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

Sounds like a bearing but also suggest that when you remove the brake drum, install a nice new piece of keyway odr at least check that the old one hasn't had some movement and is allowing the drum to move.....from memory its 5/16th square keyway material, any engineering shop or decent parts place should have it, usually sold by the foot............good luck with the puller..........and that is a nice looking car.........andyd

My understanding is that the front & rear oil pan seals that fit around the rear main assembly and front main assembly go onto the block with the main caps THEN the side pan gaskets are installed and supposedly will be long enough to be slightly longer than it would seem to be required BUT you do NOT trim them to a neat fit against the main caps BUT install the oil pant and by tightening it against the block the extra length of the side gaskets gets "squashed"( a highly technical term ) into the area of the main caps and hence helps to seal better............I'd suggest using a few drops of contact glue to hold the side pan gaskets in place .......lol.............make sense?..............lol...........what I would also do is get some 5/16th UNC all thread and cut some short lengths say 1-2" long, cut a straight screwdriver groove and install at least 4, 2 either side into the block pan rail holes, these act as a centering/locating thing and allow the pan to be installed straight onto the blocks pan rails and hopefully help in ensuring that the front & rear seals work properly..........once the pan is installed and a couple of bolts installed on both sides then these pieces of all thread can be removed and the correct bolts used BUT not overtightened ......at least thats what I did and found worked well when I dropped the sump & reinstalled it on my 1941 plymouth about 10 yrs ago...........andyd

They are wider.........I should measure mine..........lol..........this is an old pic, tho it hasn't shrunk..........andyd

I'd forgotten about the starter motor issue for LHD, thanks Ken...........that Wilcap adaptor looks to be a quality piece Bob, same with the Butches mounts.........interesting setup.........andyd,

Interesting question..........here in Oz Chrysler Australia used the 53/54 Plymouth frame and basic body shell with 55/56 USA sourced Plymouth front & rear fenders to make the 1957 OZ only Chrysler Royal in both a 4dr Sedan and Ute and it existed up until 1962 as per the attached pics..........with....... the 313 Poly V8 as well as both the 23" and 25" six as optional engines depending on the gearbox specified...........so yes a 318 Poly V8 will fit, a better fit is the LA series small block in 273/318/340 or 360 size which are narrower across the head/exhaust manifold........the big block V8 oil pump/filter pointing straight ahead would be the main issue from what I know.............andyd

Is there any way that modern neoprene seals could work or can the system be modified to suit the neoprene seals...............can you take the parts to a bearing/seal place to get them to see what can be made to work.........andyd

Keith congratulations on a job well done.........after I bought my 1940 Dodge sedan in 1971 while still at school, I decided to restore it......I took the engine to who I was told was the best flathead guy in Sydney........full rebuild, sump to head, I reinstalled with new clutch,etc gearbox,diff,brakes,etc all rebuilt by various "expert" shops ..........got less than 1000 miles when the rear main started leaking....dropped the sump & found a heap of swarf & metal filings in the sump......the "flathead expert" denied any responsibility but the swarf was as a result of not cleaning out oil passages...........so I pulled the stock running gear & installed a 318 Poly, then had it machined by another reco place but I assembled it and 48yrs later its still going well........moral of this story is .....do it yourself.....................andyd

Marty.....there is no way that the engine would run for more than a few minutes, if that, without that bypass tube.........was the engine running allbeit not well before the shop got i?.........who took the engine apart?........sounds like the shop lost it..........lol..........andyd.

Give me a call anytime..........Andy Douglas

As Young Ed says there are a set of fasteners hidden under the windscreen molding, also there is at least one at either end of the dash bottom corner and more than likely a couple on a bracket from the firewall that bolts onto the dash around the centre of the lower dash, also there is a bracket that holds the steering column onto the dash bottom and of course the various instrument connections, ie, water sending tube, oil line, and the various light wires, key start etc.........I just rechecked the 1946-53 Plymouth Service Manual and theres nothing that mentions the dash or even its removal that I can see.......andyd