adam_knox

Hmm, just opened up the new fuel pump, apparently its s'posed to have a gasket...the old one didn't. As of course, I had no idea of the location of the "fuel suction being in the up or down position." When I push down on the lever, it should only go down about 1/4 of an inch, correct? One little side note, there's a cam lever pin that goes through the pump body. It sticks out on one end a bit, and as a result is not flush on the other end. I bought this new/rebuilt. Do I have to tap that in further, or is that normal? Pin sticking out: Other side:

So another learning opportunity for me. Replacing the mechanical fuel pump, valve cover gaskets, a new rebuilt carb and putting the exhaust manifold back on. Wondering if there's any tips from you guys outside of what's in the manual. The valve cover that is closest to the front of the car is leaking. So that's why I'm putting a new seal on. Do I just unscrew the wingnuts and put the new cork one in? Just wondering if I ought to use a gasket sealer as well. The fuel pump came out super easy. Always a little surprised when there's no gasket. Do I have to get anything lined up or can I finangle it in? Just don't want to break anything. I'm going to plug the hole where the heat riser is supposed to be with a bolt and a copper washer. This is like my 4th time taking off the manifold. I've always used a gasket sealer in addition to the felpro gasket. You guys think I can get away with just the felpro gasket? I'm sort of on a time crunch with having to pack up the garage and not having to wait 24 hours for the gasket to cure would be really nice. Man, wish I could be tuning up the car to head to Tim's for the shindig. While I'm turning wrenches I'll be thinking of ya'll!

Hey mate, not too sure off the top of my head but the wiring diagram for the 49 in the gallery section under electrical. Hopefully that will help. I had my starter rebuilt which worked fine in the shop and then when I installed it I had the same problem. The culprit? Not grounded well enough. I can check my car tomorrow night and let you know what goes where on a stock car if you don't get it figured out by then. Good luck!

Hey that's great! Thanks for info, had no idea the site was going to be doing an upgrade!

Hey Greg, I'd have no prob keeping up with the info if some other frequent forum contributors want to be the contact people. I just fired up the old spreadsheet with the following columns: State City Name Phone # E-mail Garage/Tools I figure that ought to cover the essentials in case of a roadside assistance issue. If ya'll want we can then make a sticky post so we know who to contact for changing our info and who to message when there is an emergency. Thoughts?

As the saying goes, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder." So that means you ought to take her out for a long distance drive to Tim's for a cookout!

Glad to hear things are on the up! Keep enjoying those car rides and we'll keep enjoying the photos! =)

My family just sent word from the HWY 18 Drive-In newsletter that they're looking for 50's and earlier car's and owners to be in a B-film... I'd go but with with being 800 miles away and still no top on the Chrysler odds are it would rain sometime along the way there! Here's the info if any of ya' wanna get your big Hollywood break. Important Announcement: As some of you may know, Christopher Mihm is an independent filmmaker from Minnesota who specializes in making movies in the style of the cheap, cheesy horror/science fiction schlockfests of the 50’s (which were a staple of Drive In Theatres in those days). We run his newest offering every summer as a third feature. Well, his newest blockbuster, “The Giant Spider”, a film reminiscent of the atomic-radiation-turns-ordinary-garden-pests-into-huge-rampaging-monsters scare-a-thon, will be filming a scene at the Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre on August 25th and there is a need for extras with 1950’s restored cars. The scene calls for the cars lined up to see a Drive In movie and then terrified people fleeing from The Giant Spider. Please email me your interest. You must have a 50’s style car and wear 50’s style clothes. No one’s getting paid; this is just for fun (although you will get your name in the ending credits). Regards, Lee Burgess, Owner www.highway18.com www.highway18.com/blog http://www.facebook.com/pages/Highway-18-Outdoor-Theatre/126081654077220

Oh boy! I hope we can make it this year! I won't know what my schedule is until October, but circling it on our calendar! Will bring desserts. When its just the two of us there's hardly a justification to make desserts, but now we have a reason to make some tortes!

Thanks for tips guys. For some reason my entire heat riser is missing, all I have are studs sticking out from the accessible side. Time and funds are short on this side, as per usual, so I'm thinking of trying the brass tapping screw method. I shall keep ya'll posted!

For some reason there's a metal stud on the other side, so no leak over there. Ed, do you know if can I just pull that one stud out with a vice grips and then do the long bolt idea or do I have to take off the manifold to back it out from the inside? You really have me excited about the possibility of not having to take the manifold off!

Well I've decided to temporarily seal up the hold on the side of my exhaust manifold where the missing heat riser is supposed to mount. I don't want to weld it for the chance scenario I can come across a decently priced heat riser and live in a appropriate climate; so I've decided to seal it with a bolt, washers and nuts. Should I be concerned about using a different kind of metal for the bolt? Would hate for my cheap solution be an expensive repair should the varying cooling/heating temperatures of two different metals cause the manifold to crack! Any words of wisdom? I was hoping for a solution that doesn't involve me taking of the manifold to fix, but the pressure of the air seems too strong for a simple cork-like solution.

