Troubleshooting Transmission '47 pickup

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by jimvette59

GB I have one of the infamous 41 pichup trans. It is a 78 case for the v8 or the four cylinder. It is for sale. If you are interested you can get me at [email protected]. Jim T.

Thanks Jim, I tried emailing you from my phone, but don't think it worked. Now that I'm home with my laptop I think today's email went through. GB

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by RKS.PA

Gary, I'm probably finished with my transmission rebuilding projects. If you can use a copy of Mac VP's book, send me a PM for your mailing address and I'll send it to you it off to you with my compliments....it was invaluable to me when I rebuilt my '47 side shifter!!

Regards....Dick

Dick, The book arrived in today's mail! I had been to a jobsite in my avatar tonner and stopped at the mailbox on the county road about 20 minutes ago. This book was made for me! I love this stuff and Mac looks to be an awesome teacher. I'm gonna try to put it down and finish some cabinet work in my shop, but it will be tough. Thanks a million for your gift! GB

[GB SISSON]

Busy world around here lately, so I have not yet had a chance to investigate much. This looks more like a mid winter project for me. It will never be placed on the back burner though. I have received a lot of knowledge, help and gifts from friends here, yet I've still not formed a decision on going forward from here.
I have been spending a large amount of time working on my long, narrow 'machine shop' that runs down one side of my two bay garage. This had become full of stacked lumber and some surplus woodworking machinery and was unusable as a work place. I was recently informed of an 85 year old retired machinest who wanted to liquidate his home shop so I picked up some very nice equipment and am organizing this along with a collection of older equipment I have gleaned in the past 50 years in this hobby. I'm hoping this space will incorporate a 1950's-1970's look and remain somewhat tidy and organized. The next order of business is to insulate at least the ceiling, fix a few broken windows and install one of three woodstoves I have here. This new shop will be for mag and pressure testing my block collection, overhauling engines, rebuilding carbs and distributors and of course any transmission work I will be doing for my beloved wood wagon. I will be set up for grinding valves and seats with my Sioux and Van Dorn equipment and hope to soon be working in a well lit, warm and comfortable space.
Last week found me kneeling on the dirty concrete at 11 at night and 31 degrees degrees trying to get a broken roll pin from the now completely dissasembled gear box from a 50 year old Delta metal cutting bandsaw I had just brought home. That job took 7 hours. When I pull that 3 speed, I want to set in on my new polished steel topped 2x6 work table, throw a couple more logs on the fire, and find out just what is going on in there.
Two friends and I who were the recipients of a lot of his tooling, are hosting shop tours for our new 85 year old machinest friend today. The middle stop is here on Mt. Pickett with Ravin serving a hearty lunch and lots of hot coffee. (The other two shops are heated). Dang, only 3 hrs left to tidy up.....

[cas3]

All sounds good GB. I love playing with machines even though I am no machinist. What all will be in the new space for machinery ?

[Ray in La Mesa]

What an exciting addition! Stay warm.

[GB SISSON]

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Well Skip, he had just sold his metal lathe and bridgeport mill, so I still want a small metal lathe. I got a Heavy steel workbench with a beautiful 4" Wilton bullet vice, a couple of pedestal mounted Baldor grinders, a rolling table with fire brick inserted into the top, a bunch of assorted vise-grip welding clamps, a Starrett dial type cylinder bore gauge, a Starrett 12" digital caliper. More hand tools like smaller stuff. The metal cutting bandsaw I got two days later at another place on Orcas. I also have a nice area now for getting familiar with my valve grinder which as been stored away since I got it six years ago.

And Ray, I can't get that wood stove hooked up fast enough. It's been chilly but extremely sunny.

[38 coupe]

GB, have you had a chance to think about getting your hands on a set of gears with the uncommon low 3.52 to 1 first ratio? I suspect one of the earlier posts referenced a possible set.

[GB SISSON]

His price was very reasonable. Less than the price for all the parts to convert mine, but the shipping? I don't feel I'm in a position to properly decide my course of action at this time. I have had a lot on my plate this month. To pull the transmission out of the woodie right now I would be working in 30 degree temps at night. In a month or two I could work on it in my completed, warm and well lit workshop.
There's another thing I would like to investigate. If over the winter I were to build and install a 255 cu in 8BA, and this time have the flywheel surfaced and use new 'store-bought' engine mounts, would I be able to then back out of my shed, point up the hill and smoothly drive away with my current but repaired transmission? I plan on starting a thread where I mag and pressure test some blocks, measure some bores and see if I need 'off island' machine work. Crank is ground, and I have new bearings, valve assemblies and gaskets. Long stroke=torque+ smooth clutch+new engine mounts= no more judder, add a little clutch slip=clean getaway.... Right?

