Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Adapting Major Components of 1948-1960 Ford Trucks
Disclaimer and ForewordThe article below is a compilation of information found in hundreds of posts in the Ford Truck Enthusiasts (FTE) 1948-1960 Truck Forum. The authors and editors of this article have directly contributed little, if any, of the actual content. In fact, some say they are all as dumb as posts. That said, every effort has been made to ensure the information from the forum has been summarized as accurately as possible. The authors and editors make no guarantees, however, as to the accuracy of any of the information. Batteries not included. Your mileage may vary. Don’t run with scissors. Primary Author - R. M. Ferguson IntroductionUnlike normal FAQ articles, this one is fairly long-winded. This due in part to the complexity of the subjects covered, and in part to my inability to be brief on any subject. It is based almost exclusively on existing threads in the Ford Truck Enthusiasts (FTE) 1948 – 1960 Ford Truck Forum dealing with the topics. A search of the forum using the subject keywords like “radiator” or “gas tank” will bring you an average of 225 separate notes on each of these topics. ContentsMiscellaneous FAQsFuel TanksWindshield Wiper MotorsSteering ColumnsHeatersSeatsRadiatorsMiscellaneous FAQsQ. What is camber? A. The angle between the plane of a wheel’s circumference and a vertical line, measured in degrees and minutes. The top of a car wheel tilts inward when the camber is negative, outward when it is positive. Q. What is caster? A. The angle between the vehicle steering axis and a vertical line, as viewed from the side, measured in degrees and minutes. Think of your spindle tilting forward (negative caster) or backward (positive caster). Q. What’s the difference in length between a C4 transmission, a C6 transmission, and an AOD transmission? A.
Q. What year of Toyota 4x4 steering box is adaptable to the 1948-1960 F1/F-100? A. 1979 through early 1984 Toyota 4x4 steering boxes will work. This substitution requires a modified pitman arm available from CPP or Mid-Fifty. Some users consider this a substantial improvement over the stock steering system.
Fuel TanksOn the F-1/F-100 models for the 1948-1952 and 1956-1960 years, the stock fuel tank is located behind the seat inside the cab. On the F-100 models for the 1953-1955 years, the stock fuel tank is mounted under the cab on the driver’s side with the filler going up through the driver’s side rear cab corner. It seems all panel trucks 1948 - 1960 had a long rectangular tank located between the frame and the drive shaft under the driver’s side of the cab. It is a common modification for the F-1/F-100 models to move the fuel tank from the cab to the rear of the vehicle – behind the rear axle and between the frame rails – as is the norm on most current vehicles. There are several reasons for this including: · Getting fumes out of the cab · Getting that big container of explosive liquid away from the cab or cab area · Increasing in-cab storage space or space for seating · Replacing an old rusty tank. The shapes of the stock fuel tanks do not lend themselves to this relocation, so people look for newer tanks that will fit. There are numerous alternatives – custom made tanks in plastic or metal or OEM style replacement tanks from modern vehicles. For all years (1948 through 1960), the free width between the rear frame rails, inside edge to inside edge, is between 29 and 30 inches. There are two basic ways of determining what tank will fit your application. The first is to double check the space between your frame rails to see what dimensions you need and then go to a website like http://www.spectrapremiumindustries.com/ or http://www.gastanks.com/ and search through their wonderful online catalogs. These catalogs provide dimensions and pictures of the various fuel tanks. These vendors supply a lot of the auto parts chains, so their stock is extensive and the pricing is a lot better than having a tank custom made. It is very important to give some thought to where your filler neck will be exiting the vehicle when you pick a tank. The second method of locating a tank that will fit is to simply copy what others have done. Here are some alternatives that have been used by members of this forum with good results. We all understand the limitations of a tight budget and that many folks prefer using parts from wrecking yards. Be aware, however, that new OEM replacement tanks are so economically priced that it is almost foolish to spend money on a used tank that definitely gives off fuel fumes. This is definitely something to consider while you’re doing any welding near the tank (mounts, etc.). A used tank may have many pinholes in it, be rusted on the interior, or contain debris that will clog your fuel system. 