DonaldSmith

The M5 and M6 transmissions are wired differently, but in each case, the circuits are energized for first or third gear, and for the downshift. The shop manual should have the appropriate wiring diagrams. I found on my M5 that the fuse holder on the relay was at fault. But you don't have a relay. For the M6, Current comes from the ignition switch to a post of the coil, and then through a circuit breaker to the solenoid (under the floor) and to the anti-stall device (at the top of the carburetor) . With the key on, one or both of the posts of the anti-stall device should be "hot", as tested with your handy voltmeter or test light. . I

Son, don't do the things I have done. When I mounted my gear ratio box at my transmission, I had to modify the floor access panel to fit over the protruding unit. Duh! I could have put the ratio box anywhere else, in line with two speedo cables.

I developed a two-piece pin, to get around the misalignment problem when the holes get worn. I made pins out of brass sleeves with cores cut from the appropriate diameter nails. I use a regular nail to secure the door handle or window crank to the shaft. (Push, push, on that escutcheon spring.) Then I can work the sleeve over the nail, securing the handle or crank, and remove the nail. The sleeve holds the handle or crank in place. For strength, then I push the cut-off nail segment into the sleeve.

Keith, do you hook your meter to the coil wire, or any spark plug wire?

I gave up on the brand-new Digital Photo Sensor Tachometer. No way to get it close enough to the damper, with the fan blade and belts too close. I can use the meter to check the RPM of my drill chuck, if I ever need to know that. I clipped the venerable Gen-Tech Automotive Meter to the coil wire, and was getting readings of 81, 82. Multiply by 10; idling too fast. Back out the idle screw, more like 690, 720. Still some lowering to do. I clipped the pocket-size Pulst Engine Tachometer to the plug boot, and was getting readings of 400, 450, 600 plus; pick a number. Not too bad. I twiddled the idle speed and mixture screws till the engine sounded about right. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. A short neighborhood cruise had good upshift, downshift at stops, and kickdown working. What more could a fella want? Starting off could get touchy. Too much pedal? I got used to the feel. So the idle $PM is not set in stone; it's whatever works First goal is reliable travel 40 miles each way to the Orphan Car Show in Ypsilanti on September 18th. It's looking good for that. The second goal is to do full maintenance and tuning over the winter, for a reliable trip across the border to Chatham, Ontario, next Summer, for the National DeSoto Club Convention, 70 miles, or 114 km.

Somewhere in my memory, from having this 47 DeSoto for 20 years, an idle speed of 450 rpm seems to pop up, in regard to proper transmission shifting. I just solved a failure to downshift, due to a poor connection at the fuse at the Transmission Relay. Now I'm wondering what my idle RPM are. Have I set it too low to keep running? My venerable Cen-Tech multi-meter, even with fresh batteries, gives me a low reading, like in the tens. I know we are to multiply the reading by ten, but still way too low. Besides, why different settings for the number of cylinders? For a 4-cycle engine, each plug fires once every two revolutions. The number of cylinders shouldn't matter. Clip the test lead onto the coil wire? That makes sense, but against the directions. And still too low. So maybe the meter is toast. Then I bought a small, cheap inductive meter, suitable for any engine with a spark plug Wild readings. Probably too much induction from other plug wires. So I bought a Digital Photo Sensor Tachometer. Sounds easy. Stick the reflective tape on the shaft, point and read. But the hand instrument must be within 2 to 8 inches away, and perpendicular to the shaft. So, I can put a chunk of reflective tape on the edge of the damper. But the fan blades are menacingly within the 2 to 8 inch range. maybe I can get the meter lower, below the lower radiator hose. Not ready to try it. So I'm going to stew on this for a while. Comments and insights welcome.

Exactly. I bought double throw switch that's momentary contact one way, off in the middle, and constant contact the other way. Momentary for priming, usually with the key at ACC, constant contact for full-time, with the key at IGN and the engine running, but subject to the safety switch.

The steering column "spear" should give us pause. I think I have ameliorated the problem in the process of adding power steering to my 47DeSoto. I cut the column jacket just below the shifting stuff, and secured the column and shaft with a bushing and a bracket bolted to the cowl. I added a spline to the cut end of the steering shaft itself, and I used the appropriate U-joints and D-shafts to connect the steering shaft to the new steering box. The shafts do not line up, so I hope that the shaft segments will fold upon themselves, if ever necessary to do so.

