Los_Control

I'm just saying some alligator clips & a jumper wire from battery to coil could eliminate the ignition switch being bad.

My 1991 chebby with a NV3500 5spd .... will not go into reverse without first shifting it to 5th then pull it straight back to reverse. I simply need to align the gears so it works. If I try to go from 1rst gear into reverse .... will grind like a stuck pig & never get it there. If I go from 1rst to 5th then to reverse it goes in so sweet with no complaints. Just asking if you have tried switching to other gears before going to reverse? Might not make sense, but works for me ..... Should I rebuild a transmission that works perfect everywhere except going into reverse? But switching it through the gears first it does act perfect.

I will toss something out of left field. Watching a youtube vid today where a guy been having issues with a new Holley tunnel ram duel sniper throttle bodies .... on a 1956 chebby. Nothing to do with you. While he is figuring things out, he realizes his original 1956 ignition switch with many things connected to it, is losing connection. Causing major issues ..... just more pronounced for him because of EFI. Only suggesting, maybe run a different wire from your coil to hot instead of through the ignition switch. Possible your ignition switch is acting weird?

Very good explanation there. When I solder wires, I tin them first then connect the two ends to extend a wire. This does wick. ..... I'm not a great solderer. .... But mid stream in my wire harness I may have a few of these soldered extensions. Same time I feel comfortable with a good crimp on a connector. When I wire my truck, I will use both methods .... use common sense to decide how each connection should be made ..... it is not written in stone how it should be done. A few years ago having starter issues on my SBC 350. Probably a bad solenoid .... let it cool down & would start normal .... possible a bad battery cable .... The trigger wire going to the solenoid was toasty near the exhaust. I just replaced all 3. I soldered the trigger wire extension above the engine, then crimped the connector going to the solenoid. ...... I can go both ways ??? Another thing I added was multiple layers of heat shrink to get the wire past the exhaust heat.

With the reading/research I have done preparing to wire my truck. The schooling others have given me .... Thanks @Sam Buchanan I'm going with non insulated crimp connectors then heat shrink ..... your repair looks fine. They are a better quality connector. & you have a good ratchet crimp tool. My thoughts are we can visually inspect our crimp, tug & twist .... then cover with heat shrink. Not so much when using insulated connectors. A man on another forum with a lot of automotive wiring experience wrote a wiring 101 howto ..... He has been doing wiring for 50 years. He does non insulated, solder, heat shrink .... Just like @sniper .... Me being a carpenter that knows nothing about automotive wiring take a lot of stock in these opinions. iirc, sniper was trained in the Navy on electronics & works with electronics today .... lifetime of experience ..... this is good advice. Now on the other hand, @Sam Buchanan is very knowledgeable in electronics .... I have no idea of their background ..... I believe he is a pilot. He said one thing to me that I will not forget. If solder is the best way, then why does the Aviation industry crimp when building military jets? ..... No expense spared. @OUTFXD I think what I'm trying to say is, asking crimp or solder? ..... just about equal to what kind of oil to use? Either way is good. Everyone will have a opinion. ..... your way is fine.

I do have a Tanks for my truck .... It claims when you purchase it, a minor modification is needed. ..... For the tank of my year of truck. Pretty simple & happy with it .... they told the truth on sale. .... I would buy it again, I can not answer for the fit on your vehicle.

A guess would be for vacuum wipers? On my B1B the vacuum advance from distributor goes to the carburetor. Do you have a vacuum advance? The vacuum connection on the manifold is for the wipers. Do you have vacuum or electric wipers in 53? .... I imagine a vacuum operated 2spd rear end might use that port That is for a 1949 23" 218 in a 1/2 ton truck ..... Big trucks have different vacuum options.

