MarcDeSoto

Harley, I just wanted to repeat the advice you gave here! I used to have a fellow teacher that I carpooled with who just had one eye. He was pruning a large tree with a chain saw without eye protection. The chainsaw kicked back cutting into his cheekbone and taking his eye right out. The pain must have been incredible! I just went to the optometrist for a routine eye exam and she checked my eyes with my glasses on. She had me hold the paddle over my left eye so I read letters with my right eye. I couldn't read any letters even when they were big! She said I had a macular hole. So I went to an opthamolagist and she showed me a pic of it and compared it to my good eye. You could see the hole. The macula is at the center of your retina at the back of your eyeball and is where you focus. So she said you better protect your left eye or you won't be able to read or drive anymore.

I bought the pressure washer to clean my frame and differential, which is the greasiest part. You can put a detergent designed to use with pressure washers in the machine. But I've heard of applying something like Aqua Clean before using the washer and then blasting it off. Any tips or recommendations?

Thanks Dodge! Was it just for the quarter windows, or was it for the front windows also?

I have an NOS Chrysler window crank with a plastic knob, but I don't know what car it fits. It has the Royal Crown logo on it, so I know it's for a Chrysler, but all of the 46-48 Chryslers I've seen, including the 50 Chrysler Windsor I used to drive in the 80s had an all chrome knob that could swivel and flip. So what does this plastic knob fit? Maybe it's for the quarter window or something, or maybe for the lower line Royal model?

If that's the case, then this medallion NOS piece is incomplete and at $400 that is quite a steep price!

Yeah, I bought up some nice medallions for my 48 back in the 80s when they cost $15 to $25!

Thanks guys! you made short work of that one! I looked at the 49 DeSoto medallion, but the bust of Hernando through me. I didn't realize that he was a separate part that bolted on. BTW, you can buy this piece of jewelry on Ebay for $400.

The seller claims this medallion goes on a 46-48 DeSoto? It looks similar the radiator medallion on my 48, but mine doesn't have a hole in it and has a different part number. Is this maybe for a DeSoto Diplomat for Latin America and Australia?

OK, I didn't read your question correctly, sorry. The answer above is for the Fluid Drive unit, not the transmission. The transmission uses 10W non detergent oil. There is even a little sign on the fill plug that says that. The manual says to not touch that square plug at the top with a spring. The fill plug is below that. Local auto stores probably don't carry 10W non detergent oil anymore. But you can order it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mystik-Non-Detergent-General-Purpose-Oil-SAE-10W-20W-or-30W-Case-of-12-1-Qts/163852887598?hash=item262664a62e:g:j40AAOSwj1BddOnb

I'm one of the guys who had a big thread on this subject. You're right, you can't look up past threads very well here. James did a long study and research on this question and came up with this product. Mobil Light Circulating Oil ISO 32. This product is difficult to look up. I tried searching for it on Amazon and it gave many look alike Mobil oils, but NOT the right one. I had to look up my order from Grainger's and use the product number to look it up on Amazon. I saved a few bucks by driving 30 miles to the my local Grainger's, but even they had to order it. You might well say that this is just 10W oil so why not put 10W motor oil in the fluid drive like you do in the semi auto transmission. Well, because it won't work well. This oil has anti-foaming agents to prevent cativation in the fluid drive, which will cause the car to have poor acceleration and slipping. It's because this oil is made for turbines that it works well in the fluid drive coupling. It does not come in one gallon sizes, so you have to buy more than you really need, which is just under two gallons. https://www.amazon.com/Mobil-DTE-Light-ISO-gal/dp/B07CSLKT1J/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HMVQFANK8D7F8CYKVMYX#descriptionAndDetails

Tod, Are you talking about Spanish Village in San Clemente, which says closed on the Google map?

I remember the days, 1980s in San Diego, when many of these older cars were still parked on the streets in older neighborhoods. I remember there was a 1940 LaSalle parked just a block or two away from me right on the street! I remember it was a big, long sedan. Wish I had taken a pic or two of it. Those were the days my friend, we'd thought they'd never end!

