mlozier76

1941 WC, maybe put a Cummins 4BT in it. That's slated to be my next Mopar.

I just went through my starter a few days ago. They are fairly easy to freshen up. Check to make sure all the springs have good tension on the brushes. The brushes on these are fairly short, maybe 3/4" new. I was expecting much longer. Found a new commutator end (cover with bushing and springs), leather washer and drive bushing for less than $10 at a local shop. Pays to find out who makes speedo cables and rebuilds starters and generators locally, try tractor service centers as well as many farmers use their equipment well beyond normal life expectancy of automobiles, and the may have parts you wouldn't expect them to have.

I was going to make it myself, but found that my second manifold was cracked. I was getting ready to buy the Fenton one, when my buddy picked these up at the Portland Swap meet for me this year. I believe these are from a 218, pickup, or military T-137 as the outlets are different than my originals. I did build the dual exhaust from the headers back, by repurposing some 1-1/2" from a 1939 Chevy pickup. Not the prettiest, but doing it on the cheap. I also have a friend that has a waterjet I was going to have make flanges for a tube header, but wanted to run these old schoolers for a while instead to see if I like the way they are. Just from driving it yesterday I like the response from the more open exhaust.

Generally I think a coupe has to have a different roof line than a sedan. I consider my 48 Dodge to be a coupe, but my 55 Studebaker is a Sedan, though it is a two door. I believe the rear window on the side of the car helps in defining, if the roof line is not separating the slope of the vehicle. At least in my mind a fastback is not the same as a coupe, but rather more a sedan. Muddy waters they are.

Here are a few pics of the Shanafelt intake I have. Unfortunately it is rare, as far as I can tell only made a handful in the mid to late 50's. From what I understand, he mainly made intakes for Fords and others, in the Pacific Northwest alongside others like I believe it was Edmunds. This intake is really similar to Edgy's Speed shop design, and uses a similar carburetor from what I can gather. I like it for the "what the heck is that" factor and the vintage speed effect or statement I'd like to make with my car. There are some new things there, but I want to keep it fairly true to the era as much as I am able.

I found out the problem last night. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but the two tabs that hold the bearing plate and bearing together in the distributor had come loose and as a result the bearing top plate was popping out of the bearing every time the vacuum advance tried to do its job. Simple enough fix, but hard to see in the car. Drove the car last night to verify the fix. Thank you all for the pointers. Now getting carbon brushes and bushings, hopefully, to rebuild my starter. After that, on to dual carb setup.... Getting closer. I have about a month until our next show in Emmett, Idaho, about 5 hours away.

I did push it back in with my fingers, the car runs, but I was just a little concerned that finger pressing might not be enough, maybe it is then. I was debating pulling the old distributor off my yet to be rebuilt enginge, but maybe i'll check it again tonight after I get the new battery put in. There isn't anything that secures it in place? The old distributor moves on the bearing, but does not come apart easily (I only used a little force with a screwdriver to test my theory on pressfit, but it didn't budge)

So, I pulled my engine a few months ago (5 or 6 really) to fix some leaks, repair a framehorn crack/bad repair, and tidy up the engine compartment a little while attempting to install the dual carb setup with the 94's I have with my Shanafelt dual intake. Plagued with problem after problem, but at least the car runs now, though I am still needing to repair the distributor. I cleaned out my water passages, and boy did they need cleaning. I never should have been driving the car from the looks of it, LOL. Don't trust that others took the time to work on the motor as needed when you buy them. I did drive the car for a year and a half, but she got a little high on the temps when pulling grades around here, so I wanted to make sure she was cleaned out. When I pulled the rear core plug, I found that it was completely plugged from rust and sediment, at least 3 inches in. It took a while with a hot pressure washer to clean it out, but she finally spilled her guts and I got her back together. Put on a new water pump. I got the engine painted and re-installed, went to start with new to me dual intake setup and dual exhaust, fired and started, but couldn't get to run reliably. I then pulled the dual intake off and put the old single barrel on, to find that she was still acting the same. A little troubleshooting and found that the vacuum advance unit had rotted out, so I pulled one from my rebuild core and installed it. I got the car to run and drove it home from my buddies shop after installing a hacked together repurposed dual exhaust system using his two post lift...kinda made it home. On the ride home, I was driving it up one of the hills (grade really) and she started to spit and sputter, then would clear up, then sputter when turned, but run good on flat ground... ARGGGH! Made it home at midnight essentially, the night before my clubs car show. Needless to say, went to show without my ride, but I'd already taken up my buddies 54 Chevy Wagon, so I had a vehicle to drive. I took another look at it this past weekend, because the starter seemed to be giving me trouble. Sure enough the bendix was not retracting on the starter and was staying engaged. I also noticed that the motor would try to rotate backwards a bit when the starter button was disengaged. I originally thought this was related to the starter problem, but when I pulled the distributor cap to aid in removal of the starter, I saw that the breaker plate appeared askew. Sure enough it was loose from the bearing. I pushed it back into place, still unsure how exactly it sits in there, I think it may be a pressfit, so maybe the tolerances are worn. I have another old distributor I am going to see if I can make work, otherwise she may be down for a while until I can afford an upgrade to the Langdon 12v GM style Distributor. A real shame, as I will then have 2 positive ground pertronix units i'll have basically wasted my money on, at least until I get the 1941 Military Dodge WC-12 and WC-21 that I have kind of been told I can get when I can afford them. I'm just a little frustrated that the car had been doing wonderfully until I decided to "freshen her up a little". I almost think I never should have touched her, made her kinda irritable