1948-1952 TrucksThe mid-1980s Chevy Blazer tank works well in this case and comes in both 24 U.S. gallon and 31 U.S. gallon capacities. At least one member of this FTE 1948-1960 Forum has successfully used this tank setup. Another alternative is the 1970 Mustang tank with a 22 U.S. gallon capacity. Apparently, the earlier Mustang tanks discussed below will work on the 1948-1952 F-1/F-100s as well. Since the distance between the frame rails is nearly identical, anything that fits the 1953-1956 models should also fit the 1948-1952 models. If you want a larger tank, the 1980 through 1986 (and possibly through 1989) full sized Ford Bronco tank is worth looking at. At 33 U.S. gallons capacity, it measures 31.875” long x 22.25” wide x 15.75” deep in steel, and slightly smaller in the polymer version. Other tanks which have been used, but for which we have little info are from the 1980s GM Suburban and 1984-1985 Isuzu Trooper. 1953-1956 TrucksStock replacement tanks for the original locations are available in polymer or stainless steel from Tanks Inc. and several other sources – but since they are limited production they tend to be expensive. No discussion of suitable fuel tank alternatives for this range of years would be complete without highlighting the early Ford Mustang tank (1965-1970). Forum member John Niolon has thoroughly documented this tank as a replacement in an article at www.clubfte.com/users/jniolon/mustangtank/newmustangtank.htm (his web site has many other useful articles as well). The Mustang tank comes in three different capacities and all are easily obtained through http://www.gastanks.com/ or many Mustang oriented aftermarket suppliers. Another plus with this tank is that the Mustang sending unit will work fine with the stock 12v fuel gauge. A few minor nits however include 1) the inlet for filling the tank comes out the top at the rear, forcing you to bring it up through the bed 2) the filler pipe is approximately 0.75 inch off center towards the passenger side and 3) you may have to grind about a 0.5 inch off the bottom edge of your frame rails to fit the tank – although this is not a big deal. A lot of people have used this alternative, possibly more than any other single alternative.
Yet another tank option is the full sized Chevy Van 1987-1995 fuel tank. It’s available in two different capacities – #GM8C (Spectra Premium Industries) has a 22 U.S. gallon capacity and a second version has a 33 U.S. gallon capacity. The difference between the two is the depth. The length and width are the same for both tanks. If you’re running fuel injection, you should be aware of the different system pressures that Ford and GM use. To avoid having to deal with this issue, with Ford engines use the non-EFI sending unit (#FG17A) and use an inline fuel pump. The 1990 Ford Ranger works well in this application. If you are running a GM power plant with EFI, then go the other way and use the EFI sending unit (#FG17B) which employs an in tank fuel pump and sending unit.
1987-1995 Full-Size Chevy Van Fuel Tank Installation
The 1977-1981 Chevy Van tank was offered in both 22 U.S. gallon capacity and a larger size as well. One of our FTE forum members (Tacson, AKA Donald Walker) has some excellent photos in his gallery which clearly show how well it fit and how he mounted it. The only difference between the newer tank used by Ferguson and the older model used by Walker is that the newer tank has the filler diagonally opposite the older tank. Walker used a slightly different mounting method – although both installations employed the original mounting straps for the tank.
1977-1981 Full-Size Chevy Van Fuel Tank Installation
Neither of the full-size Chevy van installations discussed above requires any cutting of the frame rails. However, both installations did require routing the filler tube through the frame rails. The alternatives already listed provide ample, easily adapted, decent sized tanks. If you don’t mind admitting to using less cool sounding donors, then consider the following.
