desoto1939

You are welcome. I am always looking for service catalogs and information on part cross reference lists and catalogs. Rich hartung

Yesterday I downloaded a catalog that I have found while attending the Hershey swap meet. It is from Borg-warner and it covers their timing chains for our MoPar cars and truck from 1928-55. I posted the catalog in the Download link option. It is a very nice piece of information to have for own library on your specific car or truck. early xmas present to everyone. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

1929-55 Borg warner timing chain catalog for cars and trucks View File I recently purchased a brand new Borg-warner Timing Chain catalog at Hershey. i just scanned the entire catalog tonight. It covers our cars and trucks from 1928-1955. Just nice to have this info when looking for a new timing chain. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com Submitter desoto1939 Submitted 11/07/2023 Category Reference Information  

Sniper, I have been following the posting and read the post but I did not remember from my prior reading that the car started regularly by turning clockwise before rewiring the car. So, the poster still needs to ask why the mechanic wired the car backwards? Would be nice to hear a reasoning and why he did not see the issue after the car was tested. Always nice to know why something was done incorrectly. Maybe the wires were not long enough to go back to the original setup who knows. Rich

So I quess we al assuming that the owner of the car provided the mechanic with a copy of the wiring diagram for the car. The diagram shows which wires get connected to which specific gage, switch,etc. Or did the owner provide a complete wiring harnes from a specialty company such as Rhode Island wiring or another company. Most quality companies label and number each wire and they correspond to where they get attached on the car. So it seems there are still questions that need to be answered. from all of my driving experience and I am 72 year olds and I have driven a 1915 Overland touring car, several model A's, my 1939 Desoto and also other various other cars, the key has always been turned clockwise to activate the ignition and counter clockwise to turn on the accessories. So why would the mechanic not follow the standard pattern or maybe the ignition switch was original rewired incorrectly and he just followed the wiring scheme that was currently in the car. The owner of the car needs to provide more info. Rich Hartung

I looked in my Autolite sparkplug literature that covers from 1930-1939. The only reference for the A5 was for the Hudson. Refer to the attachment below. for High speed driving C. I Hd from 1936-1939. The A 5 is a colder plug according to their chart. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

how old are the sparkplug wires? sounds as if the wires are leaking and you are getting the arching. Go to your loal auto supply and get several feet of sparkplug wires with the ends and the caps and make new individual wires. Do one wire at a time. So pull the number one wire for the number 1 spark plug. put the end on the end that goes into the cap. then run the wire up through the holder and then cut it to the proper length for number 1 plug put the end button on the wire then the metal end crimped to the wire then install the wire. Do this then for #2-6 and also the main wire from the end of the coil to the dizzy cap. Also make sure the top of the cap is clean without any corrosion where each wire connect to the cap. Also check the cap on the inside to see if is worn or any arcing and replace if necessary. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Have you checked each cell to determine if there is distilled water covering all of the plates? Also pull each battery cable and clean the inside of each connector and also each post. There might be corrosion. Get each post nice and clean and also the connector. Tighten the cables Spray with protectorats and use green and red washers. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Also another nice thing about the Monroe Site is that you can go to their technical link and then select the Mounting and Length Chart information. If you know your specific shock number it tells you the type of shock attachment on both ends also the compressed and extended lengths. See shock number 5752 which is the front shock for our car Notice the end code L1 and L1 so that mean loops on both ends. The 5753 is l1 and s4 with a rod with a nut to hold the upper part of the shock in a shock tower. Also note that it tells you the compressed and extend lengths of the of the shock and also the travel limits So if you need the 31000 information to to the same link and then scroll down to find that specific info and if you go to the bottom then you can get info on the loop diameter information Just shows what info can be found if you do some searching. Rich Hartung

Monroe Shocks for 1938-50 Mopar Cars View File Here is some information about Monroe replacement front and rear shocks that are still available. Compare the cost with your local parts store versus the costs that are listed on Ebay. Also compare them with the cost of signing onto the various MoPar vendors to see what they charge and cost of shipping. You might be really surprised at the cost differences. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com Submitter desoto1939 Submitted 10/25/2023 Category Reference Information  

