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Ok let's make sure things cool off here gang. Please note that some if not all of the vendors we use on our trucks likely read this forum, some even post like Gary. I have every faith that none of them intentionally sell a bad product or try to pawn off responsibility. They are likely enthusiasts just like us and want to have a good name and supply quality parts. I for one firmly believe in life when something goes wrong FIRST call the supplier to see if things can get resolved BEFORE I go off on them on a forum. Keyboards are dangerous and misconceptions/opinions can get blown out of proportion.

2016 we were given "longest distance" (on the front table next to the Coke can) last year we were given a couple...... " tough trucker" for me and "best in progress" for Julie. I was very excited about both awards until we got home and Julie made sure hers was just a little bit higher on the shelf 1 year later and I think I am offended!

So sorry to hear this. I know how you feel, I think. Same thing happened to me about two years ago. But I keep in touch with the new owner who bought the car as salvage and restored it. Looks even better now. I still keep in touch here. Might replace it someday, still looking! My old car, his new car. and here's what it looked like after the accident.

People like you are very hard to find these days. You should be proud.

Bob, stay with us, we like Cudas. I hope others agree.

I gots me mine! So if the truck takes a dump in route this year, I can tell the tow truck driver all about my trophy.

Dude, you really ought to spring for a roof and windows.....you going to catch cold in that living room

I am proud to possess awards for the categories of 'longest distance travelled', 'wish you were here', and 'friend of the BBQ' from 2014 and 2017. I live about 10,000 miles from the BBQ, so I guess that I make that decision easy for Tim when I do travel across the pond to the BBQ . See y'all back there in 2020.

Likely all I'll ever be able to garner Wish You Were Here Longest Distance Traveled Friend of the BBQ

It is my understanding that during much of the 1930s Plymouth was a couple dollars more than the comparable Ford or Chevy. I think they thought that having a "Chrysler engineered" car made it desirable enough to price a bit higher. Apparently Plymouths had higher resale values than Ford or Chevy perhaps for the same reason.

Conversation number 1. Perchance I found the truck sitting in a rural yard by the road. The lady told me her sister had purchased it from an Indian lady who had driven it to California from Arizona. Her sister died four years ago, the truck had been parked there for 17 years and she wished someone would remove it. When I asked how much she would sell it for she apologetically replied, $200.00. The grill was missing and the head was in the bed. I gave her $200.00 and went home and returned with a trailer. I had zero mechanical knowledge so it sat for another three years and then out of curiosity I started to fix things. I figured I could remove an item clean and fix it and replace it.. Then I found Greybeard (since deceased) he talked me through the engine rebuild and I found this forum and my hobby began.

Well after careful consideration and evaluation I have accepted a new job offer. I have been at my present job for 25years as a maintenance tech. I really hate to leave but the opportunity just seems too good. At my old job overtime was always the norm. It had become overwhelming in the last few years. Been wearing me down. I had almost become apathetic tword my 46 Plymouth project and a few others. The new job will be a weekend days shift. I will be working three 12 hour days and getting paid for 40hrs. I will have 4days a week off with the new job among other perks such as a very significant raise that will almost equal the overtime pay I was receiving. Other perks are a much shorter drive, profit sharing and a it's very solid company. I've been so excited about it all. My youngest daughter who still lives at home is also excited. We have lots of plans for the summer. Fishing, camping and bike riding just to name a few. It's kinda scary making a change after so long. I will loose my comfort zone but I think the potential benefits outweigh the risk. Wish me luck guys!

Best of Luck with your new job and remember the old saying... "No one lays on their death bed wishing they had spent more time at the office"

Did you take the drum to them too, so they can arch them to match the drum?

Just a heads up. I told a customer to go to the BBQ. His name is Cordell and he's over in the Napa valley. He's got a '59 Tucker Sno-Cat. Tucker used the running gear and gauges from Dodge trucks. He's also looking at a 2 ton '48-'50 truck near him to haul the Sno-Cat.

Sorry to hear about this, really you should stick around for the laughs and knowledge you can share. Post about the Barracuda in the OT section, we all would love to see that.

True, that's how I feel. I told my son when I started there 25yrs ago I could go back to any job I've ever had and they would welcome me back. I'm really proud after all these years I can still honestly make that statement.

Why leave? Stick around, you've still got some knowledge we may benefit from, and vice versa. Doesn't matter what car you own. Besides, these members can be a hoot and just plain entertaining.

Nuts! can't make it!

Rides good, stops good, steering box out of the way, power steering, Ball joint suspension vs. king pin, ride height I wanted without dropped spindles/spring cutting, parts easy to find.

I love maps,...drawing them and imagining trips in a Hot Rod. Develops my computer and computer drawing and computer imaging skills,....and then I go for a ride with a few friends.

