James_Douglas

Don, When talking to my local starter repair shop, they told me that many of the Armatures are rated for 6V-12V. That they often just put in a new12V field coil and solenoid. Maybe...James

Jim, Are you talking about the input shaft standing up on the right and where it connects to the brass stop ring sitting on top of the syncro clutch just to the left of the input shaft in the photo ? James

Jon, Since I have never talked with anyone that has run ISO 22 oil, I don't know what the difference will be. I did play with some different oils a couple of years ago in the same car and I could feel the difference in zero to 20 MPH acceleration. One last thing. After talking with several lubrication engineers, it is apparent that the organic additives for anti-foaming and such breakdown after about 5 to 7 years. So, to maintain maximum power transfer and "pamper" the carbon-graphite seal the fluid should be changes about every 5 years. If you want to go into a LOT of detail, email me you number and I will give you a call and go into the absurd detail I have dug up. Best, James

Jon, Working and transferring maximum torque are two different things. What I have tried to do is to ignore all the common myths and have run down original technical data. Other oils may work, but how would anyone know how well unless one changed the oils and ran some real well done field tests. Send me an email and I will send you a copy of my research. The NAPA AW 32 oil should work fine. The R&O oil is of lessor quality and has an inferior VI. So when it gets hot, say in heavy stop and go traffic it will not transmit as much power. I am looking at some ISO 22 hydraulic oils with a very high VI. Once I run it for a month, I can comment directly. A ISO 22 oil is about 102 in the Sybolt viscosity SSU. A ISO 32 oil is about 149 in the Sybolt viscosity SSU. The documents I have suggest a oil between 100 and 150 SSU for fluid couplings. The sample of original MOPAR fluid I sent out came back at SAE 10 weight. SAE 10 is about 125 SSU. Since it is fluid velocity that makes the power transfer and not the "thickness" of the fluid the lighter fluid will transfer more power. Best, James

Hi, I live up in San Francisco. Would let me know when you find out what days he will be open when he gets back. I will get a couple of guys, tools, cash and head down. Thanks, James

For anyone running a fluid coupling... After a year of research as well as an analysis of some original MOPAR fluid drive fluid, I have developed a modern specification of what should be used in the fluid couplings. The original fluid was a pure-base mineral oil with a Saybolt Viscosity of between 100 and 150. The fluid had a Viscosity Index of greater than 80. The fluid had anti-foaming and anti-oxidation additives. It specifically did NOT have any seal swelling agents as these can attack the carbon-graphite seal and the copper in the bellows. This last specification eliminates all modern transmission fluids. After finding several formulas to convert Saybolt Viscosities to Kinematic Viscosities, it appears that the best match to the original specification is a ISO 22 or a ISO 32 oil. However, the ISO 22 is just below 100 Saybolt and the ISO 32 is much higher than 100 Saybolt. Based on a period Lubrication Industry article on fluid couplings that had the following admonishment: Contrary to popular supposition any attempt to use a higher viscosity fluid would actually reduce the torque transmitting ability of the coupling since torque-transmission is dependent upon a high circulation of fluid between the impeller and runner and is not caused by any viscous drag between the two. Based on the research, and discussions with several lubrication engineers, I think that an ISO 22 hydraulic oil with the proper additives and VI above 80 is a documented replacement for the original MOPAR fluid drive fluid. Anyone who wants a copy of my documentation, please drop me a email and I will send you a copy. Best, James

You know that powermaster is making a 146 tooth gear reduction 12v starter for the early baby hemi's. I wonder if this starter will work on a 1940's or 1950's flathead six ? Their part number is 9530... James

Download this off my server....James http://www.dacoglu.com/DesotoCD/8_Fuel_System/gasgauge.doc

While I am waiting on parts for the trans...I changed the leaking rear main seal and the pan gasket to see if I can slow it down to a weep... I have a set of freshly vulcanized Steele motor mounts I want to swap in. Can some one tell me how the heck you get the rear upper mounts out? It has that large fender washer with a tube welded to it facing downward. I cannot get the bell housing up enough or shifted to the side enough to get the top mount out. There must be a trick that is passing me by. I seem to remember that someone said that you have to take a hack saw and cut the tube clear of the washer. Can anyone confirm? Best, James

