desoto1939

u joint tool

[here is a copy of my finding about kettering

If you do a search on who invented the electric starter you will find the Charles Kettering developed the electric start mechanism for cadilacc.

Don has the old style PIN and Trunion style not the modern cross style. So there is a road that comes out of the end of the driveshaft that has a small ball on the end. A pin then goes throught the hole in the ball end. The pin needs to be centered between the ball end. The entire pin and trunion fits into a metal housing that has either a leather or rubber boot covering to prevent dirt, water and other crud from getting into the internal workings of the until. The housing can slide forward and backwards as needed. There is a metal plate that overs the end of the unit where the housing then bolts onto the end of the trans and at the differential end. These unit are Known as Detroit U joints or Pin and Trunion U joint and they are getting very expensive $150 and up for the internal parts plus the housing. Also there are different sizes for the various cars. Double check an ebay seller and ask for measurements on the housing and flange size. There are special Miller Tools to driveout the pins and also to center the pin in the ball end.I have the Miller tool that is used to drive out eh pin and center the pin and also the vise that is used to hole the ball in place and support the ball end. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

You can purchase chrome spray paint and then spray the inside of the bucket to get some more reflective background in the housing. I did this with my 39 Desoto Rich Hartung

I have 39 Desoto that uses the starter push rod that is just above the gas pedal. I have two NOS front nose pieces for my car. I has the crack hole and also came with the cover, the other does not have the crank hole cover. Also the one that came with my car does not have the crank hole. even thought there is a crank hole in the one unit there is no possible way to crank over the car since the radiator comes down to low in the nose piece to allow a crank rod to engage the crank shaft. This was just a left over. So at least 39 Does not have the hand crank option for the Desoto. I also know that the Dodge, Chrysler and Desoto had the basic same body style so I would assume that the hand cranking is not available. And also who would want to try to crank over by hand our flat head 6, And since Doctor Kettering from the Sloan Kettering Cancer hospital designed the electric start back in the teens for Cadillac who would want to hand crank a car and then have to worry about breaking a wrist if you held you hand in the wrong position on the crank handle. Remember never over lap your thumb on the crank handle open palm to prevent a broken thumb. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Ok: I know this has been mentioned before and I looked in the reference section on the forum. The weather is warm here is Valley Forge,PA today tookthe 39 out for a drive. After driving the engine was running around 170 which is ok since has a 160 them. Then hard starting the car after it sat for around 10-15 minutes. I read to reset the float level on the carb. So What I need to do is then bend the tab back so the float stis loser in the bowel Is that correct or should I bend in in to get it to sit high in the bowel. Just want to make sure I am bending in the correct way to help solve the issue and give it a try. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com.

If your engine has the petcock on the dizzy side of the block open this to see if you get any water flow. There still might be crud inthe block. you might have to stick a hard metal rod into the opening to free up any blockage. I still think you might have crud in the block and might have to pullthe welch plugs or other wise known a freeze plugs. I also wondering if you might have an air bubble in the block. rich hartung desoto1939@aol.com

I have had the plastic trim clips on my car since 1996 when I had it paitned and have not had any issues. Your newer cars are using plastic clips instead of metal. So you should not have any problems. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

Don: Yes we have come to know them as Freeze Plugs, but really they are not freeze plugs. They were plugs in the block to help remove the sand from when the block was being form in the casting. So they realy are a core plug. They usually do not pop when the engine block freezes over as you would think by the terminalogy freeze plug. Don do not feel bad about asking questions, most of us do not know all the answers but for some they are more knowledgeable about automivtive terminollogy. aS WE WERE ALL TOLD IN SCHOOL, NO QUESTION IS NOT A DUMB QUESTION, It s just harder to remember as we all get older in life what the answer is to our question. Even my 85 yearold father in-law still asks questions about his 31 Model A and guess what I am even learning from his questions and answers that we have during our discussion on the antique cars. Knowledge is to be sought after and then also to be given forth to help the next guy down the lane, keep passing it on. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

maybe they sent you thr wrong rubber grommet. I know they list seperate car and truck fuel gromments. Check to see if they sent you the correct one. You might have gotton one that is tight and then it split because it was too small for the filler pipe. Just a thought. rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