I agree @Sniper I'm only suggesting that we can learn & create our own replacements part needed .... rather then send them to a vendor & get overseas parts in return. I'm terrible because I bought a newly rebuilt carburetor from RockAuto. .... I never sent my $90 core back, I rebuilt it. Now RA has no carburetors available because nobody sent the cores back .... I may be a contributor to it .... would happen sooner or later anyways. Think of the thread going down the babbit hole ..... we have to make our own parts or find those that can. Is rebuilding a vacuum advance so far out of the home garage range? If so maybe we need to try new things, like welding the advance at full timing? ..... 18 year old kids been playing with vacuum advance since the 1940's. You can try replacing the springs with lighter or heavier too suit your needs ... some light oil to get everything moving helps .... Need a rubber diaphragm? You may need to make that.. No there is no kit for it .... but has been done for decades .... A learning curve. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, just saying I would never give up my core in the first place. I'm glad AB came through with the return.

Exactly .... lets think about it. How would you rebuild a fuel pump if you never did one. How about a water pump .... A carburetor? A vacuum advance is built by human hands. It is rebuilt by human hands. I may have a learning curve ahead to do it .... I'm not afraid of that. Exactly what tools did they have in the 1900's to build vacuum advance, that we do not have today? Lets be serious here, I have no idea what it takes to rebuild a vacuum advance .... no interest in it at this time. If it did come up, modern technology like the internet serves a purpose & a learning tool. We have modern tools ..... I THINK WE COULD REBUILD ONE IF NEEDED! I'm only suggesting I would never gave up the original quality part for a core charge. ..... Even if I needed to hire a bum smarter then me to do the job .... would be better to start with original then some overseas crap. Just saying no. I would buy the new one, then learn to fix the old one. Many of these adventures of mine sometimes cost me money .... I usually get a lesson from them.

Just amazing how these old flathead's run. While I've never driven it on the road as a daily driver, it has sat for many months without being started .... gas can tie wired on the front bumper & 3' of hose going from fuel pump to gas can. .... poor people have poor ways. Just saying the carb is always dry .... I like to add gas to the carb, sometimes I cheat & spray some either into the air filter. I use full choke, turn it over & it starts almost instantly .... very first thing to do is open the choke. It starts fast with a choke, it will not stay running with a choke .... You start it, open the choke ... sits and idles fine. After not running for months. I probably will not need to use the choke, if I ran it on some daily basis. I had a 1965 elcamino with a 283, exact same way ... turn the key on a cold winter morning, started instantly with no choke. My flathead 6 so far is the closest engine that ever matched that.

@desoto1939 is correct .... too carry it a bit further, I think it is a mindset .... some have it some do not. For example, I never would have returned the core in the first place. I would have used the new part, then rebuild the old one & store it on the shelf for future need. I did the same with my carburetor. I kept my original fuel pump .... I have a new water pump on the shelf, but old one is still working. Original fuel pump is in a box, needs rebuilding. I really think it is a mindset .... for example I had a old seat from some mid sized truck .... too narrow for my Dodge. Some would throw it away .... I stripped it down to save the metal. Good heavy 16 gauge+ metal. I see two taillight brackets & a needed alternator bracket. ..... Texas gold right there .... I aint throwing nothing away or sending cores back.

Air ride .... in my truck there is a plate above passenger side sun visor explaining how to operate. I do not have the seat ... no idea how well it worked if ever.....just controlled the air going into the seat to control soft or hard ride.

I think @soth122003is correct in getting the wheels off the ground for further inspection. I think when you apply the brakes it goes away is a clue it is in the front .... The drums are flip flopping around from loose bearings .... apply brakes & it put things back in alignment. Drive train noises can be tough to track down, the noise can just as easily be a u-joint going bad .... the noise seems to transfer throughout the drive train & difficult to pinpoint origin without getting the wheels off the ground ..... I would try for all 4 at the same time if possible .... And possibly run it in gear while it is off the ground. I made a mistake recently diagnosing a noise .... it was a more serious clank clunk noise. We drove it on a 2 hour freeway trip the day before & parked it. Was no issues. Drove to the hardware store the next morning ... made it to the stop sign & limped it home two blocks. I swore it was the rear end .... I knew the noise was the rear end! I drained the oil/removed the cover on my daily driver cheby ...... inspected everything, no problems .... So I pulled the axles out and checked the bearings .... no problems. Now I'm getting worried it might be a issue with the NV3500 transmission. For giggles I jack up the front. I saw the left front wheel lean since the outer wheel bearing disintegrated. ..... Sigh of relief, I instantly knew where the problem was. I'm just saying, if I put all 4 wheels off the ground I would have found the problem instantly. .... Instead I spent 2 days concentrated in one area & I was wrong. Don't be Fred! On a side note, my DD truck has well over 400k miles on it, I found out my rear end has been rebuilt, 3:08 gears, no metal shavings & perfect condition. ???

