keithb7

When I lived 350 miles closer to the Canadian polar ice cap, my vehicle had 3 plugs. 1. Block/coolant heater 2. Battery blanket heater 3. Oil pan heater. Siliconed in place on flat bottom of oil pan. When it snowed, the hood of my car was warm enough to keep the snow melted. Electricity just comes from a plug-in, right?

Can you loosen the clamp on the capacitor and slide it slightly forward? To give a little more free wire to move away from the points? Looking at your engine the main coil HT lead appears old and crispy. I'd replace it. It does not match the age of the spark plug wires.

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Thanks for the ideas by many Mopar friends here. The offer to re-ship parts to me from a member inside the USA, is gracious. However, a fellow member here has come forward with a spare gland nut to drop in the mail to me. All I must do is "pay-it-forward" someday. Indeed I will, for one good turn deserves another!

These items addressed below may not be your problem, however should be looked at closely to ensure. Photo 1: shows the rubber isolator that needs to be in place at the distributor housing. It also shows a very bad wire with exposed wire strands. This is unacceptable and any wire that looks like this needs to be replaced. Photo 2: Red arrows again point to the rubber isolator (important). Orange circles point out various fasteners that need to be secured tight. Find them all, check them for tight. Don't overdo it with too much torque. The green arrows point to internal wires that need to be properly shielded, unable to allow voltage to jump to ground. Any seen as questionable, replace. You mentioned replacing points. Many a beginner (including me) have set them wrong and an engine won't start. The points gap needs to be adjusted when the points are fully opened. The points lift-arm is to be at the apex of the points cam. The correct spec will get your dwell close when you have new points installed. Not later, when adjustments are made with worn points. Then a dwell meter really proves its value. The key to good troubleshooting is really understanding how the various systems work. Why they all work together and what they do. Best to source some old vintage books on automotive technical theory and read, read, read. Lights start to come on. Eventually you'll have a long string of lights, like a run of outdoor Christmas lights inside your brain. All working together. You'll be firing on all cylinders, so to speak!

@Eneto-55The temp probe on the right is electric. That 25" engine came out of a '54 Canadian Dodge. 228 ci. That engine resides in my '38 Ply car. That engine is out now, torn down for rebuild. That head has the slight bulge cast into it at the front to accommodate the water passages for the by-pass type water pump. I want to re-use that head. My plan is to drill and tap it for ½" NPT, so I can utilize the stock temperature gauge system in my '38 Ply car. The head on the left is spare head that I have from a 1948 25" Canadian Dodge. 218 CI engine. It is indeed tapped for ½" NPT. However that head does not have the cooling passage for the by-pass water pump. Additionally, neither head does me any good without the gland nut that I need. Oh the joys of swapping major components.

I did @desoto1939 I have been in touch with Mike at Mopar Pro. He seems like a good guy. Not his fault about all the added fees and charges to get it to my door. At the end of the day it's beyond my level of tolerance for 1 simple bushing. There is a limit to the amount of cash I am willing to toss into the wind to have a properly working temp gauge. I may plug the hole in the head again for now. Some day another seized flathead Mopar engine will appear locally. I'll get one...Someday. I'm maintaining a driver car here. Not a restoration. @61spit that does look like a decent alternative option. Yet again, the freight, exchange costs, and additional handling fees for each parcel by Fed-Ex makes my head spin. Summit does not offer basic USPS ground mail as an option. Sorry to turn this thread into a whining session about vintage Mopar parts costs. I'll quietly move on. *Edit to update that a local parts supplier can get me that Morso bushing for $14.94 Canadian ($12 US funds all-in) No freight costs. 6-8 weeks delivery. Good thing I am not in a hurry. Lol. I will order it and give it a try.

This insanity is slowing killing my ambition for this hobby. This is not sustainable. Who's to blame for these ridiculous freight charges? It's frustrating. I will not be ordering this part at this cost. I will find a way to build one or source a local used one.

Check the wire from the coil, where it enters the distributor. This wire cannot access ground. Look for rubber or fiber isolators at the distributor housing to ensure it is not touching ground. Are all the wires inside the distributor in place? Can you verify an arc/spark at the points when you turn the engine over?

Does anyone here own the scissor lift type. It sits on your floor. You drive over it, adjust the lift arms out to the frame. Then hydraulically lift the car up to a max of about 4-5 feet? Costco sells them up here for about $2200 US funds. I am tempted but it really hinders access to the center under side of the car. However it would work in my garage with limited ceiling space. This one has a 6,000 lb capacity. Should work for all wheel, brake and suspension work. Easy vehicle waxing and washing at a comfortable work height. Engine oil changes. Diff oil. Inspections. Etc. 110V hydraulic pump. Mechanical locks in place. Can't fall and squash you. I could use this for a lot of work. It's not perfect however better than jack stands and laying on the floor. Could be rolled outside too for driveway work. A bonus.

