember for sure. I am sure glad to find this site of fellow old truck lovers! Thanks for any help. dan
Welcome! Dan, Welcome! You have come to the right place. An example of the VIN number decoding: Here is mine: 9FSF1852 "9" Norwood, Ohio assy plant, "FS" 1948 commercial 1 ton, "F" built in June "1852" 852nd vehicle off of the line. "Kens 50 PU" is the guy that knows how to decipher so it is just a matter of time before he reads yours and gives you the info. The number you have for the head looks alike a casting number. There is probably a casting number for the block just below the fuel pump and the important number is on a flat spot to the rear of the distributor. Mine was 99962 F54X. It indicated 99962 is the sequence #. "F" stands for the Flint, MI plant, "54" is the year of manufacture. I'm stumped on "X". Check it again and see if it is "z" or "y" because i know what they would be. Again, this info came from Ken. Again, welcome to the site. If you can't get your answers from these guys then I don't think you can find them anywhere.
My Secret decoder ring must be tarnished! Dan, first off, welcome to the site. I'm stumped on the vin #. the serial # on a 51 should start with a 1 or 2 digit number identifying the assy plant location, followed by 3 letters, the first designates the year, the second the series and the third designating the month in which it was made. After that you will have 4 to 6 digits designating the sequence number. For your truck the first two letters should be "J" meaning 1951 and "R" which means it is a 3600 series (3/4 ton). "KEA" 24668 is one of the identifying #'s for a 235 built in '52. Now it gets interesting. The casting # on the head matches 216 heads. As far as the hood emblems, i'm pretty sure that the "Thriftmaster" was pirated from a '48 (and/or maybe a late '47). Hopes this helps.
Dan, Welcome to the site. There is alot, and I mean alot of great info here. With the likes of Vnate, Kens 50 PU, Kevins 48, just to name a few, one can't go wrong. But, since I have absolutely nothing to add to this info, I'll go with this: "Go Boise State Broncos" I hope they represent the WAC with honor! Okay, that's over, I'm going to go and cry now. Damn Fresno State Bulldogs Big Mike
vin maybe this link will help you figure it out on your own- http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/VIN.htm or try this one http://www.chevytrucks.org/resources/ad_vin_id.htm also, while i'm at it, here's a link to the site with all the manuals on it. just put these sites into your favorites, and you'll always have them handy. http://www.chevy.tocmp.com/ the guys on this site are incredible!! good luck!! jon
Thanks for the welcome and info Tailgater, Ken, Big Mike & Jon. I’m glad to meet you guys. Regarding the VIN #, I got it off the title and I figured since it started with IDA and I am in Idaho, it was probably a number generated by the state to put on the title rather than a true VIN. Since the plate on the door post is not there, I guess I will just have to keep guessing (unless someone knows where else on the vehicle it might be stamped). I also found that the head stamp indicated a 216, but I am pretty sure it’s a 235 block. I think I read somewhere that the 216 head will fit on a 235 engine. I had also saw on inliners where the KEA prefix on the block stamp was for a 235 but couldn’t find anything close the numbers listed after KEA …. 24668. So best guess so far is that it is a 1952 235 engine with a 216 head on it. How does one tell whether it’s a Thriftmaster or Loadmaster? Is that just a body style? I am pretty sure it’s ¾ ton due to the rear axle housing that extends out through the rear wheels. Floating axle?? It’s also got a split drive line with a carrier in the middle. I’ve racked my brain on the cutting out problem over the years. I am thinking it might be electrical. I notice the distributor kinda wobbles as it goes around and I wonder about that ceramic resistor just before the coil.. could it have worn out over the years and not be delivering a steady voltage? I bought a new distributor, coil, cap, rotor, plugs and carb rebuild kit last month. Put the plugs in, cleaned and kitted the carb (boy it needed it.. the accelerator pump was froze solid) and replace the coil. Rotor and dist cap wrong size. Mine is very short compared to the one I bought. Anyway fired it up.. it ran as smooth as it ever has.. let it idle down.. died.. wouldn’t start even putting gas down the carb and that usually does the trick. The new coil might have been the internal resistor type but I left the other resisitor (ceramic mounted to the firewall) in .. it ran.. I wonder if I damaged the coil by giving it 6v when it wanted 12. Anyway.. just thinkin outloud. I WILL get this baby back on the road. Hey Big Mike.. them Boise State Broncos are something else aint they. Go Broncos! I appreciate your help on the VIN and block numbers Tailgater and Ken and I am going to bookmark those web sites Jon. Again.. thanks for the welcome. dan
