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No big deal @SteveR my ‘38 Plym is a survivor. Not the prettiest. I have been focusing on powertrain. She’s a driver. Not the miss daisy type. Rebuilt engine rebuilt transmission & clutch rebuilt cooling system fuel system rebuilt brakes Rebuilt axles Rewired the electrical system rebuilt driveline Ect. You know, just the frivolous stuff. Lol. No bodywork, trim, paint, minimal interior work. A broken trunk hinge is just a mild annoyance at this point in the game.

The hinges have been sitting here in my stash for 3 years. No use. Who knows how long, before I took ownership of them? I think to myself sometimes, do I really need to store all these spare part parts forever with no use? Might as well ease up and let a few go to help others. Lol. Then boom....Out of nowhere. Struck down by fate.

If you can believe it, my left trunk hinge broke tonight. I just sent you my only spare. Arrgh.... Lol. And so it goes. Such is life.?

Maybe it's just me, but I get the feeling that this engine is going to fight you the entire way. Someone taught you patience. Of did you just settle down with age? I'd be tempted to melt that block down by now. Just to get even. Lol.

Maybe this video will help you. I was learning all about these 3 speeds a few years ago. I put this video together. Same basic principles as your 54 Chrysler transmission.

Reading about retirement is very interesting to me. It’s probably my main focus at my current age. (50). I pay attention to these topics on internet forums wherever possible. Gathering intelligence. Trying to figure out how to get it right for my wife and I. Most people don’t share their financial details. I understand that. Everyone’s situation is different. Housing costs vary widely depending where you live. This year I’m watching inflation go up and up. $1,00,000 used to be a very big number. I’m not convinced it’s a big enough nest egg for retirement around here anymore. Depending what age one wants to retire of course. Groceries, insurance, utilities, gasoline, taxes and more keep rising quickly. My wife and I are very focused on saving for retirement. We have been since we first started living together 30+ years ago. Yet insecurity still comes from wondering, “will we have enough?” It would be nice to know the magic number. ? Not possible, I know. Too many variables. No mortgage. No rent. No vehicle payments. No debts. No dependents. Getting average monthly living costs down. Those seem to be the magic ingredients I suppose.

Yes I took out all my valve guides with an air hammer. Getting them back in with same air hammer? No go. I froze the guides to -50C. I still could not get them in properly. I wrecked two new valve guides with the air hammer, trying to install them. I stopped and gave the new guides to the machine shop to install while he was doing the machining work. I told the machinist what I'd done, when trying to install. He said he just drives them in with a proper stepped punch and a 5 lb hammer or so. He said be sure to oil the guides before you try installing them. I missed that step. Might have helped me. Would also prevent any possible galling at install. I am not sure what the interference fit is between the guide and the block. Indeed it is tight. An air hammer hits rapid but at less force. I think the 5 lb hammer and a punch, some oil, and some elbow grease would be the way to install new guides. Proper depth below the block deck surface is necessary. I had one guide that ended up about 0.030" high and the valve would not seat nor seal.

Yes. Bear, coyote and deer aplenty here. Be cool to capture a Cougar (Mtn Lion) they are here too. Just very elusive.

We finally purchased a home security camera system. I did a bunch of research and settled on a Network Video Recorder system utilizing Power Over Ethernet for the cameras. The system included 8 qty 4K cameras with 2 bright LED’s lights on each. Each camera also has 2 way audio communication and warning sirens if you want to activate them. I am quite impressed with the latest software and how adjustable everything is. I am able to get the system dial’d-in for minimal false alerts. There are plenty of cameras included so not only will there be some on the outside of my garage, there will be one inside as well. If I do something stupid while working in the garage I’ll have bonus footage for my You Tube channel. Lol. Its all accessible through an app on my iPhone. Alerts. Recordings. Vocal communication with someone at my door. Warning unwanted visitors etc. The bright LED lights come on when thermal movement or a vehicle is detected. All video is recorded on a 2TB hard drive. Also included was an indoor motion sensor and 2 door/window sensors. If someone gets past a camera somehow, the sensor should pick them up. I can buy additional add-on sensors as well. We crawled around the attic running cat5 ethernet wires. The wired system takes more effort to install. Yet there are no monthly fees. If you consider iphones “fandangled devices” this system is probably not for you. So far based on a week of use, I can recommend it. I got the system at Costco. The Lorex Fusion system. Nothing is 100% effective but this gives us a bit of peace of mind while we are at work all day. Or in bed at night. Someone could come in while we are sleeping. We wouldn’t likely hear an intruder. We have no dog either to warn us. The old Mopars and all the tools to support them are fairly endeared to me. They should be a little safer. These systems continue to improve. I am impressed so far. The image quality is quite good.

