desoto1939

Did you check the bolts on the diff housing they also might be loose. Tighten them up or even the gasket on the diff housing might be cracked. There is a special tool that is used to drive in the pinion seal. This insures that the seal is driven in straight and there is equal pressure on the outside metal when driving the seal into place. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

The reason why I said to purchase a Breaker plate is that you would then have all the components and they would be some what NOS. This way all you have to do is insert the NOS breaker plate and you have replaced the points condenser and all the wires. Then you would be able to runthe car. The you could search for the condenser, wires and points and then rebuild the old Breaker plate. This way then you would be set for the next tuneup and just drop in the older BP. It is an easy way to be prepared for a tune in the future. I could not answer the question about the specific wire because I did not know the exact dizzy. The problem is that everyone wants the older guys that have been collecting the parts and the catalogs to do all of the research for the newer guys and the new guys do not want to take on the job of trying to get the reference catalogs and do the leg work. Since being in the hobby for almost 30 years I have learned a lot and have talked with the guys that have been ion the hobby for a lot longer than I have and they have all told me to get the reference materials because this is what you should have to keep your car running. The new guys just want to go to the internet and want that to provide the answer but sometime its not there. So yes that is where us older guys can help but some ownership needs to be on the new guys to either purchse the catalgos or look for them so that they can be the go to guys after we have either sold our cars or have left the club or hav egone onto the big parking lot in the sky. Knowledge can be passed along but it also needs to be learned. Rich Hartung

her is your answer to the wires: If he has the IGS or IAP dizzy then the two wires would be the Autolite wires LW6 or Autolite number IGS-181 and LW1 IAT-14 If he has the IAT dizzy then LW3 which is an Autolite # IAT-24R which is the wire that has the clip on the ends and LW1 or IAT-14 If the gentleman sends me his home email than I could send him pictures of the wires and he could search around or got to a napa store or what ever and the breaker plat should be an IAT-2004RA based on what I can see in my Autolite catalog. Hartung

Plymouthy Adams, You do not get my point. If he knows the Type of dizzy that is in his car and if he has the information about which specific such asIGS, IAT or IAP plus the numbers after the Three letters than we can help him... Most of these breaker plates are found in swap meets and also on Ebay. This how I find my parts. Since I have the various catalogs on replacement parts I have the numbers and that is why I collect the catalogs so that I can do my own research and also provide information. But I feelthat you reply back was a little tursh. You even know where he can find the parts if specific information is provided. I was making a suggestion that if he could find a NOS Breaker plate then he would hav ehte parts and then could have spare parts. Since these cars are getting older sometimes the parts can not be purchased at a NAPA store on the day that you need them. Some searching on the owners part is also required. he could also contact some of the major venders that are listed on the forum venders but he will also need to provider the model of the Dizzy also to them. So if you have some information then please help the guy and not get on me when I try to provide an answer or option for the owner. I can not provide a direct answer until I know the specific model for hi dizzy. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.comt

Another way to get the wires are to purchase a NS breaker plate for you specific distributor. I like these because the entire setup has the breaker plate assembly. All new wires, points and condenser. Then all you have to do is replace the entire unit and then rese the point gap. Then you can rebuild the breaker plate with new parts and have a spare and keep it in your tool box in your trunk. rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

fedoragent: My only concern is that from the first picture it looks as if the break line might be resting on top of the metal rear shock attachment bolt and is is rubbing any where along the path to the rear. I would double check to make sure it is supported and not have a change to rub agains t anything metal and wear a hole in the line. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

call around to several automotive glass installers and get their estimates. Hard to put an exact figure also might contact a local auto body shop since they might have some good references. They might even have a person that would work under the table that does the work for them via a major company. If you do it your self it will take two people to do the job. so you might want to state to the installer that you will assit them and then they do not have to fire a second person. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

