Tom Skinner

www.vintagepowerwagon.com look under civilian vehicles @$40 a pop

Take some plugs out. Do they smell like anti-freeze? If so if two adjacent plugs smell that way and a compression test doesn't quite show it - probably a leaky head gasket. I have torqued them back down to 75 LBS and everything is dandy again. After that re -check plugs for anti-freeze smell if not - you have fixed the problem. If still the smell and issues - then bad head gasket.

Once having removed the drum an Axle puller should be unnecessary. Grab it with your hand and pull it out to change axle seals. Its the way I have done them for 40 years - puller's are not needed if you have a strong arm. Tom Huntersville, North Carolina

Chris, I believe if its stumbling right after the upshift - say at 14-20 mph it could very well be the vacume advance on its way out. If on the other hand it is stumbling at higher speeds say 20-35 then fuel or a bare wire may be to blame. The Vacumm Advance does its work until enough speed is reached that the weights in the distributor kick in. A Vacumm Advance that has quit working dogs everything down from the git go say 3-15 mph. One that is on its way out could very well cause your symptom. Try checking your vacumn at Idle with a Vacumm Gauge. Is it a steady hand at say 19-20"? When you rev the engine does the hand drop then resume its reading? I think your on to the right part check. Remove the Vacumm Advance and test it or replace it. Also how is your Timing? Set it before you check your vacumm. Let us know what you came up with. Tom

I guess I wasn't very charitable. Look if your brakes are toast and you have to overhaul them, I guess DOT 5 is a good option. The 1948 Royal's I have owned didn't need anything but bleeding once in a while (They were and are low mileage 1948 Chrysler's). I have replaced cups and boots at master cylinders, and lines and shoes, but I was too lazy to go all out to DOT 5 when it didn't seem to warrant it. I am real careful when bleeding not to let DOT 3 near my paint. Well good luck fellows, I admire your tenacity. Tom

I guess I'm an idiot. I have always used DOT 3, and every few years just flushed/bled my system with new DOT 3 to keep my brake fluid clear/clean. My brakes adjusted and fluid (DOT3) clear all systems working fine. Once again the old fashioned maxim "If it ain't broke don't fix it" comes to mind. Why would anyone want to put themselves through the expense and work to change out all boots, and piston seals etc and flush a system to go over to DOT 5?. Crap that's gotta be like flushing money down the toilet. Or better yet just throw it down a rat hole, No better - just mail it to me - I could make good use of it somehow. L.O.L.

The Dash Pot Piston (with Leather washer) could be worn. Some remove it and treat it with neets foot oil. You can find them on ebay under 1948 Chrysler for $26 try replacing it. I just opened my Torque Converter Plug the other Day it was full to the top. I put the plug back on. Look if the damn thing is full and sealed, I wouldn't mess with it. I only look in there every 10,000 miles or so to see if its full. There's an old saying... If it ain't broke- don't fix it. The original Fluid shouldn't be going bad, its not like beer shelf life. The guys that go messin around in there might end up with a leaky seal because of all the additives in the new ISO's 24's 32's etc. Another thing if somewhere between ISO32 and ISO24 is correct why not mix the two to come up with ISO28 weight??? Well that might make sense L.O.L.

Hit it like you live..................... Fast and Hard.... LOL an old Carpenter's maxim

Why waste time, oil, and money. Drop the pan - clean it - new gasket - then refill with straight 30wt non-detergent - done. Use a little extra oil for the filter. I use about 5-1/2 quarts to get to the mid point on my oil stick with the filter change. 30 wt non-detergent at NAPA is @ $3.99/qt. now

JR, If I remember correctly the Tranny takes @ 3 pints of 10wt any more than that and it will pour out of there. Rear seal usually goes first - easy to get to - pull shaft and e Brake Drum and replace. Its around $25. Tom

Put wooden clothes pins on the gas line. Problem solved. It cools the gas lines somehow? The car starts right up - no problem. Its the magic of the wooden clothes pins.

Skiviskaves, You should have jumped on that Max4050 for $25. Keep watching ebay you'll be hard pressed to see one for less than $250-$350 If you know of salvage yards with them, there probably is money to be made there??? First you gotta crawl under the car and get it. That's the part us older Gents don't want at a salvage yard with the car laying flat on its belly.

Bill Hirsch 396 Littleton Avenue Newark, NJ 07103 973-642-2404 They will send you samples. If I remember correctly somewhere around $70 per square Yard is right. Its pin stripped wool (correct fabric and design).

Don, True a noisier vale is a healthier valve. The Old Timers would set em hot - running. Smoking a Lucky Strike all the while. Almost an hour would pass by, and they would look up and declare "your killin me" but they would continue on. When finished the old Flat Head would sound like a Singer Sowing Machine on Stitch Cycle when running. Start like a gun shot, and be so damned quiet you'd have to goose the gas to know it was running. Alas those old timers are gone now - they were in their hay day in their teens and twenties when they learned on those old Flat Heads in the late forties. A guy named Bob in Glen Ridge New Jersey did the first Valve Job on my first 1948 Royal in 1973. He's in Heaven now. I know he's there, Prayers have been sent up to him for decades now daily. Set em hot - running the engine. take your time - leave a little extra room - a thousands or so. Bob's watching over your shoulder now fellows making it right - smoke a Lucky or an American Cigarette - non filter. Live forever in our memories. God Bless Bob.