Yes, that's why I'm shying away from the very dark colors like Patrol Blue, Black, and maroon. I have some Eastwood exhaust high-heat paint which is silver. I guess I can paint the block with this paint since it's supposed to be silver. Do you think the exhaust and tail pipes need to be painted?

That doesn't impress me. Now if you had bought them in 1978, that would be more like it. If you want to join the Procrastinators Club, the dues are $50 a year which includes a full color newsletter that comes out bi-monthly! But as I said, I'm still working on the May-June issue for 1993. I haven't heard any complaints, but then I haven't received any dues either.

I guess it depends on what you call boring. Did you mean the Dodge colors above are more exciting than the DeSoto colors? If you look at car colors today, they are mostly gray, white, silver, black, and dark blue. Some sports cars have orange and yellow, as well as the ever popular red. Wagoneer's talk about the color gray is true. One doesn't think of gray as an exciting color, but on a car, it is. Just look at this gray 41 Plymouth sedan. It seems to give the car more class:

How about Bombardier Blue? The Tampico Beige is the same as the Bermuda Beige.

Yeah, I think your solution is easier than me calling Bernbaum and saying "Hey this tailpipe is wrong. Can I get my money back?" Bernbaum, "Uh, when did you buy it". "Uh, 1992!"

So am I. That's how the car came in 1980 when I bought it. But the car only has one tire with a wide white wall. I decided to paint the car maroon in the 80s, but changed my mind, so that's why the wheels and cowl are maroon. I painted the hood Bermuda Beige, which is the color I'm leaning toward now.

Either you are a genius or I'm stupid, or maybe both are true! I did what you said above and it fits perfectly! Thanks so much! Marc.

I have a 48 DeSoto too, so what does the bell crank do. It's in the Steering section of my Parts List. Does the transmission shift linkage hook onto it and do they still make the rubber grommets that go on the linkages?

Do you think 30 years might be too late to return something to Bernbaum? They still have the Bernbaum sticker on them. I might send an email to Bernbaum to ask why the tail pipe curves in like that. Maybe a muffler shop could heat it up red hot and bend it back? I guess haveing the ex. pipe going on top of the cross frame is OK because the heat goes mostly up, not down, and the cross member is steel. Yes, the tail pipe on this car is definitely not factory, but some hack job by some long ago crummy muffler shop, who just whacked the pipe into a very crude curve to go over the rear axle.

So I'm assuming the drive train is all together? If it is, you would have to pull the drive shaft and transmission. Then, follow your shop manual instructions for removing the clutch. To replace the clutch, you need a clutch alignment tool, or a spare transmission drive pinion. But before you pull the clutch, make sure you make sure the clutch is properly adjusted. See your shop manual for release levers, overcenter spring, pedal location, and pedal free play! I would check the pedal first. And check out this 1948 Master Tech filmstrip: https://mymopar.com/mtsc-1948-volume-2-4-a-good-man-in-the-clutch/

I bought an exhaust kit from Andy Bernbaum around 1992, but never installed it. I'm just now checking to see that it fits. BTW, I'm the president of the Procratinators Club of America. I'm still working on the newsletter for 1993. So the kit consists of the exhaust pipe that comes out of the exhaust manifold, the muffler, and the long curving tail pipe. At first, I thought that the exhaust pipe was not correct because it went over the crossmember and not under it. but I found the original exhaust pipe and it goes over the cross member also. You would think that the cross member would show signs of burning where the exhaust pipe went over it as it is touching it. The muffler looks correct. But I'm having a big problem with the long tail pipe. See how the pipe curves towards the middle of the chassis instead of going straight into the muffler. Does that mean that this pipe is a reject?

You must not know Chrysler products very well. I thought everyone knew that Chrysler bodies made by the Briggs body company used synthetic enamel or Dulux, which was cooked in ovens after being sprayed, just like Fords, which were also made by the Briggs Co. GM cars used lacquer.

My thanks for all of you and to Marcel especially for those fine pics! Marc.