Chevrolet 1961 Truck User manual

1961
TRUC/(
.I
OPERATORS
GUIDE

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OPERATORS MANUAL
FOR 1961
CHEVROLET
Light, Medium and Heavy Duty
TRUCKS
This operator's and owne r's manual has been prepared to
furnish information p ertaining to the driving, care and lubri-
cation of Chevrolet trucks as well as to provide tec hni cal
data that may be of value or interest to truck owners.
The subject contents below is a r ea dy reference to the key
s ubjects and will assist in finding any subject covered in this
booklet. An index is provided at the rear of this booklet to
cover all items d escribed and give their re s pective page
numbers.
All inform ation, illustrations, service procedures and speci-
fications containe d in thi s lit e rature are based on the latest
product information available at the time of pub li cation
approval. Th e right is re se rved to make changes at any time
without notice.
Subject Content.
Page
Preliminary Pointe rs . . . . . . 3
Instruments and Con tr ols.
Featur es 17
Operating Instructions 22
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Lubrication
Tec hnic al Data
Gene r al Information
Index
CHEVROLET MOTOR DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
DETROIT 2,
MICHIGAN
S.cond E dition Pc"t Number 3781607
Page
56
88
94
103
LITHO IN U,S.A.

OWNEU'S SEUVICE POLICY
Upon deli ve ry of your new Chevrolet truck, you received
an Owner Service Poli cy which you sho uld read carefully.
Ke ep this policy with yo ur truck during the warranty period
as it
serves to introduce the Owner to any Chevrolet dealer.

PRELIMINARY POINTERS
Proper operation of this vehicle for the first few hundred
miles will contribute greatly to longer life and add much to its
future performance and economy of operation.
If not properly maintained and wisely op erated, your truck
can lose much of its efficiency and performance which it is
capable of supplying .
The following are maintenance hint s and driving tips to aid
you in realizing the maximum in efficiency and economy from
your Chevrolet truck:
• It is recommended that the maximum s peed be confined to
50 miles per h our for the first 500 miles.
• Use the lowest gear ratio available when starting up with
heavy loads and climbing grades to avoid "over-taxing"
the engine.
• Avoid driving for extended periods at anyone constant
speed, either slow or fas t.
• Avoid full throttle starts and severe application .of the brake s
in stopping.
• Continuous driving at high speeds should not be done until
the truck has been driven 2000 miles.
• Drive at reasonable lower speeds until engine has warmed up .
• Hill and mountain driving requires more gasoline. A carbu-
retor adjusted for sea level driving be comes extrem e ly
wastefu l at 5000 feet or more altitude.
• The engine should be regularly "tuned-up" so that power
robbing conditions, which may develop so gradually that
they are not noticed, may be found and corrected. Faulty
spark plugs, for instance, can waste . as much as one gall on
of gasoline in every ten.
• Use only hign~st qualit y fuel. Poor quality ga soline, whether
Regular or Premium , may introduce harmful deposits into
the engine .
• Use a good grade of proper viscos ity engine oil. Too heavy
an oil wastes gasoline.
• Have the air cleaner cleaned and reoiled, or replaced ac-
cording to recommendation. A
dirty air cleaner can reduce
mileage by as much as 10 per cent.
• The front wheel and tire assemblies should be balanced
periodically to provide a more comfortable ride and prevent
improper tire wear.
Such care in operating your new truck will assure proper
mating-in of all the running surfaces of the moving parts of the
engine, transmission and rear axle .
• 3 •

Fig. I-/ns'rumen, Cluster- % -2 Ton S'andard Models
Fig. 2-Con,ro/s-'12-2 Ton Standard Models
• 4 •

INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
The type, location and operation of instruments and controls
vary on different models and different series trucks. There-
fore, regardless of past experience an owner or driver may
have had, it is advisable to famili arize yourself with the
instruments and controls and their use before driving this
new truck. As severa l different instrument groups and dash
panel assemblies are used,
the paragraph concerning each
item will de sc rib e the operation or use of that item and will
not attempt to describe location. The lo cation of all instru-
ments and controls will be shown in various illustrations on
the following pages.
STANDARD INSTRUMENTS
GASOLINE GAUGE
The gasoline gauge is wired through the ignition switch and
will only indicate the amount of. fuel in the tank when the
ignition switc h is turned on . As this gauge utilizes a "balanced
needle" for greater accuracy,
the gauge needle will not neces-
sari ly return to the empty position with the ignition switch off.
The needle may stop in the center of the gauge .or go off at
either end when the ignition switch is turned off.
TEMPERATURE GAUGE
The water temperature gauge may register anyw here in the
band between the two marks ("C " and "H") and still indi-
cate normal operating temperatures. As this gauge utilizes a
"balanced needle~' for greater accuracy, the gauge needle will
not necessarily return to the "cold" position when ignition is
turned off. Th e needle , may stay in the center of the gauge or
go off at either end when the ignition switch is turned off.
AMMETER OR GENERATOR
TEL-TALE LIGHT
The ammeter indicates the flow of curren t to and · from the
battery, except for the current taken by the sta rting motor .
The generator tel-tale light indicates generator operation.
Normal operation is with the light off or for the ammeter to
show a positive (+) reading. Refer to "Operating I nstruc-
tions" for complete gauge (or indicator) interpretation.
·5·

Fig. 3_lnslrumen' (Iusf.,·2 '12 Ton Standard Models
Fig. 4-(on',oh.2'12 Ton Standard Modell
·6 •

OIL PRESSURE GAUGE OR INDICATOR
Both of the se un its indica te whether or not the oil pump is
operating, but do not indicate the amount of oil in the crank-
case. In addition,
the oil pr ess ure gauge giv es an indication of
oil pressure in the lubricat ion system. Pr oper gauge (or indi-
cator) interpretation is giv en under "Op era ting Instructions,"
Fig. 5-lnstrum.nls-FIG' Fac. Cowl Mod.,s (Typico"
Thi s te l -tale lig ht , an d all other tel-tale lig ht s used, will lig ht
when the ignition switch is turned on. Thi s is d one so that bulb
op era ti on can be checked.
SPEEDOMETER
Th e spee domet er ha nd mo ves around the dial indicating the
sp ee d of the ve hicle in miles-per-hour.
Odometer
Th e group of six figur es in the sp ee d ome t er lower cent er
secti on indicate th e tot al mileage the truck ha s been driv en.
HEADLIGHT BEAM INDICATOR
A red indicator light is wired in to the dimmer switch so
th at when th e he adlig ht s are on upper be am, the indicator
li ght will be on.
·7·

OVER SPEED WARNING LIGHT
As standard equipment on seve ral larger series trucks and
optional equipment on certain others, a red light warns of ex-
cessive engine spee d on overrun on VB engines. As a check to
be cert ain that the bu lb works, thi s light is so wired that it
turns on at the instant the ignition sw itch is turned on and
go es off after the engine h as started.
OPTIONAL INSTRUMENTS
AIR PRESSURE. GAUGE
This gauge is u se d to indicate the air pressure in the full air
brake system or the air over hydraulic system. Do not --a ttempt
to oper ate the ve hicle unle ss pressure has built up to 60 p si or
more.
Low Pressure I ndicator
A warning bu zze r, mount ed und er the dash operates when
air pressure in th e br a ke syste m fall s below 60 psi. When first
starting the vehicl e, the w arn ing bu zze r will so und until pres-
sure ha s built up . Wh en the desired pressure ha s been re ac h ed,
the buz zer will s hut off. If the buzzer o per ates under normal
drivin g, bring the ve hicl e to a contr olled stop and locate an d
correct trouble
before proceeding.
NOTE: Do not op er ate vehicle w hile buzz er is
operating as br ak es are not in proper operat-
ing condition.
TACHOMETER
Th e tacho meter (when installed) indi ca te s engine sp ee d in
revol u tion s per minute. Th e sca le r eads 10, 20, 30, etc. By add-
ing two zeroes after the reading, the indicat ed engine sp ee d
will b ecome 1000, 2000, 3000, etc. Tran s mission s hifting range
is indi cate d by tw o ma rker s factory se t at 25 & 40, w hich can be
a dju st in g a long the periph ery of the ga ge to indic a te the opti -
mum range for any particular vehicle.
VACUUM GAUGE
Thi s gauge (when install e d) ind i cates engine v ac uum. Proper
interpretation of the gauge readings will indicate engine con-
dition, and
in many instan ces s how the way to more economi-
cal operation.
• 8 •