It's not unknown for front brake linings to become detached. I have a 1963 FordFairlane and had one shoe lining detach on the passenger side front. Car braked fine but wheel stuck when reversing. To check out the problem, I pulled drum and found the detached lining. Brakes shoes were done by a local shop and he replaced all front linings for me. These were also bonded and I have had no trouble. Sometimes s**t just happens. I agree that it would be nice to contact the seller before posting names but as stated if the issue is resolved after naming then those details should be posted. 4+ years is a long time after purchase to expect any dealer to replace a product. This could happen with anything like a water pump, fuel pump, head gasket, etc. I have not dealt with Roberts personally so I have no dog in this fight. Just stating my two nickels worth as we got rid of cents several years ago in Canada.

That's not the point I was making at all. I am happy to take a look at the issue and address if I can, 4+ years after the items were purchased.

Front shoes should never fail, I could possibly see rears if the park brake was left on and driven a long time, but even emergency braking should never cause the front to fail like these have. I don’t think there is an issue with naming the supplier, as long as the issue is resolved and those details also posted. I’m just glad nobody found this info out post accident.

There you go @Ralph Pearce, it's all your fault. I don't know what the solution is going to be. Don't drive on hot days? Add some venting? Don't carry large loads down long hills? Good luck! My brake linings are bonded too. I'm going to open 'em all up and see if they are still attached

I cut my tube to about 4” long, flipped it upside down and put a PCV valve in it.

I can't find a picture of mine. I'm sure I have one somewhere. I got a "Wish You Were Here" one year, and a "Long Distance Traveled" another year. And now that I think about them, they may still be in a box after my move a couple years ago. I'm going to have to dig them out and get them back on display. edit: Found the pic from the old house...

I use the wanted section to get some of my parts...seems to work well. People here have a lot of parts for our cars and trucks.

if you had to do that, the animal had some serious problems which may have led to its death.....

Sure could use some help ... are all the flatheads positive ground? i have a 1948 B1 ? my generator says 12 volt on it so assumed it is not 6 V ???

Being a armchair mechanic does not go over to well on old trucks. I started the oil change today, 40 year old oil is ugly! I took the top off the oil filter canister, spring broke while removing it .... was 1/2" of powder rust sitting on top of the oil filter. Removed the canister from the engine block and put it in the parts washer. Then grabbed another canister off the 52 plymouth and ended up cleaning it up and installing it. Had to grab a copper line from another 218 sitting in the shed, finally got all back together. and put the oil drain plug back in. Was not much oil in the drain pan, took the plug back out and started poking a screwdriver in the drain hole and more started coming out. After cleaning the two oil canisters and looking at the oil sitting in the bottom of them, I know exactly what my oil pan looks like, no doubt in my mind it has to come off to be cleaned. Was going to run a quick compression check on it, get a base line before starting it .... starter solenoid is trashed, I cleaned one up and it seems to be in good shape, and good contact. Need to swap it first thing in the morning and go for day 2 ..... almost a full day just changing oil. Hoping fixing the starter will not be another full day project. Man, it sure was a great day spending it working on the truck. Loved every minute of it

Agree that would explain your weird pedal issues. You need to do a full brake job.

Hello MArty, just coming back on the subject...can you explain how to adjust the gauge reading. grtz

Here's another question for you guys. Is it okay for the brake pads to bounce around loose inside the drum? That doesn't hurt anything right? Joking of course. These are my front brakes, will go ahead and replace all around. These appear to have attached with some adhesive rather than rivets.

USASF 68-69 5th SFG,Macv-SOG

@RobertKB thanks. Mine was indeed the only vintage car at the club meeting. Maybe it's too early in the year yet for most members. The gravel sweepers have not been out long. Still lots of gravel on the roads. Mine is a 3 season driver, so I take it out at any opportunity. @jyinger Thanks for the info on the semi-auto transmission with fluid coupling in front. I was not aware that you could get that option. That helps me as sometimes people have mentioned that my car was very sluggish and sat on the dealer lots back in the '50's. I thought my torque converter model accelerated just fine. Your insight explains their comments. The sluggish reputation had likely been earned by the fluid drive model, without any torque multiplication. It seems that my 265 6 cylinder with fluid torque drive, engine fed torque converter, semi-auto transmission with clutch, was a somewhat rare combination. Well, maybe rare today as not many survived to be restored it seems. Up a steep long incline, its no speed demon but maintains 35-40 MPH and stays cool. Driving last night I was thinking about how the old cars brighten people's day. I was getting honks and waves as you all do too I'm sure. I can't help but smile when I see so many enthusiastic people showing interest in the old car. Even if just for 5 or 10 seconds as I drive by. Its a nice feeling to bring that type of quick, instant joy to strangers. Pretty much every time I stop to put in gas someone approaches me to talk about the car. I make an effort to be extra nice and approachable representing the Vintage Car Club culture.

Drive it, your engine sounds like its doing fine, and it's a 265, way more torque than a little 228. My engine is old and tired and want to build my 265 dream engine...LOL I have 1 265 engine on my shop floor, and 2 more in the wings...

