TodFitch

Depends on year and car. For Plymouth the oil filter was standard in 1933 but later became standard on DeLuxe models only. For the Standard 6, Roadking, etc. it was an option. If installed, it is a canister on a bracket on the driver side of the block between the distributor and the starter (actually above both of those and pretty much above the head). It is a by-pass filter and could be either a sealed canister (no longer available new but ePay has them come up all the time). Or it was a housing that took a replaceable element. Which element you need depends on what canister you have. The oil filter is plumbed from the oil pressure relief valve and is setup so the flow through the filter is dependent on the oil pressure in the block (except on early 1933 model engines where the oil pressure relief valve is either on the oil pump or inside the oil pan depending on engine number). If you have a later "big block" engine (DeSoto, Chrysler, large Dodge truck or Canadian built vechicle) then it may have been equipped with a full flow filter which was a canister assembly that bolted on the block and took a refill cartridge.

The 23" block is the "short" one (Chrysler, DeSoto, larger Dodge trucks and the Canadian production used a 25" "long" block). On the block just above the generator is a raised boss and in that boss an engine number should be stamped. That number will tell the original application. From the application you can tell what the original displacement was.

On the early 1930s cars the ignition switch/armored cable/coil are all in one assembly that is a bear to take apart and repair/replace. The coil mounts through the firewall with only two connections under the hood: A low tension wire to be grounded through the points and the high tension wire to the distributor cap center. The engine compartment side of this can be seen in this photo. Notice the coil mounted on the top center of the firewall with only two wires attached. The third wire is the armored wire under the dash The ignition switch itself can be described as a three pole single throw switch. When it is in the off position all contacts are isolated from one another. When in the on position all contacts are joined. One contact is for the fuel gauge, one for power and the third wired through the attached armored cable provides power for the coil. So you can't just jump power to the coil to "hot wire" the car as the power feed is entirely armored. And putting power on the gas gauge contact won't power the coil either if the switch is off. I am not sure when they stopped using variations in this scheme but it seems to have been pretty standard on all Chrysler products and some other manufacturers as well.

I believe that in the 1960s Chrysler products typically had an external ballast resister and that the starter circuit bypassed the ballast to give 12v to the coil on starting but 6v to the coil while running. I bet Bob Amos would know for sure if my recollection is correct or not.

The liquid in mine looked a lot worse than Don's last photo. But all that is gunk that came off the part. And the part came out very clean after a quick rinse to remove the residue. If what I have read is true then another advantage over using an acid is that it will not attack anything but the rust. So there is no danger in leaving the part in too long. (I did lose a few parts many years ago when I neglected to remove parts from a rust stripping acid bath in time.)

As posted on the other thread, my photos are at: http://www.ply33.com/Misc/club2008/20080427/ jd52cranbrook posted a movie (panorama view of the site) on that thread too.

And the split exhaust on it sounds wonderful. Who needs a V8 transplant when you have that look and sound? The AC on your car would have been appreciated by my wife on the trip home too.

Last winter I picked up a correct air cleaner for my 33 on ePay. While the seller is probably in the clear legally about representing the condition, it was much more rusted than I hoped. Getting all the rust out of all the nooks and crannies would take forever using the old tried and true wire wheel. And it would be pretty much impossible to get the rust out of the inside of the small passages. So I thought this would be a good time to try the electrolytic rust removal techniques I have read about. http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=electrolytic+rust+removal&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 The hard part was finding washing soda. It was not available in any of the local stores we usually go to. However last Friday we ended up in a grocery store that had some in the laundry section. So this weekend I gave the technique a shot. I cut some 1 to 2 inch wide strips of sheet metal from a piece left over from an old project and bent a hook on one end so they could hang on the side of a 5 gallon plastic bucket. I wired them all together and connected them to the positive (polarity is important!) side of my battery changer. The rusty old air cleaner got wired to the negative side and suspended in the bucket filled with water and a bit of washing soda. Turned on the charger and immediately saw the reaction start. Absolutely amazing. Left the charger on it over night and in the morning the cleaner was rust free. And the water/washing soda/rust liquid looked really frightening even though it is supposed to be non-toxic and safe. My biggest problem was getting the air cleaner dry quickly so that it would not re-rust and I could get a coat of primer on it. Compressed air was my friend there. Doing one item does not make me an expert, but it was so easy I am now thinking about cleaning up a bunch of the old junk (i.e. spare parts) that are laying around.

