Tom Skinner

Whether 6 or 12 Volt - its the owners choice. One point to make is, if one chooses to remove their old wire harness and use it as a template/pattern to make a new one with new wire (using a good service manual or wiring diagram as well) then a lot of electrical problems will go away especially if the harness on your car is shedding its insulation around the wires. I opted for Rhode Island Wire, Because I could. but looking at the old harness taken apart afterwards I could see how easy making one could be. Of course this presupposes one has some electrical sense - which my electrical abilities leave much to be desired. Either way nowadays both are expensive propositions if I have read this thread correctly. So here is a shout out to all that are changing over to 12V. Good Luck. Tom

Does this help?

GTfastbacker, Wow, Great improvisation! I do remember someone telling me back in the 1970's that 10" or 11" Blades work best on our cars. I have owned different 1948 Chrysler 's since 1973. Sometimes believe it or not I have seen the Blades at K Mart and or Walmart occasionally for sale on their Wiper Blades Racks. Great work! Tom

GTFastbacker, I agree with Sniper. Those Splines look FUBAR. There were two kinds of wiper arms Anco and Trico. I was at a car show once and the Windshield Wiper Vender came over and told me I had the wrong Wiper Arms and Blades on my 1948 Chrysler, I have Trico's on mine and they work fine. Yours look like my Tryco Arm. He said I should buy his Anco's for $100 - Arms and Blades - this was 10 years ago. Mine are 11" Trico Blades, of course clipped onto Trico Arms. Mine still work fine. Andy Bernbaum sells the Anco Sets for $99, Arms and Blades as of the last time I looked at his Parts Sight On Line about a week ago or so. Its any bodies call put what you like on there. Be sure to measure your Blades some are 10" and some are 11" since you indicated yours is a 1941, and mine is a 1948 there might be a difference. Maybe someone with a 1941 Dodge will chime in here for you. Good Luck. Tom

I agree with Joecoozie. Coil probably going bad.

HCD, I am 4 Hours Drive from you, so I guess I am not going to be much help other than being here to answer questions. The Service Manual, Service Booklets (On Line), and You Tube Videos will be a tremendous source of information for you. Usually any trouble with a M-5 will be electrical, followed by Hydraulic. These Transmissions hold up quite well with only occasional issues. Feel free to visit here, there are some pretty knowledgeable Members at your service. Tom

Crisjr14, The things you circled are not going to effect spark at the Coil, Distributor, Starter, or Plugs. Start by turning the motor over by hand to TDC (Top Dead Center). You will probably need to remove the plugs to do that by hand. Observe and clean or replace the spark plugs. Once at TDC with the plugs back in - turn on the ignition key. Loosen the Distributor, Take the Center Coil wire loose from the center of the Distributor and hold it 1/4" from a Bare spot on the Engine Block. Rotate the Distributor by hand until a Spark jumps between where you are holding the Coil Wire near the Engine Block. If no Spark you need to replace the Ignition Coil. Check the Points in the Distributor are they gapped properly? are they getting a Spark when the Key is turned on and you move them back and forth by hand? if not its either a bad wire (broken, or loose) or the Coil. Ignition Coils are about $30. This method is called Static Timing it is imperative that spark is received at the Plugs at the proper time to start an engine. The Technical section of tis Thread may explain it better than I did. Good Luck! Tom

Librado65, Since 1973 at the Chrysler Car Shows on Top of Eagle Rock Avenue West Orange New Jersey in the early 1970's where I went to Chrysler Cars Shows and Walter Percy Chrysler ran his first Cars up and down The Orange Mountains in the 1924 and 1925 test Drives from 112 Mechanic Street in Newark New Jersey and Elizabeth New Jersey, with the help of Fred Zeder, Carl Breer, and Qwen Skeleton, The Eagle Rock Avenue Mountain Climbs in West Orange New Jersey, there is nothing stopping you from doing a Ring Job on your Chrysler and fixing it yourself. YOU CAN DO THIS! Let no one or nothing tell you different. You also need a set of feeler gauges I didn't mention earlier. As Sniper said this is simple stuff DO IT. Screw all the little Shi-t as-es that tell you different. It is simple mechanics. Take your time and do it right. The people you have been talking to are full of Sh-t. A Ring Job is a two day Cake Walk. I am 67 and could knock it out for you in one day. These young mechanics are Nancy Boys. They couldn't tare the ass of a rag doll. Just pull up your Boot Straps and Knock it out. Good Luck! Tom Skinner Huntersville, North Carolina