Hi Rob, no it's not like the engine is incapacitated , it's weak and tired. General around town driving maybe not too bad, on highway in high winds or hills or getting up to speed on busy roads, not so fun. It's amazing how they soldier on an on, real Troopers these engines... The duals, yes they add a little power, look Kool and sound good too, on a fresh 265 it could be night and day difference compared to a tired old 228

how come I imagine you with a vault like Scrooge McDuck that you go swimming in?

My grandfather was a rather wealthy man who enjoyed his resources, but he also established a trust fund for the orphanages in a mid-western state, just because he could, and he because wanted to (it still exists). He loaned money to friends who he know would never be able to pay it back. I remember when I was a kid he once told me that “money is like manure, it does no one any good until it’s spread around”. Thx.

Only you can answer that question. It's worth your time and money if you think it's worth your time and money. If you don't,let someone else buy it who does think that. Since I will never sell my 51 Ford or my 42 Dodge business coupes as long as I am able or even think I will become able to drive them,it makes no difference at all that by the time I get through with them I couldn't get my money back out of either if I pointed a gun at potential buyers. It's not and never was about potential profit,impressing anyone else,or anything other than my love of the cars. Then again,I have never really had any real respect for money. It's just a tool you need to get through life. After all,it's only good because you can buy things with it. I had a very wise SGM (then again,ain't they all?) explain the reality of life to me one night when we were sharing Group Duty at the 3rd SFG headquarters at Bragg in the mid-60's. I was whining because I had a new car out in the parking lot that I never got to drive because I was always being sent somewhere on 30 day field training exercises or to some sort of school. He told me the prime thing to keep in mind in life is that "If you can't bleep it,eat it,wear it,or work with it,no matter how nice it is,it is extra and you really don't need it." All these years later,I still have a hard time picking holes in that. My project cars are not something I need to live my life. I only own them because they please ME,and I honestly don't give a damn if anyone else likes them or not. Lots of the locals think I'm nuts because I refuse to drive my rusty 51 Ford in bad weather and tell them "that's why I bought the new truck, I can drive junk like that around when it's wet because I don't care what happens to it." I really do mean that,too. The new truck is just a tool. The old coupes are a joy.

My first trophy melted in my shop fire, this is my 2nd one. That is Chloe our granddaughter.

@Cpt.Fred, I hope this is helpful for you. Got the timing chain installed yesterday. Pretty basic stuff. Just match up the timing marks per the service manual. The gear teeth are pretty large, and even one tooth off either direction will make it impossible to line up the timing marks properly. Start with rotating to TDC for #1. You don't really need a dial indicator for this, but I had one. It does make it easier IMO. Timing mark will be pointing right at the cam at this point at approximately 10:30 if you imaging a clock face behind the crankshaft snout. The cam gear has an eccentric bolt pattern and can only be bolted on in one orientation. Good for me, because I need idiot-proofing just about everywhere. Orient the gear where you can finger tighten ALL THREE bolts so you don't make any assumptions about if or not they're lined up. The spring pressure on my engine is pretty light so I was able to hand rotate the cam gear to line up the timing marks. Marks will match up like this: I drew a sharpie line across the face of the cam and gear to make it obvious when I reinstalled the gear with the chain on, and that's the next step. Fit the chain to the cam gear and slip it over the crankshaft gear. Try the cam gear on the cam and see if the marks line up. If not, adjust a tooth (or several, whatever it takes) either way until the marks are back lined up. Thread the bolts in the cam face and double check the timing marks. If all is lined up torque to spec. Note that in this orientation #1 piston is not TDC on its firing stroke. The cam at #1 is actually on the overlap and #6 is firing, seen below. When you rotate the crankshaft 360° (and thus the cam gear 180°) then #1 is at TDC for its firing stroke. Last I got done yesterday was reinstalling the cover (put the balancer/pulley on before torquing the cover bolts to correctly center the balancer in the seal), and the oil tubes underneath. Had a number of tasks in the am and end of day that limited my time a bit. Core plugs installed as well.

Drive mine also about 20 - 25 miles a week

Back in the day just about every trailer was pulled by a car. We now think that you have to have a diesel pickup to do the job. Americans have gone soft.

I used to be fairly active in a different car club and i had a great time with them over the years, but the car was the first reason why i became active with them. The people and friends i made over the years was the real reason i kept going back. I am very grateful for everything tim does and all the great people ive met because of this BBQ. You dont need to bring a truck to enjoy someones company and have a conversation. If its more economical to drive a modern ecobox this year, nobody is going to judge you for doing so. my $.02

OK.....Wha'd Julie say Brent! You edited the video and cut out what she said She looked kinda scared!

I can't follow this thread any longer..........dramatic sigh........my way of building an engine is so barbaric and crude compared to your process I'm surprised any of my engines are still running.

I checked for hot spots on the back of my head, but the hair keeps the sun off. The top of the head is another matter. Oh, the engine head!