DonaldSmith

5. Reconnect battery.

So, to check this step-up piston, take the top off the carburetor and push down on the middle part of that brass strap. The piston and spring should move down freely. The funky screw will stay in place. If the piston doesn't move down freely, or won't return up by spring power, the piston needs cleaning, or the little cylinder in the carb body needs to be refinished. I remember using a pencil with fine sandpaper taped on, to clean the walls of the cylinder. You might want the carb off the engine for this, to thoroughly clean out any sanding debris.

Step-up piston, between the venturi and the float: The step-up piston parts: There was a post some time ago about the aluminum body of the carburetor corroding and inhibing the free travel of this piston. Check it from time to time.

My policy does not cover drivers under age 25, or drivers without at least ten years of driving experience. It seems that kids these days are not so anxious to get their licences at 16, as we were. Too many electronic distractions. Not only that, Michigan has a process for licencing the kids, with requirements to log hours of driving (with an adult) before taking various stages of additional drivers ed. Too many young drivers kids getting in accidents. Wisdom develops long after size and strength.

My car runs better when the car is washed and the windshield washer bottle is full.

The steering wheel in post #52 is on the right side of the car. I know that it seems wrong...

I still have some effects from my TIA. I might have to stop talking and wait for the next word to come. Sometimes I have to throw in synonyms as "place keepers" until the fifty dollar word pops into my mind. Or I might misstate the words. No political intent, but recently I spoke of "classical" materials rather than "classified" materials. I described vintage cars as being "erotic" rather than exotic".

I checked for hot spots on the back of my head, but the hair keeps the sun off. The top of the head is another matter. Oh, the engine head!

I just don't want a double throw. (That's it; it's late. I can't think of any more puns.)

Can we switch the topic?

46: front fenders flaired into the front doors. Otherwese just trim and badging.

For my electric fuel pump, i got a double pole throw switch from McMaster-Carr that was momentary in one position, off at the center, and constant at the other position. Hold down for prime, flip up if the mechanical pump fails, and center for off. To keep the pump from running on if the engine quit, as in an accident, I installed an oil pressure switch to govern the constant-on circuit. Engine quits, pump quits.

OK, why is the "Race of Champions" TROG and not TROC?

Quite a bit of sunburn on that DeSoto coupe.

Andy, you wanted to see the other side of my dashboard. From when I was putting the carpet in: Yes, how did they do the inlays, when the base is one piece of metal? Inquiring minds need to know.

As I remember with my DeSoto steering wheel and horn ring, the spring contacts the steering hub and is grounded. The spring tries to contact a ring-thingy that is connected to the grounding wire and has legs which are secured to the steering wheel. The horn ring is insulated from the ground, and in normal position holds the spring away from the thingy. When the ring is pushed, it allows the spring to make contact, completing the ground circuit. I have a long post on this somewhere.

Andy: The dash is a single metal stamping, with the graining applied in some mystical fashion. Likewise the window and windshield moldings (or windscreen mouldings. l live near Canada, so I'm used to a "u" added to labor, moldings, etc. In fact, the tip of southern Ontario is directly south of me. ) The PO had an extra dashboard and moldings woodgrained by someone who has since passed on. I installed the refinished items, sold the old dashboard to a Plymouth owner who was going to try something with it, and I gave the moldings to a fellow Suburban aficionado. The PO is the current president of the National DeSoto Club. Over 25 years, he assembled this DeSoto from the best parts of three of them, and scoured the flea markets for the best pieces of grille and dashboard trim. I have had the car for sixteen years. I added carpeting, refinished the steering wheel, and made a few minor improvements here and there. Oh; I added power steering. Last year I had some bad times trying to keep the engine running; felt like driving it over a cliff. (Do you know the feeling?) Persistence and Pertronix solved the problems. I am reminded what an attraction the car is at car shows, with the open doors drawing the crowds like shies on flit. So I respect the car as a treasure. When it's time to part, I want it going to a good home. The PO said if I ever want to sell it, let him know. I know if he won't buy it for himself, he'll find an appreciative buyer.

47 DeSoto: Auxiliary panel I cobbled together. (I found a vinyl stick-on that looks a lot like the engine-turned finish.)

Several months ago, I was in the basement workshop and thought clearly that I had to to to the next room and get the tool tote that I had left there. I thought it clearly, but could not express the thought in words! I went upstairs and silently got my wife's attention. After a few moments I could speak, but with some lingering problems. The doctor called it a TIA, transitory ischemic accident, an obstruction like a clot that passes clear. He prescribed a full aspirin per day, to thin the blood, and ordered an MRA for that night. I had to have my head examined. At the MRI site, they put me in a loud tunnel that buzzed and snapped. They checked out my head, but couldn't find anything. I had trouble saying words. The prefix would be right, but the rest of the word would be way off. Now I find I have to pause for the right word to pop into my head, and sometimes the wrong word will pop out, to be corrected immediately. Aside from that, my brilliance is unimpaired.

They make 6-volt, positive pr negative ground alternators, or rather they modify standard alternators. Get the pulley to match your belt, which is probably the wide type. A local auto electric shop did mine. I re-used the generator bracket, with some creativity with bolts. Later, I noticed that the alternator holes were not aligned with the alternator shaft; some creative filing and a larger bolt corrected the problem.

Does the Dodge have a butterfly hood? That would 'splain the two hood release cables. Open only one side as needed. My DeSoto has an alligator hood, with a single hood release cable by the parking brake.

Deja vu all over again? Good job, but an independent discovery previously discovered. Another thread shows a red Mustang 2 master cylinder behind the original master. Not to take away the glory, but we can see how others did a similar thing. (Oops, someone beat me to it.)

That sounds like something that would happen to me!

"React, assess ..." let's not be asses. (Sorry. Speling is my thing.)

The small outside lights were called the "parking lights". I think in some jurisdictions, parking lights had to be on all night where the car was parked in a street. Not too sure, but it makes a case. So, turn on the parking lights, but shut off the instrument lights, to save "juice".