SInce you stated that you plan on driving the car at 60-70 MPH I would then install the disk brake setup on the car and then also swap out the rear to a more desireable road rearend that can handle those speeds. So are you going to Hotrod the car or just add modification to make it go faster? Also be carefl when driving at thos speeds. These cars were origannly setup to cruise comfortably in the 45-55 mph range with the original motor/trans and rear setup. Just my 2 cents. My big question is why do alot of people buy and old car and then want to go at sppeds like a modern car? If you have a car that needs total restoration then make it a streetord but the older cars were not ment to be driven at such high speeds. Slow down and enjoy the sites. or just go modern and save alot of cash. Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

When I repainted my 39 Desoto I buffed out the stainless stell with an old washing machine motor. Get the appropriate kit with the appropriate wheels and compounds and you can save some money. I did not use metal clips to attach my restored trim. I use plastic trim clips instead. If you go to any good autobile paint supplier they should have an assortment of plastic clips. Try them until you get the one that fits inside your molding and also has the proper sized button that will fit the holdes in the body. Even being a little bigger for the hole size is ok since you do not want the trim to come off. I recommend plastic clips since they will not rust and since this is hidden no one will ever know that you are using plastic and not the original metal. The pastic is easier to get and use. Always get extra clips incase you break a couple or even lose a couple. Nice to have some extras Just my two cents on this topic. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

DOn: Not being a mechanic and looking at the picture I would say there is a lot of carbon build up and the car is running rich in the air fuel mixture. The blck stuff also looks wet to me inthe picture. I would say a fuel air mixture issue. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

I used small sheet meal screws to attach mine. This way I can remove the fuzzy strip if I ever what to replace. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Basically when you take down the driveshaft for another reason sya to just do a pinion seal you should make the alignment of the housing on the u joint to a specif bolt hole on the pinion flange to insure that you are putting back in the same spot. This is to help prevent you from getting any vibration because you chnaged the way the DS way attached to the housing and the DS then is back to the original position. But since you have replaced the pin and all of the internals that would make it a little harder. Did you replace the outer metal hosuing along with the inner parts? I do not think you would get a growl from the Ujoint but a thunk sound is insatlled incorrectly. Did you refillthe differentail with enought fluid. Growling could bea wheel bearing or low fluid maybe in the trans> Just point to check. Did you force the pinion yoke on with a hammer or use any tool to insatll it. You might have it insatlled to far and the pinion gear might be growly on the ring gear, just another thought. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

Attached is some brake information for the 41 dodge taken from my EIS brake catalog The 41 Dodge uses the Type K master cylinder Brake Cylinder EW 6854, 6853 Fronts,, EW 6856, 6855 Rears The numbers after the wheel cylinder refer to the internal bore sizes which indicate as we call them stepdown cyclinders because of the two different sizes. When these are resleeved they cost more because of the two sizes and insert sleeves that need to be installed and bored to the correct size. Refer to the attached data sheets this are the EIS numbers I have this EIS catalog and a Wagner Brake catalog scanned onto CD's if anyone is interested. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com Brake information 1.pdf Brake information 2.pdf Brake information 3.pdf

search ebay use 1937 nos mopar master cylinder piston 666535. Write to me at my email Desoto1939@aol.com rich hartung

the 37-41 Chrysler/Dodge/Ply/Desoto all use the same model wagner MC. It is better if you do remove the floor boards to get access to the master cyclinder. There are two bolts holes on the bottom flange on the MC that bolts to a braket. When you take out the floor boards you will get a better view of how the whole unit is installed. I did rebuild my MC and I have a 39 Desoto so used the same MC that you have. Get a kit that has the broze piston if you can. Write to me I have lots of information on brakes and the various Wagner numbers for the MC and also brake cyclinders and also hoses. The lockeheed brakes are not eay to adjust properly without the Ammco brake tool. Refer to the Technical section on brakes with the Ammco and also the miller brake tool. I have these tools. The 39 Desoto is a kissing cousin to your car and some things are the same. If you can get a NOS that would be better but they are not cheap since only a few years from 37-41 as you already know. I live near Valley Forge, PA Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com cell 484-431-8157 Phone 610-630-9188

