1965 Crown Firecoach: Belts, Hoses and Fluids

"Hooker" (Hooker)
02/10/2014 at 14:40 • Filed to: None

As many of you know, life can get in the way sometimes. Work demands a lot of our time away from our families and our friends. When we have free time, it is spent catching up with the people we love. As it should be. However, what happens to all those projects that we are working on? The ones that we are (in some ways) equally passionate about? This weekend, I made it a point to set aside time to get down and dirty with my 1965 Crown Firecoach.

Crown pictured on the left.

When the Crown first arrived, it did so on the back of a truck carrier. It hailed from Texas, and driving it over the road over 1000 miles was going to be taxing on the old, and as yet unproven bits. The truck moved and drives under it's own power and was one of the biggest reasons for purchase. The biggest reason for hauling it was cost and the unknowns. The truck had been sitting, uncovered in the Texas heat for about 3 years. That's killer on any vehicle and we weren't certain of the brakes or the rubber bits.

Originally from Modesto California this truck has the ghosted images of engine numbers past all over the paint. It has a rich history as one of the best build engines of it's time and is a beauty to behold. 4 speed on the floor and a diesel engine. These were the fire trucks that were built of the same type of bones that the old Califormia Crown busses were built from. They were over built and reliable.

Thus, my family's desire to bring it back to what it once was and hopefully add a little more of ourselves to it's history as well.

Fast forward to this last weekend and I have cleared my schedule for enough time to turn some wrenches. First? The oil drain plug. All the fluids must be drained, new filters, hoses and new fluids returned. My dad tells me to be careful because when the plug finally comes out, the oil could shoot for about 8 inches. OK, I said. Thankfully, it just fell into the 5 gallon bucket I had sitting here (1 of 2 required for all the oil in the big diesel).

It's a brave new world underneath this big red land barge. The bits under here have been sitting for a while and are frozen. Not frozen due to cold, frozen due to not having moved in a very long time. This particular truck had band aid hoses on top of degrading hoses affixed with duct tape. Yeah, it was great.

Once I removed the duct tape and band aids it was time to remove the hoses themselves. Secured by clamps, I thought it would be as easy as the drain plug. Un-screw and remove the clamps and the hoses should just come right off, right? Well, the top radiator hose did exactly that, the bottom radiator hose decided to put up a fight. A fight I both won and lost all at the same time.

That hose right there was snaked up and over the front axle (very little room for my fat fingers and a stubby screw driver). Once I removed the clamps I started to wiggle the hose in every direction to get it to loosen. I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed no additional coolant leaking out of the radiator. Good, we got it all! That was my comforting thought anyway.

What I didn't account for was the settled coolant inside the hose. Yeah, I know, I am not smart. Many minutes went by of cursing and wiggling, wiggling and cursing until finally, POP! The hose came off completely, dousing me, the very hot drop light, and the floor with coolant. I took some to the face as well. That was fun.

That picture there is of me (headless, because it's not pretty) after the coolant spill. One entire side of me is drenched. Was it worth it? Hell, yes. We now have all the fluid filters, their part numbers, and all the fluids drained. We are making progress. It's slow but it's a labor of love. The truck won't be 'pretty' for a long time but to me, it's already the most beautiful piece of machinery.

DISCUSSION (20)

CalzoneGolem > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 14:45

Sweet man. I've been waiting for updates. What a cool project.

Hooker > CalzoneGolem
02/10/2014 at 14:48

Much appreciated. The Crown has sadly been a place to store other bits taken off of the Seagrave but this weekend that changed! Hopefully with the warmer weather, we can make some real progress. I really want to take it to a local antique fire apparatus chapter show here in April but not sure it will be completely road worthy at that time.

CalzoneGolem > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 14:49

Do you think the paint will buff out?

Hooker > CalzoneGolem
02/10/2014 at 14:51

Yes, right out.

No, really, it will need to be painted for sure but for now the petina and pitting on the chrome parts is rather awesome.

CalzoneGolem > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 14:58

I'd rather not think about what it would cost to paint that thing.

Does you guys run a truck shop?

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 15:02

Very cool that you have a fire truck. I hope to do a school bus RV conversion some day or maybe get a deuce and half. Either way I have a thing for big metal. Keep up the good work!

Hooker > CalzoneGolem
02/10/2014 at 15:06

No, that's my dad's garage....

There is a log house about 200 yards away on the same 20 ish acre property.

My dad and I would do all the primer and body work and the paint doesn't cost much after that. It's the prep that sucks.

Hooker > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/10/2014 at 15:11

Kinja'd!!!

This is a deuce and 1/2 that a buddy of ours in a neighboring town/fire dept converted. Not going to lie, it's pretty hot.

CalzoneGolem > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 15:12

Now that's a garagemahal.

Hooker > CalzoneGolem
02/10/2014 at 15:18

It's 45 feet square with 16 foot walls. A 14 foot square door on the back side and two 12 square on the front. Big shed for big toys. Also, if my dad had his way, it would have been about 5 feet bigger all around.

CalzoneGolem > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 15:19

If you're going to restore fire engines you damn well better have a spot to park them.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 15:19

that beast is BITCHIN!

ttyymmnn > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 15:21

Neat story, I look forward to hearing more. Where in Texas did you find this? Also, what are your future plans for it? From your past posts, I know your family does firetruck restos, but what do you do with with them once they're finished?

Hooker > CalzoneGolem
02/10/2014 at 15:27

Indeed. See, before this, we had the one antique and a 1992 International ambulance that my dad used for a mobile garage for his business. My dad borders on mad scientist a bit.

Hooker > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/10/2014 at 15:28

Indeed it is. And, he is in the process of building another.

CalzoneGolem > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 15:31

Haha. Well I'd buy him a beer if I ever met him.

Hooker > ttyymmnn
02/10/2014 at 15:39

This is only the second resto that we have begun. We have had other trucks in the early years (back when I was a twinkle) but the Seagrave has really been a member of the family. The newest Crown came from just outside of Dallas if I remember correctly. It had originally been from Modesto, CA. I have an image of it from Modesto but will need to scan it at some point.

We take the trucks to shows (SPAAMFAA - Society for the Preservation And Appreciateion of Motor Fire Apparatus in America) and throw water around with our 1500 GPM pump! :) It's a fully functional truck that's been across the entire nation. It's been to Baltimore, MD from MA and from NC where we live now. Frankenmuth, MI from NC as well. And many places in between.

Hooker > CalzoneGolem
02/10/2014 at 15:40

Yeah, he's a cool guy for sure. I don't have half the mechanical prowess that he does but I am learning and that is always fun.

ttyymmnn > Hooker
02/10/2014 at 15:41

We take the trucks to shows (SPAAMFAA - Society for the Preservation And Appreciateion of Motor Fire Apparatus in America) and throw water around with our 1500 GPM pump!

Sounds like a hell of a good time!

Hooker > ttyymmnn
02/10/2014 at 15:46

It really is. All the people have a common interest to preserve older apparatus and see it perform. They have national events and you don't have to have a fire truck to be a part of it.