So the big question is???? With the cost of the new intake plus two identical carbs that needs to be completely rebuilt and be in equal condition almost back to NOS or as close as can be, A new collector pipe or possible two because of the exhaust manifold. possible two mufflers and two tail pipes clamps and what ever other items are needed what is the payoff result for making this change. You still have a car with an engine that has a rated 92-100 HP based on you head being either the original or an aluminum head. If then you want a better speed then possibly a rear end change. So add up the entire cost to get what result? A cool looking car or a somewhat hotrod. And then if you have all this speed then also change to Front and rear disk brakes. And all the aggravation of making the changes I do not get all the hoopla. Just my opinion. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

try atlas obsolete parts www.atlaschrys.com 951-461-9005 Also try Ed Spiegel from Pittsburgh, PA another contact collects auto supply www.collectorsautosupply.com Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

the autolite vrp-4503A was used with the following generators GDZ-4801A and GDZ4801B accordin gto my autolite catalog Try Echlin VR23 or Sorrenson VR66 according to my reference catalogs. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

no one has mention to have your fire extinghsher handy since you might have a back fire. just a thought. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

the picture of the red steering wheel that has the 5 metal rods for the bango wheel is the same that is the standard steering wheel in my 1939 Desoto. Also I have the Miller steering wheel factory puller to remove the 40 Plymouth steering wheel. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Be very careful with starter spray can fluid. Yes you can spray this into your carb to give it a shoot to help start, but if you continue to spray and spray and the car does not start the starting fluid is known to get into the cylinders as a vapor and then will wash away any of the oil that has coated the cylinder walls. So you need to make sure that the car starts and not let the engine oil be removed from the cylinder walls because of the starter fluid spray. hartung

I still have the original rear end and drive train in my 1939 Desoto and the drive shaft has the Pinion and trunon style universal joints with the leather covers I can cruise down the road around 50-55 MPH with the original drive train. I use 10W40 because my engine was rebuilt and also had the filter on the engine. Rich Hartung

How old is the antifreeze in the engine block. As antifreeze ages it starts to loos the antirusting agents. So what happens is that the Af still has the capacitiy to stop the freeze of the water but the rust inhibtors break down. So you have a cast iron block and now you develop rust and scale. So every year I go to the local NAPA store and they sell a product made by GUNK it is a pint bollte that isa an additive for the radiator and is an anti rust inhibitor. This then adds more chemical to the A.Ff to get the anti rusting agent back upto par. It is also a lubricant for the water pump. So you might be at the point where the A F is starting break down. Also when changing the A F in your car only use the OLD Green style AF and not the extended versions. It is still available. Let me know the answer to this question. This might be your issue with the specs. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

I would try to suck out the floaters with a meat baster and then put them is a small container and then pickup one of the floaters to see it is an oily substance or just rust flakes. If an oily substance that check the oil in the crankcase so see if you have a milky white color in the oil pan. If it is milky white then you have a water leak somewhere and possibly a head gasket. Does the car run smooth or is there any roughness to the engine? rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

I have had my 39 Desoto up to 65 but I have the 4:11 rear so it is not a high speed rear. It is a nice cruiser around the 50 MPH mark. Still the original rear end in my 39 Desoto. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

If you have a service manual for your car it will tell you all of the information that your are asking. It will also tell you the points gap, spark plug gap and the timing mark that you will time the engine against with a timing light. On my 39 Desoto inline 6 I use 2 Degrees before TDC. but yours might be a little pit different. ALso get a Chiltons Manaul for your car. These are available at swap meets and look in the book to make sure your car is included intthe contents. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

I just did a google search and found this adaptor: Web page: www.ihpartsamerica.com phone 530-268-0864 it is an air filter adapter for a Holley 1904 Carb. the part # is DPC-ACA and the cost is $36.95 It has a 2.25 inch opening. Happy Thanksgiving. The internet is so great to find parts. If you do get one please post pictures of how you installed and the top air clear housing that you used. Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

