Info on '37 Ford ALF

[ThNozzleman]

Thanks...I'll check it out.

[chiefengineer11]

Vintage Firetruck Parts/Equipment group on facebook

[ThNozzleman]

I am on Facebook, but I generally avoid it like the plague. I hadn't thought about checking FB for this sort of thing. PM on the way.

[FWDbuff]

Nozz, are you on facebook? There are tons of FB groups dedicated to old apparatus and your potential audience to solicit info and parts from is endless. PM me your real name and I will add you as a friend, and then guide you from there. I also have a ton of friends that can help.

[ThNozzleman]

The caps aren't on the distributor, yet. I've been waiting on a gasket set for the distributor, which I have now. I am going to replace the distributor mounted coil with a more modern remotely mounted one, however. The old style 6 volt ones were notorious for overheating and burning out. At about $60-100 apiece, I figured I'd get the conversion kit.

[chiefengineer11]

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One thing jumps out right away and bites me in the face - are those distributor caps correct, or are they an later replacement? The original caps were rounded and the plug wires came out almost together. I see that the original retaining clips are still there.

[ThNozzleman]

Here's a shot of the pump...

Here's a shot of the pump before we started taking it apart. The changeover valve is frozen pretty good. Don't know if we'll ever get it out or moving again. Appears to be in the pressure mode, so at least it would pump.

[ThNozzleman]

I'm back...

Talk about resurrections...but we finally got around to tearing down our '37 ALF/Ford. Boy, what a project! Anyway, we're working our way back from the front. The old flathead stuff has been a blast, and not too bad to locate. However, we've stripped the pump down and now the fun has started. It has frozen at some point in the past. The case is cracked in a few places around the suction side (bottom, of course). I think these can be repaired enough to get it pumping again. The worst part is the two 2 1/2" discharge valves have also frozen and damaged the internals. I located another pump off a 1957 Mack that looked identical (up near Detroit), but the guy had already got rid of it by the time I called. If anybody has a lead on a pump or related parts like this (might be an early Twinflow, don't know), let me know. I would be interested in replacing the entire pump if I could find one for the right price. I could pump again without replacing the valves (just cap on a later model 2 1/2" shutoff while pumping), but I really need the right side suction (without the pressure relief valve) because is has a pretty bad crack that extends into the threads.

On a related note, I also need to rebuild the section between the cab and rear body section. I believe there was some sort of toolbox in that area, above the pump. The tank will have to be fabricated, as well. The original long ago rusted out. There is an engine at Big Flats Volunteer Fire Department in Big Flats, NY that is identical to ours, with the only difference I can tell being it's red and carries three sections of hard suction, where ours has only two. I've ran the numbers through the ALF database and they were only a few numbers apart on the assembly line. If anyone is a member of this department, lives close by, or knows someone who is/was a member, I would love to have several high quality photos of the layout of this engine. You can contact me here, or at [email protected].

I'll try to post some pics of our progress so far. I'll post pics of needed parts if somebody has a possible lead on replacements.

Also, would there be any interest in having Firehouse create a thread/section for fire apparatus restoration? Most of the web is pretty barren of committed fire apparatus related restoration sites. If there is a thread/section for this on the new forums, let me know...I couldn't locate one.

Thanks, and hope you've all been doing well.

Noz

[chiefengineer11]

Here's a picture of "Old Red" in action. Talk about the "Good old Days"! Hey I think I see Harve helping damn up the creek!

Now that's a great picture!

[BULL321]

Here's a picture of "Old Red" in action. Talk about the "Good old Days"! Hey I think I see Harve helping damn up the creek!

[FWDbuff]

Tell me about it! That thing was put on it sometime in the late 50's. It was donated to a member by Southern Railroad. It is actually the bell off of one of the last two steam locomotives still in service before being replaced by diesels. We're not really sure why they decided to put it on the front of the old ALF. It's currently a matter of debate as whether to leave it during resoration, or remove it, returning her to her original condition. I'm for removing it and remounting it on a decorative stand to use in ceremonies. Man, you haven't polished brass until you've polished this thing!

If you are going for an "original" restoration, my vote is for removal. For 2 reasons....1. Not original (duh!) and 2. That thing has to weigh several hundred pounds.....I gotta believe that it has some kind of an adverse effect on the front suspension.

Put some good wheels on that stand!!!!

[ThNozzleman]

That is one hell of a bell on the front of that thing!!!

Also consider trying the ALF Museum, perhaps they have some archived material/files.

Tell me about it! That thing was put on it sometime in the late 50's. It was donated to a member by Southern Railroad. It is actually the bell off of one of the last two steam locomotives still in service before being replaced by diesels. We're not really sure why they decided to put it on the front of the old ALF. It's currently a matter of debate as whether to leave it during resoration, or remove it, returning her to her original condition. I'm for removing it and remounting it on a decorative stand to use in ceremonies. Man, you haven't polished brass until you've polished this thing!

[FWDbuff]

That is one hell of a bell on the front of that thing!!!

Also consider trying the ALF Museum, perhaps they have some archived material/files.

[Catch22]

Sure do. Thought about submitting it to ALF and see if they can provide any info. Probably a long shot.

You might be surprised. We were doing some history work on some old pictures of our department a while back trying to figure out what kinds of trucks were in the picture. I finally found something I could magnify the hood ornament enout to read "LaFrance". I emailed them asking if they had any info on apparatus from our department.

They emailed me back within a couple of days (a vice president, at that). What we found out was that it as a 1916 Lafrance. We also found out that the 1928 piece that's in our town's museum (complete with the dent in the fuel tank from an LODD roll-over) was mislabeled at the museum. Everyone had thought it was a different year.

[ThNozzleman]

That is a sharp looking rig!

Thanks. Here's a pic of the guys who were on the department when it was purchased. A the grandfather of a local businessman and another man actually went to Elmira, NY and drove her all the way back to Tennessee.