coleman 4WD KB-8 military?

The cable operated thing is a ratio adaptor. The ones on my K's are vacuum operated, that one apperes to be modifed at some point to cable operation. It looks like the orignal vacuum lever is still there but the diapham and chamber have been removed. Not sure if it was done at Coleman or later by someone who couldn't find a vacuum replacement.

The cable operated thing is a ratio adaptor. The ones on my K's are vacuum operated, that one apperes to be modifed at some point to cable operation. It looks like the orignal vacuum lever is still there but the diapham and chamber have been removed. Not sure if it was done at Coleman or later by someone who couldn't find a vacuum replacement.

It's too perfectly made so it must be a coleman specific part. There is nothing homemade about anything on it. It has to be for the four wheel drive since the truck has a single speed rear axle that matches the truck. I'm glad I discovered it before I scrapped the cab, I'm even more than thankful I bought the trashed cab! There were alot of oddball coleman parts there still. It appears I have everything to do a coleman conversion to another K6 or D series, it's like buying the kit from coleman in the 40's...65 or so years after the opportunity passed.

Anyone have comments on the block?

I wouldn't be so sure. The modifaction is just sheet metal and uses the orignal screws. It is something I could whip up in my basment with a little metal and a file. Could be Coleman, could be done by someone else.
Like the number on the pinion gear, I think you tend to read more into it then there is. In that case that numbe exactly matchs the tooth count on the ring gear for the ratio you have, and I bet if you looked close you would find the tooth count for the pinion also.

I wouldn't be so sure. The modifaction is just sheet metal and uses the orignal screws. It is something I could whip up in my basment with a little metal and a file. Could be Coleman, could be done by someone else.
Like the number on the pinion gear, I think you tend to read more into it then there is. In that case that numbe exactly matchs the tooth count on the ring gear for the ratio you have, and I bet if you looked close you would find the tooth count for the pinion also.

Thank you for your opinion. The bracket is a manufactured stamped piece of steel you can see where the dies sheared the part on all edges. It is not something made in the basement...unless you are manufacturing dies and shearing parts with a 50 ton press in the basement. The other factor here is the ratio box is a 50% reduction compensation for the 4wd Low range not a lesser reduction for say a 2 speed rear. I would guess coleman or International ordered these special ratio boxes just for these trucks. As for the stamping in the pinion, I sanded down the surface to bare metal to get those numbers, no pinion numbers are there. Short of using acid to raise an impression that may not even be there, I would say it was a year stamping, line stamping, inspectors stamping, or part of the tooth count stamping. Maybe it was a bad day on the line? The good news is that kind people are helping unwind the mystery of this old machine. It would be nice to figure out what year it is.

I think you mis-understand what I was saying. The ratio adaptor is a common piece used in that time period. There are different 2 spd axles that have differnet ratios then the common Eaton planetary type. These two speed have sprial bevel as the primary and spur as the seconday. Just like ratio correction boxes, the 2 spd box can be fitted with different gears. Some of these 2 speed rears have a wide ratio split. Equal too or greater then 2:1
It is a common box upto and includeing the lever.As I said the cable clamp may or may not be a coleman part. two speed axles were orignally manually shifted, and these had to have some mechanical link to the speedo correction box also, It is very possable the ratio adaptor could be supplied by the mfg for cable operation, vacuum or even air.
I've rebuilt many rears, and never have I seen on pinion a date code, The reason is simple, there is very little room on the head of the pinion and there are more inportant things to put there. I have seen date codes on the ring gear, that is common. The fact that the number excatly matches the tooth count of the ring gear it is mated too, and the fact that this is normally what [u]is[u] stamped there, it is a reasonable conculsion it is what is being refered to.
Most common markings on a pinion head are part number, tooth count and production line and a mfg trademark. Match numbers are marked on the spline or tail end of the pinion along with the setting depth, The ring gear carry the same numbers plus others that more closely id when it was made. Since the head of the pinon is the only area exposed when assembled, only the data that is most important from a service or warentte point of view is allowed space there (who made it, whats the ratio, what line was it made on, what part number) The part number is inportant because there can be two pinion with the same tooth count but cut for different ring gears. Ring gears have enough space to write a book, and that is where things like date codes are put.
I see nothing esp un common about either of these parts.

If you are looking for clues as to model and year, Why not look for the frame number stamped near the left fron spring hanger? It will start with the model and then the frame number.