I do not remember that box, have enjoyed shredded wheat though, just a bit of sugar in the milk to sweeten it.

Really it looks great. I did the same thing on my truck & it is holding up after a few years just fine. I'm backwards. I'm blowing my truck apart & painting everything underneath as I put it back together ... outside is just primer to be painted later. I just noticed with the paint I was using iirc bought it from Ace hardware .... May not be the same as Rustoleum. Possibly I mixed mine using more lacquer thinner then you .... I go by feel not by measurement. Just thin & stir til I think it is right. Something I want to spray. Just saying I noticed it right away on the first panel I sprayed. .... So I asked here for help. I never did respray that fender & it is fine. It was @Plymouthy Adams told me what my mistake was, and gave me a lot of advice. I say thank you again. So now I just use paint thinner to mix with to spray underneath .... be honest I just want it protected, not concerned with looks. When I am ready to paint the exterior, something I do care about. I will have a fresh gallon of gloss black enamel from tractor supply. They sell a reducer add 1 pint to a gallon of paint .... not expensive, a step above mineral spirits. Then from Napa I get a pint can of universal gloss hardener ... makes your enamel paint 1 grade better ..... supposedly. About the best you can do for enamel paint .... sooo I'm told. If you look at off topic post I made earlier today in "show your gardens" The 16'x16' shed in background is Rustoleum white mixed with paint thinner 3-4 years ago & holding up fine. The garden box is same paint 2 years old. My $16 hvlp gun has a few miles on it

Bad year for onions When I bought the onion sets from tractor supply this year, was a week after a winter ice storm ... freezing weather. They store them outside but they looked good so bought them. Turns out when onions go through a freeze, it tricks them into thinking they are in their 2nd year growing .... Their job on 2nd year is to flower with seeds. Thats what is going on, one after another. Only thing to do is harvest them early & salvage what I can. Think I will let a few go to seed to collect them ... grow my own next year.

The end product looks pretty good. ...... I am surprised though. While I use the same $16 hvlp gun, Rustoleum primer & enamel paint from Tractor supply ..... although not sure today who makes TS paint ... they made a change. The first time I sprayed the paint I used Lacquer thinner ..... I was left with what looked like orange peel. ... kinda odd, not obvious, but it did not look right. I then read some more, Lacquer thinner is not to be used with enamel paint. I bought a gallon of paint thinner from Ace hardware, used it to mix my paint .... it did come out looking better. .... I was spraying larger panels like inner fenders. Just saying that was my experience. .... Maybe with a wheel with some lumps & pits in it, you will not notice. On a larger flat surface, you would see something that maybe you do not like ..... Lacquer thinner & Enamel paint is advised they do not mix .... they do get the job done though.

I have to laugh at our fathers & Grandfathers. I grew up on a 75 acre parcel of land. While there were two houses A large barn, A 3 or 4 car garage with dirt floor. There was a few out buildings also ... including a outhouse. My father had a set of planks that extended over the hill, was some post under the ramps .... he drove on to the planks, then walked the trail to get under the car & change the oil .... Today I wonder if he even caught the oil in a bucket .... crude & rude. I'm only saying that qualified lifting & testing our fathers would get a good laugh. While it is good to see it .... common sense plays a big role.