Yes, quite a turning point in history that day. I read something funny recently and I thought about vintage cars. 1970 to today. 52 years ago. The same period of time when looking back. 1972 to 1922. 50 years. Oh my. I need to sit down for a minute.

It’s unfortunate to hear how you were treated by a professional shop. Seems very odd that they’d pull 1 piston out. Tell you its good and proceed with a valve grind. Then gave the engine back to you without reinstalling the piston? Where did you get this engine? Bought it as a good used runner? There is much that you can do with your engine to prevent being taken advantage of. If you have the will and the means. Not everyone can do that. I get it.

For reference, $6K ought to get you a nice rebuilt 230. I would not buy any engine to install for quick use without: 1: pulling rods and plasti-gauge 2. pulling mains and plasti-gauge 3. cranking over and measuring oil pressure and compression 4. Pulling head and checking top ridge 5. Look at cylinder walls & Mic bore. If I can’t do any of that, I’m offering a generous $200 for a core value. I don’t care if it was running when parked, pulled, whatever. That’s just me. I’m a little more enlightened after just completing my own 236 Mopar engine rebuild. Maybe my attitude seems harsh? ?

Searched multiple factory manuals here, not seeing a torque value published. Also searched my 2 Motor's manuals, nothing. 120-130 for some reason comes to mind fo me as well. My ½" drive torque wrench gets me there.

Welcome, from Western Canada. You found the right spot. Flatheads are fun, different and easy to work on. 6V is just fine. You just need to remeber that you need 2x the amps going through wires than a same a 12V system. You need excellent clean grounds and nice plump wires. Especially from the battery to the starter. I am a little envious of your truck. I would also like to own an old Mopar truck.

https://bcfasteners.com/shop/jet-h3700-21-3-8-drive-5-16-square-oil-drain-plug-socket/

Agree with 7 o’clock position for distributor rotor. Align oil pump and lock pump into this position. Then you are at #1 spark plug firing position. The plug wire to number one goes in the distributor cap at 7:00 as well. Then wires 5,3,6,2,4 clockwise. I Did this very thing and my new engine rebuild fired up immediately.

Depending on your year, plenty of them were made by Gemmer. Gemmer made steering boxes for several automotive companies. Using my 1945 Motor's Manual I was able to determine that my 38 Plymouth was Gemmer type 335.The Motors Manual have a good index and photos to help you ID exactly what you have. I also saw that 37 to 42 Fords used a Gemmer type 3. I researched images of the Ford parts that are readily available, and found an exact match. I researched in my Hollander Exchange book. I ordered up parts from C&G Early Ford Parts and rebuilt my gearbox. The parts were a perfect OEM fit. Going to the C&G website now, it looks different. Not like it was when I ordered. Appears a little harder to match up parts: https://cgfordparts.com/steering/steering-boxes-components-47-parts.html I ended up with an extra set of steering gearbox parts. Bearings, seals and gaskets. I am in Kamloops. If interested send me a message. I'll sell the extra parts. Suggest you take out your gear box for positive ID before ordering. Being as you have a Fargo, Canada only, there is nothing shown in the Motors Manual on the Fargo. https://youtu.be/XV-zliWv5eU

Looks good Robert KB. We’re in the middle of our annual January duldrums. Socked in with low cloud. Grey & dreary. No direct sunlight. Foggy. Staying steady around freezing point. Snow is neither melting or accumulating. Roads are a mess of de-icing chemicals. Nah-a, no way I’m taking an old beauty out around here. I am a little jealous of your nice weather and road conditions. I have done a valve seat grind and replaced all valves & lapped-in, while in-frame. I have not done a ring jobin-frame. I think it would be a fun project to do. I would consider it if needed. Cleanliness is paramount and can be challenging when done in frame. You’d be spending a lot of time bent over up top, and laying under the car on the bottom end. Could be done on a car hoist and it would be nicer.

The drum hub is tapered and sits on a tapered axle. The the big nut tightens the drum to the axle shaft. There should be no movement between drum and nut. The entire axle shaft has about .008" of bearing clearance. To investigate further a couple of things can be done. Get a mechanics stethoscope and listen at the bearing, right behind the brake backing plate. Sound gritty? Bearing. Remove nut. Pull drum. Remove shoes. Loosen backing plate mounting nuts. Pull axle and bearing out. Have a good look.