Plymouthy: Yes I know they were posted before. But since I was working with a friend to get shocks for him I figured it would not hurt to repost the info. If a new member just joined the forum he might not even think about looking for information on shocks. Just trying to post an FYI for the members. Hope you are doing well. Rich Hartung

The other day i was helping a friend find replacement shocks for his 1939 Desoto. This gentleman is 83 years old and di not know what brand of shocks and or shock number he could find to replace the front and rear shocks. I knew that the Monroe shock company did make replacement shocks. I also have seen shocks listed on Ebay or in this case E payout for prices that are out of this world. Ihave seen a pair of shocks going inthe $200 range. Our Mopar DPCP shocks are standard airplane shocks. If you sign onto the Monroe web page: www.monroe.com you can do a year and model shock look up. So most of you know I collect cross reference catalogs and in one of my older MoPar Shock catalogs it lists that from 1938-1950 the Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler cars all used the same front shocks and from 1937 to 1950 they also used the same part number for the rear shocks. My friend was able to get the Monroe shocks for around $35-40 each as compare to the out of this world listed prices on Ebay. The front shock number is # 5752 and the rear # is 31000. I have also posted my copy of the information from my Mopar Shock catalog and also the information that I copied from the Monroe webpage.. So, if you are in need of new shocks check with you local parts house to see if they can order in the sets for your car and save a ton of money. Most people are not willing to investigate and take the time to get the same part at a cheaper price than what is listed on Ebay. The cost of the catalog that I purchased several years ago has paid for itself because of being able to help a friend save a major amt of money and also passing along valuable information to other MoPar owners. So always look at a vender's stack of literature when at a swap meet. You never know what you might find for a couple of dollars. Most of these paper catalogs are being destroyed and sent to the land-fill. Preserve the history for your own education and to help pass the information along to others. About 6 years ago I was at an early spring indoor swap meet and found at a venders table two McCord gasket catalogs that were brand new. They covered the years from 1909 - 1936 and from 1937 into the 50's. I asked the vender what is the price and low a behold he said $1.00 each. I purchased these two very brand new catalogs for $2. I have seen these same catalogs go for over $50-75 on ebay. what a great source of information for $2. I have gone to other swap meest and have found Mccord gaskets to fit my car becasue the vender did not know what they had. The $2 expense has been worth a ton of knowledge. Hope this is helpful information. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com 1938-50 Monroe Shocks.pdf

congrats on the new arrival. I have a 39 Desoto and have owned it and driven it for the past 35 years. was at a local car show today and most of the cars were GM, Ford, Chevy. Lot or people were asking lots of questions about the car and they wanted more history on the car. Nice to know that other car owners appreciate the other makes of car and not just the FORD and Chevy brands and the more modern cars with the full bling works in the engine area. Hope you enjoy the car and take you time getting it on the road. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

currently Moparpro has reproduction 1939 Transmission shifter cable listed on Ebay. He lists that he has 6 and the cost is $335. Yes that is correct $335. The 39 is different than the 1940 shifter cable. so if you need you then you have to pay the piper or find a used one. These are hard to find. Rich Hartung.

If the prior owner had changed the driveshaft to a more modern spicer u joint then your are correct onthe slip joint. The front u joint might be the old style pin and trunion style that is attached with four bolts. The rear might also be the same setup. You might want to ask the seller to take a few pictures of the drive shaft area to make sure of what is installed. Also take along a 3 ton floor jack to get the car up inthe air so you can crawl under the car to remove the drive shaft and also some plastic if the car is sitting on a dirt floor. Also WD 40 or PBBlaster to spray on the bolts and a yellow tire marking pencil to indicate where the current bolts are attached to each ujoint assembly. Also some plastic to wrap the drive shaft when transporting it back home. Also you socket set and open and closed wrenches. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