Some pictures from today are at: http://www.ply33.com/Misc/club2008/20080427/

Back in 1978 I had the speedometer in my 1933 repaired and I ask when I got it back if the fellow could calibrate it. He said he already had. I asked how he knew how many turns per mile. He said all American cars used 1000 turns per mile. I later sat down and figured out the turns based on the manual's speedometer gear selection table, my rear end ratio, and mounted tire diameter and found that, at least for my 1933 Plymouth, he was correct.

I will post some in the next day or so. Beautiful setting, lots of neat trucks and a couple of car.

My Photoshop ability ends at "image size" and "save for web". Thanks!

These photos were a bit big for uploading: Another inside shot. and finally an outside shot

I guess I ought to post a photo (or two) that aren't on my profile too. Since everyone is showing exterior shots, I'll do an inside looking out shot.

I was under the impression that all Plymouths starting in 1935 and up had anti-sway bars. Whether or not the bar and its connection to the suspension in the P-15 is well designed and properly sized for modern sensibilities is another matter beyond my ken.

And you give people like me the opportunity to show how dumb we are by giving out wrong answers.

CarQuest has the gaskets that go between the manifolds and the block: http://www.ply33.com/Parts/group9#780461 I think they might also have the on between the exhaust and intake manifold for your era. My older car uses a different one there which I cut myself from high temperature gasket material (also purchased from CarQuest).

I am planning on arriving sometime around 11AM with my 1933 DeLuxe. Will be caravanning the 110 miles (each way) with John Davies in his 1952 Cranbrook. Separately I expect Eric Beeby with his 1940 convertible to show up from Vacaville.

I use 10w-30 or 10w-40, usually Valvoline, in my 1933. I like the multi-viscosity oil for fast lubrication on start up and for good pressure after the engine is warmed up. I don't have firm opinions on brands of oil but a friend who is a retired mechanic/shop owner stocked and preferred to use Valvoline so I figure it can't be too bad. I firmly believe that modern oil is far better than what our engines saw back when new. Why not use it. There are some who think you should use non-detergent on old engines of unknown history or condition to keep from loosening the sludge. I don't believe there is enough detergent in the oil to do that, only enough to keep the new dirt suspended long enough to be changed out at the next oil change. And if you are that worried about sludge in the engine, then drop the pan and pull the valve covers and clean it out. A messy, dirty job. But not all that difficult nor time consuming.

Its looking good. Shame to have paid for poor work that needed to be redone. I've done that myself but generally the poor quality work was something I did myself. It usually takes me a couple of tries to learn new things. You car looks like it will we great when it is done.

My 5 (almost 6) year old conventional battery cost a bit more. But I agree: The Optima would have to last an awfully long time for me to see it as worthwhile too.

My understanding, probably wrong, is that the L-6 engine always had the hardened exhaust valve seats. I believe that the engines designed and introduced in the 1950s and 60s did not have that feature (V-8 engines and the slant 6).

In the early 1930s the DeLuxe models had the thermostatic spring like your "new" post war Plymouth. The standard models had a plate with a set screw marked for two positions: Summer and winter. Apparently it was felt that you could get by with setting it by the season and not have to deal with it like a choke with a cable and dash mounted knob.

Its $3.919 for regular and over $4 for other grades at the station closest to my home. The local paper is running contest to guess when local average price will hit $4/gal for regular. Most guesses are for some time in May. Others are extending their guessing to include $5/gal in time for Labor Day driving. This area has some of the highest gas prices in the nation. Between technophilia, environmentalism and gas prices there is a reason that the Toyota Prius is the #1 selling car in Silicon Valley.

Just checked my records and that battery was purchased on 18July2002. I recall seeing the exact same battery in the display rack at my local "good" auto supply store in the last year or two. I hadn't realized until just now that the battery in the 33 was over 5 years old. Darn, now I will have to start worrying about it being old. Still cranks fast and have had no reason to believe that it is near the end of its service life. And, if it goes out, I still have the hand crank to start the car.