Sam Buchanan

While the single center brake light is very cool and nostalgic, I felt it was inadequate for inattentive drivers tailgating my P15 since they are more accustomed to seeing brake lights associated with tail lights. One of the first things I did on my car during the process of returning it to roadworthy status was install turn signals and convert the tail lights to double filament sockets. This is not a difficult mod if you have a basic understanding of wiring. I left the center light in the brake circuit so there are now three brake lights. I may go with 6v LED tail light bulbs, I like the increased output and lower current draw. However, I'll need to change out the flasher for one that will function properly with LEDs.

That sounds reasonable to me, in that case I would install the gasket. Guess a little leakage would be the anti-corrosion system. That system is alive and well on my car! 😁

That's the same conclusion I came to and another reason why it seems to me the gasket is ineffective at stopping leaks at locations that are supposed to be sealed. Guess it's better to let the bearing retainer leak down the gasket slot instead of into the bellhousing. Of course the retainer is supposed to be sealed and draining oil back into the trans case. Now.....the gasket is staring at us on the workbench, do we install it or leave it on the bench?

I don't understand the gasket, either. The gasket doesn't cover the area of the transmission where the countershaft bore is located. Plus, the gasket has a slot underneath the location of the bearing retainer (??). Beats me...... However, I have a lot of respect for the old MoPar engineers, those dudes were sharp about how to work with the technology available to them....wish I knew what they were thinking.

Use this link to find results of a Google search with many of the threads in this forum on transmission leaks: https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A+p15-d24.com+transmission+leak&oq=site%3A+p15-d24.com+transmission+leak&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRg60gEJMTUwODdqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Here is a thread I started about resolving a large leak on the front of my P15 transmission: https://p15-d24.com/topic/58630-major-leak-countershaft-3-speed/ It is my experience the paper gasket between trans and bellhousing will not stop drips from a transmission that isn't sealed properly.

Your alternator fuse needs to be sized according to the current load your wiring harness will tolerate before failing, not according to the potential output of the alternator. The fuse is to protect your car's wiring in case an internal short occurs in the alternator (quite unlikely but protection is a good idea). I don't know what that number is since I don't know details of your wiring architecture but 100a is no doubt way too big.

Pretty much everything. Not trying to be snippy but you are just going to have to do some electrical troubleshooting, something we can't do via the internet. There are dozens of places where current can be interrupted and it only takes one fault. Hope the problem is easy to find.

BAT terminal on regulator or the actual battery terminal will work, they are electrically at the same potential. I'm not sure how the early stomp starters are wired. Most of us connect the single wire to the wire that was on the BAT terminal of the old voltage regulator. Your fuse can go between the alternator and where you connect the single wire. Its purpose is to protect the car's harness in the remote case something in the alternator shorts to ground. The link should be rated a little lower than the harness wires so it will open before smoke escapes from the harness. Get ready to enjoy bright lights at idle and a battery that stays fully charged with none of the aggravation of keeping an old genny and regulator in working order!

I don't know the answer to the issue that has been raised in regard to whether or not your 1938 has the same type of ammeter as my 48. What I can tell you is the modern 6v alternator works beautifully in my car using the original ammeter. Connecting the alternator to your wiring architecture is straightforward because the new alternators are "single wire" and internally regulated which eliminates the old voltage regulator. There are several threads in the forum on this subject and we can walk you through this simple process if you decide to pursue it. Here is the vendor I and several other forum members have used to source our alternators: https://www.ebay.com/str/HowardEnt?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

Yes, if no grease fitting on the water pump you have a newer pump that doesn't need lubrication. Currently available GL4 or GL5 gear oil will work fine in the rear axle. There is a small vent on the axle housing, check to make sure it hasn't been covered with road gunk.

I'm not familiar with the power shift, but if the transmission itself is the same as the standard three-speed a change in transmission oil may fix the crunchies. I had a crunchy 1-2 shift until the trans warmed up but a change to RedLine MTL resulted in silky smooth shifts in all gears at all temps. The oil is more expensive than the generic stuff but if it results in smooth shifts with no additional work on the trans it is a bargain.

I'm glad you were able to improve your brakes but that tool isn't capable of getting the shoes concentric with the axle. Having the shoes the same "diameter" as the ID of the drum will not provide good shoe/drum contact if one shoe, or a portion of a shoe, is closer to the drum than the other. There are actually four adjustments on each brake, each shoe has a minor and major adjustment. This complexity is what throws many folks who are not familiar with these brakes. The tool we have been discussing allows us to set each shoe the same distance from the axle which provides even contact of both shoes with the drum, and this is similar to the procedure used back in the day to assure concentricity.

