Andydodge

Here in Oz we never had a proper DeSoto or Chrysler as both these brands here were essentially just Plymouths chassis with grille & badge changes so the rear panhard bar was not used.........what I'd like to know is did the DeSoto & Chryslers that used the panhard bar have the same front/rear bushes and spring hangers as the Dodge & Plymouths or did the DeSoto/Chryslers use a more pliable rear spring shackle setup that necessitated the use of the panhard bar?...........andyd

I've always understood that the use of brass synchro rings is the reason why certain types of oil shouldn't be used.........but I'm no gearbox expert............andyd

The only issue I can see with installing a grease nipple on a pump with a sealed bearing is how does the grease get into the sealed bearing once it gets thru the grease nipple?.........in the couple of years I had the Dodge before I hot rodded it I played with the water pump a couple of times, installed new guts at least twice, maybe 3 times and don't I still remember the fun I had with that mongrel fibre washer thing that was supposed to hold spring that held the rubber? seal, broke the fibre washer a couple of times from memory, 48 yrs later.......lol......so when I installed a new Gates brand water pump on the 1941 Plymouth around 2010 and saw it had a nice sealed bearing I was a happy camper........sometimes improvements are just that.........andyd

Interesting......I've not seen an Easy Out like that shown, all the ones I've seen have been and are about 2"-3" long with a long taper, nothing like that short stocky one with a hex head........will have to see if that type even exists here in Oz.............andyd

AFAIK there wouldn't have been a plastic or nylon spacer used on a 46-48 Mopar, if a spacer was used it would have been metal and the fan appears to be on backwards as those blades would not pull air thru the radiator, in fact as they are the fan would only move air forward from my reckoning.........I think.......lol.......andyd

Mel........have you measured the hood to see what length of chrome strip you need?.............see my earlier reply.........andyd

I read somewhere years ago that there were two sizes of the hubcaps due to the use of a dressup piece that needed the larger diameter hubcap to hold it onto the wheel..........I've seen picks of USA cars with both a white coloured and chromed/polished insert between the hubcap & outer rim which is what I inderstood the larger cap held........ andyd

Dunno if this is any help but Dodge used the side opening hood at least till 1948, I just went & measured the centre chrome strip on my Oz 1940 Dodge which actually uses the USA sourced 1940 Plymouth hood which is longer than the USA 1940 D14/16 Dodge.......but as far as I know that centre strip is the same used on both 1940 Plymouth & 1940 Dodge hoods.............anyway the centre chrome strip on my car is 33 & 3/8th long and 1" wide.........if thats any help.......andyd

The original 1940 D15 Dodge hubcaps for my car are the 2 piece, the original outer skin is chromed & stamped brass on a plain steel hubcap...........I had them rechromed when I was restoring the car around 1972/73 but once I decided to hotrod the car in 1973 they ended up as garage wall hangings.......they need a hit with some polish again but they provide a home for the bugs, etc to live in.......lol.......if you look carefully you can see the "Dodge" lettering which I repainted back then............lol..........andyd

Interesting work.......looks like 32 Ford front fenders & running boards......andyd

And of course if you have the stamped sheet metal plug lead separator with the coil wire at its edge its a good idea to maybe mark each wire the correct length and instal each wire thru their individual "channel" then reinstall the whole shebang..........tho' it maybe possible to get each wire thru after cutting to length............andyd

I would also check and probably replace the key, think its 5/16", if the drum & wheel are loose its a good opportunity to do it then & there, the key has probably had a bit of a bashing......lol...........andyd

I too am impressed Pete, little things like this make a huge difference and whilst we, ourselves maybe the only ones who know this has been done it gives us a sense of pride in a way that few things do, we truly know what makes up our cars and the work thats gone into it................andyd

After being screwed by a so called engine rebuilder many years ago when I had the original engine in my 1940 Dodge supposedly rebuilt which lasted less than 1000 miles before I discovered that the crank journals were scored(sump was full of swarf which hadn't been cleaned out) I vowed never to pay these jerks again to "rebuild" an engine for me, so when I decided to get the 318 Poly I'd subsequently installed in the 1940 Dodge rebuilt I disassembled the engine myself and learnt how to measure things........then took the block, crank etc to a different and more reliable machine shop......had them do the work including balancing then I picked up and assembled the lot and reinstalled the engine.........been going strong since 1975.......and no, I was not a mechanic,just a humble government clerk who just decided that I couldn't do a worse job than these "butchers" so decided to teach myself, got a workshop manual, proper tools and had a go........yeh, I was young, bright eyed and bushy tailed but these old engines are not rocket science, by all means get a proper machine shop to do the work but assemble it yourself...........its very satisfying and rewarding...........Andyd

Welcome Aboard from sunny South Grafton, Australia.......as was mentioned the PilotHouse truck side of the forum will probably have all the answers for you althought the engingines are essentially the same between the car & truck lines........best thing you can get for your truck is a shop manual and parts book if available, again, welcome.........Andy Douglas