soth122003

Hey Keith, wonder if a low speed drill (about 20 rpm) would save the back and shoulders? Your more or less cleaning up the seats, not cutting new ones. Just a thought. Joe Lee

You said that was a spare engine. When I first got my P-15, it hadn't run in a few years, the compression was low like that. I did a wet comp check and it came up some, about 75 psi or so across the pistons with one being about 50. Letting the engine run for a while, about an hour or so the compression started going up. Now it's about 115-120 across all the pistons. Your rings are probably stuck and just need some exercise to work them out to operate properly. As I recall in one of Keith's videos, he has those seat reamers to recondition the valve seats. Might hit him up and see if he'll come over and help you with that. Joe Lee

Nice pics. Thanks for sharing. All the cars spool me up with envy cause they look so good, however the one that really tickled me was the wagon with the camping tent on the top. Now that was a cool looking display. Joe Lee

If you take the timing chain cover off make sure you mark the sprockets so you can put it back the way it was or you will have to start from scratch and reset the timing alignment of the cam and crankshaft. Joe Lee

I think the reason the numbers change is the manufacturer of the bearing is not the original manufacturer. A 209 made by a different company might be 1256387-209-3. Some people that are problems in an area are promoted out of the way, work in a new supervisory position and just love to put their spin on things. Joe Lee

That would be me. It was the furthest one back by the starter and the engine was in the car. On the bottom of my air hammer is a valve adjuster and turned all the way out it do a slow pulse pound like thump, thump, thump, instead out the machine gun effect like most of them. Trigger control is highly recommended as well. Joe Lee

Valves usually do not lock up an engine. As long as the cam shaft lifters push the valves up the engine should rotate. However with valves stuck up, it can stop the engine from starting or running. The cam and lifter push the valve up easier than the spring can bring them down. Hence if the valves are stuck up, they are usually gummed up there. It will be a waiting game. Patience is the key thing here. Soak the valves with your mix of whatever and wait a day or two. Then try tapping on the valves sticking up with a rubber or rawhide mallet. Don't beat them like they owe you money, just light tapping at first, then a little more force. If the valve moves down, let set for a day with a new application of break-free or whatever you are using. If they don't move spray more break-free and wait another few days. I've heard from some members it can take weeks to free up stuck valves and engines. Looking at the pics on your other thread, the valves are most likely gummed up. The solvent should start breaking them free before to long, but if the engine does not rotate, you could bend the valve shaft by prying on them with a screwdriver or pry bar. Then they will be a bite to get out. The key thing is to try and let the camshaft push the valves up using the lifter, as it will apply a more steady even pressure to the valve stem. If you can turn the engine over by hand, try a rotation and see if the valves move. Make a note of witch ones move and just allow them to soak. The ones that don't move, if stuck in the up position, apply break-free and then tap down again. The key thing is to try and let the camshaft/lifter push the valves up. If the engine does not turn, that should be the first thing to try and free up. Pull the radiator and use a socket on the crank and a long heavy breaker bar and try to rock the crank back and forth, starting from left to right as you are looking at it. Again start out light and then steadily apply more force. Chances are it will take a few days to a few weeks to get the engine and valves to free up. Just be patient. If the engine still won't move, pull the oil pan and loosen the crankshaft bearings just a bit. If it moves you know one of the bearings is bad, if not loosen up the piston rods connecting to the crankshaft. If it still does not move, it's more than likely the pistons. Just remember, take it slow and don't try to brute force the engine. You can also try to use a wood piece (2x4) and a mallet to tap on the pistons. Again don't beat them, just firmly tap them to try and break them free. Once the engine is moving a bit more break-free and try to rotate a full turn watching the valves. Joe Lee

With pulling the dizzy more than a few times on the same job, make sure you don't install it 180 degrees out. Done that once or twice pulling the dizzy and installing it and then wonder why it won't start, or worse yet backfire and scare the crap out of you. Joe Lee

Page 259 of the manual is the door alignment to the body, which is basically the same as door not close right. After lubing the latches, close the door slowly and watch as it hits the striker. Does the door move up or down or does it just get hard? Up or down should be a striker adjustment. If it closes hard might be a shim problem. Joe Lee

Possible as the engine gets to operating temp, it causes the fuel lines close to the block to expand a bit and suck air through an itty bitty hole. That or that rubber line before the fuel pump is warmed up and may be degraded on the inside causing a small crack to suck air or the line itself to collapse due to increased demand from the fuel pump. Joe Lee

If you have a 2 wire sender, you probably have the Thermostatic fuel gage. If you can check the back of your fuel gage it should have 3 connection posts labeled 1, 2 and ign. or bat. If so it will matter where you hook up the wires. Hook them up wrong and the unit reads backwards. Joe Lee

