Jump to content

1952 Chev Pick up


Guest scottemma1

Recommended Posts

Guest scottemma1

I have what I am told is a 1952 Chec Pick up, 3/4 ton. I have not received the title yet, and may not get one. How can I title it? How do I ID it? I cannot locate the VIN number. I found a generic number in the door jam that states; 21KRD-2675 is this anything?

The engine number states; F0503 B

I cannot find any information to answer these questions. Any help is much appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50-52's, they're hard to tell apart. If you google the Registry of Motor Vehicles

for your State, they should define Title requirements -or- if one is even

required. For Serial #, my Chilton bk says look in the following places:

"Plate is located either on dash, right or left side of seat frame, on the left

door pillar post or on the left hand top of cowl panel".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

I need to buy a new carb and I don't want to do it until I find out exactly what it is. Where is the best place to get a carb? Thanks for your help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Dean_H.

Here in CA it is possible to get a title. Go to DMV, explain how you acquired it. You'll need to fill out a bunch of forms, get it inspected by the CHP and give up all your cash, but it can be done.

This style truck was made 1947-1953. I've owned a lot of these over the years, here is what I remember about the year models. '47 and '48 had fuel tank below cab. 1949 moved tank behind seat. 1950 side vent no longer opens. 1951 wing windows added to doors. 1952 push button door handles introduced. And 1953 has a one piece windshield.

The data plate is located on the drivers side door post between the hinges. It is 3X4 inches, made of aluminum and has two rivets diagonally across from each other.

The carburetor looked about the same on all the years. The engine put's out 85 horse power and the rear end in you 3/4 ton is about 6 to 1. Top speed is about 45 mph. I drove a '52 3/4 ton like yours for about a year and remember the horns and fingers well.:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

I appreciate the info Dean. I was told it was a 1952 and from the information you said, it matches everything. It has a 2 piece windshield with push button door handles and wing windows. The gas tank is behind the seat. There is a plate mounted where you mentioned with only one thing stamped on it. I don't have the information with me, just didn't think it looked like anything like a normal vin plate that has all kinds of information.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Dean_H.

That is the plate. It should have a serial number stamped in it and that's used as a VIN number. It's about eight digits.

On one of my trucks, I removed the plate to sandblast and paint the cab and never got around to reinstalling it. One day I'm tooling around town and a cop pulls me over for some bogus reason. (I think it was an inoperative license plate light) He had me step out for a drunk test, which of course I wasn't. But with the door opened he noticed the holes and missing plate and cited me for removing a VIN. In CA removing a VIN plate is one step worse than double premeditated homicide. That was a tough one to get through. I'm probably still on a government list. Needless to say, don't remove the plate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

The plate has this number on it. 21KRD-2675 I cannot find anything on it. The engine has this number on it. F0503B I cannot find anything on that also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I can help a little with your serial number 21 KRD 2675.

First is the number 21. That means your truck was built in the Janesville plant.

The letter K means it's a 1952. The letter R means it's a 3600 series 3/4 ton truck. The letter D means it was built in April. And the last numbers are simply the production run numbers.

As for your engine number, that one doesn't make sense to me other than being replaced by another year or type of vehicle. Maybe even a old factory rebuild? The original engine numbers should start out with AKCA. CA meaning it is a Flint, MI. built engine. Or, it could be AKCM, which CM means it was built at the Tonawanda, NY. plant. All other numbers which would be following these are again, simply production runs.

That's about the best I can do to help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

I appreciate the help Rick. It is certainly good to know that I actually have a vehicle ID number and it does match the truck. Now only to find out what the heck motor is in it. Is there anyway to find out what motor it actually is?? Size

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Bob Call

If the engine is still its original color, and the color is gray it is a 216 CI, if it is Chevy blue it is a 235 ci. Half tons had the 216. The 3/4 ton may have had the 235. I not sure when the 261 ci came about but I believe they were in 1 ton and larger trucks. I'm not sure of the color of the 261 but for some reason yellow comes to mind.

The motor number for 49 thru 53 Chevy 6's is on a pad to the rear of the distributor near the bottom of the block. It should have a two letter prefix followed by the production number. 54 thru 56 numbers begin with the production number followed by the two number year (ie 55) and may be followed by letter or letters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

The 3rd picture is of that plate and the plate reads "F0503 B" which doesn't seem to match anything I've heard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

I'm lost with it. That is why I am looking to all of you knowledgable people for help. Someone else I think suggested that too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's my belief that this is just simply a matter of a previous owner replacing a engine with a newer one sometime during it's life. Who knows why it was done or how, or what the engine number is about, as it doesn't match up to any sequence numbers I have for a 1956 engine. Which I'm convinced it is. The fact is, your truck has the wrong engine in it. That will be just fine if you only plan to drive it and enjoy the truck. But, if it's a matter of authentic restoration for show purposes later to come, then you'll need to locate a correct 1952 216 engine. There are still plenty of them out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

Thanks Rick. I plan to just drive it as is with no intention of restoring back to original. What makes you think that it is the 1956 engine?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mostly from working on several of those engines over the years and the fact that your cylinder head number matches for a '56. I've also restored several of these AD trucks like yours, including two 3/4 tons, so I'm a little familiar with them.