This past sunday my wife and I went out with our local AACA Club, Valley Forge region of the AACA. The leader of the ride drove his 1957 Desoto and I attended with my 1939 Desoto. I was the oldest car that attended. We went to the leaders fathers garage in which he has an extensive collection of older Lincolns from the 20-30's. One of his cars in the collection belonged to Admiral Bird that went to the Artic to discover the North Pole. This gentleman collection was very extensive and he had a lot of parts to support the collection. One of his early cars was a 1919 Mitchell. This was a 4 cylinder car that had the exterior valve rods and springs. It was a convertible that had exposed interior. During our tour I found out that this car originally had a leather cone clutch and not the typical flat clutch that we have in our cars. This lead to a more in depth talk with the ownere and I told him that I first learned to drive on a 1915 Willys Overland that had the same type of clutch and that when we parked the car at night and for storage we put a rod to disengage the clutch so that the pressure of the clutch would not indent the leather because then the clutch would slip when you stated it after sitting several days. He told me that he now has a Kevlar clutch that will prevent this issue. So as we were by the car he looked directly at me and asked if I would like to start the car via the crank handle and I replied yes. I then reached down to grab the crank handle and then I did not do what most people do and that is wrap your thumb over the top of the handle. I cupped the handle and handle my thumb also cupped. He looked at me and said that you must have done this before and I think it took him by surprise. We did two priming cracnk to get the pressure and prime the car. Then he sat at the control and turned on the magneto. I engaged the crank again. Set the handle at approximately 5 o-clock rotted in a clockwise manner and the car fired over when I hit the 11 o-clock position. It was great to do this again because you do not get these opportunites that often. My wife assured me that she had just paid up my life insurance just in case if the car would learch forward and knock me down but that never happened. Attached is some factory information. This is the exact car that I cranked over on Sunday. Interesting note is that when the Mitchell company folded they were bought out by Nash. So this car does have some connection to MOPAr because NASH and American Motors merged and then became part of big MoPar. A great day was had my me. Rich HArtung

that is if you are buy froma vender but if you are buying the old style rivet lining and are getting the correct number you can still get the long and shoe lining. I always buy th eold lining with the rivets and reline my old metal shoes. Rich Hartung

Sorry to hear the news about Gray Beard. I have talked with him on numerous occasion and also meet him at the truck show that was held in Macungie PA. Like others have stated, Dave was a wealth of knowledge and was always willing to help another car or truck owner. I had always wanted to have supper with him at the Lancaster Shady Maple Smorgasbord but never was able to set a date. The entire forum will miss you, RIP and mabe you willfind another truck up in heaven. Rich HArtung

my 39 Desoto has the little bubble on the speed dial arrow. Behind the needle there is the green, yellow red color that is glues to the speedmoter and just the movement of the arrow permits the color to show through the little buble. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

so the real reason for the heat riser was to help the drivers that lived in cold climate areas. In the winter and cold months the base of the carb where is bolts to the intake would ice up and thenthe cars would stall and cut out when stoping for a light. So they created the heat risor to warm up the base of the carb. Since we have downdraft carb the gas air mixture made a vapor and then this would freze because of the coldness at the base. So the heat risor flap would be straight up to divert heat to the base of the carb. then as the engine got warmer then the spring would relax and the flap would go back to a horizontal and leftthe heat go out the exhust section into the tailpipe.. So here isa test wire the HR so it is closed then see if you get the over heating and try it with it open and see what happens. The guys in the southwest, and floida have no need for the heat riser and also in southern California only the upper states that have a real winter climate. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Pumping the gas pedal willnot get fuel into the gas line. Sounds as if your gas line has drained back and when that happens there is a lack of fuel in the line from the pump up to the bowel on the carb, so you have a void that needs to be filled. When your car was driven on a regular/daily basis the fuel line most likely never drained so you always had fuel in the line from the FP upto the carb hence the car will start and have the extra fuel to feed the bowel in the carb. Again this is where an electric FP aids in priming the mechanical FP and then send fuel up to the carb and therefore less cranking of the engine even when warm weather/cold weather. Rich Hartung