Said you had air in the filter by carb. Quick check is to run it and watch the filter. If it bubbles, check the fuel pump or the short rubber liner just before the fuel pump. Those lines, when old are prone to collapse and/or sucking air. Joe Lee

What oil are you using? 10w30 pressure will drop. Straight weight just drops a little, I think. Joe Lee

This thread got me to reminising about another young mopar fan. Nickpicktoo. For the newer members check out this thread of Nick's journey with his mopar. His family helped support him with the financing, but made him do all the work. My First Car -- P15 1947 Plymouth Deluxe I think he was 16 when he started and didn't even have his drivers permit yet, but damn if he didn't do a great job on his car, learning as he went. Joe Lee

NOW NOW no dissin Ivan. All of us have differing backgrounds and ways of doing things. I saw the job he did on his car with the carpet and siding. It was really nice looking. That being said, A lot of us on the forum started with nothing more than a junker we had to fix up and drive for few years then either fix it for the better or scrap them and buy another junker. Couldn't afford the good running ones, but that is how we learned by trial and error. Looking back on it, most of us wouldn't trade those memories for nothing. (Walking to school 6 miles, uphill, both ways in the snow) The nice thing about leaning by doing it this way is if it breaks down on the road, you can repair it enough to get you home, then fix it better. As my dad would say "It builds character". or "Don't worry son It will make a man out of you". Like Keith's photo, that brought back a lot of memories working in the dirt, rain, cold just to get a car that wasn't worth squat to work because.... Merica. (or Canada) Joe Lee

Cool story! you might ask the current owners if they did more than just the genny on it. Back then more car owners brought the whole car in for work instead of just the part. It was a more personable time back then and customers were more likely to know the mechs working on the car. Unlike today where you are just a number to most. Joe Lee

Do you have the oil filter cannister that you can change out the filter only? Pull the top and see if oil is in the filter area. If it is then yes your oil is being filtered. If not then check the relief spring for debris or a broken spring. I know mine works form changing the oil and not seating the gasket correctly in the lid. Oil all over that side of the engine. Joe Lee

Hey Cooper, The 2 sheets of plywood will cover the work area just fine. If you want you can add a 3rd one for extra space/piece of mind. Just make sure they are at least 3/4 of an inch thick and lay them lengthwise to each other to make a 8x8 foot or 8x12 foot (3 pieces) work area . Sniper has a valid thought that the jack stand will cut thru the plywood, hence the 3/4 inch thickness, plus if you put a scrap piece of wood under the jack stand, it will take the initial gouging. Jack stands? Harbor Freight 3 ton work just fine. Jack? Pittsburg 3 ton Harbor Freight. NOW a lot of people dismiss HB as cheap tools. They are, If you are a professional mechanic. If you just use the tools for a few projects they work just fine. HB has a lifetime replacement for the hand tools (wrenches, screwdrivers and the like) For power tools it's usually a year or two warranty. Still Craigslist, yard sales, flea markets and the like can be a good source for older specialty tools. A lot of the tools you will buy, will based off your occupation and monetary funds available. Myself, I was an aircraft mech for over 30 years, so I needed good tools that would last the use and beatings I gave them. If I was a shoe salesman I would not spend thousands of dollars on tools I would only use a few times. (Unless I had more money than sense) These cars were built so the average guy or girl, with a set of wrenches and sockets and a screwdriver, could do most of the maintenance on them in the driveway or garage. They are not that complicated as long as you have a basic understanding of mechanics (fire, air and fuel are the three things needed to run on of these cars). If done carefully, getting it unstuck will likely not cause any more damage. These cars engines were built like tanks. They can take a lot of abuse before failure. Looking at the top end with the head off I'd say the rings are stuck. Some MMO or acetone/hydro fluid should loosen it up and come unstuck with time and patience. Getting it unstuck and cleaned up can get it running and driveable for a while so he can save up for the more heavy maintenance at a later date. I don't know Coopers' particulars and it's not my business, but when I was 23, I was always broke and had to do a lot on a shoe string budget, saving up for the bigger things I wanted. Now if he is swimming in money, my advice is just that, advice. If he is shy of funds my advice can be seen as pearls of wisdom, learned over a lifetime of just getting by. Either way that's my story and I'm sticking to it. But the best advice I can give is take your time, be safe, have fun with this and learn from doing things yourself. Joe Lee

Looking sharp. Since you're in Florida, you come by and do mine next. LOL Joe Lee

