VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 1942 Pickup 6 volt system and rear end gearing

Thanks.

Alan
Mostly when refering to gearboxes a 4 speed is 4 forward and 3 speed is 3 forward gears and reverse isnt counted. The quick identification is the 4 speed has a small handle on the side of the main gear lever that locks out reverse until lifted but the 3 speed doesnt have the small handle, the pics a couple of posts above this is a 3 speed box. Down shifting the non synchro boxes is not as hard has a lot of people make out but does take some practice and I know several that only use the clutch for starting from a standing start.
I would put the correct sized wheels on it before changing the rear end gears as the reduced wheel size will affect the road speed compared to engine speed, also the speedo (unless adjusted) will show a higher speed than actual with the 15" wheel.
Tony

This makes sense.

The truck does not have mechanical brakes, they are hydraulic.
It could be an early 1946 or a late 1946. The early had no chrome and was basically a 1942. The late had chrome and some mecahanical up-grades.
Early will have serial number beginning with CK and late DP.
The 15 inch wheels will not change the gearing as the tires are wider and taller than the 16"
Looks like a good starter truck.....I am sure that you are anixous to see it in person, just don't get your hopes up too high.

Thanks, I stand corrected.

Alan,

Congratulations on your new truck. There are two easy ways to distinguish between the stock 216 engine and a later 235 or 261 engine. The valve cover on the 216 is held down by two studs/nuts which are visible on top of the valve cover along the center line. On the 235/261 engines, the valve cover is held down by four screws, two on each side along the bottom flange of the cover, and the cover has four vertical indentations, one above each screw. The other feature is the pushrod cover on the right side of the engine. On the 216 motor, the pushrod cover extends from the waist of the cylinder block all the way up to the bottom of the valve cover, while on the 235/261 engine, the pushrod cover ends at the top of the cylinder block. One of the advantages of the latter configuration is that the cylinder head can be removed without having to remove the pushrod cover. The distinguishing outward differences between the 235 and the 261 are more subtle and are not visible in the photographs of your truck engine.

The stock 3-speed transmission can be identified by the shift tower at the base of the gear shift lever in that the tower does not protrude through the floor , while the 4-speed has a much larger shift tower which does protrude above the floor. Also, the 4-speed has a reverse lockout mechanism which consists of a small diameter rod that runs up the right side of the shift lever and has a lever at the top just below the shift knob. Lifting the lever allows the transmission to be shifted into reverse. The stock 4-speed transmission has no synchromesh and must be double-clutched to shift without clashing, while the stock 3-speed has synchromesh in 2nd and 3rd gear, making it much more convenient to drive. First gear in the 4-speed is very low and is not used in normal driving.

I'm wondering why the seller believes his top speed to be 45 mph. With the stock 4.11 rear end and the 235 engine, you should be able to drive at a steady 60 mph without hurting the engine. Perhaps there is some other problem like wheel imbalance or shimmying. When you get the truck, before heading out on the freeway, there are a few things you should do. Change the engine oil--oil is cheap compared to motor overhauls. Check the lubricant level in the transmission--the front seal on the propeller shaft on these enclosed drive line vehicles is subject to wear and leakage, which allows transmission fluid to migrate from the transmission to the rear end. Check the oil level in the rear end. If the transmission level is low and oil comes out the fill plug on the differential case when you remove it, your seal is probably leaking. This is not necessarily a big deal as long as you're aware of it and keep the transmission topped off and drain off the excess from the rear end periodically. It would be a good idea to pull the front wheel hubs and re-lubricate the wheel bearings--no telling when that might have been done last. While doing that, you can inspect the front brake drums, shoes, return springs, wheel cylinders, etc. Pull the rear drums and inspect the rear brakes as well. Inspect the brake master cylinder and top off if needed. Inspect the brake hoses to the two front wheels and to the rear end--these can be dried and cracked from age. Check all the wheel lug nuts for tightness and inspect the tires and adjust the pressures as needed. Take a look at the steering mechanism and make sure none of the ball joints on the tie rod and drag link are loose.

When everything looks good, take it out on the surface streets in the neighborhood and get a feel for the clutch, brakes, throttle and steering. If it feels good, find a road where you can get up to 40 or 50 mph and gradually increase your speed, paying close attention to your instruments--oil pressure, amps, and temperature. I recommend that you carry some tools with you whenever you head out. You never know what might happen. The more miles you put on the truck, the more confident you'll become in the reliability of the truck. You should probably stay off the freeways until you are very confident about the truck. In fact, I'd advise you to stay off those Bay Area/Southern Peninsula freeways at all times. As you are no doubt painfully aware, the traffic is horrendous at all hours of the day, and a flat tire or failed fuel pump, or any number of other unexpected failures could put you in danger.

Happy motoring,

Mark

I learned something.

I'm no expert.