STANDARD CONTROLS
CHOKE CONTROL
The carburetor hand choke control knob is used to close or
partially close the carburetor choke valve. This restricts the
air intake and produces a richer fuel mixture for starting,
while at the same time opening the thr ot tl e by means of a fast
idle link on the carburetor except on those models equipped
with an updraft carburetor.
HAND THROTTLE CONTROL
Pulling out on th e control knob opens the carburetor throttle
to provide a uniform engine speed above the idle setting.
ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The accelerator pedal is used to open and close, as required ,
the carburetor throttle valve to vary vehicle engine speed.
fig. 6-lnsfrumenh Gnd Controls-Forward Conrrol Models (TyplcalJ
• 9'

CLUTCH PEDAL
On models equipped with a manual transmi ss ion, a clutch
pedal is used to engage or disengage the clutch, thereby con-
necting the engine to or disconnecting it from the transmis-
sion and driveline to rear wheels. When the pedal is fully
depressed, the clutch is re leased allowing the transmission to
be shifted. When the pedal is fully extended the clutch is
engaged g iving drive to the transmission and through to the
re ar wh ee ls.
BRAKE PEDAL
Depre ss ing th e brake pedal applies the service brakes at all
wheels in proportion to the pressure applied to the pedal.
PARKING BRAKE CONTROL
Two different parking brake controls are used depending
upon the series truck and equipment installed.
Fig. 7_lns'rumen's and Controls-Til, Cab Models
. 10·

On one line of trucks, a co ntr ol l ever ex te ndin g up fr om th e
cen ter se ction of th e fro nt fl oor is used. By pulling st raig ht
b ac k on the l ev er, the pa rking brak es are applied. To rel ea se
th e bra kes, s que ez .e th e mova ble lever at th e top of th e co nt ro l
a
nd at th e s am e time, pu sh forward.
CAUTION: On models equipped wifh auxiliary
transmiss i on , au xiliary transmission must be
in gear befor e applying parking brak e.
The o th er one u se d, is a tr igger ty pe l eve r mount ed to th e
left of
the st ee rin g co lumn und er th e i ns trum e nt pan e l. To
a
pp ly th e br akes, pu ll b ac k on th e l eve r. To release, s qu eeze
th e "p is tol " ty pe tri gger a nd pu sh fo rw a rd.
GEA HSHIFT LEVER
Th e gea rs hift co ntr ol on tru cks e quip ped wit h 3-sp ee d t ra ns-
mi
ss ion is loc ated on th e s teerin g co l umn. Thi s co ntr ol is used
in th e c on ve nti o nal HH" p atte rn as ex pl ai n ed u nd er "Operat-
in g I ns tru c tion s" to sh ift the tran smi ss i on to th e d es ir ed ratio.
Th e g ear s hift contro l for vehicl es w ith th e 4- or 5- spee d
tr ans mi ssion is lo cat ed in the center sec tion of the fr ont fl oor
ex c ept tilt cab models whi ch
is l ocate d be tw ee n the fro nt
s ea ts . The shifting patt e rn for
ea ch tr ansmission is sh ow n on
top of th e con tro l l ev er kn ob.
S
ee H Op e ra ti ng Ins tru cti ons"
for t he spec ifi c tran smission
u
sed .
Th e c ontro l lev er for vehi -
cle s eq ui ppe d with four wh ee l
drive is m
oun ted next to th e
tr an s mi ssion c ontrol l ev e r.
T hi s con tr ol is us ed to se l ect
fig. 8-I gn;,;on Switch fS· 'ar' . r Cont rol} the di ff ere nt axle d ri ves .
IGNITION S WIT CH (STARTER CONTROL)
ST ART - Used on ly when start in g eng ine. Wh en relea s ed ,
s
witc h return s to "ON ."
ON - For no r ma l op er ati on aft er eng in e h as b ee n s tarted .
OFF - T urn s off en gine a nd a cc ess ori es.
L OCK-Same as HO FF " ex ce pt that sw it ch ca nn ot be moved
i
nt o or ou t of thi s po s ition without th e k ey. Al way s sw it ch
to "L
OCK " when l ea ving ve h icle unattend ed.
• 11 •