Don, No the input shaft is NOS. It is however hard as a rock and would take a lathe or machine grinder to take it down. I spent 2 hours with 180 grit and it did not take off 0.0005... I think these things are case hardened when produced. I am switching to the old shaft. The old shaft and the old M6 input shaft are the same size. Only the NOS shaft is .001 over. Since I had the fluid coupling redone it is possible that the replacement bearings inside are on the "narrow" side of the specification. That coupled with an input shaft that is on the high side of that specification they just will not fit. A classic case of "stacking tolerances". ****************** Jim, let me know if I can help out in any way. Best, James James

Hi Jim, Sorry to hear about your trouble. NOS and NORS clutch disks (and facings) as well as NOS/NORS pressure plates come up on ebay from time to time. There is an old timer here in the middle of downtown San Francisco that runs a clutch rebuilding shop. I don't think he will be around for but a hand full of years. I got a bunch of NOS clutch material and had him do two clutches for me. One is in the car and the other is packed for the future. MANY of the rebuilt clutch disks like the one I got from NW Trans have rivets in at an angle thus limiting the life of the disk---be wary. If you find a good core and want to send it out, I will act as middle man for you and have the old timer rebuild your disk for you. When he did mine, he let me put a few rivets in to see how the machine "feels". On my car with the fluid coupling it has a smaller clutch and a nothing flywheel as the fluid coupling does all the work. When you take off you don't slip the clutch out, you just dump it as the fluid coupling deals with all the torque/thrust issues. The clutches on a fluid coupling car last a long time. ***************** Under the heading of misery loves company... I started the installation on Thursday of my "re-manufactured" 3-speed with overdrive. The one with all NOS gears and syncros. We got the thing into place and was sucking the bolts home to pull it in the last 3/4". When it got a little hard. The original Asche trans and the loaner trans both took the same treatment, but less effort, to bottom out. This time however, a large shutter and then the realization that the case cracked along the ear and up 3" along the case. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!%$#$$%^%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, after two days of analysis it appears that the NOS input shaft is 0.001 larger than the old one at both the inner bearing area and the out bearing area (Fluid drive bearings). Also the splines for the clutch are 0.002 larger. I stuck my spare clutch on the NOS shaft and it fits. So, it is the hardened input shaft! I tore the transmission apart that I have spent months on and pulled the input shaft and took it in my hand and went under the car and it would not go in. I took the original used one and it does fit. I then measured the original M6 semi-auto and the shaft size is the same as the old std. input shaft. So it is not doubt that the NOS input shaft is the problem. So now I have to tear apart both transmissions and swap the cases and check all the end-plays all over again. Not to mention pressing the bearings around on the input shafts. For those who would ask why I just don't put the loaner trans back in...when I pulled it apart the cluster had many broken gears and I doubt it would have lasted more than a few weeks or months. ******************************* Let me know if there is anything I can do for you on the clutch. Best, James

Don, The Suburban shared the wheel pattern of the Big Chrysler 8 and some Dodge Trucks. Since these cars are larger and could carry more they made the chassis stronger. All of the chassis parts on our Suburbans are larger than most of the rest of the MOPAR line up up to about 1953/4. Also the lug bolts are 9/16". When I went to disks on the front we had to use 1/2" as no supplier makes a 9/16" lug stud. All that is out there is 1/2" or 5/8". Of particular note is that the wheel bearings and the king pins are also much larger. As far as rims go, I had Stockton wheel (CA) make me a new set of rims so that the disk calipers would clear and also so that I had new steel all around. The old riveted rims had a lot of rust on the insides. Best to you and your wife. There is a small chance we my be in the area this year for the NDC convention... James

Chuck, I am in San Francisco and I have a distributor machine. Also, keep in mind that our modern fuel additives make the gas burn "faster" for a more complete burn. Since the flame front moves faster, the advance curve needs to reflect this. Using the original curve is a good starting point, but several people I have discussed this with think that the intermediate part of the curve could use a little more advance than the stock curve. Best, James

