MarcDeSoto

Is bench bleeding the MC something that should always be done, or can it be done when you bleed it along with the lines? I tried to connect the brake pedal with the MC today and saw that I need a clevis pin and a clip with a hole in it to connect the brake pedal return spring to. Hope I can find those parts in my pile! Those seem like next to impossible parts to buy!

I went to Ace today and found the E clips as shown in the Ford pics above. They are 3/4" same as Ford. Ebay price $4.50 each plus $3.65 shipping. Ace price .55 each! I thought I may need to buy snap ring pliers at $30, but a little lithium on the clips and I was able to hammer them on. Pedals aren't going anywhere now! Another assembly detail completed. Now I have to connect the business ends of the pedals! I'll soon see if I can release the clutch. I was reading about the procedure of bench bleeding the MC. I don't know if that's important with dry brake lines? Thanks for your advice on this!.

48 Plymouth used the same clip as the DeSoto, part no. 863481. The illustration shows a C clip rather than an E clip like the Ford pic above, but I guess it doesn't matter as long as it snaps in place. Thanks to all for your input. Marc.

Loren, makes sense. I'll remove my MC with the shaft and take it to my local Hank's Hardware. Thanks, Marc.

I looked on Ebay and all I could find were the lock washers for 40-48 Ford.

I found out today on my 48 DeSoto that you need to at least hang the clutch pedal on the shaft before you install the MC. There is no clearance if you try to install the pedal after. I installed both pedals, but did not have the C washer locks. The C washer locks I had fit, but don't snap on, so I guess they are for the brake shoes. I looked up the part numbers for these washers and saw that there is a 5/8 and a 9/16 washer for the brake shoes. The MC shaft washers have a different part number, 863481, but no size is given. Does anyone know where to get these very important lock washers and what size they are?

Hey, that's a great idea. Did you hacksaw the threaded part of the bolt off? Keith, that square socket wrench is perfect. I'll look for it. Thanks, Marc.

Thanks Loren. You sound like you have restored a few cars, or are a pro mechanic! You are right that the drain plug is on the passenger side of the diff.

Would these be the right kind? They don't give the sizes though. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083HRC9D9/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNzVGQ1c1Sk1SWVZIJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTEwMTc0M0hBR1dQQ1NZSjhXVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTY3MTA1MUhZQ0pLRFJXRzUwTyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2hxcF9zaGFyZWQmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

I'm having trouble finding wrenches with male square ends. I wonder if those Torx socket wrenches would work?

That's why I'm going to paint my car myself. Good old Self Reliance! As long as I get a few runs, like the originals had, I'll be happy.

Loren, No need to swap out the rear end. Most 121" WB 46-48 DeSotos had a 3.73 diff ratio as standard. 3.73 is stamped right on the housing. The 3.53 ratio was what my Parts List calls "special". The 3.91 ratio was standard on the long wheelbase models. I've been crawling around again under the rear end and found what I think in the drain plug. It was not on the housing or cover on the back, but on the diff carrier part on the bottom. I was not able to unscrew it because it was a concave square bolt. I had some square end male wrenches, but they were too big, except for the small one that was tapered. It slipped. A 1/4" square wrench was too small and a 3/8 wrench was too big. So maybe a 5/16" square male wrench would fit?

Good point! Maybe #25 is the fill plug? The plug I found on the front facing part was a square bolt. If that's not the fill plug, i wonder what it is?

Loren, I think you are right. The diff is very greasy with caked on black grease. Maybe the drain plug doesn't stick out as far as I thought. The bottom of the diff feels wet with oil, but not enough to drip on the garage floor. Replacing that pinion seal looks like a major disassembly job!

I got into this hobby around 1978, so I took auto mechanics and auto body and paint classes at San Diego City College. I prepped a couple of cars and sprayed primer on them, but since there were better painters in class, I always had one of them do the final spray. I did rent a booth from a painter once and sprayed my own car. There were a few runs, but an acceptable job on a daily driver 73 Dodge Dart sedan. But I have to say that paint job still cost more than the car. The 73 Dodge was free! Now they are going for good money. I did paint a few parts of my 48 DeSoto back then, about 40 years ago in acrylic enamel with a hardener. I sprayed them outside in my driveway and they came out nice. I painted the wheels, the cowl, and the hood with a conventional spray gun and a 40 gal. air compressor. Now, you can buy HVLP spray equipment cheaply and save thousands over having a pro do it. It's not for everybody, but I think I can do it. You can get supplied air mask and put a old air compressor outside the door so you breath fresh air while you are spraying. Be sure to cover all of your skin and cover your eye with goggles. Also I'm thinking of having open doors and strong fans blowing the fumes away. Here's a super cheap HVLP spray kit sold by HF. I bought one, but I have better equipment now also. It shows that you can at least spray things like fenders and smaller parts cheaply.

I crawled under my DeSoto today and could find the fill plug that faces forward on the middle front part of the diff, but no drain plug. I checked my DeSoto manual and it showed the drain plug on the lower right section of the diff housing. The part that faces the rear, but no drain plug there. Has anyone else had this problem?

Mobil Light Circulating oil is SAE 10, as well as ISO 32. That's what the spec says: https://www.grainger.com/product/MOBIL-Mineral-Circulating-Oil-4ZF36

Thanks Dodge, I don't think I'll be at the North Pole, but the Mojave is almost in my backyard! Thanks and Happy New Year!

The bottle I got does say GL 5, but it is 85W - 140. The clerk said if I wanted the straight 90, he would have to see if he could order it. Is that necessary or is what I got OK?

The gear oil in my 48 DeSoto differential is supposed to be 90W gear oil. O'Reilly's didn't have that, so I bought SAE 85W-140 gear oil. On the back of the bottle, it says this oil is good for manual transmissions, conventional differentials, rear axles, and steering gear boxes. I did not buy the synthetic gear oil, which costs more or the one for partial slip differentials. Did I pick the right oil for the differential of my 48?

That shipping price is really ridiculous. I had a bad experience with that Ebay Global Shipping program. I sent some old 78 shellac records to a collector in Toronto. Ebay said the shipping with Fedex would be $55. So after I shipped the box, Ebay switched it to Ebay Global and charged me $96 for shipping with no explanation. Two weeks later the tracking showed that my records had arrived in Germany! Then Ebay said they were going to mark me as a bad seller when the buyer put in an item not received complaint! For a gasket that simple, I would just make your own. Is it easy to find a new replacement for that worn roller bearing?

James, I am planning to buy the Mobil-5-gal-circulating-oil-pail-32-iso-viscosity-10-sae-104743. I just read 48 New Yorker's post about changing the FD oil and that is what he highly recommended over the other Mobil product I was going to buy. He tried them both, but found that the above product Mobil part #104743 gave much better take off from a stop and better performance than the other oil.

I forgot about this post from 2019. It's the best post on refilling your FD unit that I have ever seen. He tells you the major mistake to avoid, as well as the capacity of the FD unit. It's almost 2 gallons.

Do you recommend something called TDH fluid as a replacement for FD fluid? It's a hydraulic fluid made for tractors. Is it the same as the Mobil 1 hydraulic fluid?

Yes, James, that is where I got my information as you are the most authoritative person I've found on the subject, since you have done research on it.