meadowbrook

Suntennis, I think you mean R10. I own an R8 and I hear there are R6 and R7 units too. I only am familiar with an R8 and R10. The R8 uses a solenoid to pull the trans out of OD when one powers it and it engages OD mechanically when speed exceeds ~ 30MPH. The more common R10 uses a solenoid to both engage OD by power being applied and disengage OD by power being cut off. Try George Asche, whose number is elsewhere in this forum to help with ID.

My '50 Dodge Meadowbrook has a carter carb but the shop manual mentions a Stromberg, I have the model 300 heater, but also the vacuum wipers.

What a hot topic I started ! Maybe I can start another on...what's the best engine oil??? Just kidding. I will start by checking my dizzy to make sure there is no wobble on the shaft and the points are ok. Maybe new ones are in order. I will also check the plugs and maybe clean them or replace them. One thing that I am curious about is the coil. Mine is a replacement NAPA one. The original still works, I just figured it was old so I replaced it. Is there a way to check the actual voltage a coil is capable of producing? Items I cannot, or rather, will not fix at this point are compression or valve guide looseness, etc. I know all my cylinders are below spec, with 2-6 at 100 psi and 1 at 85. The vacuum is around 17 inches at warm idle and it does flutter between 16 and 17, so a possible leaky valve is there. One day I will rebuild the engine but I like that as it is it has never been rebuilt and is very reliable. If I rebuild I will likely build to the 1957 spec, I think by then the power had risen to 130 HP? Mine is rated 103. So I guess that would imply a 2 barrel carb, intake, cam and maybe exhaust? If I had the facility, I would like to use British style side draft carbs. That would stick out in a show no?

Thanks all. The compression is 100 psi on 2-6 and 85 psi on #1, I know not great. Vacuum is about 19 " at warm idle.

Hello Gentlemen. On my '50 Meadowbrook, I have an original 230 with 84000 miles. It misses a couple of times on low RPM high load situations like if I stop it in traffic with the clutch out (relying on the fluid drive) and then take off. I hear the miss through a slight hole in my muffler as well as feel a bit of torque fluctuations at the same time. As I am underway, it clears up. The plugs, cap and rotor are about 5 years old and the wires are maybe 2 years old. The points' age is ??. I checked the dwell and it is between 32 and 38 degrees (32 at idle and 38 when I rev it). I think the spec is 32. I am wondering why it varies. Also, timing has been set at 5 deg BTDC for extra pep. No knocking whatsoever. So any tips?

Thanks for all the responses!. By the way, my heat riser works fine and I do have the original pump shield. I will lower the float to see what effect that has. Would it also cause my car to run leaner? However, nobody really touched on the fact that it did start with a shot of starting fluid. Would folks say that if the issue was percolation flooding the engine, then starting fluid would just worsen the situation? If so then it sounds like the issue is indeed vapor lock, i.e. lack of fuel?

Wow, my carb base is often wet. But the float height is to spec.

Hi folks. Now that it is warmer, I am back having the issue with my engine stalling after idling hot for a long time. I have discussed it before and was led to believe that the issue is likely percolation, ie the fuel in the bowl boiling or expanding enough to flood the engine, requiring me to wait 10 min to restart. The issue happens after a long idle in hot weather or after being in the highway running fast and then stopping in slow traffic. Increasing the throttle during the idle helps, I think because the fan cools the carb better. So the last time this happened, I sprayed the air cleaner opening (oil bath) with some starting fluid and was able to restart the vehicle without waiting the 10 min as before. So I am asking, if the stalling was caused by flooding, why would starting fluid help? Wouldn't this indicate a lack of fuel? IE vapor lock before the fuel gets to the engine? I often wonder if an electric fan might help because it would be running at slow engine speeds if it got hot, thus cooling the carb better than the stock fan. Any comments?

