'55 R-122 rehab


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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:58 am

Location: Central IL

Post Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:39 pm

'55 R-122 rehab

I've already posted up a good bit in "introductions" section but I wanted to start a rehab thread here to share my project with all of you. I'm hoping that as I go that you might have some useful insight to share with me to reduce the :bashhead: ing. I also hope that documenting this rehab will help someone else in the future.

My project is a '55 R-122. It has been a farm truck for a good portion of it's life. The door tag indicates that it is a 127" WB truck and was shipped with a 94hp SD220 (@3800rpms). The increase in horsepower (as I understand it) was to offset the automatic transmission that the truck was born with. As a '55 it has a 1606 cab code S-Line cab with the larger vent windows, push button outer door handles, and single piece rear window. The R-122 designation (if I'm correct) indicated that it was a 3/4 Ton truck (R-120) with an aux spring package for increased load carrying abilities. The door tag indicates max GVW of 6500lbs.

I tried to get a line sheet for my truck but have been told that the records for this truck were no longer available. I've been scratching around the truck and manuals trying to piece it together. It has a 1606 code cab. A code 1402 rear axle (4.11 gears), An F-170 front axle, and a Ross TA-122887 steering box. The trans is a non-original T-9 floor shift 4spd (possible a code 1320?). No syncros here... lol. The brakes are 12"x1 3/4" on the front and 12"x2" on the rear. 6 x 7.25" bolt pattern steel split ring wheels wrapped in 16"x7.5" bias ply tires. The truck was originally painted Magnolia Ivory #9. No dome lights, no arm rests, a left side sun visor only, no radio, no door panels. I still haven't determined if the interior cardboard panels are maroon or brown. The heater was the standard model for the year with defrost vents in the dash. The bed is 8' with a tailgate that normally hinges at the bottom. However, if you leave the top pinned and throw the lever on teh right side of the box the gate will hinge from the upper point. Grain bed gate? When i bought the truck it also came with steel bed extensions. I understand that these aren't very common- cool. The rear bumber is made of diamond plate and I still haven't determined if it was homemade, a dealer accessory, or just an aftermarket piece.

My plan for this truck is to restore it mechanically and repair the large rust holes/dents. The exterior will be left alone for now. I shudder to think what it would cost to make this a "show truck". I and my wife want to use the truck for various things including going to the hardware store, tooling around town, going to drive-ins and fairs. I want to be able to tow a 16' float (cars/ garden tractors) with it as well.

I'll post more later, but here's what the truck looked like when I brought it home back in January of this year.

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'55 IH R-122- BG265 w/TBI fuel injection
'64 Porsche 356 C
'68 and '73 BMW 2002s
‘14 VW Passat SE TSI
3 Vintage Sears garden tractors ('66-'74)
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 741

Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:58 am

Location: Central IL

Post Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:07 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

The engine that was in the truck when I bought it was transplant from years past. It's labeled as an HT141 from a combine. The truck has sat for at least 8yrs in a field without a cylinder head on it. After breaking the years of rust and shattering several pistons I found that it has SD240 pistons and crank. The chamfer at the tops of the cylinders is a lot deeper than that of the SD220 that also came with the truck. The SD220 is a complete engine with a T9 trans attached to it. It ran 5yrs ago per the seller's info. Since it ran alst the pistons had seized lightly and the block freeze cracked. I had hopes to save the block until I stripped it down and found the cracks ran deeper than I expected. The crack runs through the outside of the block, through a cooling jacket, and into the combustion cylinder. It's done for... Once I got the HT141 torn down I found that it needed a sleeve in the #6 hole due to a vertical crack and the cylinder skirt is cracked on the #4 bore. I hauled it to the machine shop for inspection/rebuilding. I'm still waiting to see if the machine shop will come through for me.

