soth122003

Hey Larkin, Welcome to the forum. First thing to do is get a shop manual for it. That book will help solve 95% of all the problems you'll have. Second thing is a basic tool kit 1/4" to 3/4" wrenches and sockets if you don't already have them. Two special tools I highly recommend are a compression tester (Harbor Freight about $20.00) and a Vacuum gage kit (again Harbor Freight about $20.00). The last thing is to research the forum. It has had almost every problem listed here at one time or another, and when in doubt ask. We be more than happy to help. Remember this, these cars were built and designed so that the average guy could work on them. The are easy to work on if you have a basic understanding of general mechanics. Joe Lee

I just thought of this. Is the balancer keyed to the crankshaft? and if so wouldn't the timing marks be directly above the key slot on the balancer? Reason I ask is I have never pulled one before. Logic is that the marks have to align with the crankshafts no.1 piston connecting rod bearing every time you remove and reinstall the balancer to ensure that the timing marks are in the same place every time. If so, remove the nut and follow the key up to make your marks. This is just my guess. Please correct me if I am wrong. Joe Lee

Hey Cold, When you examined the balancer did you wire brush it? I'd use a brass brush, the tooth brush size one. Also look at the front and back edge for the marks as well. Yours looks pretty pitted on the surface so they may not show. Joe Lee

Clean them with a wire brush and paint them with an enamel based paint. Mine have been holding air for over 6 years. Joe Lee

I don't have a dwell meter. But I do have a vacuum gage. Set the fuel mix settings and idle screws first according to the book, then hook the vacuum gage to an intake port and adjust the dizzy to the highest vacuum setting and back off by about 1-2 inches of mercury. then fiddle with the air mix screw. After all that check the timing mark and see where it sets. You can set the timing to zero degrees, but with the slop of an old engine, I believe the vacuum gage gives the best timing results. If you set the vacuum at its highest setting the engine will ping at higher rpms under load. Mine is set at about 20 inches of mercury but the highest I can set it is 22 and the engine pings at speed. When mine was all said and done the timing light shows 0 degrees on the balancer. Joe Lee

Same here except I cleaned the inside bead area and the center area then painted it to seal against any air leaks. Some rims have riveted center hubs. Joe Lee

Rich is probably right. A light sanding with emery cloth should reveal the timing marks. Plymouthy is also right that marking the balancer correctly is a pain. But Coldblue you kinda hit the nail on the head. These old flat heads are nowhere near as sensitive as the muscle cars. Marking your own timing marks is not to hard. Just pull the sparkplugs and the pipe plug at no. 6, use a piece of coat hanger about 12-16 inches long in the pipe plug, rotate the engine with your thumb over the no.1 plug hole until you feel the pressure build up and watch the coat hanger. When it tops out and starts to go back down just find the highest point of travel and mark the balancer. Have someone send you the increment measurements of the marks from zero from another balancer and use your zero mark as a starting point and add the degree marks. Then you can use the marks to time the engine with a light and get it very close. Then use a vacuum gage or dwell meter to fine tune the engine. If you haven't rebuilt the engine with new parts, this method will take into account the wear and age of the engine bearings, cam shaft and crankshaft wear as well as the timing chain slop. Joe Lee

This might help.

Check your local parts stores. They have the after market 2 wire fuel senders, or try Andy Bernbaums and order an original. If you go after market, make sure the ohms resistance setting is matched for your car. On the 46-48 plymouths I believe it is 0-22 ohms. Joe Lee

I searched youtube and this came up. Joe Lee

Hey Don, Sorry for your woes. Let's try to work this from the start. You had the distributor rebuilt changed the coil, basically did a new tune up. Now not to call you names or insinuate your not all there, but did you time it from scratch after the distributor rebuild. Set no. 1 to TDC and check the distributor is at the 7 o-clock position? I won't tell you the number of times I put mine in backwards and how I felt when I realized what I had done. Your said when you swapped distributors it ran fine. You said your checked the wires for a short did you just meter check them or did you visually inspect them as well especially where the plug wires go thru the holder just above the distributor? I've re-read both your posts just now. Did you check you gas? Pull the fuel sender and look in the tank and check for water. So try that and see if it works. !. re time engine. 2. visually inspect wires. Especially where they contact metal or hot metal when the engine warms up. 3. Check the gas for water. 4. Check the fuel lines for leaks or sucking in air. Joe Lee

Since I live here in Fla. I only use about 1/2 a gallon of antifreeze in Jan and Feb. The rest of the time I just used Distilled water. Eng runs at a constant 170F with no problem at all. Before starting, I would spin the eng by hand or wrench on the crank bolt to check for smoothness and then crank without starting to check for oil pressure. Then start the engine and if it is running fairly smooth, when it reaches correct operating temperature then time the engine. Cycle the eng for the break in time and after shut down retorque the head bolts and then change the oil. Joe Lee

Might not be of use to you since you probably garage your car, (Mine stays park outside all the time) but I use a part of a Harbor Freight outside LED solar security light. The LED part let in water and was toast, but the solar panel was fine. It puts out about 6.5 to 7 volts dc and all I did was add alligator clamps to the line and a couple of magnets to the base. When I park my car I just put it on the roof. Keeps my battery topped off just fine. Joe Lee

