C8 progress in Texas

[Phil Waterman]

Back when I was unsure if my orginal Pattern 12 radiator was going to re-usable I started looking for a shop that could build a new one. I found an outfit down in Alabama US that makes big truck radiators, and has a side line making radiators for hot rods. If prices shown on their web site are correctly their prices are on par to buying a radiator for a modern truck.

They have a 38 Chev listed GM 2003 $395.00 38 CHEVROLET CORE SPECS: 17.125" X 25" X 2.25" INLET: 1.5" OUTLET: 1.75"

Here is their web address http://www.cgj.com/ I have not bought anything from them so I can not say how good they are.

Cheers Phil

[alleramilitaria]

yup and ....
when they see what its going into the price goes up even more....

hey if you see any good CCKW cabs up by you let me know, im looking for one.
thanks
dave d

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Dave

The guys in our area who are the CCKW experts can be found at http://cckw.org/ In particular Bill Wolf and Steve Keith aka Dr. Duce. Send me a private message and I'll give you their e-mails.

CCKWs seem to follow Steve home, I've lost track of how many he has found owned over the years.

[David DeWeese]

Had to attend to making a living the past few weeks, but managed to hit a few licks on the C8 between paying jobs.
Had a driveshaft made to fit my mis-matched rear axle and transmission, so drivetrain is finished.
Test-fitted the C8 hand brake components onto the new transmission. Surprised to learn it all fits without modification, and sits in the stock location.
Got the radiator situation taken care of for now until I can find a better one. Used a 1941 Dodge 1.5 ton cabover radiator that I had in excellent condition and soldered in a filler neck I had saved from a motor home radiator. Radiator fits great without any clearance issues, but.....
Also made up an alternator bracket set-up for the 235 to replace the generator.
Thanks, David

[David DeWeese]

Hi,
Very close to firing-up the C8 for the first time, and was wondering if anyone has a source for an original temperature gauge to fit the instrument cluster? All the clusters I have here, the temp gauge tube has been cut.
Thanks, David

[Phil Waterman]

Hi David

Been down this road many times over the years, though you may get lucky and find a NOS that works. I buy them on E-bay when I see them and price is cheap, about half are good. Problem with several of the NOS ones I've picked up over the years is they work but are not accurate. Though with the 11 or 12 Cab the length of the tube is not that important as almost any of the standard civi will work. On the Cab 13 the tubes are just barely long enough.

My suggestion is check Hemmings for a shop that will rebuild or supply a new one. It is almost always the tube that fails.

Cheers Phil

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Phil,
Was on the search this morning and found new ones on a site called "Bowtie Bits" in Kansas for less than $100. Don't know how to post a link to their site.

Forgot to also thank you for your earlier post on the radiator source.
Regards, David

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Dave

Would be interested in the source for new Chevy parts like that. As to posting link. Try high lighting the URL address by drag and right click with mouse once highlighted hold the Ctrl key down and hit C then you should be able to paste Ctrl V the Url into the body of a post once it is visible in your post hit the space bar and the Url should be highlighted in blue when you hit preview if so then hit post.

Once you gave me the name though I found it http://www.bowtiebits.com/index.cfm Good looking web page will have to explore.

http://www.bowtiebits.com/store/stor..._Category_ID=4

If you order one please let us know how it works.

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by David DeWeese

Thanks Phil,
Was on the search this morning and found new ones on a site called "Bowtie Bits" in Kansas for less than $100. Don't know how to post a link to their site.

Forgot to also thank you for your earlier post on the radiator source.
Regards, David

Hi Dave

Just did a quick look through and the prices seem to be good, for those of you putting 235s or 261 in your CMPs take note looks like the V8 conversion gauge they show will fit the big temp port at the thermostat housing. Will have to e-mail them to confirm the size and to get the length of the tube.

Good find David - as I said if you do order from them please let us know how the service was and what you thing of the parts.

Cheers Phil

[RHClarke]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Hi Dave

http://www.bowtiebits.com/index.cfm Good looking web page will have to explore.
http://www.bowtiebits.com/store/stor..._Category_ID=4 If you order one please let us know how it works.

Very interesting site! There are door hinges that "look" "HUPish". See
http://www.bowtiebits.com/store/stor..._Category_ID=6
I will be calling for the dimensions with fingers crossed...

[David DeWeese]

Hi,
Finally sorted out my front brakes this weekend. Someone had apparently installed a pre-war Chev front truck axle with post-'54 car brake backing plates on the C8.
Got around it by installing 1960 truck six-lug hubs and brake shoes, 1946 wheel bearings, races and seals, '55 wheel cylinders and 1990 Chev 4x4 drums,(same drums as the rear).
Sounds extreme, but it did solve the problem, and gave me the much better brakes I needed to match the ones on the late model rear axle.