Take care of yourself Bob, try not to get hooked on too many soaps whilst kicking back in the recliner! You an' ol' Cooper will be back on the road in no time. Be sure to keep the docs, nurses and pharmacists informed of any aches, leaks or euphoria. They can help treat those pesky chemo side effects when you tell them honestly how you're feeling. No need to play Mr. Tough Guy!

Lol, its funny you should mention that. They painted it and it looked shiny and new. However, its tricky to get it lined up to get mounted. Since I've put it in and taken it so many times, plus they did too, the newly rebuilt starter now looks like its original from all the scratches and scuffs!

Update! Got it to the shop via tow-truck. The shop scratched their heads a bit but eventually found the problem to be a grounding issue. Thing starts like a champ now! Thanks everyone for all your help. Feels great to have it back on the road!

I too bought the same set. Broke on the first hit. I don't know how long the drums had been on. Luckily a brake shop found someone who had and old puller to use. I would recommend not purchasing this. Spend the extra money just in case you do get a drum that sticks.

Thanks for the replies guys. The starter and solenoid (mounts right on top of the starter) are original and I just had them rebuilt for a stock 6 volt. So here's what I've done after reading your posts. Cleaned all connections from the battery to the starter Charged the battery and had it checked at the auto parts store (don't have a spare 6 volt battery to use). Everything checked out, was reading about 6.45 volts. When the key is turned the solenoid engaged If I run the battery to starter motor terminal and it spins If I run the battery to the starter motor terminal via a jumper cable AND trigger the starter solenoid it cranks the engine (although when I did that test it wasn't a strong crank and the battery was putting out 6.21 volts). There wasn't enough crank to get it to turn over So I'm thinking either I'm still overlooking something or maybe Capt. Den is on to something with the switch contact gap/washer... So the shop I had the starter rebuilt at wants me to bring the car with the starter so they can see if its something I'm doing wrong or if there's a fault with the starter. I hate to tow the car for something so rather "simple." Can I crank the engine with me engaging both the solenoid and the starter motor or could I damage the motor that way? My other idea is to pop the clutch, but I've never done that (let alone with the M5 transmission) and seeing that the car has been parked for like 2 months now its prolly gonna take a coupla tries. Would it be just as effective to pop the clutch in reverse (seeing that the car is pulled into the garage engine first)?

So I had my starter rebuilt and after i installed it the solenoid engages, but there's no spinning (no "wrrr wrrr wrrr"). Took it back to the shop and they hooked it up to 12 volts and spun fine on the bench. I have it hooked up the exact same way my old one was hooked up. Took the new battery I installed to get double checked (a-OK). I cleaned all the wires, can't figure out what the issue is. If the solenoid goes in, that would mean all the wires are hooked up and transferring enough energy right? Any tips would be helpful.

Thanks for the links guys. The brake conversion process looks intriguing. I bought a brake drum puller this week. Can't wait to give it a whack and see how hard it is to get the rear drums off.

Thanks for the lead Don. I'll give them a call, see if maybe they have two in stock they could compare. Just planning for the inevitable day of obsolescence.

Howdy! So the starter clutch went on my car (1949 Chrylser 6-cylinder). Apparently they can't be rebuilt (according to the local starter repair shop). My car is so quirky when it comes to parts (basically most parts are only usable between 1949-50 cars), I wanted to see if anything is interchangeable with later years. I saved my old one and thought maybe someone has a busted one I could compare to. Hoping maybe the interchange guides from the 50's and such are just listing the difference on some minor technicality rather than incompatibility... Also, does anyone know why the brake drums are different on the 49/50 models? Would love to find out that 1948 or 1951 drums were kosher to swap out without any major mods. If I found drums that were say, from a Plymouth, would I be able to just swap out the brake backing plates and shoes or would I have to do the cylinders and the whole kit and kaboodle? Trying to keep my car as original as possible, so if anyone has a 49 Chrysler they are converting to disc brakes or 12 volt, let me know! P.S. All you GA and Southern neighbors, sorry I haven't been able to be more social But if anyone is ever in the Savannah area, feel free to swing on by, I can cook a few burgers on the grill and show ya' some cool sights to see.

Take care Randy, be sure to communicate with the doctors, nurses and pharmacists about how you're feeling during your stay.You're in good hands at the VA. Oh, and try not to get hooked too bad on any daytime soaps while you're there!

Thanks Rusty for the info, sorry for linking to the wrong source.

Hey Rusty, do you have a source for the manual that claims the fluid drive oil should never be changed? I'm pretty sure my manual has it listed as a maintenance item and http://www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Lit/Master/049/page29.htm says every 20K mi. Just curious if they posted an update after 1950 or something. Thanks!

What if you bought one and just put a retro face on it in the same font as the car? I would imagine it wouldn't be too hard with some photoshop software. Just maybe some tinkering to get the markings lined up.