Enjoy the truck, they're getting more and more popular with every year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

Maybe you can help me get it running. I have cleaned the fuel tank, lines, changed the coil, condensor, points, plugs, rotor, distributer cap and am not rebuilding the card. I cannot seem to get her to fire. The spark is good and the wires are in the correct order on the cap. I tried moving the distributer when starting also. I am lost until I get the carb back. Any suggestions are welcome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's see what happens after you get the carb back. Meanwhile, make sure you have the dist. and timing set up on #1 cylinder to fire. You didn't mention if you're getting fuel pressure out of the fuel pump. Double check that awhile too. Also, if you haven't already, you could run a compression test on the engine so you know what you're dealing with. Do those things until the carb is back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Bob Call

Scott

Here is another thing to check to verify this is a 56 235 like Rick says.

My dad had a 50 Chevy pickup. The old 216 was pretty tired by 56 so instead of rebuilding the babbit rodded 216, we updated it with a 55 powerglide 235 engine with hydralic lifters. All 56 and later 235's have hydralic lifters. It was a bolt in using the manual trans bellhousing, flywheel and clutch. The other changes made were to get rid of the foot starter pedal and use a 55 - 56 passenger car ignition switch to use the 55 starter. And the big change, which you can use to check your engine. The 216 babbit rod engine had a 30 psi oil pressure gauge. We had to use a GMC truck 60 psi oil pressure gauge for the full pressure 235 engine. The Chevy gauges were dark brown. The GMC gauges were beige. Check the oil pressure gauge in your truck and if it is a 60 psi you have a 235 engine.

The Chevy six is a good reliable, not real powerful engine, 135 to 140 HP. Easy to work on and should readily start if it has fuel, and spark, even dribbling a little gas down the intake it should fire if the timing is close. Firing order is 1 5 3 6 2 4. Set number 1 cylinder at TDC and check the distributor to be sure #1 plug wire is at the terminal in line with the rotor. The distributor rotates clockwise.

Our old truck used to surprise a lot of 50's Corvettes and Tri-5 power pack Chevys at the stop lights (4.10 to 1 rear axle ratio). But after the old truck started to float the valves in second (probably around 4500 RMP) we only saw Vette taillights pulling away.

Good luck with your truck and enjoy it.

Edited by Bob Call (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest 1927Buick

I don't know is if it is the same in all states. In Missouri the motor number is the VIN number on viechles before 1954. I got this info. from the Missouri Highway Patrol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
Guest scottemma1

Does anyone know if the firing order on a 1954 235 6 cylinder is from the fire wall out or from the radiator in? I have a diagram that shows what appears to be from the fire wall out. Is it correct?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Bob Call

No, the cylinders are numbered from the front back to the firewall. Number 1 at the front and number 6 at the back. Firing order is 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4. This is true on most inline sixes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

I still cannot get this engine to fire. The firing order is correct, 1,5,3,6,2,4 from the radiator to the firewall. The compression test was 120,110,90,100,110,100, I have what appears to be good spark. The carb has been changed several times, has a new rotor,distributor cap, coil, points & condensor. It is driving me crazy. I have thought about taking it in to a mechanic but wanted to figure this out without doing that if possible. The gas is pumping good, I have rinced the tank and drained, still smells somewhat varnishy. Any suggestions anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have good spark, fuel and compression, it HAS to start. It is almost certainly, a timing issue. Take out the #1 plug and put your thumb over the hole. turn the engine over with a breaker bar on the crank pulley, keeping an eye on the timing mark. when your thumb pops off of the hole, the mark should be close to lining up. Line them up at that point. Take off the distributor cap and note which terminal the rotor is pointing at. This will be the #1 terminal. turn the distributor until the points just start to open. This is close enough for now. Run a wire from the #1 terminal to the #1 plug. The next terminal on the cap goes to the #5 plug, the next to the #3 plug and so on. The engine should now fire. Set the timing with a strobe light.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

I think it was correct all along. Someone told me that the firing order was from the firewall out. We then changed the firing order moving 1 from the front to the back. Now I found out that was wrong and am going to put it back to where it was originally. When #1 was firing when I had it going from the front, the rotor was in the correct position and the wires were all corrrect and still didn't fire. I just don't get it. Am I doing this right? I wait until I feel #1 cylinder fire, Then I check to make sure the rotor in the distributor is on #1 wire, in the #1 distributor cap position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest scottemma1

The rotor is pointing towards #1. When people speak of the distributor being 180 degrees off, how would I know that? It that was the case, the rotor wouldn't be pointing towards #1 would it??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Bob Call

If your distributor is 180 deg out, when the #1 cylinder is on its compression stroke with both valves closed and should be firing at about 12 deg before TDC, the distributor rotor will be pointing at #6 and #6 cylinder will be on its exhaust stroke with the intake valve closed and the exhaust valve open. If you haven't, pull the rocker arm cover so you can see what the valves are doing while you are trying to get the ignition timing set. If it starts with the rocker cover off, no biggie, it won't splash much oil. In the day most mechanics adjusted the valve lash on these stove bolt sixes while they were running. If your ignition timing is right both valves on #1 will be closed, the rotor pointing at #1 and the balancer timing mark somewhere near zero.

Edited by Bob Call (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...