50`Chrysler Straight 8 / new member

[freemansrodnrat]

Hello folk`s, hello Cpt.Fred here I am!

I have had on the last weekend in Finsterwalde/Germany a talk with Fred, and he show me this forum. I am very glad to found this site and I hope to learn a lot to make my car better. My english is not soo good like Fred`s english, please excused, hope you can even understand what I write.

OK, I am the man from the race with the red Chrysler New Yorker with straight 8 and fluid drive.

Here you have the first pictures.

I have good performance from the engine with org. Edmunds intake, 2 Rochester carbs. and electronic ignition from Pertronix, but the fluid drive will destroy all this. Now I have ordered another bell housing, flywheel and a 40`3 speed Plymouth trans to take it in the Chrysler and have a better performance.

Is there a better trans to build i, please give me a post!!

As well I need a oil pump for my second straight 8 wich I have in my garage, if the first beat up.

It would be fine if I can found any speed parts for my L8 like a alu-cyl. head or other things.

For your`s help and advice I thank you!!

Dirk

[1940plymouth]

Dirk,

Welcome to the best old MOPAR forum there is, I can't help you with the speed equipment, but there are members that can.

Good luck,

Bob

[Cpt.Fred]

Hey Dirk,

good to see you on board! chatting with you and your pals was really nice.

I hope you had a safe trip back home.

i'm really curious how things will turn out next year with your new gear box...

guess i was faster for the last time this year

take a look at www.edgyspeedshop.com for your flat-6 project, maybe the man

can help you with straight8 stuff, too.

do i see you at lifter's ballroom in october?

cheers,

Fred

Edited September 6, 2011 by Cpt.Fred

[RattlesnakeDaddy]

hi dirk,

welcome. i´m from frankfurt/main. hope to see you at hindenberg dirt race next year. if my car will be running´til then...

thomas

[greg g]

Willkommen!! Your English works good. What transmission do you have? The fluid drive should while not a "performance" drive train doesn't really waste a lot of power. If you have the semi automaic transmission behind the fluid drive, then I can see where you might not like its performance. there is a way to shift the semi auto so that it starts i low range and then shifts so that you can use both ranges for better start performance. I had a fried in highschool with a Desota who would shift that way and the acceleration was greater than just using the high range.

But that was a long time ago and I forget the procedure he used, perhaps some on else will chime in with how to shift it that way.

Your car looks great and the performance items on your engine also. Do you know if your cylinder head has been milled?? That simple procedure can make a difference in how your engine performs, raising compression to a more modern level, and it allows you to advance the ignition timing for some additional response.

There was a straight 8 intake manifold similar to your's on US ebay last week, don;t know if its still there, I believe it was an Edmunds.

Is the oil pump the same as on the 6 cylinder engine??

[Sigtyr01]

Welcome to the forum!!

I have a Desto S11 -48 with Fluid Drive and if I would like to take off fast I shift like Greg describes Well - no need for slicks ...

//d

[freemansrodnrat]

Hey Dirk,

good to see you on board! chatting with you and your pals was really nice.

I hope you had a safe trip back home.

i'm really curious how things will turn out next year with your new gear box...

guess i was faster for the last time this year

take a look at www.edgyspeedshop.com for your flat-6 project, maybe the man

can help you with straight8 stuff, too.

do i see you at lifter's ballroom in october?

cheers,

Fred

Hey Fred, thank you it was a good trip at home with nice rod`s on the highway and a big smile in the people`s face..., can life be better?? I have had a little meeting with the police 100km before we arrived, but the policeman has tatoos and a fiftis hair style and after he look the chrysler he let me go :D

If I have not my kid`s on the weekend, we see us at the lifter`s to speak about the next "tuning" and maybe drink beer!!

Best wishes Dirk

[freemansrodnrat]

Dirk' date='

Welcome to the best old MOPAR forum there is, I can't help you with the speed equipment, but there are members that can.

Good luck,

Bob[/quote']

Thanks Bob, I hope so!!

[freemansrodnrat]

hi dirk,

welcome. i´m from frankfurt/main. hope to see you at hindenberg dirt race next year. if my car will be running´til then...

thomas

Hello Thomas, regards to Frankfurt/Main and good luck for your car next season!!