I do not recommend bottle jacks because of the very small point of contact of the jack up against the frame of the car. A very good friend of mine that ownes a 1936 Desoto Airflow had the front passengers side of the car up inthe air and was working on the intake and exhaust manifold. His foot hit the bottle jack and the jack then moved inwards and the car fell down on his arm and took off a major section of the skin on his arms. He was a MoPar technician and knew he had done wrong. He had to have skin grafts to his arm. Hence, he has tossed the bottle jack and now only use a 3 ton floor jack with jack stand as rate at 3 tons. ALWAYS make it safe a secure when working on a car when it is support by a floor jack and or jack stands. When my car is ever up on stands or supported by a 3 ton floor jack I always rock the car prior to doing any work under the car to make sure it is securely braced. If you hear any creaking when under the car get away from the car as quickly as possible. If you also have a detached garage or even attached garage I have and also recommend that you purchase a set of baby monitors that have a 2 or 1 way communication sending/ receive options. So, if you are in the garage and working on the car and you wife is in the house then setup the system so that both can talk to each other. If you get in trouble then at least you can call for help. Just an FYI situation. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

A lot of you have been talking about the reaction of Brass Welsh plugs against the cast iron block and or the use or brass distribution tubes. But we all use brass thermostats in the top of engine heads and this is sitting in the cast iron head and the cast section of the outlet and return to the brass radiarot. So i guess just from this point of view then our engine should have leaked and been destroyed because of the brass and cast iron reaction chemical reations. So my engine is original for my S6 39 Desoto with the brass thermostat and original radiator honey comb core. Go figure. I guess pick what ever type of plug is available for your car or truck. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

You can also purchase Autolite 295 Plugs at walmart. A friend of mine that has a 39 Desoto has been running these for severalyears. The cost is approx $1.90 per plug. They can be fund back in the autolotive section near the sparkplugs for lawnmowers. I have these in my spare parts for my 39 Desoto. i have seen these on Ebay for $7 and up plus shipping. Pickup a couple to have a spares. Also the autolite 306 can be purchased from Any Berbaum. Rich Hartung

I have seen these units on ebay but you will need to know your original part number and or autolite part number. My Autolite catalog does not list these parts so i can not provide you with any cross reference numbers. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

I have the original jack and handle for my 39 Desoto BUT I would never use the jack because the jack is a round metal rod that just sits in the base plate is a dimple. The jack works on pressure against the rod. It is not safe and reliable to hold the car. I carry a 3ton scissors jack with me in the car. I feel more comfortable with the scissors jack and since it has a long folding handle i then can move the jack into position to support the car on the frame. I would also suggest that you carry and extra 12/12 inch piece of wood to place under the jack in case you are on soft ground. I had a flat and the ground was soft and the jack sank into the ground. The use of a tire stop is another great item to have. I also carry in all of my cars are several reflective strips that are made with plastic and they snap around your arms and legs. Runners use these when running at night time. I also use these on my rear bumpers and they do not scratch the bumpers and since they are a pressure fit they can be removed. The other tink is that I attached several rear flashing bicycle rear lights to my license plate. There are several variations to the blinking pattern and this also helps to get the attention of drivers when they are approaching from the rear and when driving my car in regular traffic. I also carry in the trunk of my 39 Desoto and foldable red reflective triangle that you see when semi trucks have broken down on the road. Any things that can be used to protect you and your car and anyone else that is driving with you is so important because of the speeds that everyone is doing in their modern cars. Assume everyone else is carless and they do not give a hoot about you or your car. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

just purchase all copper wire 10-12 gage at any NAPA or Automovtive store. Also check that you have good clean grounds on the car. Rich Hartung

Thank you for posting the picture of the cam & stop plate. Since there are holes inthe plate I would assume that there is some type of bolt and nut that holds this unit tight inthe dizzy. Also since there is a spacer could the spacer be missing on the original posters question or could the cam stop plate just need to be tightened? I wuld also assume that these stop plates would be the same in our older dizzy since they were al made by Autolite and have a 38 degree cam angle. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

what is a cam stop? Are you talking about the part the cam lobe that is responsible for the opening of the points when it makes contact with the high point when the dissy is spinning? Rich desoto1939@aol.como