Hello all,
My name is Mike and I live in Poland. My dad and I have recently purchased our first Dodge truck and I love it! Its an M43B1 Ambulance with a date of delivery of 1962 although the frame number indicates its a 1964. I already own an M151A2 but I have never worked on bigger trucks (Im still trying to learn all the differences between a Dodge and a MUTT). In fact Im not a mechanic at all and get all my technical knowledge from army manuals and internet sources. Fortunatelly the ambulance that we bought runs, drives and brakes great. The motor is an original flathead six - it is unknown to me if it was rebuilt in the past. There is no weird sounds comming from the engine or the transmission. The oil pressure gauge shows a constant 60 psi pressure which I think is good although I would like to double check it with a replacement gauge or in some other way. All the electricals work well - stoplights, indicators (Im not sure if these are actually stock), patient compartment lights and ventilator blowers also I get almost 28 volts on my meter at the batteries with engine running. The truck has a Federal siren mounted on the fender - I really love it but consider taking it off beacause as far as I know these were not mounted in factory. I plan to keep it as much stock as possible as Im a member of a Vietnam War reenactment/historical unit and will use it for medical displays and parades. For now the truck needs a fresh coat of paint and a complete set of new decals. Im also planning to change the soft brake lines (they are old) and possibly wheel cylinders. The underbody is covered in rust but as far as I can tell its all surface rust and Im fine with it, Im not planning taking it apart and sandblasting it anyway. At least not for now. I will be also replacing the tires as they are old and cracked, the spare is a military NDT so I only need 4 new.
I drove the truck home two weeks ago and did almost 75 miles and it ran very well. I still need to practice double clutching as sometimes I would grind the gears which sent shivers down my spine every time. Anyway, here are some pictures. Let me know what you think. I would very much appreciate all the tips for a newbie that you can share. Thanks!
My name is Mike and I live in Poland. My dad and I have recently purchased our first Dodge truck and I love it! Its an M43B1 Ambulance with a date of delivery of 1962 although the frame number indicates its a 1964. I already own an M151A2 but I have never worked on bigger trucks (Im still trying to learn all the differences between a Dodge and a MUTT). In fact Im not a mechanic at all and get all my technical knowledge from army manuals and internet sources. Fortunatelly the ambulance that we bought runs, drives and brakes great. The motor is an original flathead six - it is unknown to me if it was rebuilt in the past. There is no weird sounds comming from the engine or the transmission. The oil pressure gauge shows a constant 60 psi pressure which I think is good although I would like to double check it with a replacement gauge or in some other way. All the electricals work well - stoplights, indicators (Im not sure if these are actually stock), patient compartment lights and ventilator blowers also I get almost 28 volts on my meter at the batteries with engine running. The truck has a Federal siren mounted on the fender - I really love it but consider taking it off beacause as far as I know these were not mounted in factory. I plan to keep it as much stock as possible as Im a member of a Vietnam War reenactment/historical unit and will use it for medical displays and parades. For now the truck needs a fresh coat of paint and a complete set of new decals. Im also planning to change the soft brake lines (they are old) and possibly wheel cylinders. The underbody is covered in rust but as far as I can tell its all surface rust and Im fine with it, Im not planning taking it apart and sandblasting it anyway. At least not for now. I will be also replacing the tires as they are old and cracked, the spare is a military NDT so I only need 4 new.
I drove the truck home two weeks ago and did almost 75 miles and it ran very well. I still need to practice double clutching as sometimes I would grind the gears which sent shivers down my spine every time. Anyway, here are some pictures. Let me know what you think. I would very much appreciate all the tips for a newbie that you can share. Thanks!
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