Labrauer

I think the original is best but it may be difficult to find original bolts ect. to do the job. If you are not going to be judged on a car show then I don't see anything wrong with replacing with modern bolts and hardware. It is strictly up to you and what you want in the end knowing that you can say the car is all original from the paint to the bolts, engine and the frame.

Welcome to the forum Coytey you will find a lot of help here on just about anything for these old cars and trucks. I know a lot of people love the chopped look but for me I love these cars just the way they are. I have a 1948 Plymouth P15 sedan that I have been knocking around changing the engine to a 318 but just haven't bit the bullet quite yet as I to kind of like the old flat head in it and also my 48 coupe. Good luck with your build. Larry

This is probably the first roof of it's kind. I would be great up in the northern part of the states but down here in Texas near the coast you would roast in the summer and probably do the same in the winter.

Interesting subject there Don

Gotta love those country roads. I love the pictures of all the great scenery on your drive. This place looks like a very nice place to live and burn up the roads in an old car. I will take a trip one day in my 48 Plymouth when I have the time and the money to get away but down here in the Gulf coast we haven't got many country roads with that kind of beauty to take in. I also love the car. Is the car original with engine or did you replace the flat head? Larry

First off welcome to the forum Bill. It is nice to see another Desota, Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth lover come to the forum. It means that another old car or truck has been saved from the junk yard or the rust pit. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on this forum that have very good advice on these old cars and trucks. They have helped me in more ways than I can count and remember no question is a dumb one we all need a little help now and again.. Welcome and by the way I love all the chrome. Larry

Hey guys I have oil pressure now. With the engine idling I have 40 to 43 pounds of pressure. I don't quite know what the problem was but I replaced the rubber hose that goes to the tube that connects to the gauge as it was pretty well cracked in many places. I also noticed that when I replaced the oil pan it wouldn't go on straight. I looked at the oil pump strainer and it was cocked a little where it wouldn't go down to the bottom of the pan. So it was one of those two things I believe that was causing the problem. Now for the next problem I have an oil leak on the fitting above the Oil pressure relief valve. The fitting is brass and I may not got it tight enough down into the engine block but I didn't want to strip it out as I seem not to know my own straight when it comes to getting bolts and fittings tight. I am about to my wits end on one thing or another going wrong. If it's not one thing it's another. I want to thank each and every one that has chimed in on this problem and I surely appreciate all the comments and ideas on what to check and do. Larry

Sounds like a good idea Don. I'll have to try the sealant compound and the grease this time when I install the pan gasket.

Thanks guys for the great information. I will put an external gauge on the block and see if I get any pressure. I didn't know about the small hole in the 90 degree fitting needed to be there or not. Now I have to get another pan gasket set to reinstall the oil pan. All feedback is greatly appreciated, Larry

Hi gurus of the forum, I have rebuilt a Flathead 218 and installed it in the car. I got it started and have no oil pressure on the gauge in the dash. I have checked a few things I thought might be wrong like checking the Oil pressure relief valve, the oil pump, the floating oil strainer, the Oil pump outlet pipe and also put air through the oil galley holes with not any luck on pressure. On the oil pump I checked the clearance on the outer rotor, measured depth of the pump body and also checked the body cover for flatness. I also checked the clearance between the inner and outer rotor. I also checked the end play on the drive shaft and all was good within specs in the book. I primed the oil pump again after pulling it a second time before installing. On the floating oil strainer I pulled the screen and made sure it was clean. On the pressure relief valve I checked for scratches and polished it to a shine. Checked the relief valve spring and it is good and the right color. Turned the engine over with it out and oil came spurting out of the hole. I took off the return tube from the block at the oil galley and put a plug in and still no pressure. I have dropped the pan and checked to make sure the oil pump outlet tube was tight and it was. Looking at the crank and camshaft with the pan off there is oil on both dripping off. I have an oil filter in the oil canister. I have no external oil leaks. I have the recommended viscosity of oil in the crankcase. I am missing something to check I just can't find what could be wrong. I checked for oil in the valve tappet galley and there is very little if not any being pushed out there. Question I have is that on the connection rods I can move the rod from side to side a tad on the crankshaft is this suppose to be right or should they not move at all? When the engine was assembled I checked the bearing clearance with a plastic gauge and was in specs so I am feeling good about the right bearings being installed although I haven't checked the oil flow at the bearings by using a bearing leak detector and I'm not really sure if I have the right equipment to do it. Any body have any suggestions on what to check next? One thing I forgot to mention is that on the tube that goes to the gauge I had to replace the brass fitting that screws into the block. I don't know if I remember right or not but the old one seems to have had a smaller hole in it and if it did does it make a difference? Thanks in advance for any suggestions and answers, Larry

Hey guys is there a gasket that goes under the distributor on the engine block hole before installing the distributor?

