rallyace

My problem is that I keep having to buy a jack that lifts the car higher than the previous jack. Tall jack stands are getting expensive too.

Has anyone else found that the pilot terminal of a NAPA 535 signal flasher does not work. I have been through two of them. The pilot terminal, the one in the middle that is angled 90 degrees to the other two, is the feed for the dash indicator lamp.

Other than price, I have had no issues with Steele. They always have a large display at the Syracuse Nationals and they have folks that know their products and will take information from you and send you a catalog that is just for parts for your car. I have only ordered from them once but was quite satisfied with the result. AndyDodge, I don't doubt your experiences as when dealing with a big company like Steele, the rep you talk to makes a huge difference in how the deal goes down. When I had my MG, I had a similar experience with the worlds largest British car parts supplier. The rep did not want to know anything about shipping the wrong electrical part (correct part number on box, wrong part in box) and would not accept a return.

I do not have any experience with Mopar mechanical fuel pumps but the experience that I do have with other makes has shown that if the diaphragm is intact, then the culprit is almost always with the check valves. One trick I learned from an old mechanic to bench test a suspicious pump is to clamp the pump in a vise, run a clear piece of tubing from the inlet and discharge ports and put the other ends in jars with a little gas in them. Move the actuating lever and watch the motion of the fuel. No flow, bad diaphragm or blocked check valve. Fuel moving backwards in one of the lines, bad check valves. Once the pump is confirmed to be working and the problem still exists, start looking for obstructions in the fuel lines.

I would start cheap. Offer $1,500 and see what he says. He may be motivated. Are you mechanically inclined? A full engine rebuild can easily run you between $3,500 and $5,000 depending on how much of the work you are capable of doing. Can you do the floor repairs or will you have to pay someone to do it? All of this has to be weighed against the anticipated value when completed. Cars are money pits so the real question is the same one you ask yourself when you enter a casino, how much can I afford to lose and still have fun.

One easy way to use an electric pump with a oil pressure safety shutoff is to have a three position switch mounted under the dash. The best switch to use is a momentary on/ off/ on switch. Wire the momentary on position so it will bypass the oil pressure switch and the on position to provide power through the oil pressure switch and then to the pump. Use the momentary on to start the engine then switch it over to the on position with the oil pressure switch wired in series with the pump. If there is no oil pressure the fuel pump will shut off.

Greg G. Powder coat 'paint' is actually a plastic coating and is is much more tolerant to flexing than paint. It must be applied to a clean, dry surface and under controlled conditions. Sandblasting wheels is a good prep as it creates the needed texture for the paint to adhere. Done properly, which means that the part is properly grounded and the person applying the paint knows what they are doing, is critical. Unlike a liquid paint, you cannot put on multiple coats with drying between coats as the powder paint attracted to the part by via an electric charge . The second part that must be done correctly is the heat curing of the paint. Again, you only get one chance to get it right. A good powder coating shop will know how to do it right. I am considering having my wheels powder coated over the winter.

Thanks, Rich. They have obviously over complicated a simple process. Do these guys work for the government in their day jobs? I entered a class which was for cars of my age and ended up with a regional award in a class that I did not know existed. Live and learn.

This probably has been answered before but I could not find a definitive answer. I have a block from a P23 (218 CI). It had a rope style seal when I did the disassembly. Can I use the two piece neoprene seal on it? The main cap and block are tapped for the existing retainers. The crank looks good where there would be contact between the seal and the crank. Thanks, Mike.

I was in my first local AACA show today and received a trophy for HPOF. What is this all about? Is it a big deal? I was told that my car could no longer be judged in any AACA show because of it. Anyone know for sure what this is all about? I could not find any of the judges after the show to find out what it meant. Thanks, Mike

Thanks all. I appreciate the input.

I am rebuilding a 218 CI engine for my 51 P-23. Has anyone had any experience rebuilding a water pumps? Bernbaum's has a rebuild kit. Is it worth it or an extremely difficult venture. Thanks.

I am not sure if they still do it, but at the Syracuse Nationals car show a couple of years ago they were offering a 5% discount on a few specific batteries, that included 6 volt batteries, if you purchased it at the show. The deal was for cash and (ugh) carry only.

I went looking for one in my stash of parts and ended up having to clean the garage as I could not find my box of valve parts. Needless to say, my garage is clean and I never found the box of valve parts. Sorry. Looks like you should get the part from Shel NY.

Let me look through my stash of parts. I am just down the road in Baldwinsville.

I just crank it with the plugs out until oil pressure builds and then put them back in and go. It was only stored for a few months so things should be OK internally. If you plan on using starting fluid (ether) for that first start up of the season, I would squirt a bit of oil (less than a half a teaspoon) into each cylinder when you do the initial oil pressure build up as the ether will immediately remove any residual oil off the cylinder bores. If you do use a bit of oil, point the tailpipe towards where you expect mosquitos to breed and you can do double duty, start the car and fog for mosquitos at the same time

Hint when replacing the cover plate. To keep things lined up, temporarily bolt it in place. Works like a charm and prevents the need to invent new four letter words.

My 218 is at the machine shop now. I am waiting for them to advise me on the pistons and bearings that I will need. Plenty of sources for parts for these engines.

Who did your machine work?

Lots of support in Central NY. I am just down the road in Baldwinsville and there are several other folks with old Mopars in the area.

Trico is still in business. They left Buffalo in 2002 and auctioned off the tooling and NOS parts that were still left in their old 'Plant #1'.

We are in (except for the trip across the pond) but you already knew that.

Thanks, Greg. They show them in their online catalog. I will call them tomorrow.

Greg. I am all set with head bolts, they are a stock item with Summit Racing. I am trying to locate a source for new rod bolts. They have a unique lock washer that fits into a recess in the rod cap.

This has probably been answered a dozen times but I could not find anything about it. I am looking for a source for replacement connecting rod bolts, nuts and the special lock washers for a 218 CI flathead. Thanks in advance. Mike