I have deduced that to an extent, valve timing can be adjusted a little by setting tappet clearances. A tight valve opens earlier. A loose valve open later. Valve timing has a large impact on torque. I’ve experienced it when re-setting valves. As engine rpm’s increase incoming air/fuel mixture has less and less time to get down into the cylinder. Spent gases hot to get out. By changing valve timing and overlap you can change where the rpms make the most torque. 1/4 mile cars run wide open. I’d think they want torque higher up the tach. An RV is a big heavy unit that doesn’t generally handle that great at speeds above 60. Makes more sense to have the most torque at a lower rpm. I suspect cam timing and changing the torque curve is sort of like playing with gearing. If you change the gear ratio for lower rpms at hi-way travel, then you lose torque at low rpms. The engine makes a max peak torque. What rpm would you like it at? Someone moves the torque curve with a cam. Then they want to widen ithe curve out. So they try to make more engine power. Headers. Dual exhaust. Then they want quicker revving. Lighten the flywheel. Aluminum rods and pistons. Twin larger CFM carbs. Then change the gearing. Now the spark is too weak. New ignition. Shave the heads. Raise the compression. Now it runs too hot. Larger rad. Electric fans. Now the clutch keeps slipping and burning up. Bigger clutch. Later the tranny and drive lines start failing. Swap all that out. Then the diff blows up and axles twist. (yes very unlikely with a flathead 6) On and on. You get my point. Its a fun hobby. But boy can you ever go down a rabbit hole. The original engineers got it set up pretty well for what it was designed to do. Shuffle the average person or family around. I chose stock. Higher performance is fun too. Just takes deep pockets.

I had to look it up. Thanks for your service @knuckleharley Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War. Established on 24 January 1964, it conducted strategic reconnaissance missions in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), Laos, and Cambodia; took enemy prisoners, rescued downed pilots, conducted rescue operations to retrieve prisoners of war throughout Southeast Asia, and conducted clandestine agent team activities and psychological operations. The unit participated in most of the significant campaigns of the Vietnam War, including the Gulf of Tonkin incident which precipitated increased American involvement, Operation Steel Tiger, Operation Tiger Hound, the Tet Offensive, Operation Commando Hunt, the Cambodian Campaign, Operation Lam Son 719, and the Easter Offensive. The unit was downsized and renamed Strategic Technical Directorate Assistance Team 158 on 1 May 1972, to support the transfer of its work to the Strategic Technical Directorate of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam – part of the Vietnamization effort.

Steve if you’d like one of mine send me a personal message. Thanks.

I got very lucky with a brand new NOS Mopar built camshaft. Same part number stamped into it as the original 1953 cam that I removed from my engine. CDPD logo on it. A seller had it listed on Ebay as a "cam shaft". So I guess maybe few were seeing it when they did a search? I scooped it up. A few deals are out there! Yet then I had to spend a small fortune on a full set of new tappets. Might as well go for broke... No help here for you. Just like to share a success story.

Assume this is 3 3/8 bore? Egge had nothing for me when I enquired. Nor Vintage Power Wagons. After several other sources said no, I exercised the option to bore it over to 3 7/16". Standard size. The 228 was now a very readily mass produced 237.

Allow me to have fun with the valvetrain for a moment. The cam lobes being scored up. Here’s my theory. The rear most valves get the the least cooled water from the water pump. Furthest back, way at the end of the water distribution tube. By the time the water gets there, its pretty hot again. High heat causes metal to expand. Let’s assume someone was not doing good car maintenance at some point in the past. Not up on their tappet clearances. As valves recess, tappet clearances shrink. Add extra heat here due to limited water cooling. Now we have quite tight valve-to-tappet clearances at the very rear of the engine. The Engine starts to develop a miss. Driver is on a hiway trip a long ways from home. He pushes through to get home. Cam is turning at 1/2 engine rpm speed. So lets assume 1500 times per minute for the 5 hour drive back home. Tappet cannot float nicely on the cam. Its being forced down to ride on the cam lobe due to pressure from the valve return spring. No tappet clearance remember. Cam continues to turn as the car is forced along the hiway home. The oil is also quite aged because the owner is lazy with his maintenance. The oil has lost most of its lubricity by now. Should have been changed quite a while ago. The oil has lots of soot in it too because burnt exhaust gasses are entering the engine crankcase at an exhaust valve that is no longer seating. Soot is more abrasive than sand. Bad stuff to allow to build up in your crankcase. The now zero clearance area between the tappet and cam lobe, has soot in the oil, grinding away as driver hurries on his way home. Like sand rubbing between your finger and thumb. Very abrasive. The tappet stops spinning on the cam lobe. It gets slightly skewed in its bore due to no tappet to valve clearance. The valve too gets slightly skewed in its guide. The exponential wear rate and destruction of the engine has begun. Its only a matter of time. Eventually the car owner parks his old Mopar in a field due to poor running engine. 25 years later it’s rescued. A new owner tears it down and posts his findings on P15-D24. “Look at this odd cam wear. Lots of sludge in the crankcase.” (Scarcasm) It Could happen! Lol. The moral of this story is? Change your oil and set your valve clearance.