I need some help with an old Dodge truck.

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I called him last month and he said he was going to have me back out for some more stuff so I'll take a lot more pictures and if you have any questions I'll be able to look at his. Also I know he has a manual...
 
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I would also recommend an electric fuel pump. The Airtex and the Carter mechinical pumps I have bought failed for the same reason, under 1000 miles on each. The damn pin the pump lever rides on slides out.
 
j par said:
It was bought in Northern Washington..
There's definitely signs of it being a military truck used in Alaska or on its way there... On the passenger side firewall there's a massive brass canister that circulates hot water from the engine that surrounds a coil that runs fuel through it. More or less to warm the fuel... I had him bypass it so it's not to have anything get mixed up by accident but definitely told him to polish it up and leave it there.. in our climate here it's not needed but is nice to have for A conversation piece...
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I would love to see that.

Stay well brother.
 
Cope said:
View attachment 1715824959

View attachment 1715824957

The red wire is just a jumper a cut off and made to hot up the coil.
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All you need to do with that starter is to buy a 60-70's Ford fender mount relay. It must be grounded to operate the coil. Either large term to battery + and the remaining one to the starter. the small "S" terminal goes to the start signal at the key or starter push button, and the remaining small terminal "I" is your coil bypass. Just run a wire direct from there to the coil+ and that will give you the ballast bypass "hot voltage" to start
 
67Dart273 said:
All you need to do with that starter is to buy a 60-70's Ford fender mount relay. It must be grounded to operate the coil. Either large term to battery + and the remaining one to the starter. the small "S" terminal goes to the start signal at the key or starter push button, and the remaining small terminal "I" is your coil bypass. Just run a wire direct from there to the coil+ and that will give you the ballast bypass "hot voltage" to start
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If done this way I DO NOT need a ballast resistor?

Correct?

Im off now to see how she cranks with 12V.

Gonna stop by the shop and grab a spare MSD coil and a gas can. Hopefully I can make some fire inside this old girl!

Thanks again for all the help and advice.
 
You can wire it either with or without a ballast,

1....without you must use a coil designed for direct off a 12V system. Many tractors do this. Depending on the key setup you may not need a bypass circuit

2...I tend to WANT to use a ballast. As I said, a ballast helps stabilize coil power and helps keep points from buringing and damaged coils. The bypass circuit also gives you a nice hot start when starting----Remember---when starting, and especially with a 6V starter on a 12V system, the starter pulls down batt voltage. With a 12V coil, it gets low voltage when starting

If you stay with a ballasted system, then when cranking, and with the bypass circuit, you STILL get hot voltage to the coil for starting
 
Hi just a tip ditch the old engine and trany you Will be ruind on gas/milage look for a cummins diesel from a truck whid tranny so mutch simpler and head acke free iv been there and done that but the truck is sooooo sweet a real gem hold on to that truck as long as posible
 
Still no spark.


I grabbed a old blaster 2 and hooked up a jumper 12V+ and atached the signal wire from the dist to coil -

Nothing.


The point gap was very wide so I reset it with a thin business card.

Strangely enough the condensor, rotor and points are new. The cap and wires are old.. (strange..)

12V to the starter and she cranks over nice. Now I just need fire.

What are your thought?

Im kinda at a loss as to why i dont have spark.

The rotor is turning so mechanically we are ok.

Points are "new" and adjusted.

Condenser is "new" but i have yet to replace it.


I just realised i have yet to check continuity in the plug or coil wires. So thats one possibility.

I was using large heavy gauge jumper cables to start. I cleaned a spot on the frame to bare steel and attached negative to that. Positive to the lug on starter and a "jumper wire" to hot up the coil.

Any idea where i am going wrong?
I been welding to long. Loosing touch with my mechanic roots i guess....

Thank you for your time and advice.


Spark plugs. Looking decent.
20211124_113112.jpg


"New" condensor, rotor and points.
20211124_111942.jpg
 
TT5.9mag said:
Yup it’s bad ***. More pics. Switching from 6 to 12 volts you’ll have to do all the light bulbs as well as all of the common things. Wiring, starter, battery (duh), points. Some old guys I’ve talked to like the 6 volt stuff but I think it’s nostalgic more than anything else.
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I some how missed this but the 6V points and condenser WILL NOT work with 12V?

Should I try and retro fit the 1970s 12v parts (condensor & points) into the 1940s 6V housing?
 
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Cope said:
I some how missed this but the 6V points and condenser WILL NOT work with 12V?

Should I try and retro fit the 1970s 12v parts (condensor & points) into the 1940s 6V housing?
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Well to be honest, when I did a 51 Chevy 6 to 12 volt conversion I just told you what I replaced. But then I read Del’s, @67Dart273 post and questioned myself. I’m not sure if it is necessary to replace them but I did. If you have some known good points/condenser set from a 12v system id say try em.
 
The points I think would be the same but the condenser. I dont know?
 
All the points do is open and cause the coil voltage to collapse in the primary, So voltage is induced in the secondary. If your coil is drawing current and you can get the points to open and close I’m guessing that’s all you need. Del said the condensers work within a range. What that range is, is beyond my scope of knowledge. If I had an extra one I’d swap em.
 
The only difference between condenser might by the capacitance (microfarads) to match the coil, but the voltage does not matter. Points do not matter. If anything, 6V points may be better because they had to carry more current
 
What worries me here is, it's clear some one with at least a lick of knowledge tried to fire this truck before me.

Altho the points were out of adjustment and the coil, cap wires and plugs are old.

There is some missing back story here and I need to find what ever the last guy missed.
 
Cope I dont see a distinct wear mark on the tang of the rotor. How’s the button on the under side of the cap?
 
IF, the condenser is good, 6v condenser will work fine (to start, at least) on 12v.
I have three six volt mopars, and a 6v Ford. When I want to MAKE them start, I get them spinning on six volts, jump them with a twelve volt battery, and pull the 12v off immediately when it starts. Some quickstart helps too.
Six volt systems are all (almost!) Positive ground. Jump with the twelve volt battery OUT of the car, pos to pos, neg to neg.
 
This truck appears to be wired as negative ground and i have the engine fan spinning the correct direction.

If it was a positive ground wouldn't the fan spin backwards?
 
TT5.9mag said:
Cope I dont see a distinct wear mark on the tang of the rotor. How’s the button on the under side of the cap?
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The button shows slight (correct) wear.

No fire damage to the tip of the "new" rotor tho. Im not sure it ever passed current.

The cap inside looks suprisingly good like everything else on this old girl.

I have yet to test the plug wires but they are old & suspect.
 
Cope said:
This truck appears to be wired as negative ground and i have the engine fan spinning the correct direction.

If it was a positive ground wouldn't the fan spin backwards?
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No. Old style starters always run the correct direction regardless of polarity. If it was a mini starter polarity matters but it would not crank backwards because of the bendix drive--starter would just spin, ratcheting the bendix.

If you wire this up 12V you DAMN sure want to go neg ground. Disconnect the BAT terminal from the generator if it has one. It will be 6V and maybe wrong polarity.
 
fishmens67 said:
Is there voltage at the points.
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Ha ha!

Now this is what im looking for!

I do not know the anwser to that sir.

How would I test that?

Coil hot, points closed and +probe on points, - probe on engine block?
 
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