desoto1939

I would also suggest that you get a battery tender for your car and keep the clips on the posts. The worst thing is not having the battery at fullcharge. By keeping the battery tender attached this keeps the battery at charge and extends the life of the battery. I had a 6v battery last me 8 years. It would have lasted longer but one of my lead wires to the volt regulator broke so it drained the battery. rich hartung

Check the Breaker Plate assembly. Take the distributor cap off and remove the rotor, then grab the dizzy plate assembly and see if it moves sided to side and if loose. A friend of mine had a 39 Desoto and the assembly plate had a lot of slop and the car would backfire and was loosingpower. An old time mechanic friend of mine looked at the plate and told us to replace and this solved his problem. Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

You do not have a pressurized system > I would ask him my a pressurized system? It is because he is goingto a new radiator but I stillthink he is not correct. Ask more questions of the group before making the change. Rich Hartung

The early desoto and Mopar did not have a pressurized system. So I would call them again to make sure they know this information. You should not, again should not use a Presurised radiator cap use a regular radiator cap and it should be an R3 cap that is a standard cap for your car. I have a 39 Desoto and it is the same honeycomb radiator and the same cap. You can get the R3 cap on ebay. I have a lot of cross refence catalog for your car contact me at desoto1939@aol.com rich hartung

Also check the battery cables. Make sure you have a good CLEAN connection on the posts and also a good Clean ground connection. Might also want to put on an extra ground strap. Also did you change the battery cables and if you did, did you put on 12volt cables? You willneed the heavier gage 0 or double 0 gage cables so that the 6v can carry more voltage. A lot of people have changed to the 12v when they first get the car thinking these will work. Yes they will but best when the engine is cold and not hot. When the car or block is hot then it gets hard to start the car, You also state that the headlight will not turn on. Have they ever worked or do you have to blown headlight bulbs. Try pushing the high low beam floor switch several times the points get corroded and then by stepping on the button cleans the points. Check the wire connection at the posts near the radiator to make sure these are tight and not corroded. Could also be the wiring needs to be replaced if they are original. Test for continuity. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

Gary: the Masonite piece might be a tacking strip to tack the headliner material around the window. The metal inside garnish molding then would cover the tacks. Also there will be severalmetal pieces that has saw tooth to push the headliner up against to hold it into position alsong the sides. I helped my painter install the headline in my 39 desoto but that was in 1996 use flat wide putty knifes to push the material into the frames. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

BiLL: I just completed the scanning of the Desoto Powerflite Transmission Shop Manual. If you would like a copy of this contact me. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com cell 484-431-8157 live near Philadelphia PA

is there any numbers stamps on the mounting flange where it is bolted to the engine block. I would assume that it might be a variation of the AC 588 fp becsue that was a standard FP that was used on our cars. Just a WAG wild AsX guess. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Call me onmy cellphone 484-431-8157 live near Philadelphia pa. rich hartung

The dampener has the timing marking on the flat side of the unit so you might this you are setting the timing at say 2 degrees before top dead center but when the unit is spinning with a load on the unit might be just loose enough to either give you an incorrect reading so the can is not being set at the correct timing and then it affects other issues. I am not a mechanic but it plays into the timing of the car Rich HArtung.

The rubber housing has dried out and now the unit is loose. You can contact a company know as the dampener doctor and your unit and be rebuilt or you could look for one on ebay. The dodge used part number 1319425 for 1951-52 and this is the vibration dampener and pully as one complete unit. her is the link: www.damperdoctor.com Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

what is the conditionof the vibration dampener the rubber hosuing could be loose and causing the advance does the unit wobble or canyou see anything when it is running. Just a thought. here is the link: www.damperdoctor.com Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

Hope everyone and their loved ones have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you are traveling to family and or friends please drive safe and arrive back home safe and sound. Hope everyone arrives with Bells on. This is an old saying that refers back to when in the winter time you would use a horse a sleigh to gets to your destination. If and when you got stuck in the snow the people that helped you get out of being stuck you would give them one of the sleigh bells that were attached to the horse as a way of saying thank you. So if you made the entire round trip will the bells still on your horse then you had no issues, So then you arrived with Bells on your sleigh. The bells were also used to warn other people on the road or going through the forest that a sleigh was approaching, so sort of our horn on our old cars. Since I live near Valley Forge PA I am thankful for all of the people that had stayed with General Washington at valley Forge during the winter encampment to help gain our Freedom and to form the Great United States of America. Least we forget about these strong willed men and boys that stood up to get this Great nation started and also to our current men and women that are serving in our Armed Forces to still support our freedom and to protect our great country. If you know of any family that might have a person serving please tell the family that you thank them and their family member for their support. Rich Hartung Valley forge, PA Desoto1939@aol.com

