adam_knox

Its been about 12 years since I've had my 1949 Chrysler Windsor (C-45). Just doing some check ups on it and noticed the rubber on the upper control arm is cracked and slightly dry. It still has some bounce to it. Is that a big deal? Should I tackle that, or is it as long as there material there we're good?

Well took out the radiator and the heater radiator and took it to the shop today. It was clogged up. He said everything else about the radiator at first glance looked good since the previous owner had replaced the fins, so its a bit modernized. So I get it back in a week. Going to order a new thermostat, waterpump and gaskets. Was going to order it from Andy Bernbaum. Was thinking of replacing the hoses too since they are at least 12 years old and quite firm around the metal ports they were attached to. Better to get that from a local part store? Just want to get new rubber rather than something thats been sitting on a shelf for awhile drying out. When I'm flushing out the engine with a hose, should I go ahead and take off the water inlet ports/tubes by the exhaust manifold too? Was thinking about replacing my exhaust manifold gasket and gasket that goes to the exhaust pipe anyway as I have a rattling sound when I first go to accelerate in 2nd gear and I think it might be an exhaust leak (but that's for another thread!).

Thanks for the replies guys! Checked the belt, snug as usual. Talked to a radiator shop, for 80 bucks they'll boil the radiator and clean it out. So while they are doing that I'll be inspecting the pump and thermostat. Gonna keep my eye out for one of those laser temp things!

Hi gang! I have a 1949 Chrysler Windsor Convertible C-45. Its stock. Took it out the other day and if its idling it'll overheat when its 80 degrees out. If i rev the engine in neutral the temp will go down (usually runs around 180 degrees on the dash thermostat gauge). I've had the car for probably 14 years and has been pretty reliable. I like to drive the car and feel confident it will get where we're going AND back! =p So my question is, per this Hagerty article https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/dependable-cooling-system/ it says to replace the radiator. I was already planning on replacing the thermostat and water pump since I'm guessing they are hitting the end of their life (if they aren't the culprits to the overheating). In any case, replacing the radiator seems sort of overkill, not sure on the life span and reliability of our radiators. Anyone have experience taking them to a radiator shop and having them refurbish 'em? Just want to bullet proof as much as I can without being too wasteful or leaving the stock set up I have.

So casper, if your battery is dead from trying to turn over the engine, you can use the engine start mode and the 100 amps is enough to to crank your 6 volt starter? If yours is the one I saw at orioles it's on wheels and going for $120, 20 bucks more than mine....I might need to upgrade!

Wow, revisiting this thread 7 years later. Norm you were a swell guy. Technology has finally caught up to Norm's standards. I just bought a 6/12v charger that has an engine start mode. However, it only cranks out 85 amps for 5 seconds and then needs 3 minutes to "cool down" before getting another shot at getting the car to start. I'm guessing 85 amps isn't enough to start our cars (and rarely would my 6 volt car fire up in less than 5 seconds on the first go!). Does anyone know how many amps we'd need to supplement a dead battery? Might return this charger if it doesn't give enough juice.

Took the Chrysler out for a spin. There had been a slight rattle coming from the front of the car only when accelerating. Sounded like a small nut or something (I figured I had dropped a nut or something when under the hood). Anyways, took it for a spin on the freeway, smoke started coming out of the tailpipe and then the engine died on me. Looked like oil was dripping from the tail pipe. Finally have settled and have a space to work on the car. I need to read up on diagnosing what's wrong with the engine and what I should do. Ideally I would like to fix whatever it is myself but I also don't want to overlook something or repair it wrong. I'm not opposed to having a shop fix the engine, as it would hopefully be done sooner and done correctly, just cost a bit more. One idea I had was to find a spare engine toss that in, and then I could work at a more leisurely pace on fixing mine. Unsurprisingly, I haven't seen anything on craigslist. Prior to me purchasing the car the engine had been rebuilt, so I'm assuming I'll have to factor that in if any boring or whatnot needs to be done. Anyway, just wanted to start this thread to chart the process of the project. Any thoughts, tips or suggestions along would be appreciated. 1949 Chrysler Windsor C-45 Unmodified car with 6 cylinder Spitfire engine On a side note, wanted to say "Aloha!" to the old gang, haven't been on the site or around in a couple of years. Can't wait to read up on what ya'll have been up to and catch up with you!

Hey gang! Just as a heads up, I'm deleting the old forum's unofficial member's map from the old site. GTK created an official one under the tab "Members", or at this link: http://p15-d24.com/index.php?app=membermap Its great to have an up-to-date map so if you got a moment, feel free to add yourself to it if you haven't already. Looks like our latest count is 134 users. Let's see if we can break 200! Kind regards, Adam

Update! Back on the road! Looks like the problem was the carb I had rebuilt, it was dumping gas out the adjustment screw. Took it to a local mechanic who helped me piece together one of my older carbs and do the timing. Was very grateful I had someone with experience helping me out, had a broken ground in my distributor and helped explain the what's, how's and whys. He really saved you guys from a flood of questions coming from me! Plus, there's no way I could have gotten it figured out in time before my tools had to packed away and us moved out. Anyways, just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their advice and experience. i'm now the wiser and can do a tune-up with confidence.

When you say you can't get it in gear, does that mean when you have it shifted into "3rd" the engine just revs? Will "reverse" work just fine? If its the M6 transmission with fluid drive your carb and engine have to be adjusted properly. Just got mine back on the road, everything was all out of whack for for a bit and the car would be stuck whilst driving, often it seemed like it would get stuck between shifting from 3rd to overdrive. Got the carb issue solved and timed the car properly and it drives like its coming off the showroom floor again. My 1956 Motors Manual has a trouble shooting section. Do you have access to manuals? Let me know if you don't and I'll see if I can scan it for you. Good luck!

