Hardtop cab window stuck, seatbelts, and engine not warming up

[Crawdaddy]

Well, it’s been a couple weeks since I got my deuce, and I have a couple issues and things I need to get done. First of all, when I bought the deuce, the rear window in the hard top is stuck in the open position. Thinking it was just rusted in place, I took a putty knife and cleaned out the track as best I could. I don’t see any rust remaining in the channel that should hold it in place. However, hanging on the window handle with all my weight it still won’t budge. I think the only way I’m going to get it closed is to take a hammer to it, but I’m afraid I’d crack or break the glass, and I don’t even see how the glass could be replaced. Any suggestions on getting the window closed so it stops raining (so bad) in the cab?

Second, I noticed I only have seatbelts for 2. I have a springer driver’s seat, and it appears it originally had a box seat in it, so I have an unused seatbelt tab by the driver’s side. I was thinking I could take a seat belt and use the tab for the original driver’s seat and share the tab for the passenger seat and make a third seatbelt that I’ll need for trips. I do realize that space is very limited in the center spot, but the person who’s riding there should be small enough to not get whacked with the shifter. Is there a government issue center seatbelt that I can install in the deuce, or should I hit the junkyard for a center lap belt out of a pickup truck or something?

I love driving the deuce, and it’s not very hard. The one major issue I’ve had so far is the startup and shutdown times required. According to the TM, I’m supposed to let the truck idle between 850-1000 RPM 5 minutes or until the engine reaches 120F. I let the truck idle at 900 RPM one day for 30 minutes, and the gauge never moved. It’s 60F+ outside, so it’s not the cold keeping it from warming up. In fact, after 15-20 minutes of driving it usually STILL hasn’t warmed up to 120F. Could it be the thermostat is stuck open? I understand the 5 minutes of shutdown time is for the turbo, and it’s not that long to wait so I live with it. I’m just used to non-turbo vehicles where you can park and shut down in an instant. Can I crank up the truck from cold and move it after a minute or so in the yard, then shut it down without taking risks blowing up the turbo or engine?

Finally, I checked the oil one day, and as I inserted the dipstick back in the tube, I met some resistance and bent the end of the dipstick a bit. The bend is nothing that a vice couldn’t flatten out, but what might I be impacting when I reinsert the dipstick? I thought I was going into the tube straight, but it seems to want to hug the outer edge of the engine to clear whatever’s in my way. Is it a crank bearing cap in the way maybe?

I think that’s all I have for now. Thanks for any tips I get. I’ve been reading the TMs as much as I can, but there’s only maybe 5000 pages of TM for the deuce to get through…

 

[deathrowdave]

Try Kroil allow it to set for a few days

 

[gimpyrobb]

The deuce runs cool. If you don't have a winter cover on, it will take a long time to warm up. The dip stick runs through a hole in a baffle in the oil pan, it helps to twist it if you run into resistance to get it to go in. I have the same issue. Find something wide and flat to pry on the sliding window to spread out the pressure. Hopefully it will let go w/o breaking. I agree on spraying some lube in the channel.

 

[Crawdaddy]

I knew the deuce ran cool, but I didn't realize that it needed a winter cover on in the extreme heat and obscene humidity I get down here.

That's good to know about the dipstick. I'm going to start clamping it in a vice to get the stick to straighten out some. It's got a curve in it that spans a foot or so of its length that curves gently since I hit the baffle. I'll also keep that trick in mind.

For the window, will PB blaster do, or should I maybe look for a lubricant that's not petroleum-based, perhaps a lithium-based lube? It seems like PB blaster could start tearing up the fabric or whatever soft thing the track has in it.

 

[gimpyrobb]

PB should do.

 

[runk]

Added a third seatbelt, I think I used a leftover one from a Triumph.

If you end up breaking the glass in the window, the whole assembly comes out, and then the frame can come apart. Mine leaked like a sieve around the window, so I pulled it out to put in a gasket. Check that the hardtop or window frame isn't twisted or crushed. I had to re-do the first post gasket install to straighten the window so it worked smoothly again.

Deuce's are very cold blooded, since I flushed the cooling system it's never been above 160F (including freeway driving last summer). And the temperature gauge seems to match my IR thermometer pretty well. Needs to be above 70F to really warm up.

 

[broman78]

cut a piece of cardboard and mount it in place beats paying for a winter front.

 

[randini]

I cut a piece of cardboard, and put it in fron of the radiator. What is the correct operating temp? I had it so the engine was just under 200 degrees, Then I opened the cardboard up so the engine is now about 160-170, is this rights?

 

[flyxpl]

The big ldt will not create much heat at idle with no load . I can not get my temp gauge to move until I start to drive .My A3 has three seatbelts , my A2's have two seatbelts . After a soaking put a block of wood between the hammer and the window .

 

[jimmcld]

As for the window, the glass slides in a channel. Run a thin blade between the channel and the glass. The rust has probably swollen to the point that it has seized the glass.

 

[ctmustang]

Yeah the temp gauge wont move until you start driving. It should run just under 200. If not up to temp you are not getting thermal expansion which causes wear to the pistons and cylinder walls. And yes you can start it up and move it around the yard and shut it off rite away without any harm. If the top of the hardtop is mashed down like most are use a jack and 2x4's and jack it up into near original position and can only help with the window deal.
CT

 

[wbdodgeiv]

The center seat is dangerous, getting whacked with the shifter isn't important -- not being impaled by it in an accident is. They do not break away.

I run a square of cardboard on my radiator year round. I'm not good at letting the truck warm up, I give it a few and then go. I have the opportunity to keep the rpms low when leaving the house, but 10min of driving warms it up much faster than idling. I have never had the truck warm up just idling. If I have to run at high idle, might as well go somewhere.

 

[Flyingvan911]

Squirt some PB Blaster in the window track. The very bottom of the window frame is rusted to the frame. When the window is free, put a few drops of oil in the bottom of the frame and slide the windows back a forth a little.

 

[Crawdaddy]

This weekend I'll hit the tracks as best I can with some PB blaster, let it soak in and give it a shot. I'd really like to get the window closed and at this point, I don't plan on ever opening it again.

My hardtop cab roof is sagging down as most people describe, but it hasn't really bothered me. The guy I bought it from said I could push it back up flat, but I still have the pegboard-type stuff on the roof and I think if I tried to push against it I'd break it, so I haven't tried.

I never thought about the impaling hazard with the center spot, I'll have to try to figure out a way around that. I guess the A3s had the center belt because of the auto shifter being pretty out the way. I'll see what I can figure, I really need to seat 3...

 

[Crawdaddy]

I got the window closed. I took some PB blaster to it, but I don't think it helped. I tried closing the window from the passenger side of the truck, and leaned into the handle with all my weight while lifting some. It moved bit by bit until the window closed all the way. Just for kicks, I tried to get the window back open, but it doesn't want to budge again. Not a huge deal, but I'll mess again with it some more tommorow when I have more light. There's some rust in the channel, but the actual ridge that the window rests on is still green and smooth. I think it's just the felt on the window that rides on the truck is worn out.