[flatford8]

Your a man with a plan!!.......I’m gonna be hooking up a trailer furnace in my shop soon....I’ve had enough of that smelly kerosene salamander.....Mark

[GB SISSON]

Today I bought one piece of 6" black stovepipe and an elbow. I have the stove and everything else I need including the metalbestos pipe and all fittings from a remodel I did. Gotta love those new yuppies getting rid of 'all that old junk'. Oh I also bought 750.00 worth of R-30 for the ceiling of a 14'x 28' room. Yikes. I'm not insulating the walls, too much stuff to move.....

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Today I bought one piece of 6" black stovepipe and an elbow. I have the stove and everything else I need including the metalbestos pipe and all fittings from a remodel I did. Gotta love those new yuppies getting rid of 'all that old junk'. Oh I also bought 750.00 worth of R-30 for the ceiling of a 14'x 28' room. Yikes. I'm not insulating the walls, too much stuff to move.....

When I did my house remodel I was told that the majority of heat loss was from from the ceiling. After I rolled insulation between the rafters I rolled more cross wise over the exposed rafters since the R value of the
un-insulated wood rafters is much less than the fiberglass that I covered them with.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by 51504bat

When I did my house remodel I was told that the majority of heat loss was from from the ceiling. After I rolled insulation between the rafters I rolled more cross wise over the exposed rafters since the R value of the
un-insulated wood rafters is much less than the fiberglass that I covered them with.

I'm working upside down. There's already a plywood floor laid down upstairs, as I store stickered lumber up there. It's like my kiln all summer under that tin roof. Ceiling is 10'. I bought the encapsulatred bats. Apparently they are 4' long and a you push them up and secure them with a piece of stiff wire. These wires are about 2' long so they don't quite fit between the joists, therefore they deflect and poke into the wood joists. Sounded sooo much better than holding up a roll of pink stuff and trying to get some staples into that paper flange. I will report back how it went.
And Mark what is a trailer furnace? I can kinda imagine it. You simply tow it over to a friend's house before the insurance adjuster shows up? Edit: Ok, my wife just told me it's the kind of small furnace you'd have if you were living in a trailer....

[flatford8]

“ Edit: Ok, my wife just told me it's the kind of small furnace you'd have if you were living in a trailer...“
That’s it .....they’re usually made by Miller....sits on a stand about 16” high with vents on three sides...the heat comes out the bottom because in a trailer the duct work is underneath... 20”x 28” by about 4’ high....great for a small shop.....Mark

[flatford8]

Sorry for the mess.....the maid is on vacation!.....my shop is 30’x30’ so if I ever finish hooking it up, it should heat well....Mark

[cas3]

Anyone who saves broken off shovels (like me!) can't be all bad, the heck with the maid.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Sorry for the mess.....the maid is on vacation!.....my shop is 30’x30’ so if I ever finish hooking it up, it should heat well....Mark

[GB SISSON]

Well, it's pretty obvious I have succeded in hijacking my own transmission thread into a shop renovation and shop heating thread. Not that I care, but I think I will break this up into two seperate threads as both situations are interesting to me, and I hope to others.
I have learned a lot about transmissions thanks to the generous gift of Mac's book and feedback on great this thread. I will reopen the subject after the holidays and then I will pull the tranny and inspect in the new heated shop. There's no telling which way I will go, but all the choices have merit. A lot will depend on if I can pull off that 255 engine this winter. If so, I may not need such a low first gear. Lots of choices to make and I'm deep into the shop build right now. My son came by yesterday and insulated the 10' ceiling. I got the stove set up and the pipe through the roof over the weekend. Since the photos I have fixed all broken windows and moved a bunch of stuff around for insulating. Here are some quick photos, excuse the mess as usual. My plan is to start a 'shop thread' in the near future as I get things set up in the heated 'mechanic shop'.

[cas3]

gigantic Baldor grinder, and a gigantic Wilton bullet vice...you are somebody GB!
Shop space looks great to me, I only have one comment, no such thing as too much insulation. In case you misread, no such thing as too much insulation. perhaps you misunderstood, no such thing as too much insulation.

When I rebuilt after the fire, I bought used freezer panels. Cheap, 9x4, sliced them up to fit between the studs, sealed all edges with spray foam in the can. 5 1/2" thick, shop has never been below about 49-50 even with no heat while I am out of town here at the north pole!

Carry on.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by cas3

gigantic Baldor grinder, and a gigantic Wilton bullet vice...you are somebody GB!
Shop space looks great to me.

[cas3]

Also, I have the same delta band saw. Love that old equipment.