Librado65, I have done a ring job in one day. You can too. One must have a Head and Oil Pan Gasket, Ridge Reamer, and Torque Wrench, and you can take it apart in one half day. Then determine if there is no discernable Taper in the cylinders. (You can take a loan Tool a Taper Tool from Advance Auto) If your good to go order a Standard Sized Rings Set order from Andy Bernbaum or Vintage Power Wagon, then reassemble in your next available day. As was stated if these shops can't fix a Flathead they aren't worth a Tinkers Dang anyhow. They are quite simply simpletons. Or total B--- Sh----s. Or Both. Tom Skinner Huntersville NC

Mezz, That is over the top! Excellent! Please share the door Trim and Rear Window garnishing as well! Looks better than new! Tom

50CRoyal, There are designations stamped into the ears of this relay (Where your fingers are in your picture). H: goes to your actual Horns IGN: goes to your Ignition Wire B: Goes to to Battery GRND: Gos to your actual Horn Button on your Steering Wheel If you can access a full Electrical Diagram of your car that would be very Helpful, usually finding the H, and GRND wires are the easiest, you can almost guess your way from there. I am a crappy electrician and could do it. Good Luck! Tom

Thanks Dodge4ya, and everyone else. I wrestled it in today. up and down under and over, and never moved the floor pan. Not the kind of work for an older guy but I took plenty of before pictures. It was a frayed original greasy mess. I just need to test it and adjust it tomorrow so it holds on a hill like it should I got it from Melisa at Mopar-Mall for $118 (I hope that doesn't break a Thread Rule mentioning a Supplier) It fits perfect, It was kind of tough getting the sleeved ends into their bracketed fits near the ends. 5 hours in for it so far but I am proud I didn't need any help. Thanks again everyone! Tom

Gents, Now that I am getting on in years, my 1948 Chrysler Royal Brake Cable was catching/binding some what so I ordered a new one. It goes through the firewall grommet and a bracket on the steering column and then proceeds to the actual brake mechanism at the Fluid Drive Drum (Down by the Emergency Brake Return Spring). Is there any tips as to changing this out without too much hassle? I got a bad back and don't want to wrestle with it, I want smooth sailing. I'm guessing jack it up with Tripods under the frame to give me plenty of room, wear gloves (the old one is frayed and oily) and then be sure to adjust that baby back to where it holds my bus still on a hill). Any other tips will be much appreciated. I have a 28 year old son that I had when my wife and I were 40 that is willing to help me (A former USMC Sargent) He helped me put a Clutch in her 14 years ago. Anyway any tips much appreciated. I searched the Thread first and didn't find any Tips on this before hand so as not to hassle anyone. Thanks in advance! I still love turning wrenches in NC! Tom

Worden18, Reconnect the A and F terminals backwards, rebuilt generators sometimes change those locations/designations. Then it charges. always re-polarize your generator with a jumper wire at the VR. Don't ask me why just try it. (When you believe in things you don't understand - you suffer - superstition is the way) Stevie Wonder Tom

It is fixed!!!!!!!! I am not the sharpest marble in the box when it comes to electrical wiring. So I found where I had a wire or two out of place causing the downshifting to go into zugzwang. But all is peaches and cream now (Gary Player - 1965). I just returned from a 20 mile ride and no issues what so ever. Whew I feel like Mr. Magoo another Steel Beam flew my way and caught my old car tires again. Oh Magoo you done it again! (In Jim Backus' Voice). Here's wishing you all a repair that goes like mine! Thanks to all that tried to help! Tom