Sniper

There's a word for that we're knowledge is passed down from generation to generation and nobody knows where it came from or nobody knows why it happened to begin with. But I'll be darned if I can remember what that word is. In any event I suppose there might have been a manufacturer who balanced the drive shaft installed and that mattered and somehow it got applied to all drive shafts in all cars. I have pulled many a drive shaft and replaced them without regards to orientation and had zero problems. But hey you know what it's four bolts unbolt it, flipping around 180 bolted back in see if it makes a difference

Yep that's how my 64 300 got the nickname Beast I had rebuilt the 413 in it and I was installing the engine with the transmission attached. I was working by myself so I'd lower it slide under the car check things out stand back up lower it some more slide under the car etc. Well one time when I stood up the beam of the Hoist smacked me in the back of the melon. rubbed my melon and said I better not do that again. Slid under the car to check clearances stood back up and brained myself again and that's when I got mad cussed out the car called it the Beast. And ever since that was its name.

Actually standard application is to install the lip seal so that it points into the source of pressure that way it is pressed more firmly into the shaft to seal it in the Advent that there is a pressure buildup. So you want both lip seals pointing to the center of the axle housing on either side it doesn't matter and make sure the axle vent is clear

I thought about that, but it'd be about the thickness of notebook paper. Not sure that's hold up? I appreciate that. I picked up the /6 lean burn distributor off Ebay for $30, reman, unused in the box. I might see what I can find. Wow, I lucked out on that one, Wow, I just googled Cardone 30-3693 (what I bought) on Ebay, I lucked out. Reman /6 electronic ignition units (not lean burn) are about $150, though I found one for $75 with no vacuum adance installed. It's crazy, I can buy new /6 distributors for much less than the remans and in the case of the lean burn versions there's really nothing to reman, except maybe the bushings and possibly the pickup, though in the case of the one I have that consisted of sand blasting the pickup. Yep, been a long time since I saw an LA motor in a boneyard too. I might just do that, thanks

Well, bad news on the coupler idea. Worked all week to make sure I had today available to make my new setup. Turns out the coupler idea will not work. I should have looked at the block when I was coming up with a game plan, lol. The hole in the block where the distributor SHAFT passes thru (not the housing) is just a hair larger than 1/2", my coupler is just a hair under 3/4". So it will not work, unless I want to drill out the block and I'll pass on that. Good thing I was in the mockup, lets see what the issues are stage and not the I'm done and ready to put it in stage. So now I have to rethink this. I see a couple of options, maybe, lol. I can take the lower shaft portion of both distributors to the machine shop and have them cut and graft the flattie lower shaft to the slanty's parts, or maybe just make a new shaft and weld it on. Or, possibly, maybe, lol, I can have a the slanty shaft extended. I envision a stubshaft, machined to fit the oil pump and of the right length to make up the difference, then welded to the existing slanty shaft and machined to allow proper installation and removal from the distributor housing. Or I can just find an OEM slanty distributor that has the proper upper shaft connection to work. (probably the simplest/cheapest right now). However, that will not do the trick for the lean burn distributor I will be running once I get the EFI all installed. The stubshaft extension idea might be the solution. There is no real stress there so it's not like I need it certified for nuclear use, lol.

I removed many a broken EZ Out over the years. Only fair since I broke them. In fact, my last go around was on the spare 230's exhaust studs. My son was on hand for that and he got to see how I get them out. I use a punch and a big hammer to beat them into submission. EZ Outs are fairly brittle, that's why they break so easy. You can break them up by beating on them and fish the chunks out. I still haven't gotten those studs out, now I am going to have to buy a welder, learned to weld and see if that does the trick. Or just hand it off to the machine shop to remove when the block gets machined.

Pretty sure no one makes reproduction seat covers for my 51. My 65 Cuda? Covered, lol. Still not what I would call cheap though. So we have the choice of semi custom covers or someone sewing it up for you to custom fit. Me? Ordinarily I would prefer to do something like this myself, but I know my sewing skills aren't up to that, lol. I'll do door cards and even try to install a headliner, but I can't sew a straight line to save my life.

They do state in the linked auction that they are semi custom. I guess that means good enough for government work? In any case, custom fit ones from a local shop would likely cost a lot more?

I doubt it unless it's a cherry on top citation. DOT regs are federal, they apply regardless of what California may allow.