Thanks for the reply's .... Turns out I'm a idiot My daily driver is a 1991 chebby truck .... These buckets are the correct seats for my truck. I have a split bench with a fold down console .... I'm not changing it. When I drive it, I'm looking 8" above the steering wheel. .... So am confused why I'm looking straight at the steering wheel in the Dodge when the measurements are the same. On closer inspection today, I realize my seats are moved all the way back on the sliders. The back of the seats are leaning against the back of the cab to hold them up. I can reach the pedals fine & drive it this way. ..... Just got the low rider look going on. My risers are 1" taller at the front then the rear. I think if I do a temporary mount of the risers so I can slide the seat forward, they will be fine. Guess I'm just getting antsy to work on it again .... Dodge is parked on the side of the garage. Been busy getting spring chores out of the way. My chebby is in the driveway for yearly maintenance. Change the engine oil, .... maybe change transmission , rear end oil ... flush the brake fluid ..... grease the front wheel bearings ... We see what we get done. At the moment, I just threw the seats in the truck to get them out of the driveway .... I need to spend more time on them.

You all good Lost .... just way ahead of many including myself. Too get that shiny paint you need lots of prep work. Many can not even imagine .... or care the amount of time to achieve it. Me, I'm sorry the color match was not to your liking ..... I get it .... swing & a miss. .... against a professional pitcher. I can only imagine how difficult it is to get custom paint mix to match with a old custom weathered custom paint job. What you are doing is great work, nobody expected you to do better .... There are a few here that can hang with you in custom paint .... Not me. I love the job you are doing .... not many know or understand the effort it takes.

I need too ask for help. I'm wondering what the stock seat height is. My original Base I have, never had the lower springs .... I have nothing to measure off of. I bought some bucket seats from a 1991 chebby truck .... They are comfortable & satisfactory .... just too low. I need to modify the risers they sit on .... raise them 3 or 4 inches. I'm asking if someone can measure from the floor to the top of seat to give me a target. 13" is just too low.

Time is money, I have more time then money. Having the brackets already made is well worth it. I read a review someone did on the cheap generic wiring harness's available. His qualifications, He works at or owns a shop that builds Hot Rods .... he has used all of the brand name wiring harness & he could nit pic little things about all of them. He had a project where he wanted to try one of the cheaper generic wiring harness .... His end results was, The wire grade was acceptable, the fuse box will work .... he was satisfied with it for that project .... shop truck? He would use them again. Not in a $50k Hot Rod, but on a project appropriate for the cost. I bought a cheap $50 harness from Amazon .... I agree with the guy with what I have seen. It is decent wire, well connected to the box, not going to fall apart. We can make this work dependably. My issues with it would be different then yours. ...... I have a truck with a stomp starter (no starter system) vacuum wipers. Very basic wiring needs. My goal was to de-pin the connectors from the box & wire it the way I wanted. Cheap box, the wires are in there to stay .... thats a good thing .... unless you want to modify it. It has 2 relays for turn signals & 4 way flashers ..... I can not use as is, can not move the wires around ..... I can cut, splice new wiring though. The box is labeled with a sticker, ..... it is wrong & does not match the way the box is wired. .... pull the sticker off, the lid is stamped, I saw sun roof ... does not match our cars. But the box & wiring will work. ..... You just need to pay attention & wire your car correctly, label as you go. The fuses are so cheap, when I pull one out, they box is tight and grabs the prongs of the fuse ... the plastic fuse cover pulls off ... you need pliers to remove the prongs individually. ...... You need to replace the fuses with a known quality brand .... I imagine the relays also .... Box & wiring is solid though. They have lots of wire .... I'm excited about that ..... Hard to buy that amount of different colored automotive wire for $50. I'm cutting out my box, creating a custom box using the wire .... again can use as is. Just saying, you can use the cheaper generic wiring harness .... you will need to work for it .... name brand will be easier. I've decided I'm cutting the wire loose & building a custom fuse block I can modify as needed .... If you can find a wiring harness made for your vehicle You are golden ... I personally will build one that fits me.

