dpollo

Get in a position where you can look at the entire assembly. You will see that by removing the cable and the long actuating and adjustment bolt which passes up through a bracket on the transmission, then removing the adjustment on the passenger side and a limiting pin (bolt( on the drivers side the brake band can be slid back and removed without disconnecting the driveshaft. Take care to mark the various springs as they are all different. The only difference in the Plymouth and the Chrysler is the size of the band. Dennis Cutshall of Honey Creek Iowa can reline the bands for you. He can be found through the Plymouth Owners Club

Great nostalgia here. I have owned and worked on the Ford V8 and Chev 6 but always had a Plymouth for my driver. Seems to me I got more miles per dollar than my friends did from the competition. It was our duty as teenagers to find the weaknesses in our parent's generation of cars and my friends and I worked hard at it. It was easy to tear the transmission out of a Ford or Chev. many 216s would lose the pistons after a hard run and the left rear axle was a weak spot too. Me, I broke the top rings on 5 out of 6 after a midnight run of 150 fast highway miles with a 90 000 mile engine. Did not leave me stranded though and a re bore carried me another 60 000 miles in that particular car. Overdrive equipped. That was in 1968 and I still have the engine and the Overdrive is in another car.

Wow, In over 50 years involvement with these engines I have never seen this happen to a running engine, I have broken piston crowns trying to remove rusted and stuck pistons. I would try Vintage Power wagons for pistons .Your picture suggests a cleanup and new piston(s) may be all that is needed.

The 55 Powerflite is pretty bulky for the space your car offers. Before you really get into it, I would advise you to trial fit the later engine to your 34 bell housing and see what can be done to make a starter fit. I greatly fear that the $3500 you are afraid is too much to put into your 34 engine is going to look pretty good by the time you overhaul a Powerflite and a newer engine and get those fitted to your car. Have you thought about the necessary linkage for the Throttle Position control which will be needed ? Also, the 34's brakes are pretty marginal for a car with an automatic and the rear axle ratio will not be suitable. A 55 with P-Flite probable had a 3.7 or even a 3.54 rear end ratio. Your 34 is likely 4.1 or even 4.3 I learned most of these things back in the early 60s when parts were easy to get and a lot cheaper and it was possible to buy a good running engine from a wrecker. Even then the 34 Plymouth was a challenge because of the way the engine was mounted compared to 35 and up. Sorry to rain on your parade but you had better line up a lot of parts on your garage floor before you really tear into things.

Monroe 5752 will do the job.

I must be on a roll this morning. I did a google search on Microswitch and find they are relatively easy to get and some are inexpensive ($4). Two microswitches , one in normally off and the other normally on would be an ideal replacement for the kick down switch. It is easy to gang them together because of their mounting holes. They also make great closet door switches so the light goes on like a fridge (and off again we hope) Their electric ratings are more than adequate for all the jobs I have mentioned.

Instead of the standard rail lock out switch, a "microswitch" something often found in industrial applications could be mounted where it comes in contact with the lock out lever breaking the circuit when the lever is in the forward position. These switches will handle the current well and usually have both normally on and normally off connections. A permanent and effective fix. It would also be possible to put a manual switch next to your control handle. Incidentally, later overdrives on 12 volt systems , did not always use lock out switches but left the electrics on all the time. seemed strange I discovered this on a Studebaker.

You can put a later engine onto your 34 bell housing but the starter won't fit against the block because of the water jacket. I have heard that if you mill a big flat spot on the starter housing it will fit but I have not done this. It is also possible to use a bell housing from a 35 to 39 and the floor shift transmission from the same car but new rear mounts will need to be installed in the frame. It may be cheaper to rebuild your 34 engine.

Industrial engines used a crankshaft flange which had a bolt on pulley. So also did some Chrysler sixes... like the 49, for sure. A special pulley could then be made up and bolted to this flange. There are a number of 49 Chrysler owners on the forum.

in a 51, those halogen bulbs may work well. However, good connections and good grounds will make quite a difference with the original type bulbs. If you have nor already discovered it, the power from the stop lights travels first to the brake light switch at the rear of the car, then back to the turn signal switch on the column, then back to the rear again. Lots of opportunity for voltage drop. Solution : #14 wire and GOOD connections as well as a better ground to the tail light housing obtained by drilling through the back of the bucket and into the fender then inserting a self tapping screw. Invisible but effective.

That bullet shaped plunger is easy to lose. It is also easy for a machinist to make a new one. I do not have one loose right now or I would give the dimensions.

Another way around this problem is to drill both the backing plate and the shoe and use the pin and spring retainer which looks like a nail with a twist on washer and spring. Very commonplace through that era . Prewar Plymouths used them too and the length of these would be right. Also, I have done business with Wildcat and Ed is very helpful.

