dpollo

Your engine was originally a 218. You can build it as one if you use the crank and rods from a 218 (217) That is a 4 3/8 inch stroke. With a 230 crankshaft you can build it as a 230. 4 5/8 stroke. 230s were found in Dodge 40s through 59 and Plymouth mid 54 through 59 and in many truck and industrial applications up to about 1972. I am told that crankshafts from 55 up were more durable than earlier ones. In any case, you need the rods that match the crankshaft. There are minor differences in the crankshaft to flywheel flange which have been discussed elsewhere on this forum but generally, 230 shafts have 8 bolt holes in the flange while 218s have 4.

I went to Quebec and studied French. Now I can curse in two languages. There is no easy way to deal with that dashboard other than , perhaps, removing the front seat so you can get under or if the windshield is out, reaching in that way. Chances are, the wiring under there is OK and the less you disturb it the better.

SP15 could have originated in Detroit 23 inch 3 1/4 bore engine or on Windsor 25 inch 3 3/8 bore engine so before you go looking for rods and pistons this is something you must know. Both engines were referred to as 218 s although here in Canada we usually called the American engine a 217. This engine can be built into a 230 by using the crank and rods from a 230. The 3 3/8 bore engine can also be enlarged by using crankshafts and rods from other 25 inch engines.

I have several reasons. First, it was a necessity to stay mobile. I got a low mileage 50 D 36 Dodge which had been banged up in the front and down the left hand side. Repaired and replaced parts and had it repainted. I drove that cat 20 000 miles a year until I put 120 000 miles over the original mileage. Learned how to repair almost everything. Remember, as teenagers, we were duty-bound to find the weaknesses in our parent's generation of cars. I worked hard at it. Next reason was to demonstrate the skills I had learned and it is a real ego booster to have others admire your work. I also helped a lot of friends keep their cars running and presentable to look at. Another reason is that it has become an obsession. It keeps me occupied when I might be inclined toward idleness. But perhaps the over riding reason is that at some level I hope to glimpse the past which to me seems like a safe place to be. If you can find a short story by Jack Finney called Second Chance he captures this hope perfectly. ( it is in a little book called Car Tales by Jane Gottlieb ) My flagship car is a 51 Plymouth convertible.

It is what was called a Vacamatic (spelling ?) and would be found on 41 Chrysler and Desoto. The control cable varies the time at which the shift takes place although when I last drove such a car, I could not feel any difference with the control in or out. It is not an overdrive control.

The flywheels that I have are all flat. The only stepped one that I have seen was deliberately made that way to raise the working surface for more pressure on the clutch plate. Since yours is stepped the other way, it has to be from wear. Some drivers can do that and it does not take them very long.

try reversing the in and out leads on your signal flasher and don't forget I have a tire machine you can use. off to Portland Swap Meet dp

I paid $50 for a 40 Ply. in 1959. (age 11) Traded it for a 50 in 65 age 17 have not been without one since. I paid $50 for a 51 convertible in 1978 and spent a lot of time and money on it but it has been worth it. Every penny ! I have driven it over 50 000 miles through 4 US states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Raybestos BH 10595 under $20

The metal strip was originally encased by the weatherstrip and had tabs which went through the bottom of the door to make sure the weatherstrip stayed in place. Use a good commercial grade weatherstrip adhesive and you will be ok except when the weather conspires to freeze the strip to both door and body.

The wires to the back usually run up the left front windshield post and above the door(s) before coming down into the trunk. to re route along the frame would be easy if you use the flat wire made for trailer wiring. It could be laid under the carpet. It has 4 conductors laid flat and bonded together. green, yellow, brown, white, 14 gauge. (14/4) You will need 6 wires , one for tail lights, left turn signal, right turn signal, live wire to stop light switch. return to turn signal switch and finally, the fuel gauge. If your car has back up lights , add another for a total of seven. You could use the eighth conductor to power a trunk light which many Chryslers of this era had. It took power from the stop light switch feed.