1957-1960 TrucksGiven the similarity in width of the rear frame rails for the 1957-1960 and 1948-1956 model years, anything listed for the earlier trucks should fit the 1957-1960 model years. Be aware, however, that no information on actual installations in the later year trucks is available at this time. Classic Performance Products (http://www.classicperform.com/) offers a tank that will fit under the bed of the 1957-1960 trucks. Again, since this is a limited production item, the cost is higher than a used tank would be. An alternative is an NOS 18 U.S. gallon tank, Ford part # COTB 9002-B available through Green Sales in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fuel Tank Senders and GagesA final consideration when using a newer or donor tank is compatibility of the sending unit with whatever gauges you plan to use. You may need to modify either the fuel sender or the fuel gage so that they have matching resistance characteristics. This can end up causing more grief than mounting the tank itself. The following information comes mainly from Autometer (http://www.autometer.com/) and addresses the electrical characteristics of the OEM sending units.
Electric Windshield Wiper AssembliesFirst – a little background on vacuum wipers. For anyone that isn’t really familiar with vacuum wipers, it’s important to realize these things aren’t really meant to work properly, or at all. They were a sick joke by the Society of Automotive Engineers back in the 1930s that an embarrassed public was too shy to say anything about until about 30 years later. They run on vacuum … you know … the stuff you have none of when you pull out to pass in the rain … and the stuff you have very little of when you’re cruisin’. All Ford trucks from the model years 1948 through 1960 came stock with vacuum wipers. Electric wipers were an option from 1951 on. There are several ways to address the problems associated with vacuum wipers – and in this article they all involve replacing the stock wipers with electric units. Keep in mind that 1948-1954 Ford trucks were 6 V positive ground and 1956-1960 trucks were 12 V negative ground. Replacement KitsIf your truck came with electric wipers, you can buy new replacement electric wiper motors for all 1948 through 1960 Ford F-1/F-100 trucks. For 1948-1952 trucks you can buy 6 volt or 12 volt replacements. For 1953-1960 trucks, you can buy 12 volt replacements. These replacements are available at various vendors including LMC Trucks (http://www.lmctruck.com/), MAC’s Antique Auto Parts (http://www.macsautoparts.com/), and Sacramento Vintage Ford (http://www.vintage-ford.com/). Vacuum-to-Electric Upgrade KitsKits to upgrade from vacuum to electric wipers are also available. The prices for these kits vary from about $150 to about $350 or so, depending upon whether you need just an electric motor or a whole motor and linkage set up. If your linkage is worn out or your truck only came with a driver’s side wiper (or you just like to spend money for fun), you can go to a whole new kit including a heavy duty motor, new linkage, mounting hardware, etc. Sacramento Vintage Ford sells such a kit for the 1948-1952 trucks for about $285. The picture in their catalog looks pretty good. They also sell a “universal” kit, but do not indicate what years it fits. Presumably, “universal” means it will fit 1948 through 1960 trucks. Based strictly on looking at the photo, it doesn’t look as robust or of as high a quality as their 1948-1952 specific kit. While I have no firsthand experience with either kit, it has been my experience that when something is advertised as “universal”, that means it fits everything equally poorly. Another alternative is Newport Wipers (http://www.newportwipers.com/). They make electric kits for 1948 through 1955 trucks. More than one member of the 1948-1960 FTE Forum has used their wipers and mentioned that they are top quality. Like anything in life, you get what you pay for, and these kits ain’t cheap.
The cheapest aftermarket electric motor for the early trucks seems to be one available from Speedway Motors. One of our forum members said it was a good fit and easy to install. Adapting Wipers from Other VehiclesProbably the most frugal method of upgrading your wipers is to do your shopping at the local wrecking yard. Listed below are some options for the various year trucks. 1948-1952 Trucks Some people have modified the motors and/or kits for 1951-1952 trucks to fit the 1948-1950 models. While it is doable, expect to have some trouble fitting the linkage around the dash support braces and the defrost duct. You will have a lot of trouble trying to fit an electric motor in a 1948-1950 if you are running a factory radio in the dash (in the 1951-1952, the radio sits lower in the dash and avoids this problem). Electric motors from 1960s and 1970s Triumph Spitfires, Jags and various other British cars have also been adapted for use in the 1948-1952 truck series. I personally have never been a fan of anything electrical with British origins. They didn’t call Lucas the Prince of Darkness for nothing! 1953-1955 Trucks Jeep Cherokees from the late 1980s through early 1990s (the ones with the square lines) are an easy fit to the 1953-1955 trucks. Simply enlarge the holes on the stock Ford bracket to accept the Jeep motor. Check out these pictures from our forum member Cowman’s (Chuck Cowman) gallery of this motor adapted to his stock linkage.