Thank you. I was trying to figure out if I could put a pin fit shank bolt and nut on it. I was planning to just repair the pump I took off as it is less than a year old, and obviously a design flaw. It was just a little embarrassing as this is the third time I've seen this girl, and I'm pretty new again at the dating thing. But I guess I'm proving my chops as being able to fix things

This weekend was not the best for driving the Dodge. I was supposed to go to Spokane, about two hours away, for a car show, but because of a friends health issues, decided to stay here in town to minimize his riding in a vehicle. As a result, I wanted to drive around town here. I took my eight year old to the local pumpkin patch, to meet a new friend, and when we pulled in my car died. I had some people help me push it into a parking spot, and figured I'd check into it after we did things there. I had a suspicion it was fuel related. When we were done, I took a look at the motor to see what the issue was, and sure enough, my fuel pump had gone out yet again. This makes number four in about a year and a half. Carter is the brand, but I really think they are junk. All the ones I've had lose the pin in the lever, rather it works itself out. After the second time it happened, I started to carry a spare with me. Does anybody else have this problem? I got it replaced after getting a ride to get a 1/2" wrench, as that was the only one I was missing. I get the car started, and the carb was leaking like a sieve after a minute or so while running. Probably need to clean the carb now, as I believe the float is sticking. Got it to stop leaking, and proceeded to drive home. I was less than two blocks away from home in the left turn lane, and it died again on the busiest street in my town. I had to get some help to push it through the intersection and into a parking spot to work on it. I took off the distributor cap to see if it was related to that, and accidently pinched a wire when reinstalling the cap, which caused the wire to ground out and overheat. Figured that out and got the rig started again, after a little more tinkering. Drove it home and parked it. Needless to say, she's gonna be parked for a little while until I can figure out where my issues are coming from. If its the carb, i'll probably yank out the motor, regasket, paint it up, and plop the dual intake and exhaust on it this winter. I was going to work on rebuilding another motor because mine seemed to be burning so much, but while replacing the fuel pump, found that front main is most likely the culprit for the oil loss. Still going to work on rebuilding the other motor, but I have to pick and choose my battles right now. Even with all the trouble I had, I still love that old car, and its teaching my 8 year old how to be patient and that not every breakdown requires a tow, and that if you put your mind to work to figure out a problem, sometimes you can work through until you come up with an answer and get back down the road.

That is one gorgeous car. Love the stance and color. Sure would be nice to know how that holden water pump performed. That block was that for both heat dissipation and bolt pattern matchup? Seems pretty thick.

I'll definitely get some pictures of that intake when I get home tonight. Shanafelt, named after Bill Shanafelt, from what I understand was from the Pacific Northwest and made several different intakes for other engines. I expect that it is fairly rare. I had a friend at the Portland Swap meet 2 years ago grab it up for me because I want to build my car up to be like a late 50s to early 60s custom/rod. The direction is somewhat fluid, but I really want to keep the 6 in it. I just want to make it a little quicker and give it that "wow, what's that" factor with the hood open. Dodges are rare in this part of the country, and that's why I like mine. I have a friend that has 4 or 5 Chevys (coupe, fleetlines, fleetmasters, sedan delivery, convertible) and don't want to be in the mainstream, and I'm finding that I'm more of a Mopar Man, than had originally thought. I also have a Studebaker, a 55, that I'm working on. I like the ones that are a little off the beaten path. I have a friend that owns Hells Gate Hot Rods in the club I'm in and am going to see if I can get him to waterjet out some exhaust flanges for me, so I can build my own dual exhaust, but need to get the head over to him.

Okay, so I am in the infancy stages of rebuilding my spare engine. I am starting with a 230 out of a 1947 or 1948 Dodge 4 door that I acquired a while ago. I am planning to do some of the hot rod tricks, but am very new to that aspect of wrenching. I would like to do what I am able to for pride of personal workmanship and cost efficiency, but have no problems sending out for machine work as needed, as I am not able to do that. I am in the Inland Northwest, Northern Idaho, and am looking for knowledgeable builders in the inline sixes. My current engine is still running, but sat for over 45 years before I got it running and drove the hell out of it. She burns oil like nobody's business, and that is the reason I'm needing to build up a replacement. So far I've only got a Shanafelt dual intake with two Pinto Carbs and have intentions to shave the head, get the cam reground, and complete rebuild on the engine I have started to take apart. I've looked into Clegg, Vintage Power Wagons, and Egge kits. Are there others that you guys may have ideas on? This site has provided a wealth of information, and I am forever grateful for whatever help or directions you can send me, as long as its not in a loop

I can attest to this absolutely being true. I made the mistake of not checking my oil last year on a 2 hour road trip and found that my oil pressure began to seriously dip (down to 5psi or less) while going around corners. Found that I was about 2-1/2 quarts low. Ever since then, I keep a very close eye on my oil levels and gauges. I burn so much oil right now because my rings are bad, that I keep a case with me for long road trips. I'm working on building up a different motor to put in her, this winter or coming spring, hopefully. I don't want to take her off the road until I wear her out and she doesn't wanna give me any more.

