mattimuss

Hey All, I stumbled upon the "marine clean & slow cooker" subject while reading the posts in this forum from the gentleman that made all the restoration videos. Here is the reply that sent me on the chase: I was wondering what web site Tom was referencing so I could read up on this method. I want to avoid mixing the concoction too "hot" and having my wife or daughter find me passed out on the floor of my garage. However...I think she just increased my life insurance policy so she may want me to experiment! Just kidding! I did an Internet search but didn't find anything. This sounds very interesting and I thought that others had already tried it. I think I'll start off with a 1:10 mixture ratio and see how it goes... If you guys don't hear from me in a couple days check the San Diego cragislist for my '41...

Hey Greg, Car is sitting on jack stands, diff vent is out of housing and everything is off the diff housing up to the shims. The passenger side it actually dripping and there is diff oil in the bearings on the driver's side. I figure I have to replace the inside seals but wanted to make sure before tearing into it further.

Hey All, Quick question: Should I be seeing diff oil coming out of the axle bearings?

Alright Guys & Gals, 82 views and not one answer?! Come on... What, do I stink? I shower and brush my teeth twice a day so that can't be it... I haven't said or done anything bad yet and have been a "good netcitizen", so that can't be it... You guys are starting to give me an inferiority complex here... I'll go sit in the corner now...

Hey Big Daddy, Cool pic from the Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum! We, my club, made a run up there last year. Awesome place! Tons of vintage cars, auto paraphernalia, and cool displays. Here are a few more pic for those who have never been there: http://motorheadmisfits.com/Events/2013%20Deer%20Park/2013deerpark.html

Hey All, I was reading a topic in here about using a slow cooker and some Marine Clean. This combo sounds like it really does a nice job on dirty parts. I searched for more info on this method, both within this forum and on the Internet, no joy. Can anyone elaborate? Mix ratios? Cook time? Toxicity levels? Smells? As always, thanks in advance for any help provided.

No joy on Rock Auto, unless another year/make/model works on the '41. I am very open to that!!! They do have rebuild kits but Steve at Bush says the wheel cylinders are beyound rebuild kit help...

Mornin' All, I took the master & wheel cylinders down to Bush Brakes. The master cylinder was repairable, all four wheel cylinders are junk. Has anyone purchased replacement wheel cylinders from Andy Bernbaum? I spent a couple hours working on the car last night, mostly cleaning brake parts. I took the time to clean the baking plate and axle on the passenger side, the side that is leaking gear lube. After thoroughly cleaning and drying I let it set for a few minutes. When I came back there was new gear lube seeping and pooling at the bottom of the bearing area, so it looks like I'm pulling an axel. I did a search for "rearend seals" within the forum and read the results. If I read these correctly all I have to do is pull the backing plate and the axel, with bearings pressed on, and the seals should come out. I do not need all the special tools recommended in the service manual? Is it really that easy? Are there any recommendations on reassembly? Where is the best place to get replacement seals? If I replace one side I might as well do the other too...

What the???!!! Whoever engineered the master cylinder configuration in a '41 Plymouth should have his testicles removed via his toes! I have to tell you guys that I have replaced several master cylinders throughout my life...and this one is hands down the worst I have ever worked on! My God, what a mess... Ok, I've vented enough...maybe. The master cylinder was in practically the same condition as the wheel cylinders, so I'm very happy that I pulled it...maybe...I'll let you know in the morning. I will be taking the master and wheel cylinders in tomorrow to see if they can be sleeved/rebuilt. I'll keep y'all posted. So now to all you "Master Plymouth Mechanics", any tips/tricks on putting the master cylinder back in, without hurting myself or kicking the dog, because all I see is a nightmare awaiting my sorry a$$! On a good note, after sitting for almost two weeks I hooked up the battery, pumped the gas pedal once, pulled the choke out and pressed the starter button. She fired right up. I took the time to let her warm up and adjusted the idle down. This somewhat counters the master cylinder debacle...maybe.

Hey All, Yea Dave, I had pretty much already made up my mind to fab new brake lines. Might as well get 'em done now while I have the brakes all apart. I taught myself brake and fuel line fab on my '69 A108. I find it to be kinda fun doing those [see picture]. Thanks 'Death', you jogged a dormant part of my brain. We have a similar business out here called Bush Brakes. I called the owner and chatted with him about the master cylinder and tha wheel cylinders. He can re-sleeve the wheel cylinders for $70-$75 each and will take a look at the master cylinder before quoting. I would rather go this route than Chinese junk. Steve, the owner, did a great job rebuilding the Budd calipers on my '68 New Yorker. Thanks Lumpy, I would never have guessed that. And since I have yet to drive the car it would have been a long time till I figured that out!

