Bingster

Thanks! I think I have it sorted out now.

Well, I thought that I had all my ducks in a row and tried to fire up the DeSoto, but no go. I kept pushing my remote starter switch and nothing happened. I had the large alligator clip on the lower right large terminal and the smaller clip on the upper right terminal above it. Nothing happened when I pushed the remote button. I don't think my ignition switch works but I tried it on and off. Nothing. I traced my wiring and nothing happened until I got frustrated and bridged the two large terminals at the bottom of the starter solenoid. They sparked and the starter spun but didn't engage. Just two weeks ago it did work and turned the engine over without plugs. So here I am wondering if the starter solenoid is bad or something else. That starter was a bear to remove and put back. I have the + side of the coil going to the distributor. The - side goes to the negative post on the battery. That seemed to be what my diagram said. But I doubt that would have anything to do with the starter not working? Well, who's going to tell me the bad news?

I didn't think of the cooling gauge but now that you mention it I was just looking at that and the filter piping and the temp line is not oil tubing and has a coiled spring around the line. But that eliminates that.

Hey, that's great! Just what I was looking for. Thanks Bob!

Thanks! I've looked in my DeSoto manual, parts book, and as many YouTube flat head engine videos as I can. Seems to me that oil filters were accessories. The photos you show and ones that I have found show factory installation. But by the time these cars became "barn finds" all bets are off with regard to things like piping the oil filter. For example, I can't see in the drawing or photo where the oil gauge line runs. Maybe it comes off the block in another location. It would be logical to design the engine to accommodate future "accessories." I could just remove what I have there now and then follow the factory installation. But why waste the time? I'd rather make what's there work. It was a chore bending tubing to make what's there now. Some folks think I'm swinging after the bell with all these questions, but I could sooner replace the head gasket than trace somebody else's work on the filter.

Maybe so, but it would be real easy for me to omit something important that is routine to you fellas but new to me due to my inexperience. And then yes, I'd probably throw the wrench in.

Well, I got a decent photo. The open hole is my dipstick. You can see the double brass fitting. To the extreme upper right you can see where I have another pipe fitting into the block. The two lines on the brass fitting are pretty easy to place but that third line is questionable.

It's a cruddy photo. I'm still getting the hang of posting photos. But my block has the same brass two-hole fitting as the one in the photo. Behind my filter is another angled casting coming out of the block where I attached the gauge pressure line. I'm wondering which threaded oil holes are intake and which are out. Two holes would have to flow from the block to the filter intake and gauge pressure feed. Another would take the filtered oil from the top of the filter and run it back into the block. But I've seen some arrangements where there is no brass double-hole fitting. The in and out lines go to separate holes in the block. And I'm not sure why I have a line connected to that angled hole in back of the filter. I did it some time ago. I haven't seen that particular oil line casting in other photos. Any photos of your arrangement would be appreciated. I don't want to start the engine if my lines are mixed up. Thanks.

There was an old thread where a guy asked how to connect his oil filter on a flat head 6. A few guys posted photos and it seems like there are a good many ways to do it depending on which block screw holes you choose. I may have piped mine wrong. Let's see if my photo posts. Oil Filter Good.docx

Really? I thought I heard somewhere that #1 had to be on compression. I take compression to mean when a small piece of paper will blow outward of a cylinder spark plug hole. I put a piece of wire in the pipe hole above #6, turned the fan until the wire stopped rising and kept turning the fan again till the wire stopped rising again. At that point the piece of paper over #1 did move. I guess I have to do it the other way around. I thought that folks were telling me to put my finger on #1 and turn the fan until I felt a push on my finger.

Finally after all your help it clocked and I got TDC on #1, it lined up with DC on the pulley, and got the rotor to One O'clock. Question: How long does TDC last?

My Napa store said there was only one Dorman 1 5/8 brass plug available in the country. Of course O'Reilly could get the P14B's but you have to buy ten, which I don't need at the moment.

I'm very close to starting my flat head 6 after fifteen years. It's already turned over with a battery a number of times both with plugs in and out. Somebody told me to turn over the engine with plugs out and see how my oil gauge is doing. How long should it take to see a reading? I changed my oil and so there is plenty down there. But I figure that if the oil filter or pump isn't working, the cylinders will run dry? Somebody I saw filled the oil filter before firing it up. I think he said it was to save time for the pressure to build. Anyway, just wondering how long I should turn the engine over before seeing the pressure build on the gauge.

I saw on one of Keith's (Garage) videos that his #6 TDC pipe plug only goes down halfway. Threads are showing. Maybe mine is okay after all.

I don't know what I'm doing. At this stage everything is a learning curve. So, your advice?

It's been on the engine since I bought the car 15 years ago. It came off pretty easy after a good tug or two. I didn't know that about the hole getting narrower. I tried WD40 and motor oil on the plug but no dice. The big thing I don't want is for the plug to get stuck in the hole, and open up a can of worms of dropping metal filings on #6. Since brass is softer than the block I guess the threads on the block would take precedent over the brass threads on the plug. But it's a bit scary. Re-threading is probably the way to go.

I removed the pipe plug above #6 cylinder to check TDC on my flathead and it wouldn't thread back in without stopping half way down the hole. A look at the brass plug and a thread was slightly smashed which prevented it from going down all the way. Will it re-thread if I wrench it all the way down into the hole or get a new plug? Why is the thread in the hole doing this to the plug? Must be some dirt got into the threads in the hole, although I was very careful not to do that because of the cylinder.

Yeah, I know. I found it.

I read P14B on that plug. Is that a Dorman number?

I just read a very old post from Don Coatney where he shows various designs of freeze plugs. For my '47 Desoto, it seems that I use a 1 5/8 brass plug. Question is, some are dish-shaped and others like a cup. And, Napa? Dorman seems to be a common brand.

SteveR . . . You just pour a quart of white vinegar into the system and let it sit and flush it out with that tool? Does the tool really work? At least once? Is a quart enough to do the trick?

Thanks all! Can I remove the oil filler tube without any oil going all over?

O'Reilley's said the battery I got there was bad. Okay. They ordered in two more for me to pick the best date. They came in and each one looked like they were used. Filthy dusty. I didn't feel good about taking one, got my money back, and went across the street to Arnold's where I got a brand-spanking new clean battery with a good date. Of course, I haven't tried it yet.

I think there are still some "warm" days left in October here, and I am inclined to drain the engine with that petcock (I hope it doesn't break off) and at least replace the bad freeze plug. I would like to take them all out and flush the system, but if I get caught not replacing all of the plugs and it turns too cold, I can't fill the radiator with anti-freeze for the winter. I am hoping to find a house with an attached garage where there is heat. Right now the car has been under cover but no heat. There is only a trickle coming out of the freeze plug. I'm hoping that I don't screw up the middle rusted out section of the plug and have to deal with removing the rim.

Have to ask why you modified the whistle?