Jeep Cherokee Wiper Motor Adapted to Stock Linkage
A 1974 Volkswagen wiper motor is also an easy fit. Again, the holes on the VW motor line up well with the Ford bracket, they just need a little enlargement. Some work on the shaft arm to fit the Ford linkage ( a couple of hours) and you’re good to go. A 1989 Dodge Ramcharger has also been made to work. One mounting hole had to be redrilled to mate the motor to the stock mounting bracket. This may be the same motor as is found on the Chrysler minivans from the 1980s and 1990s. Wiper motors from 1990 on Dodge minivans can be adapted without a lot of work, as can the 1995 Ford Windstar. 1974 & 1975 F100 wiper motors have been made to work as well. These have been used with the intermittent switch from a 1980-1987 F-150 by several forum members. 1956-1960 In 1956, the wiper motor was moved to the firewall. If you decide to move it under the dash, you’ll be cleaning up the look of your firewall as well. One would think that adapting a motor and the linkage that fits under the dash on a 1955 to a 1956 under the dash installation would be easy. Unfortunately, on the 1953-1955 the wipers rotate in the same direction and the pivot points are offset on the cowl. On the 1956, they rotate opposite one another and the pivot points are equidistance off the center of the cowl. The 1953-1955 to 1956 transplant can be done though - one of our forum members is adapting the 1955 linkage to his 1956. Check out the gallery for forum member krautwolf (Michael Wolfe). He has a pictorial “how to” showing his adaptation of a 1979-1983 Ford Ranger wiper motor using an F-150 switch. The pictures are numerous and clear and the commentary is important and useful as well.
Most of our forum members with 1956 through 1960 trucks seem to be using either the factory 12 volt motors or the replacement motors previously mentioned. Intermittent WipersA final note on wipers has to do with intermittent wiper controls. We all want our new electric windshield wipers to be intermittent just like our wife’s or girlfriend’s car. There are several ways to achieve this result. There is a brief article already in the FTE Tech Article section written by Thomas Hogan. ( Click here to view) It specifically covers intermittent wiper controls on a 1973-1979 F-series, but the principle is the same on our earlier trucks. Basically, you need the switch and the control box. The parts were available as an option on the 1973 to 1979 F-series, so you can get them at your local parts house or your favorite wrecking yard. There is another tech article entitled “Installing an intermittent two speed push/wash windshield wiper system on a 1961-1966 Ford pickup” by Wm Dahn. ( Click here to view) Mr. Dahn was after a stealth installation – i.e. it appears stock, so a lot of his article is devoted to adapting the knob to the later model switch. His donor for the switch, etc. was 1984 through 1990 Ford pickup. Intermittent switches are easily obtainable at parts houses or wrecking yards – just make sure to get any related relays and controls. The fun part begins with wiring them up to your motor. There is an old thread on the 1948-1960 Forum that discusses this issue at some length ( Click here to view). In this thread, one of our members (BlueOvalRage) was trying to help another member (fatfenders) get his wipers wired correctly. It’s a lengthy, thorough thread that should provide you with some useful information on the wiring involved in adapting another motor. See krautwolf’s pictures above and in his gallery for the right parts. Steering ColumnsChanging steering columns is a very popular modification. It is done mainly for the tilt column feature, but also for more stylish appearance, built in signal lever, and automatic transmission gear indicator. Some things to keep in mind when looking at possible donors:
