Pics of Mulemans new project!

[1956cameo]

My dad (Muleman100) didn't have time to post pic's of his newest project so I am helping him out. He picked it up the other day. It is a 41' model 3/4 ton factory stakebed. It has an updated to 12 volt electric and has a 235 and runs pretty good. He is waiting on some brake parts but has already gotten new tires for it. Hope everyone enjoys the pics! I will let my dad take the thread over from here.







He has been wanting a two carb set up on an old stovebolt for quite some time.

[Muleman100]

Thanks 1956Cameo for helping me start the thread on my new 1941. Hope to have it road worthy in the next few days. It will be a WIP since I will drive it as the work continues.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Oh, almost forgot. For anyone staying with a straight six I always post the following photo. I can't remember the original poster but it is in a '68 shorted fleetside and it is a 292. Still, the owner did an outrageously nice job of dressing out his six. I think it looks great. I'd do this if I had a six in my truck.

[Muleman100]

Dan this engine was built in Arizona and all parts were from Patricks. I will place an order to Chevy of the 40's tommorrow. I want a new window crank,ashtray knob,headlight knob,headliner and the cables to my inside door handles so I can open them from the inside.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Muleman100

...and the cables to my inside door handles so I can open them from the inside.

I've had my door panels off and the guts out, there are no "cables" in mine. Is that what you meant or have you not taken yours apart yet?

[Muleman100]

There are cables that attached the inside door handle to the locking mechanism. It could be they replaced a connecting rod with cables because they don't appear to be old at all. I still have to open the door form the outside. the cables are real small and has a loop on the end, could have been fabricated by someone. Does yours have a rod going from the handle to the lock?

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

.... I can't remember the original poster but it is in a '68 shorted fleetside and it is a 292.....

For future reference, the OP was n2billet. That was in his red 68 we called Lucy.


That is a very clean truck considering it's heritage. It would really nice restored on the outside, with the motor dressed up like above.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hey Muleman,
Good to finally see it. I thought you said you needed dash knobs? I posted a link to Bowtiebits.com on the other thread but it looks like your truck already has them.

So what are your plans for the truck?

Also, do you already know about Patrick's in Arizona for Chevy straight sixes? If you don't I'll post a link here and I think you'll find the info interesting. LEt us know your plans for it.

Linky:

http://www.patricksantiquecars.com/chevrolet.htm

[Dan in Pasadena]

I'll have to double check to tell you for certain but I think so. As it happens, I dropped my key down the window slot (DOH! 3rd time it's happened - that makes me KING of the idiots!) so I've gotta take the door panel off anyway. I'll take a photo and post it for you later today. Maybe that'll help?

[Dan in Pasadena]

n2trux - Thanks for the reminder. I need to re-title that photo with his name because he deserves the credit and because it is a flatly beautiful engine. Does he still have Lucy? Man, I LOVE that truck.

[72BlckButy]

One thing (just for clarification)... Lucy had a 250, not a 292.

Also, n2billet no longer owns Lucy, but a close friend of his does as the 2nd owner after n2billet owned it. (Made its way back to TX to say the least) (Also, Lucy no longer houses the 250 in the picture above)

Now he's working on Stella Mae (w/ a 250) and Hazel (w/ a SB).

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Wow, that thing looks really solid.

[Cbrown67]

that thing is going to be sweet all done with that bed all repainted and redone i can just see it now

[Muleman100]

Put new brakes on the truck yesterday. Drove it the first time on the road. When I got to the corner the tranny would not cooperate and let me down shift to third or second. Tomorrow I will pull the tranny and have it looked at. My transmission man said it probably has too much end play in the shaft. Hope it is an easy fix.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Maybe its just linkage out of adjustment?

[Muleman100]

No linkage,it is a Granny 4 speed. Out it comes today.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Oh, that's right. It's a top loader, huh?
Maybe I missed it earlier: You're yanking it today and going to rebuild it or replace it with something else? I'm mindful of what my then 10 year old told me years ago working on another project. I was getting kind of worked up about how much work I was up against and he said, "Why don't you just rebuild each part perfect when you have to deal with it, then do the next part perfect when you have to deal with THAT one?" Of course he was right.

So will you take pictures of the removal/degreasing/repair/rebuild/painting/etc? I think we'd all love to see them.

[Dan in Pasadena]

BTW, in the first photo above I see a '58-59 in the background and in another shot I see a '63-'66 in the far back. What's the story with those trucks?

[1956cameo]

Dan, You have no idea! Between my parents and I we propably have over 30 vehicles, and thats after downsizing over the last year or so. We primarily collect suburbans, but have alot of other things as well. Maybe my dad will post a few pic's of some of the other stuff.

[K-TEN]

Muleman, FYI. The 4 speed is a non synchro trans. You must double clutch in order to execute the downshift. (pedal in-move lever to neutral-clutch out, rev up, clutch in, lever to lower gear, clutch out.) But you probably knew that. The 3 speed on the floor is synchro in 2nd and 3rd. So a downshift is just like in a modern vehicle, which is nice when you're gearing and engine are up to modern roads. I had an NOS 4 speed for quite a while in my '45, but then went back to an NOS 3 speed because of the synchro. My truck is capable of quite some speed, so to have the ability of a "no-brain" downshift is quite important to me.
You can install a 3 speed in your truck but you'll have a bit of swapping to do regarding the u-joint. You'll use half of the 1/2 ton joint and half of the 3/4 ton joint. The only thing I miss about the 4 speed is the granny gear, but it's ok without it.


Are you shifting up without the doubleclutch? Could be so old and abused that the PO "broke it in" real nice!

[Muleman100]

I knew to double clutch and revving the engine but to no avail it would work. When I drained the tranny it looked like cream in coffee, which suggests it had water in the gear oil. If this one cannot be fixed I could use a good 3 speed, you don't use 1st unless you are pulling stumps with the 4 speed.The shaft out of the rear of thetransmission is short and goes to a carrier and a later year u-joint connects there to the 1982 S10 rear end. Should be good on the road with the rebuilt 1960 235 with a mild cam and two singles on the Offenhauser intake. It stops good now just need the tranny to work. I saw the specs where the 4 speed was non syncro and the 3 speed was syncro meshed. We will find out when he opens it up for inspection.

[K-TEN]

You could try for a 5 speed trans and shorten up the open driveshaft. I believe someone has kept the original pedal setup and used a T-5 with an adapter, but I'd be hard pressed to find that in short order. I'll do some rootin' around to see if i can find that.
I had water in my original 3 speed. Trans case had cracked, but everything else was fine. A little JB Weld for the next guy that gets that trans!

[Muleman100]

I got my 4 speed gear grinder put back in. It shifts better with double clutching.I have aquired a 3 speed syncro top loader from a 1940 truck. I don't know if it will work in my '41. The bolt pattern looks to be the same. The enclosed tail shaft is shorter on the '40. Does anyone know if the splines are the same? Maybe I can take the enclosed shaft off the 41 and bolt it onto the 40 3 spd. The length may be different also. This could turn out to be quite a project and maybe the only way I will know is take out the 4 spd and check all the diamentions. Hope I can make the 3 spd work and can quit double clutching and grinding.

[K-TEN]

I think the splines are the same. The shaft lengths are different as you have found out. You just might be be able to do what you propose. The master Parts book shows the driveshaft lengths. gooood luck.

[Muleman100]

I finally found the u-joint that I needed that being small on one side and large on the other. I now have a 3 speed syncronized transmission that shifts and downshifts very well. The guy hosed me on the price but I really needed that particular joint.