Sam Buchanan

The cap has an indexing key, wonder if it is smaller than the notch in the rim of the distributor? That would allow the cap to rotate so the rotor and terminals don't clock properly.

I would put a 90* bend on one end of the rod to make sure it can't fall into the engine. The test light method reminds me how we timed VWs (and motorsickles) back in the day (timing lights were for amateurs...). ?

I think the best anti-theft device on the P15 is the column shifter! ?

It needs to be a threaded nut so it will be a tight fit on the axle.

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There is a bit of confusion here. The hole referred to as an oil return is located inside the bearing retainer. It returns oil back into the transmission that makes it way out of the bearing retainer . The hole you are referring to is for one of the shift rails and the gasket between the trans and bell housing should seal that hole. I'm not sure why there is a hole in the gasket at that location, maybe it is so the gasket will fit multiple applications.

Where did you source the carpet....looks very nice in the photo.

Ok.......................

Why should they if their product compatibility is similar to petroleum products........

Best info is from the manufacturer. Here is a quote from Red Line's Tech paper on their gear oils: "It is not necessary to flush the transmission before replacing with MTL. Remove the drain plug and drain while warm. Seal compatibility has been designed to be similar to petroleum lubricants, and leakage should be no greater than any other oil of comparable viscosity. Being formulated with extremely stable synthetic basestocks, MTL and MT-90 will last much longer than conventional petroleum lubricants." The entire paper can be found here, and it is an interesting read: https://www.redlineoil.com/Content/files/tech/MTL and MT-90 Tech Info.pdf

This is really encouraging..... ?. ?

That is getting way too complicated for my 1948 car......I could just forget about the inertia switch and drive happily ever after...... ?

I played with the switch for awhile on the bench. Every time I've seen one mounted in a YouTube video it is oriented with the red button 'UP'. I found the switch seems to be sensitive to shock delivered laterally but has little sensitivity to vertical shock. Guess this is why I've seen it mounted button up and that is how it is mounted on my firewall. As far as the location of the switch is concerned....if it is mounted solidly to the body it should receive quite a jolt if the car is hit hard on any quarter. The purpose of the switch is to interrupt power to the fuel pump only after a really hard collision. Any more sensitivity could lead to nuisance trips. If the collision is minor I just reach over and turn off the ignition. Trunk mounting is certainly a possibility for my car since the fuel pump is located near the tank, that would make wiring pretty simple. But hey....I've only had this thing for a few hours so what do I know....... ?

There is a link to the switch in my first post but if you search eBay for 'Ford Inertia Switch' you'll find them. There sure are a lot of YouTube vids and forum threads about how to troubleshoot the switch...seems they can be a service item. But there are a lot of Fords out there that run with no issues.....I've never had one trip on the Fords I've owned.

Some of the Fords have them on kick panels as well. That isn't a good option for me because I have a carpet panel that is screwed to the body work.

Kinda...sorta. The switch needs to be attached to solid body structure and I don't know where you could do that and still reach it from the driver's seat. In Fords the switch is located behind a trim panel on the interior side of the body. Maybe on the firewall up under the dash somewhere?? I'm still pondering this.....if that thing trips when it isn't supposed to it won't be wired into the car. ?

The Carter electric fuel pump I installed last year to replace the mechanical pump has worked flawlessly. However, every few months someone on the forum will mention how I will burn to a crisp if an accident disables me without disabling the pump. I've always considered this a very unlikely scenario (the ignition key turns off the pump) but the recent discussion about using an oil pressure switch with an electric pump prompted me to revisit this topic. I don't like the oil pressure switch solution because it interrupts the normal operation of the pump. But an inertia switch is totally transparent unless a hard jolt causes it to trip. But how hard a jolt would it take? The internet is full of reports of false trips in Fords that use the switch, often triggered by potholes or out-of-balance tires. I don't like the idea of a single-point failure in the fuel pump circuit leaving me powerless in traffic......but there is a safety aspect. I decided to get a Ford inertia switch and see if it is a good option on the P15. But......before I commit to trusting a FORD (!) part to keep me from getting rear-ended when the pump dies unexpectedly I decided to road test the switch for a few weeks to see if false trips are a problem. I soldered leads to the three terminals and mounted the switch to the firewall where it could be easily reached if it needed to be reset . The center terminal is POWER, one terminal is PUMP and the other is for a lamp to indicate a trip. I wired one side of a test lamp to the power lead, the other side of the lamp to the battery, and the TRIP lead to ground. This way the lamp will only illuminate if a trip occurs. I'll drive the car for awhile and check to see if the lamp comes on. If it doesn't trip during routine ops I'll feel more comfortable with wiring the switch into the pump circuit. A hard rap of the firewall with a screwdriver handle will trip the switch and turn on the lamp as seen in this photo, the switch is at the arrow:

Your car is really clean! Is that UV joint boot torn?

Yep, change out that store-brand 10W-30 every year or so......whether it needs it or not........... ? Our inexpensive oils are far superior to what was available when our cars were new.

Or just use the puller and have a hub off in 3-4 minutes....... ?

Red Line MTF is a replacement for GL1 and won't degrade the brass stuff.

The nuts were that loose the first time I removed the drums on my car, too. You might recheck torque after a few dozen miles have accumulated on the brake job, I was able to torque mine another notch or two. The high torque maintains the friction fit on the axle taper so the key won't be carrying the load and wear or fail. If you are certain all the bolts are out of the backing plate, persuade it a bit with a hammer and block of wood.....let it know who's boss...... ? After you have worked on your car awhile, you will start thinking like a '40's engineer and the (simple) design will make more sense and you will come to appreciate how clever those guys were with getting maximum return with minimum technology. I love driving my car because it carries me back to 1948 and the thing is so........mechanical.

You will definitely need a puller to remove the rear drum and it can still be some work if they are really stuck. But this puller is about as good as you can get if you don't have the original tools: https://www.ebay.com/itm/251169591646?hash=item3a7adfd15e Yes, use the axle nut to seat the drum on the taper. I tighten the nut until the 24" breaker bar starts flexing then stop at the next slot for the cotter key. The service manual calls for minimum of 142 ft/lbs on the axle nuts.....you do have a manual, right?

My comments above were for a manual transmission where the old manuals called for a heavy gear oil (GL-1 80W). A well-regarded high-zinc engine oil that I found when looking for such for the VW Beetle (flat tappets) is Valvoline VR1 Racing oil: https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-10W-30-VR1-Racing-Motor/dp/B00DJ4FMK2 But I run Walmart's store-brand 10W-30 in my P15's 218.....I don't want it to develop an attitude........ ?

From the looks of the terminals on that relay you need to take every connection you can reach apart and clean the terminals.....those terminals look like trouble that will never end until refreshed. A maroon Scotchbrite is good for removing corrosion from terminals and a bag of new screws, washers and nuts will finish off the job. Sounds like you have a power problem near the battery, ammeter or headlight switch that is interrupting voltage to all the accessories. Have a copy of the schematic close as you start at the battery and work your way through the system. Use a hi-lighter to mark each lead on the schematic that is successfully traced. At some point you are going to find an 'uh-oh'.......and you will be on your way to restoring power to your car.