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John Reddie

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Everything posted by John Reddie

  1. John Reddie
    Welcome. This car that you have is pretty rare now, at least here in MA. There is a man in my area that has a '55 Dodge with the six cylinder engine and a three speed standard transmission. It is two-tone, yellow and white. Does your car have the shift lever on the dashboard like the '55 Plymouth's did and could you post a few pictures of your Dodge? Thanks. John R
  2. John Reddie
    There is most likely sediment built up behind the drain cock which is fairly common on older engines. After opening the drain cock up all the way. you may be able to push a fine piece of wire up inside and clear it. If not, I believe that the drain cock can be unscrewed and then you can unclog it with a small screwdriver or wire. Be sure to have a drain pan under it. Best of luck. John R
  3. John Reddie
    I have had success removing nuts on studs like you describe buy putting the stud in a piece of copper tubing with the nut exposed and clamping the stud in my vice. I then heat the stud with a MAAP torch and the nut almost always comes off easily. The soft copper protects the threads on the stud from damage. John R
  4. John Reddie
    Also, make sure that the steering components ( king pins, tie rods, etc) are properly greased. These Plymouth's have a bunch of grease fittings on their steering and front suspension parts so it's important that each one is lubed periodically. John R
  5. John Reddie
    What a beautiful gathering of '40's Mopars. Thank you for posting. John R
  6. John Reddie
    I did a little research on this and I learned that that Plymouth was owned by a lathe salesman which makes perfect sense as to the lathe being in the trunk. Along with the two additional Plymouth photos posted by Robin, I found this Chevrolet station wagon with a display that was used as well. John R
  7. John Reddie
    It would be a workout (for me anyway) getting the spare wheel out. It also doesn't appear to be secured.
  8. John Reddie
    Here's something that wasn't found in very many P 15 trunks. Interesting. John R
  9. John Reddie
    The method I have used is, with the distributor out and held in place in the vice, I install the contact points with the hold down screw snug but not tight and then turn the shaft until one of the cam lobes is lined up with the rubbing block on the point set. I then move the points in or out to achieve the proper point cap then tighten the hold down screw. As I am sure you know, the fiber block on the point set wears down rather than the cam lobes. I am not sure why you cannot get your contact points to open and close. Maybe you could try with another set. Good luck. John R
  10. John Reddie
    The first thing I always check is all connections in the charging and battery circuits for corrosion or looseness and of course, the battery voltage. If all checks out well there, I remember that back when I had some of these six volt Plymouths and Dodges and a no charge situation like you describe occurred, with the engine running, you could briefly ground (I think it was the field terminal) on the voltage regulator while having an assistant observe the amp gauge. If the needle pegged up on the charging side of the gauge then the trouble was in the regulator. If nothing happened and the needle remained on the discharge side, then the generator was the problem. John R
  11. John Reddie
    Hello again. I just noticed this starter on ebay. Pretty expensive but at least they are offering free shipping. John R https://www.ebay.com/itm/REMAN-USA-3310-Starter-1941-Dodge-Plymouth-6-Volts-CW-Prestolite-MZ-4089/183121464547?epid=570803094&hash=item2aa2e3cce3:g:WUoAAOSwk6lapWBB&vxp=mtr
  12. John Reddie
    Hello and welcome. With a starter of this vintage, you may have to see if there is a business near your area that reconditions starters and generators. A new armature could be hard to come by. Good luck to you. John R
  13. John Reddie
    Hello and welcome. Did your Plymouth run well and then suddenly start the shaking? A few ideas. I would do a compression test on each cylinder to compare the readings. You can also remove one spark plug at a time while it is idling to see if any cylinders are dead. Also, check inside the distributor cap for carbon tracking and cracks. I noticed in your video that your fuel line going to the carburetor from the fuel pump appears to be quite close to the exhaust manifold which could cause vapor lock in hot weather. I don't think that is is causing your current problem but something to think about. Best of luck to you. John R
  14. John Reddie
    How is your radiator? If it were mine, I would remove the radiator and have it flow tested if you have not done this yet. A partially plugged up radiator core can cause the engine to run hotter than it should, especially at idle and high speed. I have had this problem before and my radiator had to have a new replacement core. Good luck to you. John R
  15. John Reddie
    I like contact points and condenser for my distributor for this reason. Points usually go for quite a while and when they do wear down, you will notice that the engine may not have quite as good performance as it did. New points and condenser and the timing reset and you are doing fine again. Electronic systems require less maintenance and most are reliable but when something fails, you are stuck with a car that has stopped running. I went back to points and condenser because my electronic failed, no spark . After being towed home, I went out the next morning and the car started and ran fine again. New points distributor and the car is running very nicely again. My feelings on this matter of course. Best of luck on whatever you decide to do. John R
  16. John Reddie
    That's right. My '48 Dodge had the fluid drive and could be left in any gear without engaging the clutch. If I hit stop and go traffic, I used to leave it in second speed but I would depress the clutch when stopped to minimize heating up on a really hot day. Those cars are great. John R
  17. John Reddie
    Great find casper50. Not ridiculous prices either. John R
  18. John Reddie
    Boy, I can relate to that small pigtail wire shorting out. I had that happen one time at night when it was 6 degrees outside. I was just a young kid and had no idea what to look for. An old time mechanic straightened me out when he told me to check it. When it shorts out, it sure interrupts you trip. John R
  19. John Reddie
    Just out of curiosity, when was this car tuned up last, new spark plugs, wires, distributor cap, points and condenser, timing set to specifications? Busycoupe asks an important question: You said that you have had this car 20 years, did it run well in the past, or has it had this problem as long as you have owned it? Whatever the case, I hope you get it straightened out. It looks like a great car. John R
  20. John Reddie
    Thank you Patrick for posting these. John R
  21. John Reddie
    Hello and welcome. Great find. Can you post some pics of the other old cars you have there too? Thanks. John R
  22. John Reddie
    As I remember on Plymouth's anyway, 1942 was the last year the foot pedal starter set up was used. 1946 - early 1949 (P15 Plymouth's) used the dashboard mounted button to activate the starter. When the later restyled Plymouth models came out in 1949, the starter was activated by turning the ignition key all the way to the right. It was part of the ignition switch. I myself kinda liked the old foot pedal starter, pretty basic design but my feeling. John R
  23. John Reddie
    Hello and welcome to the forum. Whatever you find and decide to do, I wish you the best. My feelings on something like this, try to find a P15 that hasn't been altered. These were and are great cars and a pleasure to drive. Lovely styling and comfortable. Again, this is your decision and only my opinion and it also depends on the kind of driving you plan to do, interstate highway or country roads. Best regards. John R
  24. John Reddie
    Good observation Silverdome. I notice what could possibly be an automatic choke stove (not sure) in front of the carb (see photo). If so, did the Canadian built P15's have an automatic choke rather than a manual type? John R
  25. John Reddie
    Greg G, you're not alone. I have had neck problems dating back to the early '70's. I still love car work but it takes me waaaaay longer than it used to. Have fun. John R
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