Hey Cooper, welcome to the forum. Nice car. The engine looks to be in decent shape, but will definitely need the cylinders honed at a minimum or bored to take out the rust if it is to deep for the hone. Since you say this is your first project, i have a couple of questions. 1. Do you have a service manual? If not get one. It has a lot of good info in it. 2. Do you plan to keep it on the grassy area or move it to a concrete area? If you are going to stay in the grass, get 2 sheets of 3/4 inch 4x8 foot plywood sheets and park the car on that. This will allow you to use jacks and stands with out sinking in the ground and it should keep the car level. Plus when you drop things (and you will) it makes it easier to find them. 3. If you stay outside while working on this, get a 10x10 foot tarp to cover the car during rain. That center piece running in the middle of the hood is not waterproof. (hence the rusted plugs. ask me how I know) 4. Depending on how deep your pockets are, while trying to unseize the engine, work on the other things you know will need to be done. The carb, the distributor, the fuel system and the brakes are the first things that come to mind and in that order. The carb is an easy thing with kits about $50-60. The fuel pump. Has it been upgraded to ethanol resistant or will you run ethanol free gas in the car? The distributor will most likely need cleaning at the least and points rotor and cap at worst. When ordering or buying parts for the carb or the distributor, order by model number of the part you are fixing and not for the 49 Plymouth. Carbs and distros on these cars are very inter-changeable from like 1937 to 1953. Is the carb a B&B or a Stromburg? The model no. will be on the top of the carb on the slanted part. Is the distro a IGT, IGS, IGW, IAT etc.. it will have a plate riveted to side of the distro with the numbers you need. Seems like I might be throwing a lot at you, but at least you can re-visit the thread and see what comes next. Also there are a lot of very knowledgeable and funny old people with ideas and wisdom on this forum Just ask and they will toot their own horns pretty loudly. All kidding aside, we have made the same mistakes you will make, we just did it eons ago but still remember how dumb we felt when we finally figured something out. We may kid you some, but any one who is into old cars is more than welcome here. So please don't hesitate to ask questions. Joe Lee

I got mine from the local auto supply, car quest I think, regular fuel filler hose, no wire and had to cut to length. Cut about 3-4 inches longer, a little dish soap and slid it on the tank far enough to line it up with the filler port and then slid it on to it, leaving about 1 1/2 inches on the tank pipe. Clamped it down and it's been good for about 10 years now. Joe Lee

Here your go Jim.

There is a thread called "Speedometer needle bouncing" that should answer most of your questions as to why the speedo is bouncing and what to lube it with. You should be able to reach under your dash and feel the connection of the speedo cable and undo by hand. They shouldn't be that tight. I usually reach under, disconnect and pull it out in the car. Then clean and lube with white lithium, re-install and screw it back in. Check to make sure the cable is broke, if the cable is broke, measure the pieces and go from there. Joe Lee

I use the corn gas in everything. The cost of regular gas is about a dollar more a gallon. But that being said I use Stabil in the gas tanks of things that don't get much use monthly. Seems to keep the gas good for a good while. One of the things I did worry about was having enough gas on hand to outlast a power outage. Enter my RV. Used for GTFODdge from hurricanes, it has a tank capacity of 60 gallons. I need to take a trip in it as the gas is almost 2 years old, but with the Stabil x2 the gas is still good. Joe Lee

Thanks for sending them this way Kilgore47. The storms that hit you are currently pummeling our area. The saving grace is they are moving pretty fast. Like you and Plymouthy, I also have a generator bought in 2005 for the hurricanes that sometimes visit our area. Once a year pull it out and run it for about 20 minutes with a load to make sure it works as a just in case we lose power. add stabil to the gas, then shut off the fuel petcock and run the gen out of gas so the carb doesn't gunk up while setting. Starts on the first pull every time I do this. Luckily we didn't lose power, but if we did I am ready for it. Had birthday/Fathers day (me and my son in law have a birthday 3 days apart) reservations yesterday in Destin Fl. about 15 miles away (my daughter set it up). Just as we left, the bottom dropped out of the sky. It took over an hour to get there and then an hour to get back a few hours later because, Saturday in Destin during summer. All the tourists in Destin at dinner time. The storms dropped visibility to about 1 mile then the rain dropped it to yards. Have I mentioned I hate going to Destin on the weekends, especially during the summer? During heavy storms? With the lightning banging around like the wrath of God? Then the place I picked because it was the only one that had Bread pudding on the menu, ran out the night before. While I will say getting there and back sucked, the dinner with my family was nice. I talk to my dad about this regularly, but have you noticed the increase in traffic at all times during the day and evening on roads that were once only busy during the morning and afternoon work times? Seems like everyone has to go somewhere all the time for no apparent reason at all. Now add in the storms and you get gridlock, in a small town no less. The one good thing about the storms (beside needing the rain) was I have 2 250 gallon totes that Mama uses to water her gardens that were completely empty on Thursday. Last night they were completely full. 500 gallons of water in 2 days? I can live with that. Okay, done with the rant for now. Wait a moment.... Oh yeah, GET OFF MY LAWN and SLOW DOWN THER"S KIDS AROUND HERE! .... OK done now. Joe Lee