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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/02/2019 in all areas

  1. We just held our 5th Annual P-15 Picnic in England and were delighted to welcome a record number of owners and cars for two days of Plymouth-filled fun. With Mark joining us from the USA, Tommi travelling from Finland, Martin from Sweden and cars gathering from all over the UK, it was a very special weekend. The weather wasn't great, but the atmosphere was superb, with cruise-outs to two local museums and a lovely dinner and dancing at the hotel. The line-up of cars was truly impressive, with a total of fifteen P15s or derivatives and several 'guest' classics. We'll be doing it all again in September 2020... you're all welcome to join us! Here's the roll of honor: 1946–1948 Plymouth and Derivatives: 242 UYE - 4-Door Sedan - John & Elly 424 YUJ - Business Coupe – Simon & Julie 562 YUG – Convertible Coupe – Chris & Rebecca 763 UYX – 4-Door Sedan (D25) - Richard & Karen 774 UXB – 4-Door Sedan - Garry & Gaynor 782 XUL – 2-Door Sedan - Dean & Joyce 977 XUP – Club Coupe - Colin & Liz ESK 523 – Club Coupe – Mel & Sue MSJ 674 – Club Coupe - Ian & Marie UVS 437 – Club Coupe (SP15) - Dusty & Deb WXG 507 – Business Coupe – Tony & Dawna WXG 932 - Business Coupe – Alan & Annette XAS 458 – Convertible Coupe – Robin & Colette YVL 306 – Business Coupe - Terry & Amanda YWG 566 – Club Coupe - Steve & Hayley 1946–1948 Chrysler: 268 XUR - Club Coupe – William Guest Cars: 1927 Ford T Hot Rod 1937 Plymouth – Russ & Steph 1938 Ford 1939 Dodge – Simon 1940 Plymouth – Nigel & Jan 1947 Nash – Bob & Irene 1948 Chevrolet – Richard & Lynne 1953 Buick 1953 Plymouth Convertible – Paul & Rita 1953 Chevrolet – Rob & Sue 1975(?) Dodge Truck – Spud & Katie
    5 points
  2. I have used this method many times. Drive a wooden wedge between the manifold and the engine block. Pick a spot close to the stud/nut you are working on but make sure it is a "beefy" area of the manifold. Don't want to break the "ear" off. This puts pressure on the nut from the manifold. Use your socket to try and back the nut off. If it is working the wedge will become loose and thereby will need to be tapped in again to repeat the process until the nut comes off.
    2 points
  3. I am proud to say........ it is 4.5" longer
    2 points
  4. I apologize if you have seen or heard me say this before I recently had Les Schwab do mine. (2018) power coated and radials! handles and stops well for me (and I have the drum brakes) good luck on yours
    2 points
  5. I had access to 2 tire shops that would do locking ring rims cuz they did big truck tires, but then the shop in Waco denied ever doing locking ring rims at all one day when I had a flat several years ago, and the shop in Temple mounted my nearly new set of tires with the old tubes because they forgot that they had some new tubes sitting on the shelf 20 feet away I had watched both shops inflate tires with no safety equipment other than a locking air chuck while standing within spittin' distance and was a little bothered by their lapse in judgment. Several years later, I was in a local parts store that had a Ken Tool display with the right hammers, pry bars and spoon bars to do the job myself, all made in the USA, so I got what I needed and started doing research on approved methods and safety equipment. I found some good literature on modern locking ring rim servicing that was helpful, but this video was the best one I could find that was done correctly without a safety cage, using chains instead. I have seen pictures of guys also using their tractor loader bucket or a forklift as other alternatives to the safety cage. This video also shows why it's kinda silly to try to get these rims super pretty with expensive powder coating, etc as they literally need to be beaten with hammers to get them to come apart and go back together. The rims can be cleaned up nicely on a budget, but making them pristine seems kinda needlessly expensive
    2 points
  6. I'm going a different direction with the heat riser situation. The exhaust manifold will get a blockoff plate that is bolted to the manifold, and the intake will be trimmed to allow clearance for the blockoff plate bolt heads. I don't want to ever have to deal with a blown gasket between manifolds and I'm not worried about losing the preheat. I will make new steel washers where two manifold ears are secured by hte same nut.
