dpollo

Positive to positive, negative to negative. Period. If you do it the other way, you will have an 18 volt dead short across two batteries and one of them will likely blow, spreading acid in all directions. It is not a good idea to jump 6 volts with 12 but if the starter is engaged harm will be held to a minimum. When these questions come up, I can only assume that our school science programs have failed to teach the most elementary information about basic electrical circuits. Good for you for seeking advice but I implore you, go back to my first sentence and under NO circumstances look directly at either battery when carrying out this very risky operation.

Upholstery looks great. but returning to your transmission : I have rarely bought new snap rings and just as rarely used any kind of snap ring pliers. When I was a teenager, a set of vise grips was the jewel in my tool box. A couple of screw drivers and eye protection is all you need. still, some blood will be shed,

if your 50 still has the 218 it has a 4 bolt crankshaft flange. The powerflite has 8. pretty much end of story. You would be better to look up companies that make adaptors for the later aluminum torqueflite or a GM 350. also, have you considered how you are going to support the back of the engine.? The transmission you are considering, and the two I mentioned all have a single rear mount . It is too much of a stretch to go from the 50's front mount all the way to the back of the trans and with no widely spaced mounts to handle the torque.

if you can get another, go for it. most 4 hole 217 s are the flywheels are the same........ tooth count changed in 57 which had an 8 hole flywheel.

Sahara Beige which is an early 70s Valiant and Dart colour is an exact match, the Dupont code is 5415 A 1

The 230 will perform well. The 251/265 will perform better but may not be worth the effort of installing it. An overdrive will greatly enhance the performance of both engines.

you would only have vacuum at this port when the throttle is partly open. The best solution is to drill and tap a port near the center point of the manifold.

keith, if you need the clips that hold the panel to the door , contact me via email

who can say that having a wrench stuck to your fingers isn't fun ? This seems to occur at about +5 F which is as cold as I have experienced here on Vancouver Island (coastal, 49th parallel of latitude) The tongue stuck to the flagpole was not one of the hazards we encountered here, thank goodness.

you seem to have everything under control.

230 cranks have eight bolts holding the flywheel 217s have 4.

typical 49 to 56 Plymouth.... will fit 40 to 56 The speedometer drive moved to the left hand side in 49

I did this back in the mid 80s and wrote an article about it in the Plymouth Bulletin . I tried unsuccessfully this morning to find it. It was titled " Brighten Up those Bulls Eyes" . I used a Bosch reflector that took an H4 bulb . The bulbs are a Phillips brand and were not easy to get in 6 volts. After carefully using diagonal wire cutters to tease the original backing away from the bulls eye lens, I used windshield urethane very sparingly to glue the lense to the Bosch reflector. It fits perfectly. The results are impressive, especially high beam. The Bosch reflector has a deflector which keeps the heat of the H4 bulb away from the lense. It is hidden behind the bulls eye so everything looks good and there is no blinding glare.

the most common block drain is a simple butterfly handled valve available new at most any auto supply. as PA says 1/4 pipe thread 9/16 wrench needed

before I actually got a US built car, I assumed they all had needle bearings in the upper king pin pivots. Read what Dodgeb4ya has to say. The king pin itself is the same diameter and I have never tried to substitute a bronze bushing for the needle bearing. I have several unopened kits as well as several opened ones and it seems to me that the better kits contained both bronze and needle type bearings. ( just to save anyone asking, I have no parts for sale)

Andy is correct but many people, including me , have put the longer engine in their Dodge or Plymouth. Everything, in your proposed swap will fit except provision must be made for the extra length. this is not so very difficult but will include moving the radiator forward and possibly making more room for the crankshaft pulley . The tie rod may hit the oil pan but this can be corrected with a minor reshaping of the pan. If you have a contact in Canada, the Canadian radiator from any 6 cylinder Desoto or Chrysler would be helpful as well as the oil pan from a 53 or 54 Canadian Dodge or Plymouth. The extra weight of the longer engine will not be an issue but was compensated for in Canadian cars by using beefier front springs and a needle bearing in the upper king pin.

A nightmare to be sure. You should be able to reach up through the grille and manipulate the lever which the cable pulls on. On cars without the cable, the end of this lever is extended below the latch so it can be pushed through the grill opening to open the hood. It may be possible to look up from underneath in front of the radiator. Perhaps someone will be kind enough to post a photo of what the latch looks like with the hood open.

you may also consider a synchronized passenger car trans from 35 to 38 and you will need the bell housing which goes with it. Simple, strong and compared to the truck light weight.

I cannot think of a worse swap . If you install a non synchro trans from a 1940s truck you will ruin the driveability your car and the tear up will reduce your resale value to scrap. instead consider an S 10 or similar 5 speed if that is what you want. but keep this in mind : The original trans in your car was one of the best in its day and can be fitted with a BW Overdrive found in Plymouths from 52 to 56 . This is a simple bolt for bolt swap, no tear up at all.

the electrics on the transmission serve only to drop the oil pressure to allow a downshift. Of course they were designed to work on 6 volts but this has nothing to do with your grinding noise. Make sure the transmission has an oil equivalent to SAE 10 . You were correct in checking the fluid drive oil level but that unit has little if anything to do with the shifting.

Raybestos WC 10585

regulators were adjusted by bending the spring hook on the regulator elements. This is simple enough BUT read the shop manual or the advice given in a Motors manual first !

on 49 to 52 cars, the Stop light switch is mounted on a junction block just forward of the left rear axle. Standard Motor Parts "SLS" 24 will work although wire terminals on SLS 23 or 25 may be more suitable.

I have one on my 35 Plymouth's 217 (51). Works very well except for trouble with automatic choke. Originally from a 56 Dodge 230.