[freemansrodnrat]

Willkommen!! Your English works good. What transmission do you have? The fluid drive should while not a "performance" drive train doesn't really waste a lot of power. If you have the semi automaic transmission behind the fluid drive, then I can see where you might not like its performance. there is a way to shift the semi auto so that it starts i low range and then shifts so that you can use both ranges for better start performance. I had a fried in highschool with a Desota who would shift that way and the acceleration was greater than just using the high range.

But that was a long time ago and I forget the procedure he used, perhaps some on else will chime in with how to shift it that way.

Your car looks great and the performance items on your engine also. Do you know if your cylinder head has been milled?? That simple procedure can make a difference in how your engine performs, raising compression to a more modern level, and it allows you to advance the ignition timing for some additional response.

There was a straight 8 intake manifold similar to your's on US ebay last week, don;t know if its still there, I believe it was an Edmunds.

Is the oil pump the same as on the 6 cylinder engine??

Hey, I can begin the first gear and the second with the clutch and this is good and fast, but then for the next gear I must take off the feet from gas for 2 seconds and the solenoid shift and this is bad...

My cyl. head is not milled, but this is the next step, in this forum I have see I can milled him 0,060 from 6.8 to 7.5, I think this is much better. Also I have a mcculloch supercharger in my hands and hope we can built it on the engine in this winter.

The oil pump is not the same on the flat 6, flat 6 is longer and drive gear has another direction, but thank`s for the advice.

[freemansrodnrat]

Welcome to the forum!!

I have a Desto S11 -48 with Fluid Drive and if I would like to take off fast I shift like Greg describes Well - no need for slicks ...

//d

Hello, regards to sweden, hope I have the time next year to go to the A-Bombers and maybe meet you.

[Rusty O'Toole]

You can speed up the shift if you step on the clutch, then whip the gear lever quickly from hi to low and back to hi. Another trick is to drain off part of the oil from the fluid drive, this has the same effect as a high stall torque converter.

Why do you want to change transmissions? Is it a performance thing? Hard to believe you want more performance out of a straight eight New Yorker, there are thousands of cars that would give you more performance with no mods.

If it is a matter of wanting more relaxed Autobahn cruising a higher rear axle gear ratio might be in order. Unfortunately special gears for this axle are not available so some people change the whole rear axle assembly.

In the US the T5 manual 5 speed is popular. The best models for old timers come from pickup trucks and vans, the same trans is used in Camaros and Mustangs but the gearshift location is better in the truck models.

The T5 transmission may not be available so easily in Germany but there must be many Mercedes and BMW cars with manual 5 speed transmissions with overdrive top gear.

If you change the transmission you must add a hand brake, as the Chrysler hand brake is located on the back of the transmission.

For this reason it is common practice to change rear axle and transmission at the same time. Newer cars have the handbrake on the rear brakes.

It is hard to come up with good ideas unless I know more about what you want to do with the car. Frankly, it would probably be best to keep it stock and if you want a faster car, buy a new BMW.

Wear your pinstripe suit, Fedora hat and hand painted necktie when you drive your New Yorker and enjoy it for what it is.

[oldodge41]

Welcome Dirk, your english is a ton better than my German. Glad to have you aboard.......Tim

[Don Coatney]

Another trick is to drain off part of the oil from the fluid drive' date=' this has the same effect as a high stall torque converter.

[/quote']

How can draining off part of the oil help? Fluid drive is a fluid coupling not a torque converter. A fluid coupling is a two element drive that is incapable of multiplying torque. A torque converter has a stator that changes the drive during periods of high slippage, allowing an increase in output torque. So how can draining off part of the oil help?

[freemansrodnrat]

Hey Rusty o Toole,

if I will drive fast in 2011 I have a modern car that do that. I speak about the fifties and to drive to the meeting`s here in europe and there we have 1/8 mile races with only this old pre 58`cars, ok this is a little bit crazy but also a meeting with good people and we have a nice time together. Make the chrysler faster will I do only with part`s of his decade, I will not destroy the soul of the car. I love this New Yorker and the flat 8 in it...

Regards Dirk

[Greenbomb]

Good answer! Welcome to the forum.