NOTE : Key cannot be removed from the igni-
tion switch when in "OFF" position thus
guarding aga i nst accidentally leaving switch
off
but not locked . Key must be removed
when the switch is in "LOCK" or "ON" pos i-
tion. The switch
may then be moved be-
tween "OFF" and "ON" without the key.
WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH
Start wiper by turning knob clockwise. Full counter clock-
wise position turns wiper off. The electric wiper has two posi-
tions-OFF and ON. When the wipers are turned off, they will
return to the inner end of the wiper cycle.
CAUTION: In icy weather, never attempt to
ope~ate electric wipers if blades are frozen
to the windsh ield. Free the blades before
operation 01 wipers .
Fig. 9-Lighring Switch
DIMMER SWITCH
LIGHTING SWITCH
The three position lighting
switch controls
the instru-
ment lamps, headlamps, park-
ing lamps, taillamp and inte-
rior lamp. Th e headlight cir-
cuit is protected by a circuit
br eaker in th e light switch.
An overload will cause the
lights to "flicker" on and off.
If thi s happens , determine and
correct the cause of over load.
The dimmer switch is used to change the headlamp beam
from "high" to "low" or "low" to "high." Each time the switch
is depressed, the light beam is reversed. A headlamp beam
indicator, on the face of the speedometer will become illumi-
nated when the headl amps are on "high" beam. Avoid the use
of upper ("high") beam when meeting other vehicles on the
highway or in city traffic.
• 12·

HORN BUTTON
The horn butt on is conveniently located at the center of the
steering wheel. Depressing this button gro unds out the horn
circuit causing the horns to operate.
COWL VENTILATOR CONTROL KNOBS
Tw o knobs are u sed to open and close the dampers in the
vent ilati ng system. Pull knob(s) out to a dmit outside air,
push knob(s) in to s hut off air.
WINDOW REGULATORS AND HANDLES
Th e door windows are opened and closed by turning the
handle s from within the vehicle.
DOOR VENTIPANE AND HANDLES
The se are operated directly by a turn do wn catch handle . A
spring loaded friction device in the ventilator lower pivot holds
the ventilator open to any position se lected. Rain deflectors
are u se d over the ventipane to prevent ent ry of water.
SEAT ADJUSTERS
The entire seat assembly can be moved forward or rearward
to obtain the most comfortable position for the driv er. As the
seat is moved forward it raises and tips forward. As it is moved
back it is lowered to accommodate a tall person. Pres s down
on th e lever (fig. 10) to relea se the seat adjuster lock so that the
seat ass embly can be moved forward or r earwar d as de sired.
A coil tension spring assists in m oving the seat forward. A
seat back adjustment is provided on some models. To adjust
seat back , tilt se'lt forward, loo sen bottom locking nut , adjust
bumper (fig. 11) to suit, then tighten bott om locking nut. Re-
peat for opposite s ide .
Fig . r O-Seat Ad;ust.r Fig. J I-SuI Back Ad;ustment
·13·

HOOD LOCK AND SAFETY CATCH
The hood is of the "alligator jaw" type and is held closed by
a lock at the front. This l ock can be released by reaching in
above the upp er gri lle bar in line with the right end of emblem
and pulling the l ever forward
(fig. 12), the hood may then
be lifted. To close the hood,
l ower it from a completely
open position with a firm
downward movement to lock
it. When the truck is in
motion, the cam type lock
Fig. 12-Hood Lock permits only downward
movement of the hood with
a wedging adtion that provides positive lock ing.
TANDEM AXLE CONTROL SWITCH
AND WARNING LIGHT
All models with the tandem ax le have a differential lo ck - out.
This provision permits the driv er to temporarily lock out the
differential action be tw een the two axles and provide maxi-,
Fig. l3-Tandem Axle Lockout
Control Switch Fig.
14-Auxiljory Transmission
Selector Le ver
mum traction when the road, or operating conditions are un-
favorable.
The differential lock-out control consists of a dash mounted
toggle switch and a red warning light located on the instru-
ment panel (fig. 13). The warning light, when turned on, indi-
cates to the driver that the differential is l ocked out. Refer to
"Operating Instructions" for proper operation of this control.
Auxiliary Transnlission Shift Control Lever
Thi s unit is for optional use on models with the tandem axle .
• 14 •