I bought an extra distributor for my car - used on ebay but in reasonable shape. Took it apart and put it back together again several times to familiarize myself with its functions. As a result, I have gained some knowledge, and an extra part for my car. Everyone is entitled to their own methods on their own cars. I have read the praises on the HEI Systems. I just wouldn't personally change mine out for that system. Nothing wrong with Chevy's, I've even owned a few in my day (64 and 72 models, even an 85). Truth is I'm a bit of an electrical ignoramus and don't understand those HEI Systems. If you knew someone monked up the springs in your Distributor, why not replace them only, and be proud of yourself for finding the culprit in short order? Not meaning to sound like I'm on a high horse, I'm just a purist for a true restoration. Some of us old windbags like me still like it that way. To each his own. The most important thing is going out for a ride in our old cars and enjoying them. Good Luck with your repairs. Tom Huntersville, North Carolina

Just go by the service manual and you should do fine. HEI's and HIE's or whatever is for Mr. Bad Wrench. Real Mopar mechanics restore engines to original - not substitute parts. If that's your GIG own a Chevy, or just put Chevy engines in everything. Mr. Good Wrench will Love all you Mr. Bad Wrenches L.M.A.O.

I guess I meant to say shim it with spacers - they hold the starter in the right position so as not to have teeth grind. Like the Pontiac's and Chevy's of old. It doesn't appear that will help you anymore.

Muy malo mi Amigo. I reckon shimming it wouldn't have helped at all.

Skiviskaves, Can you first try shimming it? then report back your findings. That would be the first cheapest option toward a possible repair? If that doesn't work, then go on with other options - plan B etc. Tom

Have you done a minor brake shoe adjustment, after doing the double bleed and Acme 1750 adjustment? When having replaced the shoes (in pairs of course - per axle that is to say). That is what is known as a Major Brake Adjustment. One should then use the Cam Bolts on the back of the wheel housing to obtain a higher pedal. Assuming you have no leaks and have bled the system correctly then a minor adjustment is at hand. Jack the car up (wheel off the ground) spin the wheel with one hand while adjusting the Cams until just making contact then back off just enough that the wheel spins free again. In this way you will obtain the least amount of shoe clearance and the brake pedal shouldn't travel down so far before engaging the drum. Go around to all 4 wheels - same proceedure. You should then test drive it and apply brakes hard to be sure its not pulling to one side or another. The best brake pedal travel should be about an inch from the top of travel when the shoes engage the drums - that is the good high firm pedal you are trying for. Tom

1946 -1948 and early 1949 models for 250.6cu.in. engine: Starter No. # MAX4050 They are hard to come by, on e-bay I saw one get away from me for $250 a month or so ago. They regularly go for the $350 - $450 range (Rebuilt and clean looking). These Starter Rebuilder's are roaming e-bay snapping them up and rebuilding them and selling them to overseas Mopar owners in the $750 range. I know because I spoke to one of them on the phone, up in N. Dakota Auction House are on there buying them also, they are also snapping them up cheap and auctioning them off. So your competition on a Starter is most likely going to be a real bother. That MAX4050 only comes up once or twice a year on ebay When opportunity knocks don't try to be cheap on your bid. Timid won't win it. Good Luck! Tom PS. By the way your picture doesn't look like the MAX4050.

Yes, I have relied heavily on this site for information for years. Good point! I also don't mind if my Thread is hijacked. Anyway, Front Ends have always been a mystery to me and I'm learning about them now. Of course, learning about front ends in your late fifties doesn't leave too many more years to be working on them L.O.L. Replacing Parts on them are a bit like wrestling - say a clutch job. But if you enjoy laying down while working - Great!

OK, I jacked her up, Did a full Lubrication and let her down on Level ground. Bounced her. I made a toe in toe out rack out of 1x4 and 1x2 Clear poplar marked it front of tire rolled her back 1/2" a tire and re-checked. It is toe in about 1/16" . Whew! Only about three hours of fun, but it proved to be worth it. I thought it was toe out because I was just using a measuring tape the other night, and that proved to be a bad way to check it. I have been watching to many You Tube tutorials L.O.L.

Gents, My Front end show toe out about 1/2" I made a wooden rack to push under the front wheels to record an adjustment. Do I just loosen the tie Rod Bar extension bolts and turn them equally until I obtain 1/16" Toe In? Thats what I have read in my Service Manual, but have never done this and am ignorant to the process. Thanks for any help. Tom Skinner Huntersville, North Carolina

I'm with Don. Post a Picture. L.O.L.