Leaderboard

Stock rear ends in all cases. One one of the PowerFlite installations I recall we had a 3.23 rear end and it cruised real well, but was a dog off the line. Because you could hold it in first or second as long as you want, it was a nice setup. The customer used his truck for farm work and the automatic made getting out of the mud much easier than with the standard 4-speed granny. One of the A-833's was installed with the 4.1:1 rear end and the overdrive gave her an easy 60 MPH cruise and the lower gears worked real well around town. The blessing of the flathead six is it's ability to make power from around 1,000 to 2,000 RPM so it's pretty much impossible to lug it too much. The opposite problem is that it is a horsepower dog. No 2 ways about it. Going from a flat six to a slant six feels like a hop up, and the slant 6 is a pooch which makes the 2 BBL 318 look like a monster! Sometimes livin and drivin in the 40's - 50's has it's good points and bad points.

Next time find someone with a tig welder. Have them build up the broken bolt till you have a big mass above the surface. Put a vice grip on it, turn it out. If your new "head" breaks off, just weld it up again. You get unlimited tries. The welded on knob gives you something to turn, the heat in doing it loosens it so it comes out. I've done as much as an entire manifold set before, it's always worked

We've installed at least 2 Powerflites into 39-48 Dodge pickups, and 2 A-833's, all with 218/230/251/265 flatheads. We did these decades ago and unfortunately don't have any photos for DIY'ers, The Powerflite is an easy installation and works quite well, and requires no cooling lines as the later Torqueflites do. The biggest deal is the rear transmission mount, which varies depending on the chassis, otherwise it's pretty straightforward with all factory parts. The A-833 requires a plate to accommodate the different bellhousing bolt patterns, and fabricating a shifter assembly to work with the cab configuration. Now that adapter plates are being made, this avoids the custom fitups we did 25 years ago (we just did 2 custom plates at the time using borrowed equipment). The A-833 also requires some modification to a frame crossmember on some chassis, and it also requires that something be done for the emergency/parking brake. Solutions we used were driveline disc brakes and hydraulic valve parking brakes. The A-833 also requires a change in clutch plate to a later spline configuration, but otherwise allows you to keep the flathead starter, bellhousing, and clutch/brake setup. The overdrive 4th and all-syncro made this a great setup. I plan on doing it again for my '47 1/2 ton and probably for the '42 WD-21.

Change oil and filter, drain gastank and refill with non ethanol gas, push the gas petal a few times and turn key. If it doesnt run well then worry about the carb etc. Might add some fuel system additive-cleaner to gas.

You all are GREAT!!! The Napa part numbers were Perfect ! I pulled the wheel, Just as I had thought and heard. The inner bearing was showing signs of major wear. So I replaced the bearing and race after I repacked it and the outer, 100% better. I checked the outer bearing and race and they were fine. Thanks again for all the help and information to help me keep my truck on the road.

blank post

Wilcap makes trans adapters for the flat six, unfortunately only for GM turbo-hydros though: http://www.wilcap.com/chryslerfh.html As suggested by others I would prefer a Torqueflite 727 as well, if going the auto route. "Keep your Mopar all Mopar" I think changing your rear end to a 3:73 would be your easiest move at this point, for better drivability.

would not Merle best be served with the best answer seeing as it was his post to do this prior to your doing that same work and pulling the tape...it just does not seem right to ask a question, get an answer and then pat your own back...lol but I may be the only one that sees it this way...just figure some credit was due the man for taking the time and effort to help..

The fluid drive was an early attempt at an automatic transmission that was replaced by fully automatic transmissions with integrated park lock pawl that was developed in conjunction with the slant 6 and V8 engines. The literature I have read about the fluid drive was that some of its benefits were to reduce stress on engines and improve tire wear (harder to initiate wheel spin). As far as I know, Dodge Truck did not offer an automatic transmission with the flatheads like Dodge Cars did, and it may have been because the flathead/auto combo did not have enough power for truck applications. I think Merle's 3.73 rear axle ratio is the best setup for modern use as it still falls within the flathead's torque curve for good power delivery. The 3.55, while good for cruising on the highway, is a little tricky at low speeds, because this setup is right at the edge of the flathead's torque curve, which is why it was never offered from the factory. Powertrain development is a balancing act that employs entire divisions of engineers by manufacturers. Engine torque curves are established, axle ratios are chosen, and the transmission is designed to fit in between to operate within a set of parameters for shifting (manual or automatic). You may improve the flathead torque curve by a few percentage points with some engine modifications, but there was a reason Chrysler developed the slant 6 engine family, and it probably was that the flathead's limitations had been reached; any major improvements in power and economy could only be made with a new design. I think you are approaching the limit to the flathead powertrain you have installed, as any changes you make now will not be a quantum leap in performance. I know how ya need to shift through the gears quickly for fear of some yahoo smoothing ya over from a red light, which amplifies the lack of 2nd gear synchronizer. The Outback has a 5 speed, and many a time there has been somebody who nearly rams me after a light change when I shift to second and they are still stomped on the gas. This of course leads the offender to blow by me at their soonest opportunity to hand-signal that I am super #1, to which I exclaim in my Floyd Lawson voice "ohhhhhhh such a nice man"

It's been more than two years since I've added to this thread. So much has happened in the interim, and yet so little on this project car. I've moved to Wisconsin. I've gotten married to that gal who has embraced some of my old-car dreams. After eight months unemployed in 2014 -- including 16 fruitless interviews for great state jobs a hefty commute away in Madison -- I took a job part-time at an O'Reilly Auto Parts store here in Janesville. I worked a ton of hours that left no time and (at entry level wages) not enough money to do anything at all about the Windsor. The job did leave enough time and opportunity for this to happen: That's Lillie Maynean Craven, both Aug. 23, 2015, here in Janesville, Wisc.; named for three grandmothers, my mother Lillie Magada (Alexander) Craven, her mother Lillie Mae (Robbins) Alexander, and my wife's great-grandmother Mary Cornelia "Maynean" Veghte. She's not quite four months old yet, but she already has her priorities in order. Provided she isn't screamingly hungry she'll quietly watch "This Old House" with her mother, but she "Oohs" and "Aahs" at the car shows she watches with Daddy, displaying a particular fondness for the hijinks, burnouts, and in this case the Pike's Peak Hill Climb episode of "Fast N' Loud." Meanwhile, working hard and paying attention has paid off at the job. I've moved up through all the available positions at my first O'Reilly store, and on Jan. 16 I'll be handed the keys to "my own" store to manage, now under construction in Stoughton, Wisc., between here and Madison. And finally, last weekend, with my second-owner, 300,000-mile 7.3 Ford and a co-worker who manages another O'Reilly store in town, I finally made the 1,460-mile round-trip back to Kansas for the Windsor. She might remain untouched until spring, but she now resides in the garage 60 feet from my back door, not a resting spot a day's drive away. And my job with O'Reilly's not only affords me a good discount on parts, but has introduced me to a number of potential assets in the immediate area, including a good acquaintance who formerly worked for a CART team and was a restoration shop manager for nearby Mecum Auctions, and a new hot rod shop owner striking out on his own for the first time who works wonders with metal. With their guidance and help this weak-frame dilemma will finally be resolved, and that 360 will be able to flex its muscle without twisting the car into bits. There might not be much else to post for the next few weeks, but I decided it was worth offering an update now that something finally has changed. With the car, that is. Obviously LOTS of other things changed along the way. I hope you're all well, and your various automotive adventures have been rewarding. -- Glenn