panelvan

Update... Still no luck in getting a Panel Van model. I have tried Perth Model Shop who used to list it but no reply to my E Mail.

Update... A couple of weeks ago after first dropping the coolant, i slacked off in sequence all the cylinder head stud nuts and this of course included the two suspect nuts,( the ones that i had removed when i took off the oil filter bracket). Then i torqued them all back down in the correct sequence to the correct torque settings .refilled with the coolant at started it up. At first it seemed like it had cured the problem, but the next day the little weep of coolant out of the 2 stud nuts was back. The next step now is to get a new cylinder head gasket to see if that cures the problem. I will check out the cylinder head whilst it is off unless its plainly obvious the gasket was the problem. regards Mike

Hi and thanks for your reply. I have tried both CGM and Gunze links and up to now no success, ( it might be my lack of internet skills ! ). I did find it listed along with a half ton carryall and half ton pickups but no option to buy. I will keep on trying regards Mike

Hi Gordon, Something else you mentioned made me think .... After doing the earlier work on my radiator , i fitted a new radiator cap. On checking it properly i saw that it seems to be a 7 psi rating ! Although i have only run the engine for about 20 minutes maximum in total since then, it could be that the higher than 4 psi pressure, if thats what it should be , may have been a contributing factor along with the 2 nuts that i did not re torque down properly , to the weep of coolant up the studs. I will discard that cap and refit the old one for now. I will try to get a new old stock one from Dallas as the old one is a bit worn and minus gasket. regards Mike

Hi, i may have asked this before but can anyone help me to locate a model of a military Dodge Panel Van. I have a Dodge WC42 panel radio van. I know there are no models of this vehicle but there used to be a resin kit of a Dodge WC11 panel van which is identical in all but details. I have tried in vain to find it on the net. I know the same company that makes this van also does a resin kit of a half ton Dodge pick up truck. I seem to think it was an Australian company or was distributed by an Australian model shop. i am attaching a couple of pics i located some years ago of these models ,Plus a pic of what i think is a scratch built model of a panel van ( superbly modeled too ) and therefore not a model that can be purchased, unfortunately these pictures do not give any details. regards Mike

Hi i wondered if any Dodge fans may like to see some pictures of a rebuild plate i have. It is in poor condition and is very hard to read but i wiped down with vinegar and its possible to read some of the stamping. It seems to be for a WC54 and the date appears to be May 1947 . Chassis number 81644813. Rebuilt by Daimler Benz. Wouldnt it be good if someone had this actual vehicle !!!

hi there and thanks for the response. no i have not had the head off but you may have hit the nail on the head so to speak ! when i was doing work a couple of weeks or so ago i removed the oil filter unit itself from the bracket fastened on to the head . to do so i removed one of the nuts to get better spanner access to the filter clamps. i did not torque down the nut when i refitted it, i just tightened with a spanner thinking that it was not necessary as the bracket itself and the 1 remaining stud which i had not loosened, would hold it ,and this may possibly be the cause of the problem. I will refit the bracket and torque down the nuts on the weeping studs and redo the rest of the studs and report back here. cheers Mike

hi i wonder if i can ask if any one on the forum has had this problem and what is the cure? after doing a lot of work on my Dodge T215 engine when checking on the sump gasket after re fitting sump pan i noticed droplets of coolant on the sump lip. tracing it back i realised it was dribbleing down from above , in the area behind all the stuff on the left of the engine. (drivers side)oil filter ,hoses and bracket, starter motor and lead, steering column etc. after removing filter and bracket it became obvious that the anti freeze was leaking up the 2 cylinder head studs that the oil filter bracket attaches to. i wonder is it going to be a cylinder head gasket problem or something more sinister like a crack in the block ? i am attaching a photo showing the trickle of coolant that had formed overnight after clearing flaky paint and crud that had built up behind the bracket. any suggestions or advice would be gratefully appreciated regards Mike

Hello there. having managed to get access to my Dodge yesterday i can report that i think i may have sorted out the low oil pressure problem. my earlier posts show what the issue was and what fixes had been suggested and what i had already tried. Eventually i followed the suggestion of taking off the oil pump and packing the pump gears . I used Castrol spheerol classic . I did this on a bench after carefully marking with a paint pen the spiral worm gear and its tube , then i (reluctantly) dropped the sump pan, gave it a thorough clean and jetwash, but to be fair it was not that bad really anyway ! I took off and cleaned the floating oil pick up filter which was really dirty. Put new cork gaskets on. and re fitted the sump. The job of removing and refitting the sump was something i had not been looking forward to doing , and it was not an easy task. Access was awkward lying on my back working under the Dodge. everything seemed to be in the way, axle, diff, tie rod , exhaust. After filling with 20/50 oil i tried to start it. It wouldnt go so got a gallon can of petrol 'just in case, and success... it started. Checking the oil pressure my heart sank it was zero!!! then i remembered i had disconnected the original oil guage and teed off a pipe to a modern guage in case the original one was faulty. doh!!! Checking the modern guage i was pleased to see a reading of just over 30 psi. I left it ticking over for about 10 minutes and the pressure slowly dropped to 21 psi and stayed at that climbing to around 30 psi on pressing the accelerator. I was hoping for a bit higher tick over but at last it is out of its" sick bed " it seems and it drives again.

forgot to say i already have the gasket set.

its been difficult to get access to my Dodge as it is at my works and we are closed because of the virus situation so i can only go by arrangement. i have packed the oil pump and i now have to refit the sump using a gasket set. does anyone have any recomondations or tips regarding this and what gasket goo to use please

thanks for the advice. i have to say i thought vaseline was petroleum jelly ! so i will look for it ( petroleum jelly ) on the net in case i do use it 🕵️

hi everyone and once again thanks for your suggestions. first regarding checking if any of the steps i have tried have worked. i agree and i have done this except for what i have done today. it seems to me that nothing has worked up to now, but it will come right in the end. what i may do is re fit the sump fill with oil and try again before i pack / prime the pump . second, regarding vaseline versus liquid grease. the product i was planning to use may not be actually a liquid grease. that was my own interpretation of what it is that i have ordered. when i get it, i will describe it better to this forum. if it turns out Vaseline, as suggested on this forum is what is best, then thats what i will use. third , i will blow air through the pressure gauge line as suggested in case there is anything in there, but oil did come through the line when i cranked the engine with the gauge removed

Sump off. float removed. Filter gauze was very cruddy . cleaned and refitted making sure float was free moving, but i bent top tang slightly to make it stay lower. Next job is the pump. I cannot get a new one yet so i am going to follow the advice given on this forum and elsewhere and i have ordered pump gasket and liquid grease ( like vaseline ?!). I intend to take off the pump and using said grease, prime up the pump and refit it and try again. Thats if i can get access to my works

Thanks to everyone for the advice given. hello Gordon long time no speak if you know what i mean. I am debating whether to drop the sump today. My concern is that my Dodge is here in my workplace, and with things being as they are i may end up starting a job and not be able to finish it. My workplace may be closing for a period of time because of the Corona virus situation , at any time now and i dont fancy the idea of leaving it with the sump pan removed.