Doesn't matter, use whatever you have, 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", etc. Make it long enough to position the angle. Once again, use whatever you have, 1/2", 3/4", whatever, it is just a pointer. Mine was built out of material I had in the scrap box. As long as the tool is rigid it will serve the purpose. Hope this helps.

I think the brakes will pull toward the side that has the contaminated shoes, the fluid-soaked shoes will grab the drum instead of engaging smoothly. Sandpaper in the drum while driving??!!?? 😬

Congrats on achieving official blessings from the powers that be! In regard to "normal" highway speed (wow, this is a subjective topic...) you can derive some numbers and go from there. These engines are rated for max power at 3600 rpm. Can this rpm be exceeded? Certainly, but those sharp Mopar engineers considered this a good redline for longevity for these long-stroke engines. A general rule of thumb is to limit sustained highway speed to less than 80% of redline rpm. Most likely you don't have a tach in your car but you can calculate some numbers for your car. You just need to know tire diameter and final drive ratio. My P15 has 1:1 transmission ration in third gear and 3.91 rear end ratio. Verify the numbers for your car. Then use a calculator such as this one to determine engine rpm at various speeds. https://spicerparts.com/calculators/transmission-ratio-rpm-calculator Using the above mentioned rule of thumb I get a reasonable sustained highway speed of 55-60 mph and the engine seems happy at that rpm. I've never calculated fuel mileage because it is a moot point for me, my F150 gets better mileage and has air conditioning if I'm concerned about such things. There is no "normal" oil consumption, kinda like asking someone how much food we should eat......just keep enough oil in the engine to compensate for usage and leaks. Enjoy your new ride!

Here is the post detailing how I made an adjustment tool, maybe this will be useful for your mechanic: https://p15-d24.com/topic/50182-brake-adjustment-tool-updated/ However, if the proper procedure is used (per the tech article) it should be possible to achieve satisfactory brake performance without using the tool. The tool just allows us to get closer to optimum performance. But brakes that aggressively pull to one side indicate a serious issue, either mechanically or grossly out of adjustment.

I bought a float from Mike, it has been good for five years.

Two items I would check first: 1) Proper adjustment. This can be tricky but the procedures have been discussed extensively on this forum. Here is a tech article: https://p15-d24.com/page/p15d24/tech/brakes.html Need clarification on your statement "Front brakes are non adjustable". 2) Pull the drums to make sure there isn't a wheel cylinder leaking on one side and putting fluid on the shoes. Maybe he has already done that.

That is the inertia safety disconnect switch for the full-time electric fuel pump. The reservoirs are for the Wilwood dual circuit master cylinder. Yes, my P15 has some 21st century items (you can't see the alternator or disc brakes!) to make it a very reliable daily driver.

The original was probably a lot better than current aftermarket. But check with Berbaum to see what they have.

This is one of the first things that should be replaced when restoring a long dormant car to service for the reason you observed. The hose you have is a braided rubber hose, the new one you get from Berbaum will be rubber without the jacket. You can see the new hose on my car in the photo above.

10W-30. Carter 6v pump on the frame forward of the rear axle. This is a full-time pump, mechanical pump has been removed.

The washer and spacer are separate pieces. In your case they may have become corroded and stuck together. You might try removing the lower mount so you can get a vice grip on the spacer so you can work it loose.

Something to consider.....I've found my '48 P15 to be sensitive to idle mixture adjustment and it needs seasonal adjustment to achieve the smoothest idle. Just a small tweak will even out the idle and eliminate most random pops. I do this a couple of times a year when ambient temps change from winter to summer and then back in the fall. I've also noticed this adjustment can be felt at highway speed when the throttle is barely cracked open. Too lean and the engine can have a very slight hesitation, not enough to hear but can definitely be felt. The service manual mentions that idle mixture can impact highway performance under light throttle, that must be what I've observed. Give this a look to make sure it isn't contributing to what you are seeing.

So why does the coil not overheat and fail while the engine is idling for an hour? (Referencing the post to which I responded) Fuel and ignition are never interconnected, they are two totally separate systems. But misdiagnoses can spill over into each system…and create a lot of confusion. 😉