    1 point
  7. first off with it running on a stand..you are not drawing your air through the radiator as effectively as you will when installed. Suggest that you add an aux shop fan in front of the radiator if you wish to continue the bench testing.....IF the engine does not drop a few degrees with the fan blowing on the radiator, then I would suggest looking into actual temps along the cooling system with an infrared thermometer. Right now...I would not be overly concerned....and as for pressure...if stock you have zero pressure...if you running aftermarket radiator....I would still be careful on what amount of pressure to run as the heater core may or may not yield to the increase...I suggest 180 degree thermostat....160 is a tad low and builds up sludge in an engine fast given you do not get it up to temp and at least a 30 minute plus run at these temps to evaporate the condensates.
    1 point
  8. I decided to keep the original 251cid in the truck after all since it was just a busted piston in hole #6. She now runs great and the brakes have been gone through as well. All she needs now is a set of new(used) tires and she'll be road worthy.
    1 point
  9. Whatever you do, do it very carefully. There is a lot of energy there which if unleashed carelessly can cause a lot of damage to you and/or your car. My guess is also that after 66 years the car is probably riding lower than when new. I also own a '53 Plymouth so know this from experience. You might be better adding an inch or two to the rear of the car. Personally, I would just leave it alone. Just my thoughts but your car.
    1 point
  10. who says size don't matter... Yah my B3 was a chromed arm
    1 point
  11. I am proud you are my teacher Brent?!! I've been trembling with anxiety for over a month waiting for your reply! Now I wonder if the B4 visor arm rod is longer for the longer visor or same length as the b3 rod? The B4 rod is painted, B3 is chrome looks like.
    1 point
  12. Thanks for the replies guys. I bought a truck 218 because a T5 is easier/cheaper to adapt to a truck bellhousing. I have an S10 T5 I'm going to use. Apart from the T5, I'm trying to keep this car looking like it was built in the '40s, so an electric fan is not an option. The engine is tall, and if I lower it in the frame low enough so the fan doesn't hit the upper hose, the sump hangs below the frame over 8", too low. Another hot rodder who is building a single seat car using a Dodge flathead gave me the list of parts he used to overcome the same problem. 1957-59 Plymouth car. Water pump housing. Water pump and pulley. Crank pulley, Timing cover. Generator mount. These parts lower the water pump to the timing cover and push the pulleys forward hence the need for the crank pulley and generator mount. See picture I've attached. The problem is locating these parts. These year cars are rare with 230 engines. I contacted Bernhaums, who didn't have anything, but told me try Moores Salvage. They are 3 hours behind us, so I'm waiting for them to open. Does anybody have any parts sources I should try? Thanks, Stewart.
    1 point
  13. Happens often enough. We have a rebuilt transmission in a dodge caravan. It always shifted hard into 2nd since rebuilt. Then the new shift solenoid failed, and now shifts fine after replaced. Basically the switch was on life support when it arrived. No idea what circuit your switch runs off of, I recently found out on my chevy. Rear wheel cylinder failed, it is the small reservoir in the master that feeds the rear drums, while the larger reservoir feeds the front disk with the larger pistons. Wont help if you lost no fluid though.
    1 point
  14. i'll take "things that never happened" for $600 Alex....
    1 point
  15. I'm a bit younger than most around here, so my first Mopar experience was as a teenager in 2005 outside our local depressed mall. A friend was throwing a rock show in an empty store, and out back one of the guys had a '68 440 R/T Charger in B5 blue that sounded incredible and shot flames. It left an impression. A couple years later I bought a '72 Valiant, and then a '74 Duster, and then a '73 Scamp (from the guy with the Charger,) and then about 10 more A-bodies. And then trucks. And any other Chrysler product I could get my hands on. Eventually I bought my '66 Charger (with factory 361) which I own to this day. My daughter came home in the car. I don't think I could ever part with it. It is currently set up for daily driver duties and has a 1999 Dodge Ram drivetrain, complete with fuel injection and the overdrive automatic, but I am scheming to go back to a big block and add a four speed at some point. I now own and operate my own shop, and though we work on everything my real passion is fixing classic Mopars. We are currently restoring a '78 W200 crew cab. My most recent Mopar experience was acquiring a '55 Plymouth Plaza sedan - the car that brought me to this site. It showed up on a Facebook classic car group, and the gentleman wanted to trade it for a pickup. My offer of a (different) '78 W200 with a big block was the only real offer, and he agreed to trade. I loaded the Power Wagon on a trailer and towed it behind my '99 Ram (with a Cummins and its third automatic transmission) several hours down to Longview the back way - it was a little heavy. When we arrived, the gentleman hardly looked at the Power Wagon, and we set about making the Plaza run again after several years. The car had a Chinese electronic distributor, which hadn't been installed correctly, but even with that solved refused to make spark due to the pickup being trash. We found the original Chrysler distributor in the trunk, scraped the points and had the flathead running in about twenty minutes. I drove it around the block and loaded it up, and since bringing it home I have tinkered with it a good bit and driven it around town. The paint is faded and not the correct shade of blue, but the seats have been recovered and there is no rust to speak of, which is quite uncommon in this area. I'm used to getting looks in old cars, but the attention the Plaza brings is somewhat startling. The flathead purrs at this point, but strangely will not rev past about 2000 RPM. More on that later...