Hey All, "Life" took over and has kept me away from both the '41 and here. Had visits from both in-laws and out-laws the last two weeks. In-laws from S, Carolina and Hawaii. My brother [the out-law] is an OTR driver and he 'popped' in for the weekend. So I have been playing host, cook, chauffeur and entertainer. Gotta love it... I was able to put a few hours in this evening which lead to the complete tear down of the brakes. The wheel cylinders are toast [see pictures]. The pistons are either rusted solid or have turned to sludge. The sludge is something totally new to me...very interesting! I was able to pull all the soft...well, not so soft lines. They are hard and cracked. I also got the rear distribution block and differential vent off. While totally coated with grime, I was able to blow through the vent. That doesn't mean anything as I might have unclogged it when I removed it. Going to clean/service both and blow some air through them. Next I will pull the master cylinder and the brake lines to it and either clean/service the lines or make new ones. I am guessing replacements are in order based on the wheel cylinders and how rusty the brake lines across the differential are. Lastly, what is the elongated thing above the speedometer on the dash [see dash picture]? I'll keep posting as I work through this....

Howdy All! Been busy all week with visiting family so not much time to work on the ol' girl. Got out there early this morning and started tearing into the brakes. The "Old Car Gods" must have been watching over my sorry butt because I was able to get all four hubs off in less than ten minutes each! But that's where their monitoring stopped! The passenger side rear is leaking diff oil, looks like the shoes are soaked. What's that old saying, "The more you dif, the more you find!" Questions: 1. How hard is it to rebuild wheel cylinders? Is there a place to get cylinder kits? 2. How hard is it to replace axle seals? Or should I have the rear-end gone through? My plans are to rebuild / replace the wheel cylinders, put in new / relined shoes, flush the lines and bleed the brakes. This is the only way I know to test the master cylinder. Thoughts?

Hey All, The wife, daughter, wife's in-laws and I were walking around Coronado Island yesterday and I stumbled across this local service garage. Looks like it's been around for a while...since 1904! Anyone else have any pictures of old service stations or dealerships.

To quote Dr. Frankenstein, "It is alive! Wwwhhhaaa ha ha ha ha!" Everything came together yesterday evening and she fired right up! Oil pressure is 50lbs at idle, and 60+ at higher rpms. She idles pretty well. There is a slight lope, but I think that will probably smooth out after I finish the tune up. To say I'm excited would be an understatement! I would post a video but it is slightly too big for the file size limitations. I'll be building a web page about the car and will link it here. Thanks to everyone for your help so far...brakes are next...

I'm planning to run Castro 30w in the car. I never thought of running a 10w30 for cleaning the engine, that sounds like a good idea. When you say "STP" are you referencing an oil additive? I have had great luck with Amsoil products in my cars. I ran Synthetic oil in one of my cars years ago, my Shelby CSX [man, was that car a kick in the butt to drive!]. The problem with that is I still think old school and have a hard time running the same oil more than 5K miles. I found that I was wasting a lot of money changing the oil too frequently. After reading up on how well current oils have improved, and the fact that I run a 3500 mile oil change schedule, I moved back to regular oil. Hey Knuckleharley, that's pretty much my plan. Get it running and enjoy the heck out of it while I finish the Barracuda and A108. I will do all the mechanical as needed, and cosmetic stuff as I can. But driving it is my #1 plan.