Washers could be used, but since I have access to 4 or 5 springs, why not figure out which one works best and stick with that. Century spring in LA makes the springs in their plant in the LA area. Not imported to my knowledge. Best, James

I may have to get a low-med-high set and put the med in and see how it goes. It is not hard to pop them out after the trans is in and try another set if necessary. It appears that Chrysler used the same spring part numbers as replacements for 1946 to 1955. so I guess it is not that critical... James

Niel, Looks like the choices are: OD----length----Rate----Max Def----Wire Dia----Total Coils----Max Load----Material 0.420----2.000----21.000----0.920----0.055----14.800----19.00----MW 0.420----2.000----18.000----0.730----0.055----14.800----13.00----SST 0.420----2.000----28.000----0.860----0.059----15.400----24.00----MW 0.420----2.000----24.000----0.680----0.059----15.400----16.00----SST 0.420----2.000----36.000----0.790----0.063----15.800----29.00----MW 0.420----2.000----31.000----0.630----0.063----15.800----19.00----SST I think that matching the OD and the length is the most important consideration. The springs provide the resistance against the shifter rails via the steel balls to prevent the shifting rails from changing gears without the driver moving the shifter forks. The balls only lift up the depth of the groove in the shifter rail. It looks like about 1/8 inch or less. So the critical property for selection is how much pressure down on the balls? Looks like the choice is between 13 pounds on the one end and 29 pounds on the other. So the real question is...how much pressure did MOPAR want on those shafts ? What are your thoughts ? Best, James

Niel, Your are the best. Don't worry about the the pressure. With the wire size turns and length, they can figure out the rest... When I have some part numbers for new springs as replacements, I will post them. Thanks, James

Neil, If you have a dial caliper..can you tell me the wire diameter and also the number of coils. Century spring has a number of them in that general size range and with the wire size and number of coils I can get very close with one of their springs. Thanks, James

I did...Andy does not have waiting on an answer from Frank.

Someone out there has to have a 3-speed on the bench... If so, please pop off the two plugs on the side cover and fish out the springs and tell me the size... I need to get two springs, but like I said mine are two different sizes so I have no way to know if one or the other is correct. Thanks folks, James PS, that is the last part I need to button up my trans and then swap it in.

It could be an R11 the heavy duty version...they used them on some V8's on Fords...I don't know about MOPARS and the R11. James

Hi all, My 3-speed transmission has two very different Gearshift Selector rod ball springs in it. Different coil size, different coil count, and different free lengths. According to all the MOPAR books I have, they should be identical. I have two sets of part numbers. One is 852633 and is listed as: 852633 1940-54 TRANS GEARSHIFT BALL SPRING,PU 852633 40-54 G’SHIFT SELECTOR BALL SPRING W/ GYROMATIC, TIP-TOE 852633 1940-54 G’SHIFT SELECTOR BALL SPRING W/ GYROMATIC, TIP-TOE I also have in a Desoto master parts book 1112614 with a description of 13/32" OD, 1-3/8" long, and 14 coils. Does anyone have a set of matched springs out of a transmission that they can measure for me? I would like to know the free length, number of coils, the OD, and the wire thickness. I can then match it up and get some new springs. Thanks, James

I made a custom hub out of aluminum and used a Flex-O-Lite nylon fan. It does not weigh but a fraction of the steel fans which means less power to turn it and less ware on the water pump bearing and it has a larger pitch and pulls more air at idle. All in all a very good fan to use on a flathead. James James

Pete, I got a set of those finned valve covers and just put cork gaskets across the entire thing using sheet cork. Then you don't have to worry about getting the gaskets on correct...just bolt the cover down. I sent back the Langdon tube headers for Q & A reasons one of which us that they are so close to the valve covers that they would have to come off to remove the covers. James

Thanks Guys, I found a photo of the rear main and I think it is the type that used the two part rubber with the metal reinforcment. I think I can change this without taking the fluid drive out. Thanks, james