Had a very depressing moment when I found that one of my two wheel adapters was damaged beyond use. The stud holes were worn completely through, and the lug nuts would literally fall through three of the holes.
Will have to weld up the holes and have the stud holes re-drilled and tapered to fit the lug nuts......

Thanks, David

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by David DeWeese

Hi,
. Someone had apparently installed a pre-war Chev front truck axle to fit the lug nuts......

Thanks, David

Hi David

The original C8 front axle is a standard civilian 1940 Chev. truck axle .... the part numbers match in the C8 parts book and the civilian parts book ... No. 365291

Mike

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Mike for the part number,
Will check the axle for casting numbers today to see if it is the correct one for the truck.
What threw me is that I bought a set of used drums and backing plates for an early '40's Chev truck and the didn't fit the spindles I have. Spindles were way too short.
Maybe someone has replaced them. Certainly wouldn't surprise me at this point......
Read somewhere that the C8 used a three ton axle with the smaller brakes adapted to it.
Thanks, David

[David DeWeese]

It is time to start installing wheels on the C8.
Have four original 13" wheels,(no tires yet), and four aftermarket 15" wheels that both fit the WD bolt pattern, but only two wheel adapters for them.
Sadly, the two other wheel adapters I hoped to use on the front axle never came around.
A friend who works with a high pressure water-jet cutter said it would be no problem to cut the steel stock to make two more adapters. I would just need to have them machined for the wheel studs.
Is there a source for the 8cwt wheel studs, lug nuts and tapered washers used on the original adapters, and are these the same type as used on the larger CMP's?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, David

[Paul Singleton]

Hello David,

I have a C-8 parts book and a C-15 parts book. The part numbers in both books are the same:

#1798450 Bolt wheel hub right

#1798451 Bolt wheel hub left

#1798510 (C019T 1120) Nut, wheel locking right

#1798511 (C019T 1121) Nut, wheel locking left

It also lists the wheel adapters

#1798762 Adapter rear axle shaft right Superseded by #5807126

#1798761 Adapter rear axle shaft left Superseded by #5807127

[David DeWeese]

Thanks a million, Paul!
Should be a much easier search for the stud parts, now that they are known to fit another model also.
Will keep mindful of the left-and-right hand configuration when I ask for parts.
Thanks again!
David

[Paul Singleton]

Hello David,

I forgot to add that the cone washers are also the same from the C-8 and C-15.

#1798532 (C019T1132) Cone, wheel to hub locating

The part number in brackets is the equivalent Ford number. The nuts and the cones are the same for the Ford also.

Paul

[David DeWeese]

Thanks again Paul,
Pressed out one of the studs today and noticed that the washer was tapered on both sides.
Does anyone have a set of twelve studs, cone washers and lug nuts that they might be willing to part with?
Any help appreciated.
Thanks, David

[David DeWeese]

Got motivated today on pulling the old tires off the rims. All the wheel nuts surprisingly came off without heating things up, but the old tire beads were bastards.
How rusted metal and old rubber can decide to glue themselves together like that is beyond me.
Brute force prevailed in the end, and yielded three bare wheels and three useable liners.
Thanks, David

[Phil Waterman]

Hi David

Just wanted to add a comment, for viewers who try the method that worked for you only to discover that it doesn't work for them. The problem may be that they have a runflat tire with the solid bead spacer which completely fills the area between the two beads, thus no compress or push the bead down.

Cheers Phil

[Jim Price]

I used a bit of transmission fluid poured arond the rim. I let it soak in between the rim and the tire bead overnight and removed the sticky rims the next day.

Regards,
Jim

[cletrac (RIP)]

They never used run flats on the 13" rims so they're reasonably easier to get off the rims. Actually all of mine came right off with but a few blows with a hammer. All the bolts spun right off with a 3/4" impact wrench too. The only issue is the little warning plate on all of them is rusted away quite bad.

[David DeWeese]

Today I received the first sample of the C8 rear wheel adapters that I had made. As I don't have the correct front axle or hubs, I will need four to mount the original C8 wheels on my truck.
Made of 6061 aluminum. Had the double sided cone washers made also since I couldn't source them from anyone. Still uses the original C8 lug nuts, although they will all need to be right-hand threads.
Fit great, so gave the OK to make the rest.
Had two extra adapters made if anyone needs a pair.
Oh, if anyone need a set of the Trelleborg tires, there are still 8 sitting in a warehouse in Georgia, and I bought one extra that I won't need, so.....
Thanks, David

[Colin Macgregor Stevens]

Dennis Deck is still alive and kicking. (Dec 2009) He wrote to me about another C8 that turned up in Montana. Older restoration but done with a US cargo body instead of the correct short cargo box and large stoolsbox/spare tire carrier.