PArt of the reason why you do not have any rust is that you have the alligator style hod on your car. The early cars had the butterfly style hood that had the hoos hinge down the middle of the hood and the water would then leak in via the center pivot chrome hinge and then the water would collect in the spark plug holes. Also at the same time when they had the coil that came throught the fire wall they ahd an issue that when there was mositure or heavy dew the cars would have a hard time starting becasue the coil wires to the dizzy would get mositure. So in the later years they moved the coil to be mounted on the braket just off the top of the head to eliminate this issue. Shorten the lenght of the wire and this solved the probblem to a degree. Rich HArtung Desoto1949@aol.com

question do you have a pressurized radiator cap on the car. Our systems in the early years is a non pressurized system. I have a 39 Desoto so basically we have the same car. Did you ever replace the water distibution tube and also pull al lthe welsh plugs on the engine to force out al the crud in the block. Also only use the green antifeeze in your 40 Desoto DO NOT used the yellow extend stuff. ALso put in a bottle of water pump lube which has a rust inhibutor. Most Af will last 5+ years but the rusting agents breaks down and the and the antifees will start to look like a rust color. Chnage the Af every 4 years Even thought you put a rad flush on the car and then opening the petcock on the radiator you still might have junk inthe block. Pipewrench where are you located? I live near Valley Forge PA. Contact me. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

Yes, I can tell you about Bias Ply. I have the Goodyear tires on my 39 Desoto. Yes they will find every rut in the road and if you get to travel on a road that has just been milled, inwhich they have taken off the top layer of asphalt then you had better cut your speed down. The car will be pulled all over the road because of the milling process. You will not notice any issue on a smooth asphalt road or cement road. You will get some pulling when the road is rutted from the heavy truck dual tires if they have made a pattern in the asphualt. The use of radial with our older cars is still not recommended by the AACA. The cars were originally designed to support Bias Ply tires. The suspension is not setup to handle the rolling action that a radial tire has and the design of the radial. So if you use a radial then you do so at your own option. So slow down and enjoy the ride of our oder cars and do not be in such a hurry. If you want to go fast then get a street rod that has the correct suspension and is setup for radials. This is just my 2 cents so please do not take an offence to my statement just trying to provide information on the topic. Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

When asking about parts for a car or truck it is advised that you at least let us know what model car or truck and year. There is a lot of information that the various experiecned memebrs can provide but we are not mind readers. We all need the baisic information to help answer your questions. As stated the dizzy models did chnage with various years so we need to know that so we can tell which points, rotor, condensor and cap to order . ALso search on ebay under you car or truck model year you will find lots of things being offered and this is another opportunity to know what specific items you will need. I have an autolite book with this information let me know the specifics. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

If you can find out what is the proper socket size to use on the nut then go to a dollar store and then llok for round magnets. Then take your spare socket and i would suggest that you get a cheap socket and then glue inthe magent to the bottom inside of the socket and build up the depth until you know that the bolt head will then touch the magnet in the socket then when you take out the bolt it wil then be attached to the magnet in the socket. So this would be one of those special made tools only to be used for this purpose. Sometime you have to invent the tool from a mordenr tool to meet your needs. Yes Miller tools made a socket that had a magnetise capability but that is just what they did. Rich HArtung I will look in my Miller tool cat to post a picture of the appropriate tool and its corresponding Miller tool number. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

Yes and only use the green antifreeze not the extended yellow stuff. Rich HArtung