One issue you may not have considered is the focal point of the reflector or the lens. I changed a customer's 48 Dodge back to regular tail?stop light bulbs because the LEDs he had did not put the light in the right spot on the lens.

If the engine is a little tight, it would run hotter but other factors might affect temperature such as timing or the exhaust system, If the engine is tight, it will be hard to start when hot. As the miles mount up, this problem should ease up. As long as it never boils and no coolant is forced out, it should be OK. Alarming, but ok. My 51 Plymouth runs pretty close to the H on hot days climbing mountain grades and at times I have turned on the heater to carry off heat during lineups and parades but it has never boiled nor has it lost coolant with a 3 lb cap in over 50 000 miles. I have concluded after scanning the radiator with a laser thermometer that the dashboard gauge is somewhat of an alarmist. *I notice when posting that PA has offered similar advice and he is right.

Great job. Funny how they always seem to run better when they are shiny. dp

The lower bushing of the spindle support ( at the outer A frame ) threads into the spindle support tightly and is not supposed to move. The movement takes place on the pin threads and the inner threads of this bushing. Sometimes this bushing will loosen and can make quite a noise when braking. When the threads strip out completely there is a very heavy clunk as the spindle support slides back and forth.

I think the pentastar had other origins. Its introduction coincided with the 5 year 50000 mile warranty but that may be coincidence, DPCD was still found on glass through the 60s. I think it first appeared in 35.

A shift point as high as 25 mph is not normal, fluid pressure may be low. as for the letters ATF automatic transmission fluid. Nothing exotic, just light oil.

It is simple if you take things in order. The fluid coupling is a separate unit and can be drained and refilled if needed but it is rarely needed. The Simplimatic or M6 transmission uses #10 engine oil ATF would work. It has two speeds in two ranges (4 in all) It effects shifts within the selected range by hydraulic pressure . It will work without any electrics, but will not downshift unless you come to a stop. The electrics allow a downshift by dumping hydraulic pressure and briefly interrupting the ignition to break torque. A solenoid on the carburetor enriches the idle circuit to prevent stalling when idling in gear. To drive, you select the range , and release the foot clutch. When sufficient speed is attained, release the throttle and the transmission will shift into the upper gear of the range you have selected. If a change of range is desired it may be done while moving by pushing the clutch pedal down and moving the lever. Avoid using the foot clutch except to move the lever. If kick down is required, depress the throttle and the electrics will do the rest via a switch on the carburetor.

short answer to your question.... yes.

I put a 218 (36 Dodge 23 inch same as 230) into a 26 Dodge chassis and I have a 28 Chrysler 4 so I am familiar with a car like yours. The best way to accomplish what you want would be to use a truck bell housing from a 1/2 ton Dodge truck which has the pedals and Master Cylinder mounted on it and also use a light truck transmission which has the brake band at the rear. A 230 will make mincemeat out of the transmission you have. On my 26, I used the 36 passenger bell housing and transmission and used a pedal mount from the same car mounted separately to the frame.

Packing the bearing races is important and is best done with the tool Don showed. However it is not necessary to fill the space in the hub between the races. I was told that if what was in there was liquified then the puddle would not need to be above the point where it would run out. Of course it does not become liquid but does tend to flow towards the races. There is no need to fill the dust cap. In over half a million miles I have never had to change a front bearing except one which was Brinelled* from riding in a box car. I have seen many which were over lubed but no harm done there either. * rollers making lines across the cup faces due to repetitious pounding

Just to clarify, the recess in the backing plate should be clean and open. There may be a felt gasket between it and the spindle so any water or oil will drain out through the back rather than onto the brake. Do not overpack the bearings. It is not necessary to fill the space between the races.

There is a flat brass spring which can be installed under the synchro ring which, when combined with a new synchronizer ring should solve your problem. Also, Hypoid oils are too slippery and while they are needed in the differential, they can cause the problem you are having in the trans. Later transmissions, in the 60s used ATF and had the same synchro setup. These also had an input shaft seal which your unit does not have. You could experiment with different oils but I think a new synchro ring will be the ultimate solution. They are easy to install and it is not necessary to completely tear down the trans. It may even be possible to replace the high gear ring by pulling the front bearing then pulling the input shaft, Also, if the snap ring on the input shaft has broken ( visible by removing the throw out collar) this will cause the problem you are having.

All of the above advice is sound. Spend some money and do it right, those parts are too important to risk a failure. It is possible to press the worm and tube apart , not a recommended procedure but better than welding up a spliced shaft which is illegal in most cases. This is a consideration when a useable worm has a longer or shorter tube (shaft). The worm is keyed to the shaft and is a very tight press fit. Note that what appear to be gaskets on the end plate are actually shims for adjusting the tapered rollers on the worm. When all is in good shape, you will be pleased with how the car steers.