Sam Buchanan

Nearly every engine problem we deal with is heat related....the only problem my P15 engine has presented when cold is a puddle of oil....... ?

This may not help any but here is the linkage on my '48 Plymouth.

Let's work on semantics a bit. A "valve job" involves removing the head and valve train, either replacing or grinding the valves, grinding or lapping the seats and putting the engine back together. This is usually needed only after many thousands of miles of service since a previous valve job or engine rebuild. A "valve adjustment" is a maintenance procedure that doesn't require any disassembly other than removing the valve covers on the side of the engine. This procedure is usually done every few thousand miles along with other periodic maintenance and tune-up work. You stated earlier that your engine was rebuilt last year and your mechanic recommended checking valve adjustment after 50 hours of running. However, it has been 12K miles since rebuild (in one year!) and the valves haven't been touched. Time for a valve adjustment! Run that procedure and check back with us, there is a good chance drivability will improve.

If I understand Bob's original post, the 2006 tires were purchased many years ago in CA. He stated he thought it was about ten years ago but I suspect it was closer to 2006. Here is the quote from Bob's post: "I bought my current tires from Coker when they had an outlet in Fresno about 10 years ago (I thought). Turns out they are a bit older- I checked the date code (which Coker places on the inside of the tire BTW) and it is stamped 40 06, which means manufactured during the 2nd week in October 2006! " Nobody has shown evidence that Coker is now selling new tires with a 2006 date code. We need to be fair and accurate.

Trailer tires have sidewalls that differ considerably from car tires. They are stiffer and don't need to provide proper steering and accel/deccel response as do car tires. High speed trailer tires are available, the last set I bought were rated at 85mph. That was a heavy tire...... For moving a car around a shop during restoration tire selection doesn't matter. Custom shops often use "donuts" which aren't even real tires during restorations. But I wouldn't drive my car with trailer tires, tires are the only thing connecting our car to the road!

Your description of hot starts is typical of what I see with my '48 P15 but once it starts it idles smoothly and it will idle for long periods of time with no difficulty. It does seem to be fuel percolation and the suggestion to try lowering the float is something you could try. However.....I have a full-time electric fuel pump and that may be preventing problems you could be having with the old suction pump. I've never experienced what I would consider vapor lock and it gets HOT here in north Alabama.

I don’t think it’s vapor lock. Has the idle mixture been set properly? Sounds like it may be rich, loading up then having to clear.

Must not be a choke sticking shut if the choke plate is open, the bottom plate is the throttle, it should be closed at idle. Oh well, it was worth checking. Beautiful car!

I don't know what kind of choke your carb has but if it is automatic it may be closing the choke when it shouldn't. If the choke isn't manual make sure it is functioning and adjusted correctly.

There isn't anything special about the dimensions of the stands, I just cut the 4x4's to allow the maximum number of pieces from the stock I had on hand. In my case that worked out to 10".

I put work stands where the possibility of the car falling on me is minimized. The most substantial component in our cars is the frame and that's where my work stands are located. If a suspension member needs to be "de-drooped" I use the floor jack to move the suspension back into road position. I trust these work stands with my life when they are supporting the frame.

Knowledge is power! I used to tell my students that if you are willing to spend time reading and researching there isn't anything you can't accomplish in nearly any subject. I realize there are those for whom reading is a chore due to disabilities but there isn't any excuse for lack of effort by those who refuse to use their God-given abilities. And this is why some forum old-timers (and not just on this forum) have patience meters reading down in the red.

Excellent reminder for all of us, thanks! I realize just throwing a question out to the forum is much easier than doing some homework. Many folks (most?) just hate doing homework and prefer a quick answer (I spent fourteen years standing at the front of a classroom facing impatient pupils....). But it is amazing how much information is available on nearly any subject with minimal effort spent searching. Yes, forum search engines are often not well designed so I always go to Google. To search this forum with Google do the following: site:p15-d24.com then your inquiry such as how often to change oil That particular inquiry instantly returned 18 threads on the subject of oil and filter change intervals. I have to admit the old teacher in me doesn't have a lot of patience for folks who refuse to do homework instead of trying to educate themselves before seeking help. Guess it's a rebellion against the instant gratification component of our culture. Doing some basic research has often saved me from asking a question that has been asked who knows how many times previously. But if a search doesn't return a good answer......ask!

Here are a couple of videos that should be interesting for those who are considering driving our old cars at modern speeds on congested highways. I know, I know......live life to the fullest, but still.........these cars were designed for a vastly different day and age. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlvl8fXuuVg

Off topic but just wondering what happened to MarcDesoto........

That is definitely the best method since you don't have the original generator pulley and you want a belt a little shorter than stock.

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The valve isn't insulated, I put some fuel hose on the handle so it won't hurt my fingers as much when I turn it, it is quite stiff to turn. No way am I going to tempt fate by unnecessarily breaking off the old valve in the head, then messing up the threads, then having to remove the head from a low-mileage, perfectly running engine, then, whatever. There are winter projects and there are fool's errands....... With three vintage cars (and an airplane) I keep in daily driver condition there are plenty of maintenance jobs to keep me busy, currently in the process of putting a new exhaust on the TR6 after installing new differential, driveshaft and axles.

Connect the 12v battery directly to the starter and DON'T use the car's starter button and it won't matter if lights, etc are on or off because they won't see 12v.

I don't want to belabor this topic but maybe it is educational to some. What you are describing with bridging the battery and starter terminals on the solenoid is not the same technique I've described. Unless I'm missing something you are connecting the 6v battery to 12v when the jumper cables are connected to the battery. I don't know if this is harmful to the 6v battery but what I've described doesn't have this risk since the 6v battery never sees 12v. Or maybe you are disconnecting the solenoid from the 6v battery? If I have misunderstood what you are describing please feel free to elaborate further.

Not easy to replace when it has seized in the head like the one on my P15. Fortunately it is stuck "open" so all I had to do was install an inline valve in one of the heater hoses, didn't want to risk breaking off the old valve in the head. It is a manual valve, I open it late fall and close it late spring. The under-dash dealer-installed heater in my car is very effective, the fan still works nicely.

Good point. Or you could clip the positive lead to the starter terminal then make contact with the ground lead on the engine block to spin the starter. The polarity of the jump battery doesn't actually matter since no jump voltage is being fed into the car, just the starter and it doesn't care about polarity. Once again.....DO NOT USE THE STARTER BUTTON in the car! Doing so will back feed jump voltage into the car through the starter solenoid. If this concept is confusing, spend some time with the wiring diagram to see how this is a safe procedure when applied properly.

The solenoid can't back feed if the starter button circuit isn't activated. I'm describing what you can do in a pinch if the only jumper battery available is 12v. Our 6v cars can be jump started with 12v if the correct procedure is used and no harm will come to the car's electrics.

Some mis-information is being passed on about this topic. If the positive jumper cable is only touched to the big starter terminal to make the starter spin, it makes no difference if lights, radio, etc are turned on, no jumper voltage will go to them. Only the starter will see 12v. The starter switch in the car IS NOT USED!!!!! Just turn on the ignition so the coil sees its regular 6v. Think about it.

Nothing radical about it, just need basic understanding of how the car is wired. There is no risk to the car if done properly.