mchan68 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I was just strolling through some YouTube vids, and came across this: Interestingly, while this kid is stirring through the gears, the familiar sound of that IHC 345 gasser whining away, brings back memories of riding that yellow bus that was so euipped. Anyone on this forum old enough to have actually wrenched on one of these puppies before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 The last cornbinder I can recall working on would be a 1970something Scout...... The 345 (and this is from memory) had a horrendous main bearing cap bolt torque... I remember this because the wrench slipped and my knuckles announced their contact with something hard under the truck (the motor was inframe). These could be confusing because you would attach the pick up for your timing light to number 8 - FWIW, a timing light is an electronically driven Xenon strobe bulb (modern variants, anyway) that you would connect (via an inductive pick up - again, modern variant... old world was similar but cruder) to a spark plug lead.... Ahhh, the good old days... The 304 and 345 were basically the same engines vis-a-vis bore spacing etc. Ditto the 392 but I don't recall seeing one of those.... The Scout and the Travelall were pretty much niche vehicles. This last cornhusker I worked on..... for some reason I recall a Carter 2 barrel B&B carb. This was a staple in Dodge production for many years... but I still get memory glimpses of the old "bell top" Holley two barrel that we would see on the 272/292 Ford... I vaguely recall a tripower 312 with 3 of these old gems on it... but, I digress. The Scout would have to be, AFAIK, the progenitor for the Bronco Jimmy and Ramcharger... and all they SUVs they begat.... I recall them using the Torqueflite 727 in automatic shift vehicles - not strange since Chrysler also supplied transmissions to Rambler (and then AMC after). Sidebar.... driven by the gratuitous AMC/torqueflite reference... When my loving bride and I tied the knot, I worked for a VW/Audi/Porsche dealer. At that tine, we had just received a low mile luxury car in trade and they allowed us to take this car as transport for our honeymoon.... (this was 1973.... give me a break.... I was earning about $3.00/hr). This luxury car was a 1972 AMC Ambassador... 401 CID and a Torqueflite 904... Ford starter, Prestolite distributor, Delco-Remy alternator.... Since I have firmly hijacked the thread... My FIRST encounter of the cornbinder type would be the Red Diamond.... updraft carbs.... you don't get much simpler than this.... some of this stuff is worth the Google. Oooooh... what you youngsters have missed.... Amusing anecdote.... TOTALLY unrelated.... My Dad had a 59 Pontiac station wagon.... this was not a small car It was a Laurentian (available only in Canada - somewhere between a StratoChief and a Parisienne trim wise) It had the ornage 283 engine (yes, even in the 50s, GM had a "corporate" engine - you might see a blue engine in your Poncho.... but you could just as well see an orange one). The cast iron Powerglide had two fluid pumps.... one at the front driven by the torque converter... another at the back driven by the driveshaft. You could push start this car... But... the interesting feature was the power steering pump. It was attached to the back of the generator (no - not an AC generator... a good old DC generator). Every now and again, the front seal on the PS pump would puke... and flood the commutator/brushes with PS fluid.... this would usually happen in Armpit, Saskatchewan. Google "polarize a generator"... more neat trivia... Wow... did I do that???? FWIW.... IHC would paint their engines red... IIRC, this was very nearly the same shade of red as the old Dodge 318 polymotor. Thanks, Mike.... you made me recall some of marvels of my youth.... and I didn't even get to dwell on some of the erotica and exotica.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregH Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 "So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time." Sorry, Jim. Couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LARRY BRUDZYNSKI Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Interestingly, while this kid is stirring through the gears, the familiar sound of that IHC 345 gasser whining away, brings back memories of riding that yellow bus that was so euipped. Anyone on this forum old enough to have actually wrenched on one of these puppies before? Yep, sure have and the one memory of this was rolling it out on the trails and breaking off the removable hard top. Boy was I pissed. It was a Scout II 345 with a 3 spd. The top held the body firm, without it the body sides flapped. Not a pleasant ride after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I cut my teeth on old gasser 'Binders back in the '70's: 345, 392, MV404, MV446, etc. They had an early diesel (I can't remember the designation) that idled on 4 cylinders and pulled on 8 cylinders, normally. Even worked on a couple of old RD450's in 1950's model Red Diamond IH's (IIRC), that were a straight 6 gasser with air brakes and no spring chambers! I overhauled many of those engines and remember subtle differences in the cylinder heads that would change compression ratios considerably, a plug that was commonly left out of the heads at the machine shop that would cause no oil pressure, a 3 bolt exhaust flange indicating the engine was a 392 and a 2 bolt exhaust flange was a 345. Grampy is right about setting the timing on #8, it was stamped right into the valve cover. Most of them were hydraulic brakes with a single circuit MC that made for scary stories when the brakes let go. I had one customer that didn't have the money to fix his whining ring and pinion and chose to drive the truck that way for several months. The vibration set up from the noisy diff had a habit of snapping the flare off the end of the brake lines on the back axle- yowser! I remember looking at it the first time thinking someone had cut it with a tubing cutter, because the break was so perfect. What a terrifically durable, simple truck that bred a loyal following to this day. IH built very strong gassers as they had to hold together pulling a ton of weight. This was in my early "mobile repair" days where I did brakes and clutches on location, frequently outside in the winter working on a sheet of plywood on top of the snow. (Ugh, no wonder my back and knees are screwed up!) Grampy and I should have a few drinks together someday and spin yarns about the old days...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 "So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time." Sorry, Jim. Couldn't resist. But the important thing was, I had an onion on my belt. Again, couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I'll give you 5 bees for a quarter..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastendpowerstroke Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Now where were we? Oh yeah: the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I'll give you 5 bees for a quarter..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I caught a lift with an old guy driving a red IHC pickup one time.... it seemed like there was about two and a half turns of play in the steering box.... We'd no sooner get up to speed and the whole truck would start to shimmy causing us to slow down again... I was relieved when he said I'll drop you at this gas station... I turn off the main road up here. A lot of these old steering gears were manual (no power assist) and there was a check plug in thw side for lube level... Then came the linkage type power steering... a hydraulic valve at the pitman arm and a hydraulic ram for the assist... yes, there was still a check plug on the steering gear... You could walk into many new car showrooms and see engines with multiple carbs... Now and again we would get a work order requesting a valve adjustment... a lot of engines were still mechanical tappet.... shit.... working on flatheads was still something we did when I got into the trade (how many water pumps does Ford flathead V8 have?)... Bruce... you - me and a jug of Mr. Gibsons finest ( no sparing the horsepower for a meeting like this) would be an evening to remember.... Have you read any of Smokeys articles or books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Have you read any of Smokeys articles or books? Wasn't directed at me, but Yep! And I got a picture of me and Grumpy Jenkins hanging in my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 “We can’t bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell them stories that don’t go anywhere. Like that time I took the ferry over to Shelbyville; I needed a new heel for my shoe. So, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them. ‘Give me five bees for a quarter,’ you’d say. Now where were we? Oh yeah, the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have any white onions, because of the war; the only thing you can get was those big yellow ones.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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