From the catalog description for the trucks through 64 - it appears that the cloth covered wire was still in use - but sometimes catalog descriptions are not entirely accurate...
"COMPLETE WIRING HARNESS - MADE IN THE USA FITS 52-64 TRUCK Just like original cloth covered and coated wiring harness. All made to factory specs and pre-terminated wiring. "
It can go either way. My '63 was all plastic and rubber coated wire, even on items up under the dash where nobody had ventured since the factory. There was no sign of cloth covered wire anywhere. A '59 in my experience should be cloth.
I'm knee deep in disassembling my T90 and Dana18. I'm amazed at how robust yet relatively simple these units are. It looks like both units will need nothing more than gaskets, seals, thrust washers, etc. Do any of you have any insight when comparing the KW minor overhaul kits vs the kits produced by Novak? The kits from Novak are almost double the cost. If the quality is there, I don't mind spending extra but I can save a little $$ for the same parts, well.....
The convenience of the kits and the quality are fine from both sources. I would use the Fel-Pro Transfer case gasket set, they have a few different ones. The best prices will probably be found by purchasing the bearings and seals individually from Rock Auto or other discount bearing supplier.
Almost all of my parts from KW are Omix. I have bought small and major overhaul for T90 and D18. I bought them before getting real involved in the forums but haven’t installed many of them yet so can’t give you a review. I sincerely hope they work better than the forums claim. I have seen where people are saying some of the Novak kits are starting to use some minor Omix bits and pieces.
I haven't posted in a while but I'm still plugging away. Just finished a refresh of the T90 and Dana 18. It was fairly straight forward and I didn't run into any real issues. I do have a couple of questions, though. On the transfer case, the shift rods are easy to move back and forth without the detent balls and springs. After installing the ball and spring to each side, the 4 wheel drive shift rod moves without too much effort when you grab the end of the rod. On the high/low shift rod, I can't move it at all by hand. Any ideas on what might be the issue here? The next question involve the T90. The shift fork for second gear has a little play in it and if I shift into second gear and remove the shift tower, I have a small gap (1/16" or so) between the sychro sleeve and the second gear. From what I've read and watched online, this gap can cause the transmission to pop out of second gear. Any suggestions?
Cajun this could be a few things but, lets start with the shift rail issue in the transfer case. It sounds like you need to install the shifter and try the shifts completely assembled. If you are sure you have the interlock in the right way and the shift balls springs and rails are correct, It could be a worn detent on the shift rail or cover hole hanging up. Edit: You will have to turn the input an output shafts to align the gears.
I am not sure what you mean by "play" in the shift fork. The fork should be pinned securely to the shift rail. It should not be loose on the rail. As the transmission shifts the "cut" of the gears are such that there is a natural tendency to pull it into gear. As the clutching teeth on the gear wear, this effect lessens and lessens until it starts to spit out of gear on deceleration. Tighten the shift rail on the shaft and be sure the shift fork pads are not worn keeping the fork from moving the clutch collar all the way into gear. The fork pads should not have a lot of visible wear where the pads contact the collar. Some wear is OK. A deep groove is not.
A few pictures of the parts might help Cajun, lets see what your up against.
These pic's of shift forks out of a motorcycle transmission from another web site, are junk. Notice how the fork is beginning to contact where there are no pads at the middle top of the forks. This is a good example of what to look for. These should not be reused.
bmorgil, thanks for the insight. Is there a certain position that the shift rail should be in, in relation to the ball/spring when installing? I'll try attaching the shift stems and see if it's still an issue. As far as the shift forks, there is very little wear at all where they contact to collar. The play that I'm referring to would be fore/aft. It almost seems that the fork is a little loose on the rail, like the lock pin is worn. I'll get some pics and post later. Thanks again.