It is definitely a P15 club coupe, missing some trim and with '51 wheel covers, It looks like a good car . On the POC club forum there is a frequent contributor who lives in Dusseldorf and drives his 51 Plymouth convertible all over western Europe. See if you can look him up just for fun. Your English is just fine ! dp

I recollect that the fender washers and bolts which are visible in the trunk of a 50 were not painted and the ones in the engine compartment were natural possibly lightly cadnium plated. I like to use original fasteners if possible.

I have never had any problem with driving 55-60 in a car with 3.9-1 rear axle ratio . The addition of an Overdrive makes highway driving at 60 to 70 a breeze. 30% reduction in rpm. That is not to say I would recommend traveling at those speeds unless everything is in good shape. Years ago, we would take a car which had never left the city and flog its butt down the highway at excessive speeds. Disastrous results, often.

PA is right. The gear set is the same as your 50 so are the brakes but the axles and housing have to be from a 49. Most axle shafts from 37 to 48 will interchange. 49 is unique 50 to 52 will interchange and 53 to 56 are the same length but use a finer spline. April 1 is coming up fast . Looks like your car won this round but that is how the game is played. The parts book shows the same axle shaft for all Plymouth models in 50.

I agree with advice offered above, if the fluid coupling is up to the correct level, leave it alone, it has nothing to do with the shifting. The transmission shifts range with hydraulic pressure which is proportional to speed. It will work without the electrical controls but will not downshift since the downshift is effected while in motion by dumping the hydraulic pressure. It could be, due to a fault in the electrics that the trans is in "downshift Mode"all the time. Disconnect the electrics and drive the car to see if you get an upshift. If you do, then you must find the fault in the electrical circuit and the first place I would look is at the carburetor kick down switch.( which completes a ground when pushed in ) Possibly someone has reversed the wires that go to the switch and to the coil above the carb bowl ,(which is there to enrich the mixture) .

quite right, P.A. in my early morning stupor I was thinking the slot for the distributor drive was part of the gear, but it is in the end of the pump shaft.

Welcome, Bill. I think you will find this forum a pretty friendly place. dp

I would suspect your gauge. The reason for the smaller hole in the gauge fitting is to maintain air up at the gauge end of the line and reduce pulsations of the needle but that certainly is not what is wrong here. Side to side movement on the con rods is normal. One thing to check is the pump cover seal. This must be a square cross-sectioned O ring. A standard O Ring will hold the cover away from the rotor which vastly reduces the pump's effectiveness. Only the older gear pumps used a gasket and it was very thin. Easy to check. An effective way to prime the pump instantly is to pack vaseline into the spaces. on assembly. Also, Is the pump gear pinned to the pump shaft ?

could not agree more. dp

That is 31000, Earl thanks for checking on that. I must need new glasses. I have edited my previous post. the 31000 box end also carries the number P1104C under the bar code and the 5752 carries the number P11215C

There was no better shock absorber than the Oriflow which was original equipment but sadly they are no longer available. 1950 was 66 years ago! Even my car is a senior ! I like telling people that I was born in the first half of the last century and while I did not buy my 50 and 51 Plymouths new, I remember when they were new. Too bad there isn't a shock absorber for memories.... unless maybe it's beer. dp

Monroe 31000 rear (gas filled) Monroe 5752 front I got these for 51 and 52. So far asI know, 53 is the same. My sympathies to the victims of the recent outrage in Belgium. My wife was in Bruges for a few days last year, she returned with some dark chocolate. No beer, sadly. dp

With the bypass filter ( which your car likely has) the pressure line comes out of the block horizontally and goes into the top of the filter (or near the top on the side of the filter). The return line goes into the vertical hole above the pressure relief valve and comes out of the bottom of the filter. This is VERY important. On a full flow engine as pictured above, the base of the filter bolts to the block so you cannot get it wrong . The pressure side is the bottom hole while the upper hole takes the filtered oil and distributes it through the engine. There is an internal passageway to provide oil during startup.

The handle I just removed from my 50 Plymouth has pn 1347799 . The parts book for 1950 shows pn 1347794 listed to fit D35 D36 P19 P20 4 dr 3 pass. cpe club cpe and conv. cpe. This gets more confusing all the time. I know from experience that this handle fits 50, 51, and 52 but do not know if the key lock interchanges on handles carrying different pns. 1433360 is the part number in my 51 2 book.