The original power truck had an old KTM flat, side magnet, open frame motor with a crude, noisy U shaped wheel and gear mount. The motor was plainly visible through the windows and precluded a full interior.
Note: Adjust brightness and contrast for optimum viewing.
Old power truck.
Before removing old truck, measure floor hight and power truck center for later reference. Disassemble and remove power truck. Mark center lines on floor with fine marker. The original bottom mounted support strip was too narrow to drill for the SPUD shouldered stud, so a K & S brass strip was fabricated with a slot and truck screw hole ala ZEE bracket. A very slight zee offset was bent at the floor edge to correct hight. The offset can be eliminated and hight corrected with shims only. This is mounted on top of the of the floor using original screw holes. Correct hight with Evergreen strips or brass shim stock. Glue these to strip and cut screw clearance slot, when correct.
K & S strip mounted on top of metal floor showing offset..
Track test without body to check floor opening clearance. Widen or lengthen as necessary.
Unscrew SPUD and carefully remove bottom coverplate to mount sideframe bracket. Use dummy truck as guide in selection. In some cases the original bracket may be modified to fit. Some frames have screws and holes, while others must be unsoldered and resoldered or glued to new brackets. In most IMP and older frames, axle holes are present, but may need enlarged diameters to clear unmatched axle centers. Alternatively the SPUD axles may be shortened to clear frame.
Caveats:
- Do not deepen journal holes. An unexplainable hole may appear on the
outside, right in the middle of the journal box lid.
- The axles are hard steel which should be ground off with an abrasive cutoff wheel. Avoid excess heat which can soften or melt plastic axle insulation.
Mount and track test again, checking for sideframe clearance. Adjust as necessary. Add wiring as desired for dummy pickup or lights. Mount body and test.
Ready for finishing.