Ha, Dan Welcome to the group. I would suggest start with some basic checks. Getting proper fuel/pressure ? Getting proper spark ? Etc... Then move on. One thing to check also is pull on the shaft of the distributor see how much play she has. You are correct could be a 216 head on a 235 block. Check the block id #'s further to figure out what you really have. I have always found getting back to basics on these kind of issues works best. Again Welcome aboard
Dizzy cap As far as distributor caps go, I got my cap, rotor, points and condenser at the local NAPA auto parts. Alls you gotta do is tell them whether it is held on by claps or screws. I don't think the dizzy should be wobbling. That just doewn't sound right. But, if it were that loose it shouldn't fire to start with. I think the only place you will find the VIN is on the door jamb. Mine didn't have one so I got the title and VIN plate from another truck that was parted out. Now, for about $15 you can get the VIN plate from Classic Parts and get a local metal shop to use their dyes to stamp in any number you want. I'll bet you are right on the IDA being a state thing. Maybe you can do a little research with the DMV and see if that has been their mode of operation. Good luck, Bill
dizzy cap i am by no means an expert here, but i have a 235 in my 3/4 ton and i bought the wrong distributer cap once. it was much shorter than the cap on there, wouldn't even fit. i was thinking that the 216 had a shorter cap than the 235, so maybe that'll help?? you can tell between 3/4 and 1/2 ton by measuring the wheelbase. 3/4 ton will be longer, obviously and 1/2 ton will be the shorter of the two. i'll see if i can find the exact numbers somewhere. too bad about the vin plate being gone, i think that's the only place to find a real vin number, but everything else is stamped with codes, so you should be able to decipher what sort of equipment you're dealing with at least. so yeah, welcome!! jon
Hey Dan, welcome to the jigsaw puzzle. Check the wheelbase of your truck. If it's 125 1/4 inches, it's a good bet that it's a 3/4 ton. As far as the #'s after "KEA" that's the production #. It was the 23668th engine to be produced in '52. Here's some unique features about a '51 that sets it apart from the rest. First year for the wing window, or ventipane, as some have called them. Only year to have pull down door handles and wing windows. No driver side cowl vent located on the driver's side of the cab. As to the cutting out problem, check the location of the fuel line. Is it too close to a source of heat possibly causing vapor lock? Check for a crack in the dizzy cap. Valve adjustment? Bad fuel pump (diaphrahm bad)? Clogged fuel line? As you said, "just thinking outloud". Just a few things to think about before the expert chime in. Just thought of something else, plug wires. Pesty little bastards, they are. I've exhausted my "stovebolt 101" knowledge, so guys, help me out here!
http://www.chevy.tocmp.com/chevyresto/53068.htm check that out. i think it says 125 1/4" for 3/4 ton axle to axle, and 116" for the 1/2 ton.http://www.chevy.tocmp.com/chevyresto/53060.htm that's 53, but it should be the same for all ADs. jon
116 is correct for 1/2 ton but if you're street rodding yours and want the rear wheel to be centered with the rear fender then move the wheel base to 118 in. Oh yeah welcome to the site Dan. You've already done something that I've been trying to do for a while. Stump Ken.
Umm, I'm not sure, but doesn't a 3/4 have 8 lugs and nasty looking hubs sticking out past the wheel on the back half? Mine sure does. (And yet when I first got it and the highway patrol came out to get its vitals, he wrote it down as a 1/2 ton!!!) Ken- I might be sending you the #s of the vin just to see what your magic 8 says...
