Paramount water truck

Forgot...when we were leaving the barn, I noticed a big long battery in the corner where the truck was. It had two terminals on one end, and six cells I think. I'm guessing it's 12v, truck needs lots of amps to start of course. Doesn't like to start on one battery.

The alternator works, the lights stay on with the battery disconnected, but it doesn't seem to be keeping the battery charged. Need to investigate. Stalled it in the hole out back and it didn't have enough umph to restart, probably also because it was taking too long to crank, which is probably because of the messed up fuel supply.

Surprisingly enough, all the lights work, but one headlight is installed sideways.

That is the removable front cross-member style truck and guess what, its removed! I have one if you can't find one near you. I'll try to get a pic for you.

Pretty sure it would have been like my '62 A1. Vertical xmember instead of the later flat. Haven't compared yet.

I imagine the engine got swapped and they didn't have the matching engine mount and crossmember.

I got to thinking about it more...anyone know when or with which engines the cross members changed? If this one is like my A1, was this one maybe an A1 of some sort? Didn't they go flat with the A2s?

So much facepalm...this one might run and drive, but I think my '62 is in better shape.

Busted front axle, all the rubber brake lines old and hard lines flopping everywhere, rusted/busted/modified frame and suspension brackets.

The engine is "mounted" about 2" too low. Haven't even looked at the jackshaft offset yet.

I charged up one battery good and hit it with "boost/jump" on the battery charger. Turns about as fast as the 24v '62 truck now, but starts slowly or gradually after a couple revolutions, whereas the '62 starts BOOM as soon as you hit the button, unless I forget to turn the fuel pump on, sometimes it takes a sec. I will check the shutoff (tricky since it's behind the steering box) and get the fuel lines routed properly, check fuel pressure, etc. and see if that helps, but I think I read somewhere that weak starting may indicate a worn HH? Or since the engine is compression fired, maybe low compression? I think I checked for blowby and it's zilch.

You still didn't lose money.

Fun night with the kids. Looks a lot better now. Pseudo semi truck prerunner thingy. Prerunner because it sits higher in the front...due to the lift blocks which are there to keep the pinion out of the oil pan because the engine is too low.

Lots of ewww in the air tank. Buried up under the water tank, probably never drained.




I don't think that's enough duct tape. Put another roll on.



One of my helpers.




Somebody way trying hard to turn it into a semi.




Still abominably slow. Keep waiting for the boost to kick in like the LDS465, and...........nothing, ha!

DavidWymore said:

I imagine the engine got swapped and they didn't have the matching engine mount and crossmember.

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The cross member was there originally, so they HAD to have it, or were too dumb to know.

Even with its issues, it seems easily repairable. You planning on removing the water tank? That would be the first thing I'd do.

Must have posted while I was typing, looking good!

Edit, whats the deal with the added(I guess) torsion bars?

Yeah, I could fix it all up. I have the technology. Has all the same modifications as my other ex water truck (and more). Way overkill springs in the rear and reinforcements welded on the frame that I don't like. Pretty much everything would have to be removed, corrected or replaced, and put back properly. Transmission is on it's last legs. No idea if the transfer case works or not, front driveshaft is missing. Front axle is trashed, not that I don't have spares.

I compared it to my first truck and I can fabricate the correct amounts for the engine and radiator. The worst part of this truck is the rear suspension plates and the rear frame have broken and rusted pretty badly, not beyond repair, but needs cut/ground out, re welded properly, and the plates removed and probably replaced.

The shop next to me has an old gasser that doesn't have much of anything left I think it's just the frame and sheet metal, but I don't want to wear out my welcome begging parts.

I have way too much to do right now. I really need to get the '62 A1 brakes done and get it back on its wheels. I'll probably tinker with this one a little bit and see if I can get that LD to run better. Fuel system repairs and valves I think. If I can get it to run good, I'll probably start looking for a cheap turbo for it. Oh, and air cleaner, and...

gimpyrobb said:

Must have posted while I was typing, looking good!

Edit, whats the deal with the added(I guess) torsion bars?

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somebody's not too bright idea I guess. It doesn't get around off-road very good, not as good as the other one. I think it's because those bars bind the suspension. The same two tires in the back opposite each other always spin, and I think maybe it's because of those bars binding things up.

I agree. I'd check the stock dog bones before you remove the add on ones though!

That's one of a couple things that actually looks better than the '62...this one may end up spare parts for that one, the A1.

The frame had cracks that my other truck doesn't, likely from bind caused by the bars.

I think you need to just torch it up and part it out. Keep some parts you need and make a few bucks to put toward the other one. I wouldn't waste my time with used dogbones.

You like torchin up deuces, don't ya?

This one is stayin' together at least as an engine test cradle for the time being.

If there's one thing I really don't like about deuces, it's dogbones. If I'm gonna pay money to buy new ends and change them all out, I'd just as soon buy the good ball and socket ends, but they aren't cheap when you gotta buy 12. I'm afraid rubber won't last very long in this desert...then again, some of the ones on this truck don't even have cracks in the rubber. Need to prybar test them.

Which, reminds me...an old milsurp guy that used to supply parts to all the farmers, etc. that used to run milsurp trucks around here told me that if you drop your bumpstops 3" with metal block/spacers, the dogbones don't get stressed as much and last longer.

That's probably true, but then you lose that much articulation.

I just have to pipe in here and say I would have walked away after taking one look at all the cobwebs. A whole big can o' NOPE for me.

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You are very ambitious, and I'm impressed with yours and all the folk's casual knowledge chatting in this thread as I read through it.

Valence said:

I just have to pipe in here and say I would have walked away after taking one look at all the cobwebs. A whole big can o' NOPE for me.

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You are very ambitious, and I'm impressed with yours and all the folk's casual knowledge chatting in this thread as I read through it.

Click to expand...

I grew up in and now run a big machine and welding shop where building, repairing or replacing frames, tanks/beds, suspension, etc. on semi trucks, etc. is normal stuff. So it's no big deal, just whether I want to fool around doing more work after normal working hours are done, haha.



'sinker, yeah, I know. Might be some other disadvantages too, have to go twist one up and see what things look like. Mine are missing their bump stops, can't be good, although that little piece of rubber probably doesn't limit much.