    1 point
  16. You did another great, get to gather of P-15's. A beautiful display of cars. That's my kind of a car show. I'd like to see some of the owners, join the forum , and tell their story, of how their car survived and what had to be done to restore. Thank You, for the pictures.
    1 point
  17. Are those side ring wheels really dangerous window makers? Are they rusty or bulging in the riveted flange? I'd love to have a good complete factory 1 ton axle with correct matching wheels. They are really hard to find in western washington. As for being dangerous wheels no..as long as they are not severely rusted , side ring not.beatnto death and the guy doing the tire work knows his job. I do them all then time.
    1 point
  18. Robin........looks like an amazing weekend....congratulations!........andyd
    1 point
  19. Wow, you all do a great job!
    1 point
  20. I got the front end finished up this evening; looks like a clear path to the rack connection for the steering shaft hookup. Should be doing steering column and start figuring out the pedals this weekend.
    1 point
  21. I believe that the two I listed in the 1st post are the same so I got them from Allied as it cost a few dollars less ... and that is what they seem to specialize in (electrical components) https://www.alliedelec.com/product/vishay-dale/rh0506r000fe02/70201528/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqeH0vd7J5AIVj8JkCh0VPgcCEAQYASABEgKSuPD_BwE
    1 point
  22. Milo, you can but any time I've done it I've undone the lower outer pin using a jack underneath the lower A arm with jack stands under the chassis, then unscrew the lower outer pin then gently lower the jack and there you have it........normally 1 coil removed is more than enough to lower the car, usually about 2"...........this pic of the 41 coupe I had shows 1 coil removed although it was running 15x6 rims with 195/65x15 Coker Classic radial tyres which also helped to lower it a bit.............andyd
    1 point
  23. The errors in my admin center didn't show up till this morning, had to do with the first of the month. I'll keep an eye on it for the next couple days but I'm pretty sure the problem is fixed. We will be doing a maintenance/security update later this week or early next week. I hope it goes more smoothly than the last one!
    1 point
  24. Looks like I will need to replace everything, not surprising. I told myself, if it comes to this point, just go ahead and do the disk brake conversion. I dunno, I just cant do it. Sometimes I think of this old truck as therapy, the basics and simplicity of it. Today I was able to get all the original brake lines off and can use them as a pattern to make new ones. We are talking easy peasy complete brake replacement. Just straight and basic mechanics to do the brakes on these old trucks. And relaxing. No hair pulling trying to fab a master cylinder bracket, or figure out proportioning valve , get the rod length correct, buying new wheels to fit the rotors. Basically this was a bridge I needed to cross. I am at the bridge, I just refuse to cross and do the disk brakes on this truck. So I am looking at different suppliers for parts for our old trucks. Would like any input. One example, Rockauto sells the brake shoes to fit this truck for $35, The photo they show does not fit the look of the actual product. Another example, cost a bit more, but are they selling better quality? Just curious where others are happy to deal with.
    1 point
  25. I'd be very surprised if a NOS oil pickup could be found, let alone a NOS one without some sort of rust on it.........these things are at least 60 yrs old, if not more and as far as I know, just mild steel, unprotected mild steel at that........there maybe a nice un rusty one somewhere but my best wishes go with you in finding it.......can't the original one be cleaned out?...........the pipe can be dropped in an acid bath if need be, the pickup and screen come apart as far as I know, or at least those I've seen do..............that sheet metal cover on the pickup is held on by 4 bits folded over the strainer part, undo them, clean the sheet metal cover, throw some degreaser into the mesh screen & then clean it out............what am I missing?..........lol.............I can't see any rust holes or flaking rust on the pipe........not trying to be a PITA but hasn't your engine rebuilder ever had to clean an engine part such as this?..................lol...........andyd
    1 point
  26. 9-30-19: Drove my daughter to a neighboring town for a hair appointment. It was a good cruise for us. Warm today, above 80. 50s the rest of the week; that's more my kind of weather. When we arrived back in our town we hit Dairy Queen. After sitting in the car for a bit and enjoying our ice cream, the owner came out and asked me what year the car was, and said he really liked it. He also made the comment that I must be happy that I could get the car out and drive it today, probably meaning that I could only drive it if it's above 75 degrees and sunny LOL. I told him I drive it all the time. I bet he'd never guess that I drove it when it was 33 below zero!
