Draining coolant from the block

[GeorgeLeonard]

This is the first Fall Ive had with my '49 so I decided to add some anti freeze to the radiator. In order to make room, I drained said radiator using the petcock at the bottom. Lots of water come out- nothing unusual so I figured Id try the block petcock on the right side of the block by the distributor. Unfortunately, nothing came out at all. I tried lightly poking a toothpick in there but no success. Is this a problem that needs my attention right now? The car ran fine all summer with no hint of overheating. Id rather wait until next season before I start dismantling and cleaning the cooling system. Any conventional wisdom out there on this topic? Thanks

[Plymouthy Adams]

it is a sign that you may have a excess of slude built up in the bottom recess of the block..pulling the petcock and the lower three freeze plugs may be a good winter project..but should you want to wait till spring...go ahead and try to remove thepetcok by unthreading it..cleanout this immediate area for to drain the most you can..add mix to your temperature needs..

[aero3113]

same happened to me, I removed the petcock and then poked with a hanger started flowing after that

[GeorgeLeonard]

When you say remove the petcock, do you mean continue turning the ears even after they stop turning with finger pressure using a wrench for added leverage? They dont look that well made to me and I can imagine that fixture just snapping right off. Is that what happens in extreme cases?

[Plymouthy Adams]

no...remove the entire body from the engine by turning the nut part of the body that the eared tube screws into..

[n1gzd_plymouth]

This is the first Fall Ive had with my '49 so I decided to add some anti freeze to the radiator. In order to make room, I drained said radiator using the petcock at the bottom. Lots of water come out- nothing unusual so I figured Id try the block petcock on the right side of the block by the distributor. Unfortunately, nothing came out at all. I tried lightly poking a toothpick in there but no success. Is this a problem that needs my attention right now? The car ran fine all summer with no hint of overheating. Id rather wait until next season before I start dismantling and cleaning the cooling system. Any conventional wisdom out there on this topic? Thanks

I had this happen with my buick. I ended up blowing some compressed air into the petcock and it cleared out the blockage. unfortunately with that car I still have a cooling problem which I am now convinced is a blocked water jacket. I am going to knock out the freeze plugs this winter (at least the rear one).

Retarding our engines, does someone have a picture of the second petcock (near the distributor). I am having trouble finding my second one (there are some plugs but none of them has a petcock (except for the one closer to the front of the engine on the same side). I want to pull out the correct plug and replace it with a petcock but I don't know which one it is (some of them must be oil).

Rebecca

[Young Ed]

[n1gzd_plymouth]

Ok. Thanks. I have identified that on my engine but now I am confused.

Where is the second one?

I can see the one that you just pointed out on my engine:

http://www.pangalacticconsortium.com/cars/PlymouthGallery/imgpages/image032.html

Is the other one to the right or left of that?

Rebecca

[Young Ed]

What other one? Im pretty sure I have that one and then one on the radiator.

[n1gzd_plymouth]

Also here is a dumb question, on my distributor (at least you can see it in my picture) what is that knob that is visible at about 11:00?

Rebecca

[TodFitch]

Also here is a dumb question, on my distributor (at least you can see it in my picture) what is that knob that is visible at about 11:00?

Rebecca

That is a grease cup. Fill it with grease and, at least on the 1933 model, give it a quarter turn every 500 miles. Couple of issue though:

1) I thought you had a newer engine in there and they use an oil wick (visible at about the 1 o'clock position of Young Ed's photo.

2) You can find grease cups in machine tool supply catalogs but I have yet to find old fashioned cup grease. I cheat and use chassis lubrication grease.

[n1gzd_plymouth]

That is a grease cup. Fill it with grease and, at least on the 1933 model, give it a quarter turn every 500 miles. Couple of issue though:

1) I thought you had a newer engine in there and they use an oil wick (visible at about the 1 o'clock position of Young Ed's photo.

2) You can find grease cups in machine tool supply catalogs but I have yet to find old fashioned cup grease. I cheat and use chassis lubrication grease.

I do have a 1952 engine but my accessories appear to be from the 36 car.

I wonder if I would benefit from finding a newer distributor. I was going to remove mine anyway to refurbish it. I would rather have a newer one if it is a better design. When I do I can look at the part number on it to id it.

Thanks for pointing that out. the distributors on my other cars have the oil wick like Ed's photo.

Rebecca

[Mark Haymond]

I also had a clogged up area near 47 petcock valve. I removed the valve and used a stiff piece of wire to break up the sludge. And don't freak if you damage the valve. You can find them at hardware and plumbing stores and they're cheap. Good luck.

[oldmopar]

If you do remove the petcock to clear it I would install a new one only a few dollars and may avoid future problems

[Don Coatney]

I do have a 1952 engine but my accessories appear to be from the 36 car.

I wonder if I would benefit from finding a newer distributor.