As with the windshield wipers, you have several options for updating the steering column. Replacement ColumnsIf you’ve got the budget, then slick, brand new paintable or polished stainless steel/chrome units can be bought in various lengths from Ididit, Billet Specialties, Flaming River, and Snake River Rod & Customs. They range in price from about $275 up to almost $600 depending upon how tricked out you want it. As for vendors, try Jegs or Summit first. In addition, if you’re going with column shift, they can supply a cable assembly that connects your transmission to the column. Summit carries one made by Lokar. Generally speaking – if you’re running a Mustang II style front suspension, you’ll likely want a 32 or 35 inch column length. Otherwise, a 30 to 32 inch column length should do the job with a conventional steering box. Keep in mind that Ididit measures from the front/top of the wheel adapter down to where the inner shaft ends at the first connection (i.e. a rag joint or Borgeson type joint) on tilt/telescopic columns. Both Ididit and Flaming River show you on their websites exactly how to measure the length for one of their columns. Adapting Columns from Other VehiclesAnother option is to read this section and go wrecking yard shopping. The downside of going this route is you could end up with a steering column in which most of the wearable parts are already worn out. Rebuilding a used steering column is not cheap or easy. More than one person has dismantled a steering column to rebuild it and not been able to put it back together. There are an amazing number of parts inside these buggers. However, if I haven’t scared you off yet, then here are a whole bunch of possibilities. 1948-1952 Trucks
1953-1956 Trucks
1957-1960 Trucks
The above list is not a complete authority on what fits. It’s simply what our forum members have used. A steering column listed under one range of truck years above may work perfectly fine on the other ranges of years. The Chevy then Ford vans and pick ups seem to be the most common donors used by this group. But just about everything has been used by at least member. Try to go with something as late model as possible for reduced wear and ease of locating replacement parts. One special consideration, forum member Cowman used a
1990 or so Jeep Cherokee donor (the one with the boxy lines) for both
the steering column (comes with GM wiring) and the wiper motor (and the
relays between the two that gave him intermittent wipers) in his
1954. In this neck of the woods, there are tons of these things
in wrecking yards without a lot of hot-rodders or anyone displaying any
real interest. In my mind, this is a very interesting alternative
that folks should seriously consider.
General Steering Column Notes
HeatersThere is a lot of discussion on the forum on this topic but there are really only a couple of options that are used. Unless you use one of these common options, you’re pretty much on your own. The first option is a fancy-schmancy replacement kit with a combination heater/air conditioning unit from folks like Southern Air, Vintage Air, or Hot Rod Air. The second option is to just rebuild your heater core and/or replace the heater motor. From the forum discussion, it doesn’t look like many (or any) folks adapt OEM heater or heater-A/C units to the 1948-1960 trucks. If you choose to rebuild your heater, here are a few things to keep in mind.
SeatsWhat are you looking for, a bench or buckets? Think about whether you mind headrests sticking up above the bottom of your rear window. Some people will accept the appearance of the headrests sticking up above the bottom of the rear window to get the increased comfort derived from having a headrest. Also think about what sort of mounting you’ll use for your seat belts (some of the newer seats have the seat belts built right into them). Obviously, primary concerns are
There are several outfits that make really nice looking and comfortable seats for our trucks – Teas Design, Rod Doors and Glide just to name a few. If you’ve got the money they will supply something that looks sharp, fits well, and can be covered in just about anything you could ask for. If you haven’t got that kind of coin, then you might want to hit the wrecking yards with a mind to find something suitable that simply needs to be reupholstered and installed in your baby. Here are some measurements that you might want to consider when looking for a new seat.