Howdy All! It's been a while since I have been here...work, family, life; you guys know the routine. I would like to thank all of you for all the help and comments so far. As I said earlier this is my first pre-WWII vehicle, owning and working on, and I frequently find myself feeling lost and a little overwhelmed. Knowing I can come here and get answers keeps me going. So to all those who have helped so far, Thank You! I got the gas tank all cleaned and painted and back in the car Tuesday. Before putting the tank back in I cleaned the fuel line. I placed a gallon can of carb cleaner on the gas tank end of the fuel line, then hooked my trusty Mighty Vac on the engine side and started drawing the cleaner through the line. I pulled 8-10 times until the cleaner came through the same color as in the can. Then I put the gas tank back in and hooked everything back up. I hope to have the new fuel pump and rebuilt carb back in this weekend. First question: Where is the best place to put an inline fuel filter? I was thinking two, one right after the gas tank and one between the fuel pump and carb. Thoughts? As I clean and replace parts I am sand blasting and painting any parts that I will put back on the car. Second question: What are the correct colors for the air cleaner and the oil filter top? Speaking of the air cleaner, I took the plunge and converted it to a paper element. Let me tell you, it was not an easy decision! When you are standing there holding your original air cleaner in one hand, and a die grinder in the other hand, and do not have a spare, you do a lot of thinking! However, I took a deep breath and started grinding...and cutting...and grinding some more...and more cutting; you get the picture. It's done and I am very happy with the results. Now it's a lot cleaner and easier to work with and you really can't tell it's been converted. Bonus! Here are a picture of my completed gas tank and all the shtuff that came out of my air cleaner...

My other rides include a '65 Barracuda and a '69 Dodge A108. I also have a true Califonia 1976 Dodge True Spirit that I'm trying to find a home for...inquire via PM if interested

Did that last night and "marked my spot"...no 'liquid' involved...

I hope to get her running and dependable so I can start attending shows and meeting some of you guys and gals. I don't know how many members are in the Southern California/Arizona/Nevada area, but it would be cool to put together a "West Coast Get Together". We don't have to keep it a secret either!

Yea, I chuckled at Frank's response too. If I dabbed some clear it might blend purty good too!

Hey All, So I got to spend a few hours tinkering with the car this afternoon. I got all the plugs out, got the oil filter element out, put the first coat of sealer on the outside of the gas tank and found a bottle that will allow me to squirt some Marvel Mystery Oil [MMO] into the cylinders. I have attached pictures of the spark plugs, all makes, all models! I was also able to snap a pic of the distributor ID plate, pretty good clarity for a call phone in an enclosed place. And there is a picture of the bottle. I ordered a new oil filter element and spark plugs. The cross reference for the AC-46 plugs were the Autolite 285 plugs. Any problems with these plugs? I have a few more questions: 1. How do you clean the air filter element? Does the element section come apart so I can soak the element in kerosine? 2. Does anyone make replacement elements or do any of you have an element section that you would be willing to part with? 3. How do I rotate the engine to make sure the pistions are free? I have always put a socket on the crank and roatated, but this doesn't look possible with this engine. I remember a member advised that I hook the battery up and tap the starter rotating the engine this way. Is that the only way to do this? 4. What oil should I run in this engine? 5. Is there anything special I need to know to install the new fuel pump? I would love to have this old girl started and running this weekend, but do not want to overlook anything that would damage the engine. All advise is welcome.

Hey All, I was able to clean and read the ID tag on my distributor. It is a IGS-4111-1 distributor. When I looked up the model specs in the service manual this model is not listed. I ran a search on this forum, no info. Does anyone have any info on this model type?

Thanks Greg! Your info will be very helpful. One question I do have concerns spark plugs. I am not trying to make a points car, just a fun dependable one. Searching for replacement spark plugs has confused me a little. Are there any current replacement spark plugs that are being used that I can get from local retailers, i.e. NAPA? I have read that AC6, AC7 and AC45 are all usable, but am having a hard time finding these in places other than eBay or other antique parts sites. Have any members found reliable replacement spark plugs from other manufacturers? What are members using?

Hey All, Great news, #2 & #6 spark plugs loosened up! Over the weekend I poured Marvel Mystery Oil down around the plug threads and let it soak in. Every day I went out and did the loosen/tighten drill. Today they both broke free and tread in and out easily. That's a relief for me. Recieved the new fuel pump, the rebuilt carb is back and the cleaned gas tank is back. The tank was in really good shape and just needed minimal cleaning. I am wire wheeling the exterior to get it ready for paint before putting it all back together. The next step is the tune up. The plug wires look to be in really good shape so I plan to run an Ohm check on them and if they all come back ok just to reuse them. The plugs, distributor cap, points and rotor are going to be reaplced for sure. Once she's running then I will attack the brakes.

The strap bolts were pretty much bonded together and twisted apart. I searched but couldn't find new ones or replacements so I decided to modify to originals so they would work. I removed the old mounting hardware from the straps, fabricated two 90 degree strips with gusset supports, and welded it all together. I will drill the proper sized hole [dependant upon bolt size] through the top of the strips. I figure if I put the bold through the trunk floor, then through the straps and cinch them up everything should hold as good as original. We'll see...