Darn it, all this pontificating and I wasn't the pontificator, lol. I think Plymouthy is just trying to give a heads up to the unwanted issues you might run into. But I will say this, last inspection I had did not include the required road test, inspector couldn't drive a three on the tree, lol. Furthermore, it would take a really sharp cop, these days, to notice the headlight pattern and pull you over for it. That said, years ago I had a second shift ob that left me driving thru about 40 miles of dark, two lane country highway going home. My hi/lo headlamps were E codes and my hi only head lamps were aviation landing lights, 87 Diplomat 4 rectangular headlight setup. That sufficed unto the day, lol. Legal? Nope. Useful, oh yes, I have a thing about stupid laws and mandating DOT spec lights is one of them. Now my 51 does have DOT compliant LED headlamps, true, designed ones, not a retrofit. Not cheap either. But one issue I do have with all this commentary is that many of our cars were built well before the DOT put it's two cents in and never came with DOT compliant lights. Not sure the law applies to them. Kinda like seat belts.

Careful, someone will call you a smart ass for suggesting they do a search

Hopefully it's good for another 70-80 years, lol.

the brake light switch is probably on the driver's side frame rail (inside) just ahead of the rear axle, at least that is where it is on my 51. There should be a T fitting there that it is screwed into. Since it is exposed to the elements and road hazards you may find that it is likely the failure point. It works by pressure so have an assistant handy to step on the brakes to test it.

Essentially, I took the gear of the /6 shaft, making a coupler to attach in it's place and adding a length of shafting to the other end of the coupler machined to fit the oil pump slot. Setting the length to match the stock flattie setup. Once I have it mocked up I'll put it in the spare 230 and make sure the coupler clears everything. This mod should work with both the screw retention issue as well as the lean burn one piece shaft situation. I have the parts on hand, but 60+ hour weeks are killing my free time, because I have to jamb all my house/yard work into the weekend and with all the rain we've gotten the lawn was wild, lol.

I appears that the vibration was there with the old coupler and got worse with a new one? Now I know little about these couplers, but I do know torque converters are balanced, I wonder if that was skipped or the balance weight got knocked off?

I think my biggest issue is that if it was the torque converter I could see the rear main bearing being pounded out by vibration but if the front one too I don't know how the torque converter would do that

That is applicable to an all copper head gasket. If you are using one of the newer copper on one side, composite on the other then only spray the copper side. I would use a thread chaser, not a tap. Taps can take added material off the threads and loosen up the fit. Thread chasers are specifically designed to not do that. Next time you have a plug out, look down the hole. The plug is not above the piston. Squish refers to the distance between the HEAD and the piston top. In our flatties you are going to need to mill the head AND the block to get anything useful out of squish. Since most common head gaskets are are around .080" thick and squish fades about above .050" gap your going to have to either deck the block a lot to get the piston above the deck or find a custom, thinner gasket. Or custom pistons that stick out the deck.

Waterloo, NY to San Diego, Ca. 2,699 miles. 1991. Flew to NY, loaded up the moving truck with the new wife's stuff, drove it to SD with her and my new 5 yo step daughter. 55 mph speed limit, strictly enforced because the dang truck wouldn't go much faster than that, lol. That was fun. Not.

I did look at the lean burn distributor, it's a solid shaft so not compatible for the swap. But that is ok, I think I have a solution. All else fails, I can lock out the mechanical advance and remove the vacuum advance on an OEM points type /6 distributor. Another difference, the new distributor has a metal gear, the reman lean burn has a nylon gear, which is all I ever remember seeing. I measured out the housing diameters, the /6 is .030" larger.

Some of us are old and fat and won't be able to stand back up if they lean over that long, lol.

Yes and a mess of coolant to clean up once you get it clear. I usually end up putting in a draincock with a nipple so I can use a hose to direct the flow to a bucket. Might be time for a good flush and drain before you put in fresh coolant.

Ah, ok, I was confused. Never used A9.

That sounds like hard won advice

Yeah, I have at least three different Flukes, well 4 if you count the Fluke O'scope as a meter, it'll do that. I have never seen the issues the OP is seeing and without being there I cannot cogently comment on why it is. I have seen the meters not read hz very well, but the O'scope does.

I have a set of spacers for the front, but that is because I am running late model Mopar 17" rims. That's so I can run P255/50R17's on all four corners. The rears need no spacers. I think they are 1.25", maybe 1.5", but the back spacing of the rims is more than stock too,