MarcDeSoto

I thought I had to remove the oil pump to turn it one gear tooth? No? When should a major adjustment be done on the dist.? I did a major adjustment on the bottom of the dist. and now the spark is about right.

Thanks, Donald. This is what was looking for. I think I put my dist. in pointing at 7:00, but my timing is off about 25 degs. advanced. Maybe that could be solved with a major dist. adjustment, but the manual doesn't say how to do this. I know you would just loosen the major adjustment bolt and turn the dist. So I'm not sure what approach to take: index the oil pump or do a major adjustment?

When I installed the oil pump, I didn't know that it was supposed to be indexed. The shop manual says nothing about it. Could the dist. need a major adjustment? I will check your post out about how to index the oil pump.

I made a test light with a 12 volt bulb that does light up and go off when I spin the crank. The manual says to put the timing pulley on TDC and then loosen the distributor to do a minor adjustment. I turned the dist. both ways and the light would not go off. Then I cranked the engine to see when no. 1 fired by looking at the visible spark plug attachment. I didn't have the other spark plugs installed, but I don't think that makes a difference when you are just trying to static time it. I noticed that the plug was firing at about 25 degs. before TDC! Would this indicate that I need to do a major distr. adjustment? My manual does not go into detail on that procedure, so maybe someone can tell me. It's because of things like this that Keith's instructions to make sure all of the fundaments are right before you start cranking like mad just to get it started, that I believe in Keith's philosophy here.

Well, I got my new water pump from MoparPro, so I can have cooling too. Yes, I'm very close to trying to start it again. First I'm going to make a test light with a 6 volt bulb and static time it. Then, I'll fill the float chamber with gas. Then crank it.

I just did another compression test with oil. Here are the results: 1 - 100; 2 - 110; 3 - 100; 4 - 110; 5 - 110; 6 - 110 I think maybe I should recheck my tappet clearances to make sure they are correct.

Keith, Here are my compression results. I bought a new Compression tester kit at HF today. It works well. No. 1 - 80; No. 2 - 80; No. 3 - 80; No. 4 - 100; No. 5 - 92; No. 6 - 102 Could the lower readings on Nos. 1 - 3 be due to the tappet gaps being adjusted too wide, or too tight?

I got my new water pump from Moparpro. He sent it Priority which was nice. I'll install it tomorrow so I have a cooling system in place when I start it. I checked and double checked my firing order. Looks good. I put visible spark connector on no. one so I can see it spark. It seems to fire right on TDC when I crank, but I haven't static timed it yet. With wp installed, I can put the fan and belt on, then connect my jumper wires to the coil, and check the timing. Can I use the spark gadget instead of the test light to check timing?

Keith, I tried to do a compression test today, so I pulled out my old 40 years old Milton compression tester. I screwed it into no. 1 and cranked. The needle would not hold. It would go up, then collapse, and on and on. I looked at the Schrader air release button and it looked collapsed. So I guess I need a new compression tester.

I guess I would need to make a test light with a 6 volt bulb, right? Or does HF sell one that would work?

I felt my Optima battery all through the charging process, and it never even got warm.

I guess I can check spark timing by turning the fan by hand and seeing if the spark on No. 1 occurs right at TDC. I can do a compression test too.

Marcel, thanks for that advice. Tomorrow, I think I'm going to just remove the carburetor air horn and just fill the float chamber with gas. If everything is good, it should start then!

I finally charged up my Optima 6 battery using my old Schauer battery charger. I kept trying to let the NoCo charger take over, but it would only charge for five minutes and shut off. So I kept charging with the Schauer and the amperage kept going down as the voltage on battery kept going up. Finally, my battery reads 6.5 volts on my new Centech battery load tester that I bought at HF today for just $15! Then I hooked up the jumper wires to the coil and cranked the engine over to test for spark. I have spark, so I didn't fry my coil, points and condenser! My friend says to buy some starter spray to induce starting, so I'll try that tomorrow.

I'm 72. Rebuilt my 48 DeSoto engine when I was 32. Just now trying to start it! Tempus fugit!

I've been using my old 6 volt Schauer charger. It has some kind of circuit breaker inside that shuts off the power for a few minutes, then turns it back on. It's a 10 amp charger and you can't set it at a lower amperage. The needle was pegging for awhile past 15 amps, and now it is charging at about 12 amps. I bought a battery tester at HF today and tested the Optima. When I turned on the toggle switch for 5 seconds, the voltage read about 5.9 volts. The NoCo charger still won't charge, so I'm leaving the old charger on a bit more. I read that the voltage needs to get up to 6.1 in order for the NoCo to work.

I put a regular old, 1980, manual Schauer 6 volt 10 amp battery charger on it for awhile to get it up to snuff. So I did that, and after a few minutes there was a loud click and the needle went from about 15 amps to 0. Then after a minute or two it went back on. and so on. Is that normal? I guess I should put it on for about a half hour or so, and then switch it over to the NoCo to see if I can charge on the AGM 6v mode.

I didn't say I charged it with a 12 volt setting. I said the Repair mode is only in 12 volts. I do have a regular manual battery charger. I'll try it. Thanks.

Now I have a new problem. I left the jumper wires connected all night to the coil. Now the Optima 6 battery is dead and can't be revived. (see new thread on this.)

I tried to start the flat head yesterday, but it wouldn't start, even though I had good spark. I primed the carb. with gas, but I think I flooded the engine. Now, today the engine won't crank. I tried to charge the battery, an Optima 6 volt, with my NoCo 10 charger, but it wouldn't take a charge. The NoCo has a batter repair mode, but just for 12 volt batteries. I took it to Autozone, and the they said it was dead and wouldn't take a charge. I think I made a mistake when I left the jumper wires connected to the coil all night. That's like leaving the ign. key one all night. Now it looks like I'll need to buy a brand new battery!

Or maybe I should say first non-start. I wired the coil today with alligator wires. I remove spark plug no. 1 and cranked the engine over a few times. I had spark. Then I tried to prime the carburetor with gas by funneling some gas down the updraft tube. If I remember correctly, that should fill the float chamber with gas. Tried to start it, but no hint of starting. I looked down the carburetor throat and saw a puddle of gas in the intake manifold. Flooded! Before that, I tried to prime the carb by cranking the engine over many times trying to suck gas up from the gas tank. Is one gallon of gas in the tank enough gas to do this? I checked if the fuel pump was creating a vacuum with a vacuum gauge, and it was. So any ideas about what I should do next?

You said you already have this book, but it doesn't have what you need. I'm not sure what would have what you need if this doesn't have it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/401541144309?hash=item5d7db79ef5:g:X5EAAOxy7S5R9wO7

I think the 40 and 41 have different parts, but may share some. A Parts List for both cars would help. All I know is the 40 Plymouth got a new 117.5" wheelbase in 40 which lasted through 1948. And the 40 Plymouth was the last year for the bare Road King models. I think only Plymouths and DeSotos had alligator style hoods in 41. In 42 all Mopar models were restyled. By 1946, only Dodge still had the butterfly style hoods until 48. But I assume you already know all this.

Maybe put some navel jelly or evaporust on the rust to remove it. Or maybe lightly sand it off. I don't know why you would have to take the FD apart to do this? If the FD is leaking you may have to replace the bushings. I have a FD but I have not done anything to it other that replace the FD fluid in it, so I'm not an expert. Was your trans. working fine before. Mine was that's why I'm not doing anything to my M5 trans or FD for my restoration.

At least MoparPro has sent me a new water pump free of charge even though I bought it in September! Thanks MoParPro!