Hey Alex, I have a 49 Chrysler convertible, but I don't have a top on it and it is misaligned. I can measure it for you if you think it would, but I won't be able to get to the car until after Thanksgiving.

Ed, you got the name/business card of the mechanic whose book that was by any chance?

Thanks Tom for the encouragement. I think I've got all the tools and books, just not the time at the moment. I have to move with sort of short notice, thus the work space and tools will no longer be available for about 8 months. Under normal circumstances I would putz and tinker until I think I got it right (only to find out a hundred miles later I actually didn't, and then get it right the second time! ) Unfortunately, I sort of would like/need the car to be in the best condition possible since I will not be able to bandage and fix any problems for while. But if I do wind up taking it to the shop, I'm hoping they won't mind me watching, even if its from beyond the shop floor doors! Thanks for the break down of hours of labor. I would make mint as a mechanic; I can turn any 1 hour job into a 3+ hour job easily!

Robert, thanks for explanation and word of caution. Sort of bummed that mine is doing that, since the engine was rebuilt prior to my ownership, probably about 12,000 miles ago. Oh well, you can't expect a 60 year old car to hide its age for too long. I'll keep an eye on that carb and get it fixed one way or another. I do have a small exhaust lead between the exhaust manifold and tailpipe, and a new muffler that needs to get put on as the old one is apparently blown. Will that greatly impair the timing/tune-up process? I'm looking at the calendar and my list of things to do and I may need to take it to a shop for a tune-up. I was really hoping to do it myself, but realistically I won't be able to give it the attention it deserves. When looking for a place to do a tune-up, how many hours of labor is "normal" for job for a "tune-up" (set points, adjust carb/vacuum and timing)? Would you guys say 2 hours is a fair estimate? I'm gonna try to contact the local car club around here and see if someone with experience can walk me through it or if they have a place to recommend. Really bummed too, I found a 6 volt dwell/tach and was looking forward to learning how to use it. I just know I won't have four hours of head scratching to spare. The crash course may have to wait a bit.

Thank you so much Tom! I shall hold off my concerns then until it's properly timed and such.

First of all, thanks to everyone on the valve cover and fuel pump tips! Everything is assembled and thus far no leaks on that end. Here's my two questions: 1. My oil breather cap has some good 'ol grey smoke rising from it after I drove it around the block (has not gotten up to operating temp yet). Is this normal? I know its a "breather" cap, just haven't noticed it before. Previously I attributed any fumes to the exhaust leak coming from where the heat riser should be, which is now hopefully sealed. Where the valve covers were, everything looked clean, as the one thing I actually know how to do well and often is an oil change! 2. I put on a rebuilt carburetor because my old one was leaking. This one appears to drip once the engine is off. Is that expected our carbs? If not, I guess I have to mail it back to them to adjust the float/seals as it voids the warranty if I take anything off. Caveats: I haven't done a tune-up yet, so it's still running rough. Just curious if either of these are issues that need to be of concern or if they are normal for 60+ year old cars...

Glad to hear the car fired up...well, the starting fire, not the actual fire!

Just be careful with the "broker" transporters. What I did what hire a company and said I would pay X amount of dollars. Then truckers would accept the bid based on the price I was offering and the route. Unfortunately when I had my car shipped it was right when the gas prices shot up and where the car was located was not on a major trucking route. Waited about a month for the car. Make sure you inspect your car very well. I did not see the car in person before I bought it and there were damages I failed to see (the front grill chrome was dented and gouged... still looking for one more replacement bar). Plus my top ripped off and snapped the top bow pivot bolt. Still don't know if it will align properly. In anycase, I had already signed the form. It will cost me more to repair the car than it did to ship it from CA to WI. I vote road trip it! At least if it gets damaged you get to enjoy the memory of the trip.

Looks nice! Won't be long until your car, like all dominant species, marks its territory with a few drips of oil on the floor!

Here's the thread when I had a similar problem: http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=31758 I'm going off of not much sleep, but you can jump the two big posts if you have a push button tester. I used to use a screwdriver, but the guys at the starter shop said not to do that because you can damage the posts if you arch it. Have another member verify this tip, as I said, I'm pretty tired and I seriously lack much experience and any formal/informal training on the proper ways to do car repair. Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be to have this gorgeous car with 4 wheels in your garage and she won't turn over. It'll happen, just keep at it. Totally worth the frustration!

Looks like we all missed out on quite a good time! I was thinking about ya'll as I was packing boxes today. I think I'm pretty warmed up for a game of horseshoes after tossing things in the trashcan from across the room all day... Thanks for sharing the pics!

Thanks for grease idea Merle! I'll give that pin one more good whack to see if its snug...

Well I tried with no avail to get that pin in any further, but it looks like they put a clip around the other end... Ed, hopefully I too can get 17K out of this pin! I think the oil leak was due to bad seals. Both cover seals had cracks. i took a picture of the inside since I've never really done this before, nothing looks gunked up. Valves: http://imgur.com/a/8QK81#0 Some of the valves springs/shafts appear to be different heights, but I'm assuming that's normal. I haven't delved into learning the detailed inner workings of an engine yet, so as long as nothing is glaring that requires immediate attention I'm going to start putting it all back together.

Thanks Shel, gonna see if I can find a vise to push it in a bit.

Thanks Don! I saw that in your prior post, can I just scrape out that gunk with a screw driver if it is clogged? Should I run that engine cleaner through the oil after doing it? And no gasket sealer should be needed right, the cork should do just fine? Thanks again for the tip!