Don Coatney

Allan; The only difference is the "Spitfire" logo. This head has been milled but the poster did not say how much.

Jeff; Here is the PLYDO install sheet.

Pat; What bend??? I did not make a bend and it was not part of the PLYDO kit.

Claybill; To the best of my knowledge the "spitfire" head was never installed at the factory on Dodge long block trucks. Anyone have documentation on this?

Neil; I think Tims job as Papaw is to figure out which wife is Mamaw. Congrats Tim! Hope Troy Anthony is healthy and wealthy.

Norm; Not sure if aluminum will work well for lowering blocks. Aluminum (being softer than steel) is somewhat compressible. I would think the aluminum would compress and distort over time with the pressure from the U-bolts and the spring action as the rear wheels pass over bumps. If you elect to use them have a machine shop mill them down to size. A hack saw will produce a hack job and aluminum will "load-up" the abrasive material on a belt sander.

Will this bottle work?

Jeff P; I hope the replacement wheel cylinders you purchased are new and not new old stock. If they are new old stock I recommend you purchase new rubber parts and install them prior to installing the wheel cylinders on your car. Rubber parts age while sitting on the shelf and will have a short life once placed into service. I have never purchased anything from Andy B but I have read a lot of mixed reviews on his parts and service. hope your purchase goes well. Are your brake shoe return springs in good shape? The pressure these springs apply to the wheel cylinders is what returns the fluid to the master cylinder through the small port pictured above. Although there is a well written procedure for adjusting the brake shoes without the Ammco tool it is my belief that the tool is required. Pictured below is a set of shoes in service for a short time after an adjustment without the tool was completed. I suggest you use a Sharpie and make several marks across your shoes. Drive for a few miles then remove the drums and see if the shoes are wearing evenly. If they are not then the adjustment is not done correctly. Another option is a conversion to front disc brakes. I have done so on my car at a cost of about the same as a complete replacement of stock components plus the cost of the Ammco tool. Benefit is no adjustment required and replacement pads are available at any bubble pack auto parts house.

I have submitted a vacation request for the dates involved. If things work I will be there. I have not made reservations but will do so upon vacation confirmation. My route will be running side roads paralleling Interstate 40. Anyone between Nashville and Tulsa interested in a convoy let me know. Looks like about a 700 mile trip for me. Will most likely leave Wednesday and spend the night somewhere in Arkansas then continue to Tulsa on Thursday. Will return home Sunday and possibly Monday.

Bob; Happy new year to you and Mary Ann. When I first looked at the picture I was reminded of the scam artists from Nairobi who are frequently pictured holding signs.

I see this classic was stored inside at the swap meet. Was that done to prevent additional rust? If they sold this hulk by the pound it would weigh less by the time you got it home.

I had no luck finding replacements. Finally found some that would work. Bought them from Taillightking if I remember correctly. They are not exact replacements but they work. I bought the blue ones as my car is blue. I think Mike Maker installed a bulb behind his replacement reflectors. Ask him for the details.

Lou; Just a suggestion. Might be better to make replies to the existing thread as opposed to starting a new one. Keeps things in order and better to understand. Glad you got your stud out.

I have had good luck using a stud puller. Soak the broken bolt with a good penetrating oil overnight then give it a try. If that fails heat the broken bolt with a propane torch and hit it with a wax candle. The candle wax will seep into the threads and help free it up. Not sure if studs were factory or not in your 34 Plymouth. P-15 indicates your engine is from a 46-48 Plymouth. I believe engine numbers can be referenced on the main page supporting this forum. My engine battery ground cable is located below the generator bracket. I believe this is a stock location.

Bob; There is a guy who frequents this forum that can renew your wheel. I dont recall his name at the moment but hopefully someone else will chime in.

48mirage; Not all red Loctite is created equally. I have jug of #262 that is service "NON" removable meaning heat (lots of it) is required to remove it. I have only used this in a couple of applications and none are car related. The red #271 or the blue #242 would work better in this application.

Lou; Every P-15 engine I have disassembled had head bolts (not studs). I believe these bolts are factory as they are not a standard bolt. The head size is not standard for the shank size and the shank is undercut between the top of the threads to an area just below the bolt head prevent seizing. Why would having bolts hold the head on your spare engine make you think it was a rebuild?

This test can be done under the hood at the solenoid by disconnecting the small wire on the solenoid from the starter button and testing there. Also your starter motor gear may be hanging up in the flywheel ring gear making it appear that the starter is still running but in fact it is not. It is being driven by the car engine.

There are six bolts that hold the harmonic balancer to the front hub. They are not drilled symmetrically so the balancer only goes on one way where all six holes line up. I suspect your balancer is not mounted where all six holes line up. I also suspect that the special nut/bolt that holds the hub to the end of the crankshaft was not properly installed and tightened the last time it was apart as I have never heard of one coming off before. You may want to remove everything (hub included) to insure the key way is in place. This will also make it easier to line up all six holes. I used a very large crescent wrench to tighten my hub bolt.

Rodney; Use of the correct tool is important. Glad you got your nuts off without burning up your shirt.

Tim; Does Brad have 2 wives too??

A 230 CI engine is not a big block (25 1/2" long) unless it is Caniadian.

I have a huge collection of old family communication including many civil war letters. For examples follow this link. http://www.rootsweb.com/~inscott/Coatney.html

Chet; The terms copperhead and butternut (both slang and deragortory) were both used to describe southern simpathizers who live in the north during the civil war.