    1 point
  27. I have buried in my stash a NOS one and it's silvered.
    1 point
  28. Really like that side trim. This WAS mine a few years ago.
    1 point
  29. Opened the switch today and the insides look fairly pristine. Very minor scratching on the surface of the contacts, but NO corrosion at all. I lubed the plate with the contacts lightly with some silicone grease and put it back together. Now I'll just clean up the outside surfaces, maybe use a baking soda blaster to not damage the metal and it will be ready to reuse. Very happy. I took a picture of the fuse in case anyone needed one. It goes into the "tube" on the end of the switch. You can see the bayonet end cap on the fuse in the first picture.
    1 point
  30. So how do we know these trucks were built by people and not robots? Each fender install is just that different and lines up just that different to make it apparent human hands were used not robots. My passenger side fender went on needing much more persuasion than the drivers side. A little shove here and bend there and yep it is installed. Having box end ratcheting wrenches makes this such an easier job as some of the bolts are tough to get access. I also found on the passenger side the heater defrost hose was in the way so it had to be disconnected and then reinstalled on the heater box. I also installed the door skirts with new rubber. More steps closer!
    1 point
  31. An amazing weekend with great friends old and new. Committed now to carrying this into future years and we’re already planning 2020! Stay tuned for more info. We had nine cars this year and we are really hoping to double the attendance next year!
    1 point
  32. I thought I'd share the latest and my experiences and what I've learned. Along the way. The rebuild shop dropped off the engine to me and stated that they did not have to proper stand to put the engine on the dyno as they initially mentioned they would be willing to do for an extra charge. The shop installed everything on the engine- Distributor, plugs, wires, water pump, head, flywheel, starter, triple intake, exhaust, etc.. When I proceeded to break in the motor as soon as I put water some head studs, one exhaust bolt, the water pump and one freeze plug leaked water. This is without staring the motor. When I communicated with the shop they stated that this was common and that they will self seal over time. I removed and reinstalled the water pump using permatex pft sealant on the threads and also removed and used permatex on the leaking head studs. Added water again and no leaks. When attempting to start the engine it would not fire up due to the timing issue. The distributor was installed 180 degrees off. I adjusted it it and to avoid having to reindex the oil pump I extended the adjusting gap on the distributor cap to be able to do further timing adjustment. While doing so my neighbor that was assisting me to find TDC dropped a 6 inch wire down the 6th cylinder chamber :-O.. Lucky I had an extra head new headgasket laying around. We were finally able to minimize the water leak and get the the motor to start and stay on for the 20 minute break in period without overheating. All other head studs started leaking. I eventually removed all studs and resealed them with permatex PFT. Man, so far this stuff works great. I have since installed an electrical pump (rather not rant about what happen with the mechanical pump), a Holley 2-4.5 psi pressure regulator, a triple carb fuel block and plumbed brass/nickle hard fuel lines to the carburetors. The car starts fine and stays idle, timing issue solved but I do noticed that the carburetor gaskets seem to slightly leaking fuel. My neighbor which is not a big fan of Carter B&B's says that this is why he doesnt like these carbs and since they are old technology will always leak like that and will be near impossible to tune and adjust due to tolerences on the mechanisms and thus causing vacuum leaks...?? I'll send an email out to Tim Kingsbury and see what he recommends regarding the fuel leak. Attaching a couple of videos and pictures of the project. Once again, thanks to all those that have provided advice and input.
    1 point
  33. don't want to hijack any previous threads so, here is one for our B4D got to give a shout out to "Vic's Dodge garage!" Vic, worked very hard on getting my interior correct for me. together we learned some of the changes Dodge came up with between years Thanks again Vic! before After seat was originally maroon color (same as the door cards and kick panels) but it was in decent shape..... maybe someday i'll change it up
    1 point
  34. thanks! yeah, it is "award winning"
    1 point
  35. 16 months later the engine is done. I think the shop needed some xmas money so the contacted me a month ago to let me know id be done before Xmas.
    1 point
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