Rebecca

Rebecca;

As long as your distributor has not worn beyond servicable limits

there is little to be gained by using a newer distributor. Here is a

chart showing the differences from 36 through 54.

One other option is to convert to dual points as I have done.

[n1gzd_plymouth]

I also had a clogged up area near 47 petcock valve. I removed the valve and used a stiff piece of wire to break up the sludge. And don't freak if you damage the valve. You can find them at hardware and plumbing stores and they're cheap. Good luck.

Actually I don't even have petcocks yet (just plugs). I will install them. I just need to figure out where the second one is. I only know about one that is just to the left of the distributor.

On a slightly related note, I am going to have to knock out the freeze plugs on my buick straight 8 because I have decided that the water jacket might be a bit clogged towards the back of the engine. I hope that I don't have the same problem with the dodge engine.

Rebecca

[Don Coatney]

Actually I don't even have petcocks yet (just plugs). I will install them. I just need to figure out where the second one is. I only know about one that is just to the left of the distributor.

Rebecca

The only other pet cock is located on the lower radiator tank front side.

[n1gzd_plymouth]

The only other pet cock is located on the lower radiator tank front side.

Oh, I thought that there were two on the left side of the block. There are several other plugs and I was not sure if more than one of them was the water jacket, so if there is just one next to the distributor (and of course the radiator) then I am all set. If course, that still leaves me wondering about what those plugs are. I will post another question this weekend with a picture of which ones I mean (one of them is near the front of the block behind the generator).

Rebecca

[Andydodge]

Rebecca, there is an oil gallery that runs along the side of the block from front to back on the USA drivers side, this has the oil filter lines & oil guage line tapped into/onto it or it may have some plugs if no oil filter connection ........there is only one water petcock on the block, on the same side as just near where the oil filler tube is, the other water petcock should be on the lower radiator tank, both should be the same style of tap, turn the crosshandle and water should come out of the centre of the tap, if not, undo the tap from the block/radiator tank and insert a piece of wire to clear the crud out, then reinstall......andyd

[Don Coatney]

Rebecca;

In this picture the engine is laying on its side with the head towards the

bottom of the picture. There are 3 open ports in the oil galley #1, 5, and 6.

Number 6 is behind the generator bracket and most likely has a plug in it as it

is not normally used. Number 5 is normally used for a by-pass filtering system

if you have one. And number 1 is used for the oil pressure gauge. Numbers 2,

3, and 4 do not apply to your engine as the pictured engine is a long block

Desoto engine and has provisions for a full flow oil filter.

[n1gzd_plymouth]

Rebecca;

In this picture the engine is laying on its side with the head towards the

bottom of the picture. There are 3 open ports in the oil galley #1, 5, and 6.

Number 6 is behind the generator bracket and most likely has a plug in it as it

is not normally used. Number 5 is normally used for a by-pass filtering system

if you have one. And number 1 is used for the oil pressure gauge. Numbers 2,

3, and 4 do not apply to your engine as the pictured engine is a long block

Desoto engine and has provisions for a full flow oil filter.

Excellent. Thanks. What is the large plug just below #1 (if you picture the engine right side up)? Also, there are a couple of plugs on the top of the engine that I need to identify. I know which one is the header coolant port because it is labeled. However there are two smaller ones near the center of the engine (I will post a picture if you don't know which ones i mean) that I am don't know about. I of course, know about the temperature gauge on the side near the top.

One of these if I recall correctly, is near the center a few inches out from the firewall. The other one is about 10 inches from the firewall also near the center and looks more like a nut than a plug (smaller than the head bolts).

Rebecca

Rebecca

[Don Coatney]

There is no plug below #1 in the above picture. There is a bolt used to secure the bell housing to the engine. Below I am pointing to a plug located just above the #6 piston in the head. This is used to find top dead center.

The other plug about 10" from the firewall is most likely the pivot point for the accelerator linkage on later model cars. The linkage on your car I believe is different that what I have pictured below.

[n1gzd_plymouth]

That is exactly what i was wondering about. I sure appreciate this forum. What an excellent resource. You are right, I have a different throttle linkage.

Question: Why can't top dead center just be found by removing the plug? Is the hole for the plug not quite aligned with the best place to measure from?

Rebecca

[TodFitch]

There is no plug below #1 in the above picture. There is a bolt used to secure the bell housing to the engine. <snip>

Perhaps the reference was to the tapped hole on the side of the head for the temperature gauge bulb?

[TodFitch]

That is exactly what i was wondering about. I sure appreciate this forum. What an excellent resource. You are right, I have a different throttle linkage.

Question: Why can't top dead center just be found by removing the plug? Is the hole for the plug not quite aligned with the best place to measure from?

Rebecca

Spark plugs are over by the valves. The plug Don pointed out is over the piston.