I did mine under the chassis and then put them in a plastic wire loom. easier to get at and lessens the issue of how to get to the wires. Also used the same routing for the gas tank flaot and all of the other rear wires. rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

If I remember correctly the rubber ring should fit over the metal cylinder of the upright. The ring should have a slot around the entire circumference of the ring. I thenthink the hole in the gravel guard is the size of the interteirot size of the slot on the rubber ring outside endge then fits into the hole to form a seal then the cylinder is slide into the rubber ring and thenthe fog light is attached to the top section and of course the unit is bolted to the bumper bracket. I would try this first on some sheet metal before making the final hole in the gravel guard to make sure this is what you are trying to do. Rich Hartung

Correct the bottom rectangular pieces attach to the bumper brackets. But on the upper or top section the runed part should be point upper and this goes into the bottom of the fog lights. The roundness helps so you can rotate left to right and up and down when getting them aligned. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

are you going to use a brake-in oil such as redline to help protect the tappets. Just a suggestion. Rich Hartung

These are the things that this current generation will never experience. In this time and age the kids could not handle the concept and how dare someone else be on the phone when they want to be on the phone so self centered the kids of today. They has lost the concept of sharing. The world is now focused around the ME and only ME world. I grew up in the 50's and I do miss those years live was a sure lot simpler and so less complex. Rich Hartung

Gary you need to 2 wire sender just like inmy 39 desoto. Contact the seller and ask for the correct tank unit or if he does not have the correct unit then ask for the refund for the part and shipping because he sold you the incorrect part. When are you going to stop down at my home? Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

Here is the information that you need to get the correct assembly and or bearing, This was taken from my Federal Clutch release catalog. Open up the attached document. Bearing number is 1054 complete assembly with the bearing pressed on is 2P-1054. Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com 1949 plymouth Clutch release Bearing assembly.docx

I already have the Miller MT19 with the 7 sleeves that will fit most of the mid 30-50 vehicles. I have had this tool for over 15 years so the refacer is just the addon tool. I also have the AMMCO brake gage 1750 tool as a backup. It is fun trying to find the old miller tools, but not much luck finding them even at Hershey. The tend to favor the GM and Ford tools and some of the more obscure marques and not the Miller Brand of tools. I have a good collection to support the mid 30- late 40's cars and trucks. Rich Hartung

I was just able to complete the required Miller factory tools for adjusting and truing the brake shoes for our early cars. The complete set of tools is called Miller TruBrake System. The total package consists of the Miller MT19 Brake gage which has all of the various sleeves to go over the front spindle and the real axle shaft and the other attachment to set the toe and heel and also mic the diameter of the drums. The second tool is the Trubrake lining refacer tool. This tool is used in conjunction with the MT19 gage. You set the new shoes up with the MT19 gage by using the indicator marked Drum and then you use the refacer to take off the high spots on the shoe to make the perfectly concentric to the drum. This has to be done for each wheel separately. Then you use the toe and heel setting to set the top and the bottom of the brake shoe so that the shoe is in perfect alignment with the drum. I have attached some documentation taken from my Miller Tool catalog to help explain the function of both tools and how they are used in conjuction. Hoping to but up a video of both tools being used on my 39 Desoto after getting the tool. I have the Miller MT 19C tool with the 7 adapters The MT29 is the trubrake lining refacer tool that I just purchased Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com Miller Trubrake Document.pdf

I have an old delco shock catalog and did some looking and the rear shock is the same that was used on the Desoto, Chrys, Dodge and Plymouth from 37 and up. so knowing this the same Monroe shock 3100 which is a rear shock will work for your car. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

you stated that you do not have wipers working. You have an electric wiper motor under the dash it is an autolite wiper motor that was used on 1939 Chrysler dodge and desoto. The 39 Plymouth stillused the old vacuum wiper motor. Make use the 3 wires are connected to the motor they are labeled as A, B and C and they run back to the wiper switch which is also marked withbullet connector as a, b and c and then there isa wire to supply power to the switch. pull the knob a couple of time to clean the contacts inside the switch then turn the ignition key switch tot he on position and then pullthe wiper knob the wipers should work. If not then might have to have it serviced at a good electric motor repair shop. The wiper arms that you have are the original Autolite wiper arms there is specific right and left because of the bends in the arm. These are very hard to find so take good care of the arms they are stainless steel you have a 10 inches wiper blade and the connection that is used is called on the blade a deadlock blade because of havw they attach to the blade. These wiper bladed are not cheap they run around 35-50 dollars for a set when you see them listed on ebay. I would get a set and have extras for future use. Some people change out the arms to a universal arm so that you can put on a direct blade that is cheaper when you find them at swap meets. Call me and I will tell you more about your car since if the 39 Desoto which is the sister car to your 39 Dodge. Rich Hartung cell 484-431-8157