There seems to be an issue (particularly found by older members of the forum) with the space between the steering wheel and the seat shrinking over time, resulting in limited intestinal accommodation. Fortunately the newer seats use a different type of spring so they tend to be thinner in the back. This provides more room in that area. This is something to think about before you buy a big, fat seat out of a Cadillac or Lincoln or some other land yacht. With a newer seat, you will usually pick up storage space under the seat bottom as well. The following suggestions are based upon input from this forum. There is also an article in the August 2004 issue of Classic Truck that deals with this subject and contains many pictures of the suggested alternative seats. Note that we are not spending time discussing bucket seats. Once you ditch the console, you can pretty much fit any bucket into any truck, although generally you’ll end up with a built in headrest sticking up in your back window. 1948-1952 Trucks – Seat Width No More Than 52 Inches
1953-1960 Trucks – Seat Width No More Than 58 Inches
NOTE: There are several different styles of bench seats used in the late 1980s through late 1990s GM trucks – quasi-buckets, 60/40s and full benches. They all tend to have thin backs which helps to increase leg space where needed. Some have built in arms rests and a level of seat bottom sculpturing to them, some don’t. These seats are also well liked by a number of the members of this forum.
The 1999 and newer GM Silverado 40/20/40 “bench” is an interesting possibility. It’s 60 inches wide, but it’s really more like two buckets with a “jump seat” between. You could easily omit the middle section and put in a narrower console or nothing. They do have built shoulder belts, saving you the issue of mounting the shoulder restraint to the wall between the rear window and the doors. You might fit this whole set up into a 1953-1960 F-100. The 1994 through 2001 Dodge truck also has a similar set up, though less stylish than the GM version. It will have the same pluses and minuses. Another issue to consider is that you need to build some sort of bracket to mount your new seat(s) to your truck. If you’re using the 1988-1998 GM seats, it’s pretty straightforward. Just look at the stock GM mounting brackets and it’s a no brainer. However, if you’re using Ford seats or buckets, this can get a little tricky. For a few good pictures of the brackets one member made to install a later model seat check out this thread. www.ford-trucks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114729 The work was done by KAI - our German buddy. He was putting a 1980 F-350 seat in a 1954 F-100. His brackets deal quite nicely with the weird bend/angle in the front of the stock Ford brackets. They are wonderful in their simplicity and could easily be modified to compensate for a shorter driver.
For an excellent example of brackets fabricated to hold the 1996-2000 Ranger 60/40 bench/bucket, check out these made by Scott123 (Scott Jones). He has provided pictures and plans, so you could make a copy of the “Scott123 Super-Duper seat frame 2000” if you wish. RadiatorsFolks are always looking to upgrade their radiators. The old radiator can be leaky or marginal in its cooling capacity. Stock radiators run at about 4 PSI versus modern engines which work at 15 PSI or so. Putting 12 to 15 PSI on an old radiator is just asking for coolant all over your driveway. Although you can take some measurements and pull something at a wrecking yard, but you may be getting a leaky radiator with little or no guaranty on it. Most folks buy a brand new radiator and there are numerous alternatives available. · You can buy a fancy-schmancy aluminum one from a street rod shop for $450 or more · You can buy a stock reproduction one from someone like LMC, MACs, or Mid-Fifties for $300 to $400 · You take measurements and buy a new aftermarket radiator meant to be an OEM replacement in a more modern vehicle The first two options are fairly straightforward – just remember to get a radiator that is designed for your truck so the size is correct and the radiator hoses enter and exit in the correct places. If you want to exercise the third option, take your measurements to websites such as http://www.spectrumindustries.com/, http://www.radiatorbarn.com/, http://discountradiators.com/, or http://www.usradiator.com/ and start looking around for something that comes close to your measurements. Spectrum shows where the inlet and outlet are and what diameter they are as well as the overall dimensions. To save some time in this process, some common donors are listed below for the various truck years. 1948 to 1952
Since these replacements may be shorter and/or narrower that the original, you’ll need to fill the gap at the top and/or sides to ensure proper air flow through the radiator rather than around it. 1953-1956
1957-1960
General Radiator Notes
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