There should be a Transmission Relay on the left inner fender. It looks almost like a voltage regulator, but has five posts. The BAT post gets power from the live post of the coil, which gets power through the ignition switch. The SOL post powers the Anti-Stall pot on the carburetor, for certain phases of operation. The TH post is wired to the Kickdown Switch at the carb, to force a downshift. The PRI post is wired to the coil, to short out the coil momentarily, to slow the engine for making a shift. There is a separate wire from the starter solenoid to the Sisson choke, to activate the choke when the engine is cranking. A lot to learn. You may find yourself delving into the wiring diagram and transmission chapter' I'm presently studying "Diagnosing the Hydraulically Operated Transmission", 1948 Edition, an available download from the Chrysler Imperial Club, to see why my transmission doesn't always want to downshift when it should.

The carb wires are likely for a semi-automatic transmission - don't connect them to 12 volt, or you'll fry components. 12-volt conversion is a major issue in itself.

I power my horn relay from the Accessory post of the ignition switch. The horn won't blow if the switch is off, but I can blow the horn for the neighbor kids without turning the Ignition switch all the way on. The little kids love me honking the horn.

How the tie rods got installed with the grease fittings up is a mystery. My shop manual shows nothing but a picture of a typical ball joint end being popped loose. But tie rods flipped, problem solved.

I put a Saginaw power steering box in my 47 DeSoto. Steering column alterations, but no suspension changes. Today I would look into electric power steering.

A previous replacement of tie rod dust covers was showing its age, with a poor fit to boot. So I ordered poly dust guards with their depths and diameters to suit the ball joint ends. But I had to address the problem where the pitman arm crunches the grease fitting on the tie rod end. Looking up and forward. The pitman arm has solid bushings that I cobbled, instead of the resilient bushings which were prone to failure. In a right turn, the pitman arm swings to the left, pulling the right tie rod end against it and damaging the grease fitting. Red grease is oozing from the spot. So, I wondered why the grease fittings are at the top of the ends. Did I do that in some past repair? I replaced the damaged fitting, installed the new dust covers, and flipped each tie rod end for end. Slick.

Turkey baster.

Maybe he didn't think of the hand brake. I think he downshifted. Into Reverse? Did he think to let up on the gas? People do strange things under pressure.

Did I tell this one already? In the '60's, Uncle Arthur traded in his '30's car and got one of those new-fangled ones, a base model Chevy compact. He stated, "Two-speed wipers, three-speed fan, I don't know what a fella needs all that for."

Household voltage adaptors are rated 100-240 v input, 5.0 V output. I suppose an automotive adapter would go from 12-14 V input to 5.0 V. output. What would happen if it were only fed 6-7 V input?

Parallel, series, Merle beat me to it. A car battery is a positive series of 2-volt cells, 3 for 6 volt and 6 for 12 volt. For a while, I had a second automotive battery in series with the main one, to provide 12 volts for a pusher fan and electronic devices. But it required manual charging of the second battery. So I got a 6-volt pusher fan, and got an inverter for the electronics (GPS navigator, cell phones, etc.) That got me wondering about using an inverter for something like the the slant 6/GM module upgrade.

Wiring the key switch would take some finesse, since it switches 6V power. But a relay could power the ignition circuit from the inverter when the key is "on".

Question to the /6-GM-module gurus - Can a body keep his car at 6 volts, and run the ignition off a 12 volt inverter?

I still say in 1953 it was a Lincoln. I stand corrected. (Actually I'm sitting.) "The internet" tells me that it was a 1953 Chrysler

The story is that while Harry Truman was driving home from the White house and stopped somewhere along the way, someone remarked that he looked like "Harry Truman, the son of a bitch." Mr. Truman had to agree with him.

Looking at the photo of the solenoid, don't forget that the solenoid has to be grounded to operate. The low-amp circuit goes from the start switch to ground. This closes the heavy duty switch inside the solenoid. The heavy current goes through the solenoid to the starter, then to ground. (Then the "grounded" currents flow through the engine and ground cable back to the battery. )

I heard that Harry bought a new Lincoln to drive home to Missouri from the White House.