Hello folks! Interesting discussion. I wonder if it might be prudent to replace my '50 Meadowbrook's fan with an electric one. I have the stock original radiator and it is leak free and cools the vehicle adequately. However, the 2 stories I heard here concerning blades flying off the stock fan got me spooked. Plus I think an electric fan may help alleviate an issue I have with my car in that on very hot days, in dense traffic, I suffer from carburetor percolation. The engine will stall and I have to wait some 10 minutes before it will start again. Sometimes I can prevent this by revving the engine when stationary, which hints that the carb is just too hot, flooding the engine. So maybe an electric fan would be running by then and help cool the carb as well as the engine itself, when the mechanical fan is at its least efficient. And as mentioned before, I would reduce the risk of being impaled by the mechanical fan. I also imagine the engine would be quieter. So any recommendations? I still am running a 6 volt pos ground system with the original generator and regulator.

MY dad fixed the one in my '50. He replaced all the capacitors and added an Ipod input. I can play an I pod with FM thus I get FM too, then. Interestingly, he tried to replace the speaker for a new one and found the original one sounded better. Also, he swapped out the vibrator for a solid state one and again, found the original worked better. Even more interstingly, the original speaker has a 'FoMoCo' label, I think because the radio is actually a Philco, which Ford owned. And it is kind of cool to listen to oldies in it.

Isnt the floating oil pickup an attempt to make up for sludge accumulation? As it piled up the pickup rises?

My 50 Meadowbrook still has the original rear seat fabric and it looks like yours, though a bit more faded. I had the front seat redone with a similar color but no stripes. As far as the carpeting, my car had original rear carpeting but the front had petrified rubber mats. I have recarpeted it front and rear as the old stuff was pretty nasty. It would be nice to find new sill rubber covers.

There is a Dutch company that sells a rather interesting system that is used on Jaguars and other old European cars. It is pricey but looks interesting. http://ezpowersteering.nl/25/170/EZ_ELECTRIC_POWER_STEERING.html

Interestingly, I replaced my heater valve with a ball valve too, but find that I never need to close it even in the summer, I just set the heater controls temp lever to 'cold'.

Thanks for all the opinions. Since I already had the frame blasted, primed and coated, I will not undo it...I think. Sounds like pc is tougher but a chip may be more destructive. And like many topics, there is difference in opinions. Here is anothe...what's the best oil? Just kidding...

Hi, I am restoring my old Triumph but I think this topic applies here. I had the frame blasted and primed and then applied a product called POR15 Hard nose. It claims to be tough but I did notice it does chip when I drop a tool on it (not intentionally ) Would powdercoating be any better? I really rather not do it, but the thought of building the car up on a less than durable chassis coating bugs me. Maybe I am being OCD about this. I try to make myself feel better by imagining that with powdercoat, a chip would allow water to get in between the powdercoat and the metal whereas the paint would just chip and the rust would be at the exposed area only. Any thoughts/ experiences?

Also, be sure the spring you get is actually a bimetal by using a hair dryer on it to see how it reacts. Mine was a plain spring and it did nothing with heat applied and it was from Bernbaum, I believe. So I reused the original one, which is still good after 66 years !

I too have a 50 Meadowbrook! I thought I was the only one. Mine seemed to have the original pump and it had a grease fitting and the impeller looked like a 2 bladed paddle wheel. The new one from NAPA has no grease fitting and a modern looking impleller.

Cant I just the same head and just shave it as needed?

Hi guys, my '50 Meadowbrook's original unrebuilt 230 still runs reliable, does not smoke and pretty much keeps on soldiering, the only issues being a very light tapping noise as it warms up and borderline compression, 100 psi on cylinders 1-4, counting from the firewall end, about 95 on #5 and 85 on #6. If I were to rebuild it, would there be a noticeable seat of the pans felt change if I were to do so per the specs of a 1958 engine? If I remember correctly, by then the 230 had higher compression (8:1?), a more aggressive cam and a 2 barrel carb, going from 103 to 138HP (I'm sure it's gross HP). Are the 2 barrel carbs used on those hard to find? I assume I would need a new manifold. Any changes on the exhaust side of things? Just thinking out loud.

I am running the stock wheels the car cam with from the factory. Maybe by 50 the wheels had changed?

My '50 Dodge still wears its poverty caps, what's supposed to be the issue?

I have been using tubeless Diamond Back radials on my '50 Meadowbrook with no issues whatsoever, I can cruise at 80 MPH and the car is very smooth and stable.

Gorgeous!

Neat thread, I have the same car, but it's the cheaper trim version.