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Sheridan's 1946 Chevrolet
 Model 3104 1/2 Ton pick-up
 www.46chevytruck.com

Reference Materials and FAQs
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Q: I can not recall is how the radiator support bolts to the front frame cross-member.
A:  These are carriage bolts.  Nylock bolts were not original.  the rubber pads are available from most of the restoration suppliers or can be simply cut out from rubber from the hardware store.

Q: I have a set of defroster vents for my truck but they appear to be too large?
A: They probably are too big.  There are two different sized vents: sedan and truck.  The sedan vents are readily available where as the smaller truck vents are very hard to come by.  The heater and defroster were dealer installed options on the trucks.  Here's a photo of the correct vent with a reference tape measure against it.  Good luck with your search.  in a pinch, the sedan vents will work if you only screw one side in or if you modify the cab for them to fit (cut a larger hole).  I will be removing my dash in the winter of 2012 and will take some better reference photos of everything installed.

Q: My upper grille looks like it was squished/flattened.  What are the correct measurements between each horizontal bar?
A: Here are some reference photos that were taken off a 1945 NOS upper grille.  This is the upper grille I ended up chroming and putting on my truck.
 

Q: I have new rubber bump stops but I can not get them to fit in the carrier. 
A: The solution works for all rubber parts that have a tight fit!  From the restoration page:

01/16/07 Somewhat stuck on something that should be simple.  Replacing the bump stops for the front axle.  Before attempting brut force, I'm wondering if there is a "trick" of the trade out there that helps ease these things into place.  These are some pretty hard rubber with little give to them.  Come to think of it the original ones did not come out easy either.  
  
01/20/07 Here's the solution....rather simple as expected.  Freeze the rubber bumpers.  This will make them shrink slightly.  Spray them with a silicone lubricant then lightly pound them in.  Here's the pictures with the new bumps in place. 

 

 

 

Q: My spring bushings are worn out and need to be replaced.  i can not for the life of me figure out how to get the old bushings out and do not have a press.  Any suggestions?
A: From the restoration page:

12/22/06 Went to work today in an attempt to remove the oblong spring bushings. Considering most of the bolts snapped from 60 years of rust I was not optimistic that this would be an easy job.  A "tech Tip" on Stovebolt.com suggested making a bushing puller with the following from a hardware store:

The concept is pretty simple: the head of the carriage bolt is the same size as the diameter of the bushing.  The ID of the "T" Connector is large enough to accept the bushing as it gets pulled through.  Simply tighten up the bolt, smack the head of the carriage bolt and it should break free and crank out with relative ease.  If you can find grade 8 hardware it may help.  I stripped out several bolts/nuts attempting this but adding the reducers to the t-connector provides more grabbing power than what you get using the nut and is a nice "upgrade" from what is listed on the Stovebolt page.  It does work and prevents you from having to bring everything to a machine shop to get things reamed out.  

Installing new bushings:
I also discovered that the carriage bolt, washer and nut can be used to help get the new bushing installed.  Some people say a small vice will work if you don't have a press.  I found it to be very cumbersome and difficult to get squared up.  Try this; it's much simpler.

  1. Thread the carriage bolt through the new bushing and the spring perch.  

  2. Line up the bushing with the hole then put tension on the nut/bolt.  

  3. Tap the head of the carriage bolt with a heavy hammer (hitting the head of the carriage bolt prevents damage to the new bushing).  Start very slowly with very soft taps to ensure it goes in straight.

  4. Tighten the nut, hit the bolt head, tighten nut, hit bolt head ....

  5. Repeat until the bushing is in place.  It works pretty slick!

Here are a couple photos of the final results.  No more sloppy, oblong bushings:

12/29/06 I finished up replacing the bushings today.  The front passenger side bushing was so bad I had to drill out the center of the pin then use the method above to remove what was left without risking drilling into the perch.  Below is a photo of one of the bad bushings next to an NOS bushing.  As you can see they were all pretty trashed and well overdue to be replaced.  I was fortunate to have found NOS springs for both the front and rear so I did not have to mess with replacing the bushings on the springs.  
 

 

Q: By  any chance do you have a copy of the 1946 Salesmen data book?  I know there are 1941 books in re-print but I have never seen the 1946 book. 
A: The 1946 books are getting rather rare and hard to come by.  I was fortunate to get my hands on one a few years back.  Merry Christmas!  I took the time to scan in the book in it's entirety and have included it as a reference here:  The file is HUGE (350MB) and is not set up for a dial-up connection.  

 

Q: There are two round headed bolts on the e-brake.  How do I remove them?
A: Got me?  I just worked at it for a while and got them out.  The first was in the handle and that came out once I soaked it for a while the other one appears to have originally been press fitted in place.  That took a bit more work but it does come out?

 

Q: I believe the battery ground strap goes to the three speed transmission housing. Where does the frame bonding strap go? Anyone have a picture or where the bonding strap goes to and from?
A: I can not say 100 that this is correct but this is what I did with mine.  I have had a LOT of eyes on my truck and have yet to have someone correct me on this one. 
All that said.......it could be wrong - but it works!

 

Q: Request for photos of the carb linkage. 
A: Here are three photos that pretty much tell the story.  There are two rods and a pivot that attaches to the block. One rod goes through the firewall and connects directly to the bottom of the gas pedal on one end and to the pivot on the block on the other.  The second rod attaches to the pivot on the block and goes up to the carb.  The very dirty/rusty photo was my reference photo taken at disassembly and the other two were taken on my completed truck. 

Q: Can you ID this part?
A: Looks like the frame cross member.  Rear cross member that the torque tube rests on.  

Q: I need some help with identifying the correct colors for my truck.  What parts should be what colors and what about the interior?  Can you provide me with the paint codes for the Brewster Green on your truck?
A: 1946 Chevy Truck COLORS - Here's a document that I compiled that should answer most of the questions you have around the various colors used on these trucks. 
Click the link to view the Color Specification Guide: 1946 Chevrolet color information.pdf

 

Q; Do you have information about the optional radios for the 46 Chevy truck?
A: Sure - here you go: Radio photos

 

Q: Do you have any info on the spare tire carriers for a 46?
A: Sure - here you go: spare Tire Carrier 41-46 Chevy truck

 

Q: How can I tell the difference between a 1941 and a 1946 chevy truck
A: Check the title.  If that does not work try this:  Art Deco ID Guide

 

Q: How is oil distributed through the 216 engine?
A: 46Oil216.pdf

Q: I want to make my own rear bumper brackets - can you measure yours for me?
A: Try this - 41-46 bumper brackets rear.pdf

 

Q: I want to wire my truck myself vs. purchasing a complete wiring harness?  Can you help
A: Here's the wiring diagrams:

 

Q: What options and accessories were available from GM?
A: 41-46 Chevy Accessories

 

Q: I am looking for informatoin on the Janesville GM plant where my truck was built. 
A: Janesville GM info

 

Q: What are the dimensions of the wood bed blocks?
A:

 

Q: Has Gm published any information on these old trucks?
A: Yes they have.  GM Heritage center published this great document:

 

Q: How is the cab mounted to the frame?
A: cab mount.pdf

 

 

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