plym69

Hi Folks, Just bought a set of headers from Langdons. He suggested to me that I should look for a 57/58 Plymouth six fuel pump as the connections are in the front. Anyone use this application? Ken F.

Thanks All. I am overwhelmed by the helpfulness of the folks on this site. I will use all of the suggestions to refer to the mechanic when I find one in this area. Just a clue that may be helpful in narrowing down the problem = If I drive the car any distance it seems the clutch/tranny gets hot and it is worse starting out in first gear; moreover I need to wait about 2 seconds when shifting from first to second or the gears grind. Could there be something in the transmission making the clutch chatter. I guess I know why I got such a good price when I bought the car over the internet. Ken F.

Thanks Plymouthy, We have an All Mopar Show coming up Saturday. I'll ask around. Ken F.

Thanks torqczar, , Living were we do it is not easy to find a specialty shop that can check and perform many of the suggested fixes. Ken F.

Thanks Dodgeb4ya, I really need to follow through on these suggestions. Your point on the rear springs might be something to look into and two other ideas occur to me. One might be the universal the other could be a crack in the frame. I notice even with the new engine mounts the car vibrates when I race the engine in neutral. Ken F.

Hi Dodgeb4ya, Yes That is my Belvedere. According to some of the literature that came with it there have been multiple owners over the years. It shows well but I wish I could get to the bottom of this "clutch" problem. Years ago I did most of the work on our vehicles but now at age 83 I find that I do not have the time, energy or expertise to take on large projects and I seem to have exhausted the nearby automotive experts. Ken Florentine

Thanks everyone! All of your suggestions are worth exploration. I live in the Endless Mtns. region of Pa. The closest place for repairs is Williamsport which is 40 miles away.Not sure if I could find a shop that could do all of the tests in one location. I really would like to restore this vehicle so that it is a reliable driver. According to The Plymouth Owners Club there are less than 12 of this model still on the road . It shows well and if you would a search engine for 1952 Plymouth Belvedere you will see this vehicle - it is blue and white and somewhere along the way a previous owner modified the gas fill by adding a door. Might look good but it is not original. Ken Florentine

Thanks for responding Ken. When I bought the car the clutch was replaced by a restoration shop and it shuddered a bit in first gear. The mechanic said it just needed to wear in. It continued to get worse and the shop replaced it saying it was poor quality Chinese stuff. The new clutch was not much better and as time went by it continued to get worse shaking badly . The shop said that it must be the engine mounts and they were replaced. No improvement. The shop said it had to be the rear axle and they sent me to a transmission shop. There I was told that the rear end was okay -it was the clutch. Upon taking the clutch apart it was badly worn - this after only a couple hundred miles. Another clutch was installed - ordered from Kanters. The new clutch still shuddered slightly in first gear. At this point I took the car to a highly rated Pro auto repair shop who said that the clutch and flywheel needed to be balanced -which they did. Well it was no better. I also own a 1950 Plymouth and the clutch operation is smooth as "butter." I'm baffled. If I continue to drive the car it tends to get worse. Any ideas? Thanks Ken Florentine

Thanks for your reply. The car keeps chewing up the clutch. I have put three new clutches on in the last two years - works for a while then starts shaking in first gear and con tinues to get worse. A mechanic inspected the car and said it was in the rear axle.

I am new to this forum and hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. I am restoring a 1952 Plymouth belvedere and need to replace the rear axle. Is there a newer axle that will fit without too many modifications and have the same ratio of 3.74 ? Thanks Ken