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Nope, I might get one of them through but that would be it. It's pretty stout and the channels are fixed in location so not going to be able to bend it. I really don't need to move the coil till I find an oil filter so I'll just get some of the standard wire looms for now.

The rekeyed ignition switch is wired back in and I was planning to install the plug wire loom/move the coil last night. Once I got the loom out of the box and into my hands I realized that there isn't enough room in the loom channels to run the wires through with the boots in place. I'm guessing these were designed to run the wires through the channels and then add the boots?

Yes, $10 was mentioned somewhere and that's what I expected. Unfortunately, it was way more than that and I used a locksmith that has done a lot of work for our company before so I thought it would be reasonable. I should have asked beforehand, I guess.

I'm back to work and that is consuming a lot of my free time these days. I just got the ignition switch back from the locksmith with a hefty invoice and a new key I'm not crazy about but it turns the switch so it should work and lesson learned. Hopefully I can get it put back together and try to start it this weekend. I'm still looking for a canister type oil filter housing that matches what I thought should be installed on a C (bolt top versus T handle). The C series reproduction shop manual shows the filter as optional equipment (as has been already established) but as usual, there is a thread on here with all kinds of information about them so I'm glad I didn't ask about it again.

Thanks for the response. I found a wire loom on eBay that looks like the design on the "other" 54 the guy had for sale and much like your engine photo shows so I bought that. It will give me a place to mount my coil out of the way of my oil filter housing, whenever I find the correct one. The eBay seller was very helpful, seemed to know B's really well, and actually recommended this site as a resource.

That actually wasn't possible. The existing key and tumbler in the lock was a smaller diameter circle with a "keyway" at the top compared to the replacement I got that was supposed to fit, which was a larger diameter circle with no keyway. I took it to a local locksmith that does work for us and he's sorting it out.

Thanks for the information. About half the time I search the web for something, a post from this site comes up so I'm trying to do more searching on here before asking questions. Your labels on the photos are really helpful. I was unsure what the upper port was for, I figured the lower one was coming out of the pressure relief valve. What has been confusing me is the diagram posted earlier showing the oil filter inlet coming out of #3 pipe plug. There must be different generations of these engines with different configurations of filter housings and feeds so it's a little hard to know what's what sometimes. I did find what appears to be an original wire loom on eBay so I can mount the coil as it should be.

Makes sense, thanks. I was thinking there would be a banjo fitting type connection on the switch based on the illustration posted above. In other news, the replacement ignition switch I got from Rock Auto did not fit so I removed the existing switch and will find a locksmith so everything is on hold for a bit. It will give me time to do some more research on the oil filter system.

True, but if I can find one that "belongs" with the truck, I would go that route. Looks like there is a pressure relief valve in the circuit that I should install as well, hopefully I can find one of those. EDIT - looks like this might be it. https://www.moparpro.com/oil-pressure-relief-valve-1946-1959-plymouth-dodge-desoto-chrysler/p1655 There are a few things I've noticed once I started looking closer down there and comparing it to that diagram on the bypass filter....the oil pressure line is connected to a galley plug up by the alternator via a elbow fitting. There are two plugs that look newer than everything else around it back by the starter. Looks like there is a new freeze plug down there as well. Both of these are visible to the right of and below of the coil and to the left of the starter. EDIT - looks like one of those plus goes to the filter assembly (additional small photo below) or provides a port for the relief valve/line to the filter (diagram above). You can also see the elbow and hard line to the oil pressure gauge to the left of/below the vacuum advance assembly. I need to do some more looking around to figure all this out. There is a lot of information on this site and I think I've barely scratched the surface so the answers may well be on here.

Thanks! I was wondering if anyone had seen a housing like the one that apparently goes with my truck. I put it in the solvent tank to let it soak for a while and see if there is a manufacturer stamped or cast anywhere. It looks like Andy Bierbaum has repro oil canister assemblies like the one in the photo of the other 54 but they are pricey.

The earlier pic is of the other 54 Dodge truck they had for sale, the beat up truck I started this thread out asking about. It's not the one I bought. That is pretty confusing, I'm sure. Here is a link to the post where you commented on that truck.

I was getting ready to install the new ignition switch and reinstall the plugs and realized that the oil filter housing is missing. Don't ask me how I missed it, I guess I assumed it was down lower based on more modern cars. I can see a discoloration where it should have been located and the mounting screws were there but loose. The coil appears to be mounted on one of the bolts where the filter would go but it looks like it could flip around and mount above the distributor. I called the guy and he was up near the school so I drove up there this morning. There was an oil filter housing laying on the floor on the side of the truck where the oil filter housing would have been connected to the engine so I assumed that was it and drove back home (got the missing wheel cover too). Didn't see the oil lines, unfortunately. The bolt pattern on the mounting bracket matches the tapped holes and screws on the head (I have it sitting upside down in the photo) so it should mount just fine. However, looking at the illustrations the "oil filter" section of the flathead tech links and the photo of the other 54 he had for sale, this one does not look like any of those. It had a FRAM C3 canister filter in it and the NAPA 1071 that was listed for the 54 C-1 6 cylinder looks like it is the same size as the C3 and fits in the housing. I think I read somewhere that some trucks had filters added later so maybe this was an aftermarket add on? Any ideas? The oil pressure gauge is connected directly to one of the galley plugs mentioned in the flathead tech links so it should work but I'd like to get a filter in there. Thanks

I pulled the plugs last night and put some MMO in the cylinders. The existing plugs were Autolite B5's with electrodes in good condition, looks like these are fairly old plugs based on a web search. They all looked the same in each cylinder, black and dry which I assume is carbon fouling. My replacement ignition cylinder with key should be here this weekend and I'll try to get some new plugs by then as well. Hopefully I'll have some time to work on it.

Thanks! Not sure how I missed that link, thought I had scoured all of them.

I also have been using Wix (or NAPA, made by Wix) filters for a long time. I was really disappointed to find out that the most recent NAPA filters I bought for the Kawasaki water cooled V twins in the John Deeres were made in China. Didn't have a box, either. Just a piece of plastic shrink wrapped over the business end. I was disappointed when the Fleetguard filters I use on the Cummins were coming fron Mexico a few years ago but I guess that's the way of the world. Speaking of global sourcing, in the VW world Bosch Super spark plugs used to be the gold standard until they were made outside of Europe and we all moved to NGK. Is there a spark plug manufacturer that you guys use? I don't see anything in the driver;s manual just yet, I had the same thing happen as your MMO spill except it was a gallon of Power Service diesel treatment in the trunk of an older Jetta diesel. Not sure how it got out of the closed bottle but it got everywhere and the stench was almost unbearable. I bought another bottle of MMO yesterday. It was on sale for $5 at Menards and I'd rather spend the $5 than try to salvage what's left in the cracked bottle before I have to. That's is some messy stuff.