[David DeWeese]

Hello Mr. Stevens,
A little bit of Dennis Deck's C8 project actually made it's way down here to Texas in the form of one original 13" wheel and the four 15" aftermarket wheels seen in his "as found" photos.
A contact in Billings sent me information a while back on three cab 13 Fords he located close to him on a ranch, so I guess a few CMP's have filtered down across the border into Montana over the years.
Would love to see photos of the C8.
Thanks, David

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Hi Dave

Just did a quick look through and the prices seem to be good, for those of you putting 235s or 261 in your CMPs take note looks like the V8 conversion gauge they show will fit the big temp port at the thermostat housing. Will have to e-mail them to confirm the size and to get the length of the tube.

Good find David - as I said if you do order from them please let us know how the service was and what you thing of the parts.

Cheers Phil

Hi Phil..
That page link shows the 6 and V8 mechanical temperature gauges..the liquid(mercury) filled sensor bulb three lines up from the bottom of the page..That is the hardest gage to get right and replace..as they are usually cut,by no brainers removing them to "Fix" or replace something else..thinking..."I'll just cut this "Wire" and splice it back together when I'm putting it back..

WRONG !!!!!!

As a licensed refrigeration mechanic I cut my baby teeth on these types of gauges...and they are very simple to calibrate...
Here's how...
Remove gauge to bench or work table and remove glass and indicator needle..This needle is usually a press fit and is easily lifted off the stem by the use of a lever underneath the needle and using the gauge face for a fulcrum lift gently ..the use of a thin set of needle nose pliers,works best as it lifts under both sides of the needle and lifts the needle straight off the stem not bending or damaging the stem..

Next place the sensing bulb in an old can full of water..or the missus best stainless PUCK cooking pot and using the red wrench bring the water up to a boil..with the sensor in the boiling water the bulb temperature is now in a known environment...212Deg F..or 100 Deg C..
With the bulb still immersed in the water and the water boiling away,replace the needle on the shaft of the gauge with the needle pointing to the appropriate temperature reading on the gauge ..
Press lightly to fix the needle firmly to the shaft..
Remove the bulb from the water and let cool..The bulb should then indicate the gauge temperature to the ambient surrounding..
Lastly ,throuw a few King Cole Tea bags in the boiling water and have a decent cuppa char...
Did you ever order one to try it..??
Should work if the sensor lead is long enough..
Just one more tip...Use anti seize on the bulb before it is inserted into the well ..This gives a better and more accurate heat transmission co-efficient as it enlarges the heat transmission surface areas..and keeps the sensor from seizing in the sensor well.
Have a great Christmas...

[David DeWeese]

Hi,
Received this NOS temp gauge the other day from a MLU forum member in Australia. This was offered and sent to me free of charge!
Another example of the high quality of folks in this hobby and on this forum!
Thanks again, Alan! I will certainly put it to good use!
Regards, David

[David DeWeese]

Haven't had much time to work on the C8 lately, but slight progress has been made.
Although the original lug nuts ran down the 5/8-18 threads on the new adapter studs OK, they seemed slightly loose. I assume the originals are BSW thread?
I didn't have enough lug nuts for all four new adapters anyway, so had these cone washers made up using an original lug nut base as a pattern. Sourced new nuts to go with them from McMaster-Carr that, together with the washers, look close to original lug nuts I think.
So now I finally have the tires, wheels and completed adapters to put on the C8, but with my current seven-days-a-week work schedule, I can't find the free time to install them!
Thanks, David

[David DeWeese]

Hi,
Had enough time this weekend to sandblast, prime and paint my wheels for the C8. Lots of rust pitting evident on one wheel after blasting, but a pitted wheel is certainly better than none at all.
Cleaned up the three original liners I had and used a new 16" liner for the fourth one. Cut it opposite of the valve stem hole and tapered the edges with a grinder. I believe David Pope had suggested this on a previous posting. Worked like a charm. Thanks for the good information!
Are the red nuts correct for the C8 wheels?
Also prepped and primed the adapters with epoxy sealer, and painted them. Hope the paint sticks as I have had problems with painting aluminum in the past....
Thanks, David

[Rob Fast]

I never realized four 13 inch rims/tires/adapters could look that good ! I am finding this thread as well as Davids a wealth of information. Thanks Rob