Losing Power

[49 Dodge Dude]

I haven't had the chance to drive it much, but one thing I noticed as I was driving my '49 Coronet home after purchase was that when I went up a short but relatively steep hill near my home I seemed to lose quite a bit of power and momentum. By the time I got to the top, I almost had it floored but was doing only about 20mph or so.

Any ideas what could have caused this?

[Niel Hoback]

Downshift.

[greg g]

A compression test would go a long way to revealing if the power loss is internal, worn rings and cylinders, or external, fuel stavation, improper timing, misadjusted points, failing coil.

These engines ar very torquey, and hill climbing should not trouble a car with an engine in good repair.

The possibility might be low fluid level in the fluid drive which would allow power made by the engine to be lost before it got to the transmission.

But do a compression test and see what kind of shape your engine is in before changie anything.

[49 Dodge Dude]

I thought about low fluid - how do I check the level properly, and if I need to add, what should I use?

[Reg Evans]

Was the engine reving up while the car was slowing down? If so it would be the fluid drive slipping. If not then something else is wrong. You can go 35 mph's easily in 2nd so maybe a downshift would have helped. Try the hill again only shift into second at about 30 mph's.

[Don Coatney]

I thought about low fluid - how do I check the level properly, and if I need to add, what should I use?

Did the engine RPM's increase as you went up the hill? If the RPM's did not increase then your fluid level is most likely OK. As greg said do a compression check first.

[JIPJOBXX]

When you get to that inspection hole and remove the plug put a rag or something in that hole so that when you remove the internal plug if you do drop it, it won't down into the bell housing. At work we would call this an FME device but at home its just saves alot of agravation

[Merle Coggins]

Have you checked the points and timing yet? When the points were out of adjustment on my truck it became a guttless wonder. It would start and run just fine, but would struggle to climb hills. I finally tuned it up and it regained it's power.

Merle

[49 Dodge Dude]

Did the engine RPM's increase as you went up the hill? If the RPM's did not increase then your fluid level is most likely OK. As greg said do a compression check first.

Yes, it did feel like it was slipping, and the engine RPM's did increase.

[49 Dodge Dude]

Thanks again to all for the great advice! I'll check the fluid level this weekend. I suspect it'll be low.

[Don Coatney]

Thanks again to all for the great advice! I'll check the fluid level this weekend. I suspect it'll be low.

If it is indeed low what fluid do you plan on using to top it off? I do not have fluid drive in my car and do not know the answer but the answer can be found using the search function on the tool bar above.

[desoto1939]

I would suggest that you line the socket with some masking tape to make the bolt a tighter fit. This way when you take out the bolt the tape will hold the bolt inthe socket. They do make little magnets that you can place in a socket to also hold the bolt.

Do the same when putting the bolt back into the housing.

Rich Hartung