Joe Flanagan

When I adjusted the valves, I recall the interference being strong. But the one that is worn and making noise, there isn't much interference, really. Not like the others.

Just discovered that the tappet on #5 intake is worn down to about half the height of the others. I'm referring to the small piece that screws into the lifter and that you turn when you adjust the valves. The tappet on #6 intake looks pretty worn, too. They obviously need to be replaced. I'd like to see if there's any wear on the camshaft. Is there a way to determine this without actually pulling the cam?

I won't know anything more about this until tonight.

I will check that next. I adjusted the valve so that the noise is completely gone but I had to bring the top of the tappet pretty far out; way farther than all the others. The lifter bodies that are down all look to be about the same height but it's hard to tell.

Number five intake valve has excessive clearance between the tappet and the valve stem. It looks like about 1/4" and that is what is causing the noise. I tried to adjust the tappet and I have to bring it almost all the way out in order to get it even close, but that might be just where the valve was positioned when I tried it. The valve does not seem to be stuck. It travels the same amount as all the others. I talked to Moose and discussed the possibility of something being stuck in the valve seat. We are going to meet today and see what we can figure out.

OK. I'll likely be up early, too.

Wow, thank you Moose. I'll give you a call tomorrow AM

Not clutch related. Plan for tomorrow: Pull the valve covers and have a peek inside. Also will see if I can isolate the sound by pulling wires and using a mechanic's stethoscope. Last resort is to pull the head.

Thanks for the suggestion, Harold. I haven't checked that yet but will when I get a chance.

I don't know anything yet. I'm riding in the flatbed right now. The tow is going to cost me over $500. It really sounds like a valve. It's being towed to my familys home in Hyannis. I've got some tools but not everything I need. Then there's the problem of getting it back to Virginia.

Bad news. I'm stranded in Mystic, CT with a loud tappingsoundcoming from the engine. Sounds like it's toward the back and high up. Speeds up with acceleration. I was about a quart low when I pulled over so I added a quart and it doesn't make any difference. The oil pressure is fine, according to the gauge.

Don, they are perfectly synchronized and fine tuned. Thanks for the tip about the extra key. I never would have thought of that.

Thanks, everyone. I'm pretty much ready to go. I have a full tank of gas and the trunk is packed with tools and everything I can think of that I might need. 3AM departure time. I just have to pack some clothes and a few bottles of water. Got up this morning to find the left front tire flat. I took it down to the shop and found out that it was leaking between the rubber and the rim. It's fixed now and I hope it's still fixed when I'm ready to leave tomorrow.

That makes sense. If the oil pressure releif valve close when the engine is shut off then I should get a correct reading right away

Is there a period of time you should wait to check the oil after shutting your engine off? I ask this because I think I recall some discussion about it on the forum I frequent for my 56 Chevy pickup. I believe it was said that you should wait a while before checking the oil because about half the oil in the filter canister would migrate back down to the pan, giving you a more accurate reading. Is this true for our MOPARs? Is it true at all? I'm taking a long trip soon and want to keep a close eye on my oil level. Just want to know if I should hang around and wait after shutting the engine down before checking it.

On Monday I will be leaving for a 1000 mile trip from Alexandria, VA to Hyannis, MA in my 1949 Plymouth. I'll be leaving at about 3AM so I can get out of the Mid-Atlantic region before the heat sets in (supposed to be 96 in Alexandria on Monday). My apologies to the guys who are going to Hyde Park. I had originally planned to go but I want to go and see my family, who have never seen the Plymouth. I am steering clear of Interstate 95. My route will take me well west of Baltimore, just east of York, PA, and west of Reading and Allentown. I will be taking Route 209 for a good part of the journey, will travel through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and enter New York at Port Jervis. I'll cross the Hudson at Kingston, NY and then travel eastward across Connecticut above Hartford, mostly on Route 44. I'll then stay on 44 for most of the way to Cape Cod. I can't wait to get on the road. I'm a little nervous, I'll admit, but I hope there won't be any problems. I'm bringing everything with me I think I'll need in case of emergency, including two spare distributor lead wires. I've got my cell phone and my AAA premier membership as a last resort. I don't know what to expect if I hit a thunderstorm. There is a leak around the cowl vent somewhere that I have not addressed yet and one of the wiper arms is cobbled together with wire yet seems to hold together. Still worries me a little, though. According to Google Maps, it's roughly a 15 hour trip. I don't know if I'll do it all in one shot or not. I'll have to see how I feel by Monday afternoon (if the car is still rolling by then). It looks like the route goes through some beautiful country on roads that are not heavily traveled. I will keep you all posted on my progress.

RIght, I was thinking the same thing. I just need to find out what the correct size is. According to my manual, it was originally 6.70 x 15, whatever that means. Also, to answer an earlier question, I'm using the original rear end on the car.

Let me have a look at the calculator Don posted. Thanks, Don. I used a GPS device while driving down the road at what my speedometer said was 50 MPH. The GPS indicated I was actually only going 41 to 43 (the readout kept fluctuating). My wheels are 15 inches in diameter, if that's worth anything. I will check the calculator and see what I get, though. Thanks.

My speedometer reads 7 to 9 MPH faster than my actual speed. Someone suggested to me that this might be because the tires I have on my car are too small. They are P20575R15. I will be getting new tires for the front and wanted to know what size I ought to get. I won't be changing out the rears since they are in good condition but I figure once I do have to change them out, I'll get the correct size on the back as well.

I just got the car back from the shop. The toe-in was way out of whack. It is correctly aligned now. The mechanic was an older guy who told me that I actually got the camber correct when I did it in my driveway. But the toe-in was really bad. He also said that the car handles very well and that the engine runs beautifully.

That's good to hear. I just dropped the car off at the shop. They say they'll have it done today.

Thanks, Andy. I figured I would at least have to show the mechanic where the eccentric nut is and how it works. Otherwise, I'll hope for the best.

Thank you, guys. I will be taking it to a shop soon.

My front tires are wearing badly on their outer edges. I noticed this problem about a year ago when I first got the car on the road. I adjusted the camber to within limits according to the manual but it obviously did not correct the wear problem. My right front is borderline unsafe. The way I checked/adjusted the camber was using a straight edge that touched only the rim of the tire. I held a level against that and measured the distance out of plumb as I moved the eccentric bushing. At the time, I posted a question here on the forum asking how to translate out-of-plumb into degrees. I don't remember the details offhand. But assuming that measurement was correct, I did get both front wheels within acceptable limits. Anyway, I'll check the camber again but if that's not the problem, my manual tells me it could be king pin inclination. The book does not offer any information on how that is corrected (if it is correctable). Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should look at otherwise? I would like to take it to a shop and just have it done but I don't know of anyone in my area that has experience with these old cars. Even if they told me they could do it, I would be reluctant to believe them.

I just saw this post. I'm on the forum frequently but I don't post as much since I don't really have many issues with my Plymouth. I've just been driving the heck out of it and enjoying it. I do check in to see what people are talking about, though.