The contro l for this unit is mounted between the two front
seats (fig. 14). The s hift pattern is shown on the control lever
knob.
OPTIONAL CONTROLS
TWO SPEED AXLE SWITCH
The shift control for the two speed axle is mounted on the
transmission shift control lever.
Fig. 15-Two Speed Axle Swi'che,
axle ratios (fig. 15).
In addition to shifting from
"high" to "low" axle or "low"
to " high '! axle, it also shifts
the spee dometer adapter to
maintain reasonably accu-
rate spee dometer and odom-
eter reading regardle ss of
the axle ratio used.
The vacuum s hift control
is operated by pulling the
small knob on the side of
the transmission control
lever up or down to change
The electric shift control is operated by moving a small
thumb lever on the side of the transmission control lever knob
forward or rearward to change axle ratio (fig. 15).
SHIFT CONTROL LEVER (AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONS)
The control lever for the Hydra-Matic and Powerglide trans-
missions is simiI.fr to the ones used in the co nventional pas-
senger car and is located at the top of the steering column on
the right hand side . Th e operating positions are plainly
marked on an indicator segment behind the stee ring wheel
(fig. 16).
Hydro-MCJtic Powe,glide
Fig . 16-Auto .maf;c Tronsmission Shiff Quodranls
• 15 •

The Powermatic se lector le ver is mounted on a transmission
tower (fig. 17) The lever can be moved to se lect neutral , one
of four speed ranges , or reverse. Th e positions are marked on
t op of th e tower. A retarder brake pedal (fig. 18) is also
utili zed to place the transmission int o a retarder range to assist
in downhill braking , etc. A red warning light is used in con-
iu nction with the retarder pedal to indicate excessive heat in
th e transmission flu id . If light goes on , release retarder pedal
momentarily to allow fluid to cool.
NOTE: This light should go on when the ignition
is turned on . This checks operation of the bulb.
Fig. J 7-Powermoric $eleclor lever F ig. J a-Re'arder Bralce Pe dal
TILT CAB MECHANISMS
R efer to "Operating Instructions" for procedure on op era -
tion of
these controls to ra i se or l ower th e cab.
· 16·

FEATURES
STANDARD EQUIPMENT
ASH TRAY
A convenient tilt type ash tray is located in the center area
of the instrument panel. The tray is opened by pushing it for-
ward at the bottom and pulling it out at top. To remove the
ash tray for emptying , depress the circular snuffer at top of
tray and pull out . To replace , h ook the lower inner edge of
tray over retaining rod, and push in at top.
DOOR LOCKS
Chevrolet trucks are equipped with push-button, theft-re-
sistant door locks which provide means of locking the cab
when the truck is to be left unattended and also a means of
locking
it from the inside.
To lock either door from the inside, it is only necessary to
move the inside remote control handle forward (fig. 20). Pull-
ing the inside handle to the rear unlocks the door even when
it has been lock ed with a key.
Fig . 19-000' LolA lOuts/d.' Fig.
20-lnslde Door Handl.
KEYS
Two identical (octagonal head) keys are furnished with each
truck. These keys are used for locking and unlocking the right
door, ignition switch and the
package compartment ( if so
equipped) . The key number
is stamped on a "knockout"
plug in each key (fig. 21) .
The dealer and the owner
should make a record of this
number so that the key can
Fig .2 1-K ey be easily replaced in case it
• 17 •

is l ost , and the "knock out" plug sh ould be removed so th at
unauthorized persons ca nn ot obtain the key number and h ave
a duplicate made.
REAR VIEW MIRROR
An a djustable rear view m irr or is mounted on the forw ar d
edge of the left door at the belt li ne, or optiona lly mounted
(different sty le mirror) on the garnish mo lding above the
center of the w ind shie ld . As the mirror in either case is sw ivel
mounted, it may be adjusted to suit any driver (fig. 22).
Standard Op tional
fig . 22-II .or V iew Mirrors (Typical 'nstallot;on'
ACCESSORY OPERATION
Listed below are severa l o ptional accesso ry items requirin g
specific instructions for their use.
RADIO
Thi s manually tuned radi o (fig. 23) will give the same
powerful, unrli storted reception as found in the passenger car.
To opera te the radio, proceed as follows:
• Turn Volume Control cloc k wise to turn on radio and in-
crease vo lum e. Movin g the
contro l coun tercl ockwise
reduces vo lu me and turns
'.;' .,. f'i
TONECOIiTROl
Fig. 23-lladio Controls
off the radio.
• Turn T uning Control Knob
(Selector) to se lect desired
station.
• Turn Tone Control Wing
Knob (under Volum e Con -
trol Knob) to give the tone
preferred.
NOTE: For best reception, the antenna should
be extended to at least the roof height of the
cab , or to full height of antenna if equipped
with van body, trailer body, etc.
• 18 •