6 pages here .... I'm not reading back ..... Have we checked the obvious? I had some issues on my truck. Others pointed out that the pins going into the wheel cylinders were the wrong length. They were longer then the original pins ..... You could install the original pins or cut down the new pins. KK your drums are .020 under, shoes are over .... Those drums are precious .... turn only if absolutely needed Shoes are not cheap ..... Having them ground down is not cheap. What does a wheel cylinder cost? ..... take the pin, cut it down so your shoes fit. What would a farmer do back in the 1940's? ..... What did you hurt? .... what would be the consequences of shortening the pin? I get it I'm a hack. You have full shoes, you did not damage your drums ..... 10 years from now your shoes may be wearing down, the pins may be too short to push the shoes out ..... Now you need new pins or wheel cylinders to get the pins. Whats a replacement wheel cylinder cost? .... I have my original stored away. I have extra pins. I love @keithb7video on doing brakes one set at a time, front or rear. Let them wear in, then do the next. You will not need expensive machine work to get good brakes .... unless you have a different issue. I'm only suggesting a different way to fix this issue ..... throw lots of $$ at it .... or trim the pins to fit. As a old farmer, my garden is doing very well this year

Not sure exact date mopar came with electronic ignition .... late 70's .... 1979? There are several threads here on converting the slant 6 distributor. To oversimplify it, you use the shaft from your flathead distributor & swap it into a electronic slant 6 distributor body. Your oil pump has a slot for engagement ... slant 6 has gears. So you need to swap the shaft. The body of the slant 6 needs a little massaging to fit, I believe you can do this by hand with sandpaper. Do your research & read the threads on it. Just suggesting you do not need a machine shop to accomplish this. I plan to buy a spare distributor to donate the shaft, Rockauto you can buy the reman slant 6 for $120. Will also need the ignition control module to mount on the firewall .... $20 Now if you need a cap/rotor/plug wires .... you can get them from a local parts store .... might have to wait a day if not in stock ..... This photo is for a 1980 Plymouth Volare. This is my choice because I have had bad luck with points & condenser quality the last time I changed them. Was on my Uncles International truck. Went through 3 condensers from Napa, all bad out of the box. I pulled a used one from a junk engine & it worked fine. The plastic nub that rides on the cam to open the points .... is made from lesser quality material. As it wears you constantly need to adjust & eventually replace the points. I remember the days of having quality parts, and stopping into a parking lot on my way home from work to re-adjust my points in a 1969 mustang .... just to get home from work. Just a constant ongoing job to maintain the ignition system. Electronic ignition in a flathead will not make it go any faster .... sure does cut down on time spent maintaining the ignition system so you can spend the time elsewhere.

Sounds like you plan a new wire harness. The first thing would be to evaluate the condition of your harness. If it is original cloth covered .... probably needs replaced. If it has been replaced already & still 6 volt & in good condition .... will work fine for 12 volts. I think 12 volts does have advantages. Big reason for me is to do the slant 6 distributor hack to get oem electronic ignition. Points & condensers are hit and miss today with overseas quality parts. Yes you can still use 6 volt pertronix ..... I prefer oem available from any local parts store. Myself have not done the conversion yet. I chose what I thought was a Chevrolet internally regulated alternator. ...... Ended up with a externally regulated one. No big deal, $20 more for the regulator & I have to rewire it all anyways. I have it hanging on the upper bracket to size it up. Biggest problem I see is fabricating the lower bracket. Everything needs to move forward 3/4" to line up the pulleys. ..... this is where a kit would be handy, the mounting brackets are taken care of. The upper bracket can be heated & bent in a vise .... The lower bracket will be easy, just a zillion different ways to do it. So that is my view ..... A kit is easier installation. My way, have to fabricate mounts .... alternator is available at any parts store. Think I paid $48 for the 65 amp alternator, $20 for a solid state voltage regulator. If I was smarter, I would have bought the internally regulated alternator for the same $50 & saved $20.