Thanks guys

Hey guru guys I need some help or information please. I am working on a 218ci 48 Plymouth motor in which I didn't have any fire to the plugs. Checked the coil for voltage and had 6.2 at it. I checked the points and they looked good but filed them anyhow and still no spark to the plugs but had spark at the points. Looked at the distributor cap and changed it along with the rotor and no spark. Tested the resistance on the coil wire and had 345.25 resistance so I change the coil wire and finally got spark to plugs. By the way I don't have the vacuum advance tube hooked up yet nor do I have it plugged where it connects to the bottom of the carburetor. Now my question is this when I try to start the engine I get a puff of white smoke coming out of the top of the carburetor. Thought maybe the distributor needed to be turned and did that but still puffs of white smoke comes out of the top of the carburetor. Any ideas on what could be going on? When the engine was put together I had the timing mark at TDC and the rotor at the 7 o'clock position and I also checked the wires to make sure I had them in the right order. I think that is right. Thanks in advance, Larry

I need to chime in here and ask if the wires should be of the graph kind and not the copper wire ones. I hear that the copper center plug wires interfere with the radio. Is this true? Thanks Larry

Thanks much guys. I thought that was the way but was not sure because of the vacuum tube that runs from the distributor to the carburetor base seems to be in the way. The filler tube has a crick in it so I will have to turn it a little to let the tube get past it. Thanks again Larry

You might want to read some of the problems with installing fatman uprights and reconsider your thought. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj-ya2N2KvLAhXElIMKHZ2YATEQFgg-MAc&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jalopyjournal.com%2Fforum%2Fthreads%2Fproblems-with-fatman-dropped-uprights.429352%2F&usg=AFQjCNF-Kw04jM-40o3FNo-PtNO6G1UcJw&sig2=7bhzUTiIB0yjMx4_5a0Fvg

Hey guys I have a question on the oil filler tube on a 218ci engine that I can't remember which way the cap faces. Does the cap on top of the oil filler tube face towards the radiator or back of the engine as far as the opening with the screen or does it amke a difference. Thanks in advance, Larry

What did you do with the mechanical fuel pump? Did you take it out or is it still installed and used after the engine starts? I am looking to put an electric fuel pump on my 48 but I have heard that if used with the mechanical pump if it gets a hole in the diagram it could put gas into the crankcase. Information needed.

Plymouth Adams you are right that just goes to show you how my mind wasn't working that day. I could have looked under the other car and got all the information I needed there. I wasn't thinking at all. How stupid was that? Thanks anyway for the pics 48 Ply1stcar and to dale and you for the information. Getting old is hell.

I can't for the life of me figure out the linkage for the shifting and the brackets on the bell housing side of the 218 48 Plymouth. Does some one have pictures of what it is suppose to look like when all is installed? This is what I am looking at.

In the old days I remember my dad and my uncles that worked for Chrysler corporation as a mechanic used to use transmission fluid to get rid of carbon build up. They would take the breather off and have the car running and warmed up pull the throttle out so the engine would run around 1500 to 2000 RPM then gradually pure the fluid down the carburetor. The car would start to smoke from the exhaust a little then they would keep pouring in the fluid a little faster until the car's engine died. Let the car sit a couple hours and fire that baby back up. The smoke would bellow out the exhaust until all burned in the chamber and around the valves. After about 1/2 hour of smoking it would clear up and the carbon was gone and no more pings from the build up. I have done this to my 48 P15 a number of times with great results also.

Harold I have three uncles that have defibrillators installed and other than having to not do anything for the first three to four weeks after the surgery they have had no complaints nor did it change their life style. Heck one of them still makes hay every summer and does darn well what he pleases and has had his for about 10 years. He is a hard working man on his farm and goes constantly seven days a week 52 weeks a year. I can't say I have seen any change in life style for all three of them except having to go for check ups at the doctors office a couple time a year. I think you will not see a change in your life after. I wish you luck and God Bless you.

Not yet I can't seem to get the video's to down load from my phone for some ungodly reason. I have a guy that is a computer wiz that is coming one day this week so I will have him look at it to see what is wrong or what I am doing wrong. As far as it going it went great. He had the biggest smile on his face and wanted to go riding first off. I got his older brother to take him and two of his cousins the same age as he for a ride around the property that night. The next morning all three of them woke me up at the crack of dawn wanting to go for another ride but we waited till around 9:30 am because I didn't want to wake the neighbors up to early with the siren. We road about a quarter of a mile on the county road then turned around and came back to ride in the yard. I don't know how many times he has said thank you pa pa I love my firetruck. Makes a man feel good inside knowing you have satisfied a kid with his wish.

Yes it is just about finished with just a few miner touches to add. I have to still mount the fire hose real that I made and the water tank with the 12 volt pump so he can put out fires or chase me around the yard getting me wet. All the electrical is done and put into place gas is hooked up engine is running but I haven't taken it for a spin just yet. I have mounted all the tools to the side that I made and also the latter. I have been doing other Christmas projects that people want like building eight foot candy canes for my daughter-n-laws front of the house and building animal bird houses. I have also been building football logo signs for my son and his wife out of wood. I have to get back to work on the fire truck with the little things that need to be done. I can't wait to see his little face Christmas morning and I have already warned the neighbors that if they are not awake early Christmas morning they will be from the sire-rings and flashing lights. LOL I'll post pictures when the project is completely done probably next week. Thanks for asking.

ptwothree I see from your picture that you have put some electrical tape on the pilot bearing side to make the shaft larger in size. That is what I had to do also when I got mine from Autozone but it worked just fine.