DonaldSmith

Hey guys, why don't you stand behind your cars? Then we could see them (the cars) better. Old farmers' remark: John Deere stands behind all his farm equipment, except the manure spreader.

For my power steering pump, I added a narrow belt, aluminum billet pulley, and kept the wide pulley for the water pump and generator (now an alternator). I had to re-drill the bolt holes to meet the bolt pattern, and drill/file out the center hole to fit. I substituted studs for bolts, and installed nuts between the old and new pulley, as spacers. Then I installed the damper.

And I'm usually so careful to proofread my posts! I only misspell on porpoise.

I woud be carful of anything wher they cant spell mesage.

Quick battery disconnects; useful for dong work on the car, and for emergencies:

I look up DeSoto Suburban and see a familiar vehicle.

I just got a Super Start Fleet Battery, group 1, from the local O'Reilly's, for about 90 bucks. Add the 6 percent that Michigan tacks on, including the core charge, and it was about 97 bucks. O'Reilly"s had two such batteries in stock, otherwise they would have had to order me one. The store is on Woodward in Royal Oak, in the heart of the Woodward Dream Cruise, which was mid-August. For that occasion, they may sell a few 6-volt batteries to the old cruisers (for their old cars).

Yes, the petcock mounting threads are right hand, and are lefty-loosey. The threads of the plug work lefty-loosey, but actually screw in and push the plug away from the seat.

Here is a wrench holder that my wife sewed up for me, per my design. It displays the wrenches in order for handy use, and rolls up for carrying with other tools.

Pictured is my remote starter. The subject came up under another thread, but it would be easier to find here. I used two cans. The larger can holds the smaller can and wires, for storage. The smaller can houses the momentary contact starter button and the latching ignition switch. For the red wires, the large clip goes to the (-) negative post of the battery (for positive ground cars) This supplies power to the starter button and the ignition switch. The small clip goes to the starter solenoid, where the wire from the ignition switch connects. The white wire coiled around the can is the ignition wire. For some procedures, I want to crank the engine but not start the car, so the sire strays coiled around the can, held wit rubber bands. If I do want the engine to run, I'll connect the white wire to the circuit feeding the coil. (For breaker-type ignition, the wire can clip to the (-) post of the coil. For Pertronix ignition, the wire must not be clipped to the coil, but to the power wire that goes to the distributor.)

The other day I took my DeSoto for a short drive. The car stalled repeatedly, but restarted right away, only to stall soon after. I got onto 12 Mile Road but stalled dead in the right turn lane to Woodward. A young woman helped me push the car around the corner and into a parking lot. I thought she was very strong, until I saw a young man pushing the back of the car. I thanked them. What could be wrong? That electronic ignition that I put in? Quick! Pumping the gas seemed to try to keep the car running, but all my diagnostic skills vanished in a panic. I called for a flatbed to get home. Always good to get home. Fuel starvation! Something wrong in the internals of the $300 rebuilt carburetor? A piece of dirt lodged somewhere, despite multiple filters? Mechanical fuel pump toast? And the electrical pump too? The old fuel delivery test, hose and jar on the fuel line, showed no gas, despite the electric fuel pump. Honey, are you out of gas? How could I be? The gauge reads full, very full. So I dangled a rope into the tank to verify the fuel level. Dry! Oh, for the hellovit, pour some gas in the tank. Pulse, pulse, pulse the electric pump. Wait, what's that yellow fluid in the aforementioned hose and jar? I added a few gallons and the car started and continued to run. The few gallons got me to the station for a fill-up. The gauge, which had shown full, now read empty. Didn't I notice, since topping off the tank last year, that the gauge read more and more full over time? I switched the wires from the sender, and now the gauge reads right. All's well that ends well.

Killing a lizard with a propane torch? When my dad was a young man, he killed a fox with a wrench. (Why the fox had a wrench, I'll never know.) My dad threw the wrench at the fox and hit it right in the forehead, killing it cleanly. Later, the older men gave him a hard time, impugning his integrity, saying that the wound looked like a bullet hole. When my dad told me the story, he was still upset. I, of course, believed my dad.