Try Tractor supply. Has only a one year warranty but you can get extended 2 year for about 6 bucks. 700 CCA and 875 CA. Also because they are mainly for tractors they have a decent turn over for sales. That way they don't set on the shelf for a long time. You can usually get one that has only been there for a month or so vs AutoZone that has set there for about 6 months to a year or longer. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/traveller-1-6v-heavy-duty-battery?solr=1&cm_sp=SearchPreview-_-DidYouMean-_-Product&cm_vc=-10005 Joe Lee

Hey Don, Might be the coil or the condenser. When they get hot that's where the open comes in and shuts down the engine till they cool down. But if you have spark to no. 1 and it wont start, try a little gas down the carb. If you got spark and the fuel pump is pumping then I would look at the carb. Might have crusty stuff in there that is floating and it might be plugging up the jets or the needle valve is sticking closed. When the car stops for a while and settles the clog goes away just to come back when you start driving again. Joe Lee

Welcome. Try Andy Berbaums ( www.oldmoparts.com ) , rockauto.com and Amazon. Also try your local NAPA store for generic parts like filters and o rings and gasket material. Joe Lee

Make sure your keyways fit nice and just a touch snug on the axles. Before putting the hubs on I always put a light dab of grease or anti-sieze on the axles and keyways, then using a rag make sure it is smeared around and then lightly wipe off the excess. This will make it that much easier to remove the hubs next time you have to pull for a brake job or a leaking wheel cylinder. It will also serve as a rust inhibitor. Joe Lee

If I were you, I would drain the pumpkin and see what comes out. If you have metal chunks and dust, well I think you found the problem. Also you can look into the drain plug hole and see what's what. Joe Lee

I just changed my oil yesterday. Put the new gasket on and it leaked like it was shot. Pulled the lid off and the gasket had slipped on one side. When putting a new gasket on apply a small bead of grease on the lid at the seal track to hold seal in place. This will keep the seal from slipping when you put the lid on. Don't know why I forgot that part, getting old I guess. Hey FmShultz, I noticed just now when you said the engine warms up that it leaks. Does it leak when the engine is cold on first starting? If it doesn't leak when the engine is cold, I would say you have a small crack and the hot oil and the pressure makes it spread just a bit and is causing the leak. Once the engine is warm and it is leaking find the approximate spot where it is leaking, shut it down and check that area with a magnifying glass. If it has a crack you might be able to braise or solder the crack and stop the leak. Joe Lee

Step 1. check and see if the oil filter container is out of round. If it is bent in or out just a bit it will leak. Step 2. Check the lid for deformities that won't let the seal seat right, including debris or a crack in the seal track. Step 3. If 1 and 2 are good, try using a cork gasket. Set the lid on the cork gasket material and trace around it with a pen, then cut it out. Measure the width of the gasket seat in the lid and add 1/4" to it. cut it out and set it on the filter container place lid over it and snug it down. run it and check for leaks if it weeps or leaks tighten one half tune on the bolt and try again. Step 4. If it is still leaking, you might want to consider replacing the filter assy. My guess is either one or two is the problem. Joe Lee

I've done this on helicopter hardware. Just put the o-ring in hot tap water to make it more pliable and slip it over the bolt head. Joe

I installed a mini split in my dining room in July. It does the kitchen, dining room and living room. It's 12k BTU and it heats and cools. Put the compressor part in the garage to keep it out of the weather and to keep from drilling a 3" hole through the brick exterior. It is nice and quiet and only cost $475 delivered. Joe

You can put the crimped side in the speedo or the tranny, your choice. Once you've got the length, pull the cable out of the sleeve and reverse it. I do it that way so it will be easier to measure. There's more room at the tranny connection than up under the dash and you can see what your doing a whole lot easier. What ever end you put the crimp on, DO NOT pull it through the sleeve housing. If it snags and comes off...You're hosed. Joe

Notg15 I don't think I would try for a fitting from some one else's cable length. Some are longer or shorter due to model years and cable routing. I am going to guess your kit has one end that is squared and the other has a cap that is crimped on. If so, disconnect the cable housing at the speedo and the tranny. Feed the cable thru it so the squared end is at the speedo. reconnect the speedo end and spin it to (a) make sure it is engaged in the speedo and (b) to make sure the speedo works. Then at the tranny connection see how deep the cable goes in to the tranny. Measure the depth the cable goes into the tranny and the depth of the connector that connects to the tranny. (so if the cable depth is 3/4" and the connector cap is 1/2" deep, cut it 1/4" past the connector cap. This will give you the exact length needed. You might want to go about a 1/8" longer to ensure a good fit.) and crimp the piece onto the cable and connect it to the tranny. Before crimping the cap on, I would do a test fit and make sure it isn't to long. You know what they say measure twice and cut once. You can cut to long, but if you cut to short you are hosed. Make sure to lube the cable with your choice of grease before final connections are done. (I use white lithium grease.) Also on the speedo , just above the cable hook-up, there should be a small brass tube with a wick in it. This is the lube port for the speedo. I use a light machine oil for this. I believe your shop manual specifies type and frequency of lube.

The vintage car 1935-1953 Motors Manual List a lot of info for the carters, stromburgs, holley and a another. It includes specs and tuning info as well as repair. Joe Lee