TodFitch

Took a nice drive today and had the dash cam in the Plymouth. I thought maybe a video from the dash cam would be nice to share but my d*mn whistling ruins the whole ambience. Stripping the audio would also detract from the effect. So no video to share. Have to make a note to myself when driving the old car to keep quiet and let the engine, drive train, tires, etc. be the only sounds to record. I wasn’t the only one out. I saw as mid-1950s Chevy wagon, not sure if it was a Nomad or not. And a 1940s Buick convertible too.

These are always in the car: In the glove box: Spare 6v light bulbs. Red bicycle flashing lights with mount to attach to rear bumper arms. Flashlight Behind the rear seat: Tire jack. Tire/lug bolt wrench Tool Wrap containing Pliers Bailing wire Screw driver Crescent wrench Always on my person when driving: Cellphone AAA card If on a longer trip (>100 to 200 miles) I usually but not always put my main mechanics tool ki

Aluminum is a better conductor of heat than cast iron so it is less likely to have hot spots that can result in pre-ignition. So you can usually run a higher compression ratio with an aluminum head than you can with a cast iron head (all other things being equal). On an Otto cycle engine the higher the compression ratio the higher the efficiency (amount of potential power in the fuel converted into usable mechanical power) but the compression ratio is limited by the onset of pre-ignition. End result is an aluminum head generally gets you more power out of the engine. It also looks

With respect to the hollow bolt that was holding the crankshaft pulley on: Did they still set the 1947 trucks to be able to be hand cranked? The bolt for that application is at least partially hollow to allow the tip of the hand crank to go in.

Fall colors are not a thing where I am. And, for that matter, what passes for winter her probably wouldn’t be considered winter by many either. That said, I probably should have gotten the car out today but didn’t.

How far do you have to rotate it? The tang on the bottom of the distributor drive is symmetrical and can go in 180° off. So if that is about the amount you have to rotate it, then remove the screw holding the distributor down and rotate the shaft 180° and re-install.

On the '33 the bezel around the horn button unscrews. Normal right hand thread. May be a bit stiff with age and crud build up in the threads. If you try to pry it off you will crack or chip the bakelite (don’t ask how I know). Disconnecting the battery (or unplugging the horn wire at the connection just before it goes into the bottom of the steering column) is a good idea if you don’t want to wake your neighbors up.

And ethylene glycol is one of the antifreezes mentioned in the owners Instruction Book for my 1933 Plymouth. So its use started sometime in or before the early 1930s.

No. The bulb protrudes into the cooling passages in the head, removing it will result in a fairly large drain hole for coolant. As @Plymouthy Adams notes, the bulb and/or its gland nut are likely to be rusted into place. On my car, and I think the later ones too, there is a small freeze/welch/core plug above the location of the sensing bulb. If the bulb does not pull out after you have removed the gland nut then it may help to remove that core plug from the top of the head and access the back of the bulb with something you can lever to apply force to the back of the bulb.

There is a fill plug. Just no drain plug. So you either pump it out or remove the lower bolts that hold differential to the axle housing to drain it. Once drained, fill it through the fill plug hole.

There is no drain plug on my '33 Plymouth’s rear axle and from what I’ve read it seems like most (all?) Chrysler built vehicles of 1930s and 1940s didn’t have one. The 1936-42 Plymouth factory service manual says:

As @Sniper notes, you have a very serious problem if there is that much gasoline vapor in the crankcase. In addition to the checks suggested by @Sniper take a look at your fuel pump: A bad diaphragm in the pump can leak gas into the crankcase. Whatever the cause, fix it ASAP as sever damage to the engine and car could occur if you have an explosive mixture in the crankcase.

Maybe the car side is different: I don’t see any lock washer of any kind in the 1936-48 Plymouth parts book. And the bolts and nuts are numbers not found in the standard parts list so they aren’t just “standard nuts” though I don’t know how they differ. Since most nuts and bolts in the standard parts list were grade 0 or 1, it could just be the flywheel hardware was more equivalent to modern grade 4 or something. But that is just a guess.

I am unable to see any of the photos (or possibly links to photos) in your post. . .

This triggered some odd thought processes on my part. . . My first new car was a 1981 Plymouth which got totaled in an accident in 1992. If I still had it it would turn 40 years old this year. In terms of computerized gadgets (touch screen navigation and controls) and safety (no air bags, etc.) it would not measure up to newer cars. But in terms of having AC, cruise control, being able to move with modern traffic, being comfortable for long distance trips, etc. it would have no trouble competing with new cars. I bought my 1933 Plymouth in 1973 when it was 40 years old.