Here'a a reply I couldn't send when the system was down: Regarding parades and other slow traffic: (The Woodward DreamCruise is known for slow travel. From where I live near at 12 Mile Road, northbound is slower than a crawl, while southbound is clearer. Every year, I drive my DeSoto from 12 Mile Road to 11 or 10 Mile, and then back home by back streets.) I had my DeSoto in a walking-pace parade once, where the engine overheated and wouldn't start until it cooled down. Some clutch in and out, some letting the Fluid Drive slip and get hot? I have since installed a pusher fan, for such a situation that has never recurred, but just might someday. Overheating can also affect a questionable coil. Electric fuel pumps help counteract percolation. That's all I have to say about that.

Meadow Brook Hall was the home of John and Matilda Dodge, built on an estate (farm) they had. (Meadowbrook is a popular name just north of here for civic features and for business, Meadowbrook Hall, Meadowbrook Sewer Rooters, etc.) So when the Dodge people had to come up with a classy name for their car, they thought long and hard, and it was Meadowbrook.

I love it when a plan comes together. You should be proud.

It turned my head.

Dot 3 and silicone? I thought that silicone was Dot 5. Must be something new.

In post No. 12, the resister and circuit breaker shown are part of the M6 semi-automatic transmission wiring. They replace the klunky transmission relay used with the M5 transmission, and probably saved Ma Chrysler a ton of money over so many units. It might have even worked better. The resister and circuit breaker have nothing to do with the ignition system. They only get power from the same location.

I put power steering in my 47 DeSoto: Cut the steering shaft and jacket at the firewall and added a bushing. Added a sleeve and brush for the horn contact. Added steering shaft segments with U-joints. Replaced the manual box with a power box matching the pitman shaft splines and position. Added a pulley to the crankshaft and wallowed out the crossmember to clear the new pulley and belt. Lowered the alternator location, and added a bracket above the alternator to support a power steering pump. Added a power steering pump, hoses and belt. I have a more detailed description somewhere in past threads.

You guys, This is the most childish, adolescent, pre-puberty drivel I've heard from you in a long time. It brings me back to the days of my youth. Did you hear about the lady who backed into a propeller? Disaster!

I took out my floor panel to replace the rear motor mounts, and had to disconnect the Jiffy-Jet pump and the wiring to the mechanical brake light switch. No more! I made a sub-panel for those two items, so that they would remain undisturbed if and when the floor panel comes up again. Alternatively, I can access the pump and switch without removing the entire panel. (That's the accelerator linkage to the right of the brake pedal arm. It's fun threading the end of the accelerator linkage through the hole in the floor panel when reinstalling the panel. Tie a string around the end of the linkage and thread the string through the hole in the panel, to guide the end as the panel is placed.)

Here's a wiring diagram, in full color. I hope it's clear enough. The automatic choke connects to the starter solenoid post that is energized when the starter is cranking. The ignition switch powers the coil. Another wire at the same post of the coil runs to the transmission relay, to the BAT post. Wires from the transmission relay connect to the carburetor anti-stall and kick-down switch (don't get them mixed up). In the middle of the right half of the chart are the governor switch, solenoid and interrupter switch on the transmission. Their wires wires trace back to the transmission relay. Enjoy.

Do you have the semi-automatic or overdrive transmission? Do you have the automatic choke?

Good job! Necessary hole in a gasket. Little detail! It's tough when more than one thing is wrong, or suspect, at the same time. Again, good job!

I feel positive about my 6 volt alternator, too. In this forum, we are not supposed to get into arguments about religion or politics. We have enough heart-felt issues to argue about: 6 volt vs 12 volt. The existence of Vapor Lock. etc. and not the least- Breaker point ignition vs Pertronix. (You can add your own topics, although I may argue whether they rise to the level of heart-felt, irresolvable issues.