With my recently acquired Studebaker, I also acquired loads of barn fresh feces and even a petrified cat in the front floorpan. I took out the interior and the smell still remained on the metal. I used a Woolite Pet stain and odor remover. I don't recommend trying to keep your flooring materials because of all the years of moisture and decomposing fecal material. I am going with newer materials, so it's no skin off my back if the original interior is destroyed by critters, but I do understand if you are wanting to try to keep the OE. Do all you can to remove from the vehicle and clean, no need to get sick because of Mickey Mouse.

Have you checked the driveline? You may have part of your parking brake shoe that broke off, creating an imbalance on the driveline. Sometimes the driveline will be in harmony at higher speeds but not lower speeds and vice versa.

Not saying this is your problem, but when I bought my car, after getting the engine going and all, I would drive around and it would pop out of gear. I did not have a lift or good jack accessible at the time, and as such could only get so far under the car. I found my transmission to be caked in dirt and after dropping the transmission to repair some leaks via new gaskets and cleaning it, she shifted flawlessly, no popping out while under a load going downhill. If the adjustments don't work, this may be the culprit. I've since pulled two other transmissions that were caked with dirt and most likely would have encountered resistance with linkage engagement. May not be your issue, but might be worth checking out.

I seem to have these problems with the fuel boiling in the bowl after pulling a long grade in 90+ heat. Unfortunately for me all roads to my house are up a fairly long grade, one with many stoplights. I am going to try to address this issue with fuel tubing wrap, but I am planning to put a dual exhaust on my engine in the next few weeks, which may only compound my problems. Last August had to sit at the top of a hill for almost an hour after leaving a friends house at midnight because the fuel boiled to the point the car died. I think it was still above 85 Degrees at midnight then.

I'm sure the fuel was a source for the fire, but after some inspection, believe the shock mount sparking is what caused the fire, if it wasn't from the tire, definitely scared me a bit. I'm glad that the car is only in primer in instances like that because it's much less disheartening when you haven't yet had it painted. I'm going to be getting it on the lift tonight hopefully to drop the fuel tank to send off to see if I can have it repaired, and probably get the tires removed to change.

So I went to the Portland Swap meet this weekend and drove quite a few miles around there, all uneventful. It was a lot of fun. The trip home was a completely different story. Mind you, from my house to Portland is about 350+ miles one way. I made it approximately half way home when I got a flat tire, which caught on fire, which also ripped the fuel filler neck from the top of the tank. If my friends hadn't been directly behind me in an RV with a fire extinguisher at the ready, I surely wouldn't be here today. I had an extinguisher, but it was in the trunk which was becoming engulfed in flames. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have an extinguisher on hand, at the ready. Mine will be mounted in the car cab from here on out. Beyond that, the trip was a lot of fun and if the tank didn't have a hole in the top I would have made it home. I drove it about twenty miles to park it somewhere safer, until I can go with a friend to get it next weekend on the rollback. Car clubs like mine are life savers and make it easier on the pocket book when we have several trailers and a car hauler at our disposal. Would I do it again? Absolutely! I'm just going to check my tires at every stop, in addition to the oil checks. I'm not sure that it would have kept me from getting a flat, but it may have helped. Drive safe!

Hmm... Flathead lake area.... Sounds like a good trip for another year for those of us with flatheads. Wonder if they do a gathering of like minded car owners around there. We are going to Ignite The Nights, or at least we plan to. There is nothing better than a bunch of car aficianados (or in our case Hot Rodders and Jalopy Junkies) cruising through the mountain passes in our rumbly old cars, that we love to flaunt.

I have three trips I am shooting for this year, which for me starts next Wednesday in a trip from Lewiston, ID to Portland, OR for the Portland Swap Meet. Its not quite 500 miles one way, but is at a minimum 686 mi round trip. The next two trips are to Montana, at 434 round trip (Missoula) and 484 round trip (Libby),respectively, during the summer with the car club I'm in. I look forward to all the time in the 48, and will only slightly miss my satellite radio in my newer cars, as the road noise,rattles and smells of a bygone era replace my yearning for talk radio LOL . The trip to Portland will be solo after work, so I'm hopeful that she acts like the gem that she's been so far. I will hopefully be able to score some nice things at the swap meet for both the Dodge and my recently acquired Studebaker.