The JB was stroked on about 8 days ago. The leak appeared later that same day upon reassembly.

What local time does the sun rise in Alaska right now? I'll guess 8:30 AM?

There is lots of JB weld on the inside, back side of the cover, sealing that swaged connection. I'd have sworn there was plenty enough to seal it up. As mentioned that area is not leaking. its dripping out the center of the tube. See pic one of this thread.

The outside seen here after my attempt at sealing it up. That part seemed to seal fine. As seen in post #1, drips out the center of the hole. Corn head grease, may be in my future.

I just had my steering gear box apart. There are no seals in my 38. Only the shims/gaskets stacked behind this end cover. I used JB weld on the inside and outside (good heavy application) surfaces of the cover. My goal was to secure the swaging and ensure things were sealed. Yet the oil seems to be coming from the inside of the tube. Not the outer sides of it. Almost like the tube has a pin hole in the wall of it. This is mine before I attempted to seal it up:

I am watching mine too. Same thing. Dripping. Wondering if we leave it till it stops dripping then top up the level? Maybe it will stop? I had my entire gearbox and steering shaft out. I filled the gearbox with oil before re-installing all in the car. I am hoping oil sloshed up above the wire tube, and is dripping out? Hoping so. Otherwise I am on the look out for a new cover/tube assy.

Getting close! If I were not working, I’d have my car out today. The roads and weather are improving quickly. If this keeps up my Chrysler will be turning heads this weekend. Sorry no car pic yet but here’s current neighborhood conditions.

Seems we're all seeing this situation in our various locations. Most Mopar folks here seem to be on a pretty even keel towards realistic values. These days I still drive past the 1949 straight 8 NY'r that the owner had high hopes for. My offer was declined. I'm pretty sure that today I'd be able get it for my price offer. However since that time I picked up my '38 Ply. I've little time or interest in parting out the NY'r these days.

Looks more like Alberta in early April. Not February. We’ve had rain for past 12 hours. Socked in most of today with low clouds. Its been about 8C above lately. No 14C like you’ve had. We had some snow last Fri-Sat. So its all a big wet melting mess today. If roads dry up and skies clear up I will indeed get my Chrysler out. Be a few days yet at best. Thanks for thinking of me over here. Last year on Feb 1 I did indeed have my Chryco out. Photo from 365 1/4 days ago will have to suffice.

Put the brake drum back on. Thread the nut on only partially. Use the brake drum as a slide hammer. Grab drum with both hands. Push toward the diff, then sharply yank it towards you. The drum hub hitting the nut. Repeat as needed until the axle shaft with bearing, comes out of the axle housing.

If thats your rear axle assy and you're that far in....Easy peasy now to address that housing gasket. I suggest new inner axle oil seals, new axle shaft bearings, new outer grease seals, and set up bearing clearances with the right stack of shims. I am not sure if your inner axle seal is the same part number as my '38 (651678). However this new, modern Caterpillar seal was a perfect direct fit. Low cost too.

To update a seller who is out of touch with the vintage Mopar hobby? Crazy asking prices because the car is old. It's rotten. It's priced out of the market. It doesn't run. The threat..."When I get it running in the spring, sell price will be much higher!" I bite my tongue and let it go. Sometimes I do want to send the seller a message and say, "friend you are way out to lunch. If you really want to sell that car, (and I ain't looking, nor interested) you really need to be in xx,xxx price range." Here's my latest example. A 1938 Dodge. This one is listed for almost exactly what I paid for my car, that at least fired up and drove ½ way up the trailer ramp before it gave up. Pic as seen rusted in the field with "amazing patina". Asking price $3400 CDN. Pic 2 my car as found aside from the new tires. First day I had it running on the street. Maybe I got lucky when I paid $3500 CDN? I'm not so sure. I keep pouring money money into it. Expecting .25 return per dollar some day. Am I the spoiled brat here because I think that the rusted '37 Dodge with the great patina is worth $500 tops? I could maybe use the diff, steering gear box, glass, etc...Yet I need to go drag it home and have it sit in my yard for months, maybe years as I part it out. Putting in my time and effort also selling parts to keep other old cars on the road. I dunno. Maybe I am jaded? $500 tops...

Thanks for replying @RobertKB That’s sort of what I figured. There’s often enough catalyst in threads on this topic to near start a war. I’ll leave it alone. I work in the mining industry. I see what it takes to get resources out of the earth, and sent to market. I have opinions too about EVs based on my perspective. There’s no shortage of sensitive topics related to EVs.

Is it ok to ask further questions here about the electric car? Is it ok to ask about the transfer of emissions away from the electric car to other industries? How about all the other industries related to the car industry and the tax base generated from fuel sales? I have tons of questions as I don't understand it all. Perhaps someone can explain a few things? - K

I believe the 237 desoto is a 25” block. Same as Chrysler. 3 7/16 bore x 4 1/4” stroke. The USA 218 and 230 is a 23 ½” long block.