One of the first major things I did after getting the truck home was getting it up on jack stands and knocking the wheels and drums off of it. Within a day I had ordered 4 new wheel cylinders, 2 new hardware kits, a new master cylinder, 2 sets of pads, and 3 soft lines from Rockauto.com. I picked up all new hard lines from one of the local flaps. I just bought straight sections and am bending/joining the pieces as needed to replace the original rotted lines. I took both of the radiators that the truck came with to a local rad shop. They were able to save one with a new modern style core. I could have bought an aluminum rad off of Ebay for about half the price of recoring the original radiator. I really didn't want to see an aluminum rad in the truck though so it was money well spent. After dropping the fuel tank and wire brushing it a bit I found a few pin holes. So, off to a small tank resto shop to have it boiled/soldered/lined. That was a bargain at about $110. I bought a fuel sending unit off of Ebay for a '50s ford. It has the correct bolt pattern, but after some reading here, I think it may not work as it's designed to send a variable resistance signal instead of an on/off vibratory signal for the gauges in the truck. At least the the whole is plugged for now. I may have to cheat and add an aux fuel gauge 'til I can solve the problem the correct way. I refinished the outside of the tank with tank tone from Eastwood. I ordered a new fuel tank cap from OldInternationaltrucks.ca. I also ordered 2 new park light lens, 4 gaskets, the rad mount bushings, 4 SD/BD rear motor mounts, 4 rear upper rear cab mounts, 2 wiper arms, and 2 new wiper blades. I used 1 pair of the rear motor mounts to replace the lower front cab mounts. I had to trim the ring from the moutn and glue it on the opposite side to mimic the original cab mounts. The steering box leaked like a sieve when I poured some fluid in it so out it came. I tracked down the right seals and 2 new bushings from Walck's 4x4 online. With the new seals/gaskets/bushings the steering box went back together with no issues.
I'll post up specific part numbers after I get home next week.

There is a good bit more to update about, but it'll have to wait til another time.
'55 IH R-122- BG265 w/TBI fuel injection
'64 Porsche 356 C
'68 and '73 BMW 2002s
‘14 VW Passat SE TSI
3 Vintage Sears garden tractors ('66-'74)
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:07 pm

Location: Camrose Alberta

Post Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:12 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

Keep up the good work I think it will be worth it in the end!
Vehicles;
1953 R130
3 X 1952-'54 Austin A40 Somsersets
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:58 am

Location: Central IL

Post Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

Thanks. Once the engine is in and going the rest will fall in line quickly. I don't want to reassemble the front 'til the engine is running and the sheetmetal is straight and free of rust holes. I'm still hoping to drive it this summer. I'm sure it will be worth the wait however long it takes. I can't wait to teach my wife how to double clutch... Glad I have a 2nd trans. LOL.
Last edited by VWJake on Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
'55 IH R-122- BG265 w/TBI fuel injection
'64 Porsche 356 C
'68 and '73 BMW 2002s
‘14 VW Passat SE TSI
3 Vintage Sears garden tractors ('66-'74)
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 307

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:07 pm

Location: Camrose Alberta

Post Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:42 am

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

I'd advise you to also buy a FEW spare clutch sets :jester: :jester: :jester:
Vehicles;
1953 R130
3 X 1952-'54 Austin A40 Somsersets
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 741

Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:58 am

Location: Central IL

Post Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:27 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

Oh I hope not. It doesn't look like it'll be fun to swap clutches in-frame.
'55 IH R-122- BG265 w/TBI fuel injection
'64 Porsche 356 C
'68 and '73 BMW 2002s
‘14 VW Passat SE TSI
3 Vintage Sears garden tractors ('66-'74)
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 307

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:07 pm

Location: Camrose Alberta

Post Tue Jul 02, 2013 4:30 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

It isn't really that hard aside from the weight of the tranny.
Vehicles;
1953 R130
3 X 1952-'54 Austin A40 Somsersets

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Pile of Parts

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Location: Midland, TX

Post Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:19 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

EXTREMELY random question but: what did you tell Uhaul in order to get that trailer? Last time I tried to get one for my truck they wouldn't rent me one...I'll be moving soon and will definitely need it.

Great project by the way!
70% of the world is covered with water, the rest is just Drop Zone!!!

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Post Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:28 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

When I rented from them, I base it on what I am hauling with, especially with their trailers. I just tell them that I am moving several different vehicles, and that I have made sure that they all will fit, and do not exceed their weight limit. Tow dolly is a different deal.

I now have my own trailer, it has two 7500lb axles under it, it is only 17' long but I have no Problem hauling a 6ton rig on it. Well built I-Beam construction. I pull with an F350 Turbo Diesel. Brakes good on all axles.

Depends on how much you have to move and how far, and How often you might use a trailer, or be able to sell it when you get where you are going. Just a thought.

Lloyd
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 741

Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:58 am

Location: Central IL

Post Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:52 pm

Re: '55 R-122 rehab

Four-Six wrote:EXTREMELY random question but: what did you tell Uhaul in order to get that trailer? Last time I tried to get one for my truck they wouldn't rent me one...I'll be moving soon and will definitely need it.

Great project by the way!



I think I told them I was going to haul my '99 Jetta. LOL I didn't want them to scratch their collective heads when I told them I was going to pick up a '55 IH R-122.
'55 IH R-122- BG265 w/TBI fuel injection
'64 Porsche 356 C
'68 and '73 BMW 2002s
‘14 VW Passat SE TSI
3 Vintage Sears garden tractors ('66-'74)
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