Just start it up.

[Mark Haymond]

Grumble, grumble. After carefully restoring my 1950 Plymouth it started right up. I have had no such luck with my latest 1947 Plymouth project with its "new" 1970 Chrysler engine. My structured check list is slowing me down because all my checks are uncovering problems.

1. Pour two gallons of gas in tank and watch for leaks. Sure enough the drain plug was leaking on my refurbished gas tank. A search of the P-15 D-24 forum led me to use a 1/2 inch drive to loosen the plug. It worked fine. Thank you. I fashioned a thin cork gasket for the plug and coated both sides with silicone gasket sealer. After sitting overnight with gas in the tank there was no more leaking. Yeaah, we'll start it up next!

2. Turn the starter and check for oil pressure and other fuel leaks. Well the oil pressure gauge did not budge from zero and there were two leaks on either side of my steel fuel filter, which is between the fuel pump and the carb. Oh, and the threaded fitting going into the carb was leaking too. So I tightened the carb fitting, and replaced the light spring clamps that came with the new fuel filter with the kind of hose clamps that tighten with a screw. Grumble. Now about the lack of oil pressure. It had been years since I drove the car and I could not remember if the oil pressure gauge was working or not. By good fortune I was able to use a bicycle pump hooked to the oil line to introduce forty pounds of pressure and the gauge read correctly! Hooray, I can use the original gauge and won't have to mount a non stock aftermarket gauge under the dash! Hooray the gauge is telling the truth and I really don't have any oil pressure! The symptoms suggested my oil pump had lost its prime and I needed to prime the pump.

After removing the distributor I had more problems pulling the oil pump drive gear shaft out of its hole but after some time I managed it. (Imagine a prank in a garage with a hidden camera where a mechanic is trying to pull a gear through a hole that is deliberately too small.) Then a run to the hardware store to get a length of 3/8 inch steel rod to use as a drill extension. I tediously filed a hex shape into the end so it would catch in the oil pump gear. Then with my cordless electric drill I spun the oil pump for thirty seconds or so and then the pressure came up. Then reassemble everything and get all the alignment marks to line up right.

Now on my third day I have an electrical problem. My ignition switch is just supposed to give power to the coil and my starter button is just supposed to turn over the engine. But alas, when I turned the key my starter turned over. Voltage had been going through the ballast resistor back to my starter relay by a round about route through my clever new wiring. And that's where I am today, on the third day of "starting it up." I swear, if I were more intelligent I would be quite frustrated by now. But no, the vision of driving this old beauty around my home town is too close and too wonderful to give up. Other projects may go smoothly, but I see that getting my P-15 started is more of a process than an event. When I get it started you will all hear me holler, you won't need the internet.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Mark Haymond
spelling

[Greenbomb]

Yeah...So what's different about that? Isn't there one of those unwritten laws of the universe that says that's how it's supposed to be? Been (am) there, done (do) that!

[james49ply]

Hey, thats the fun of owning and driving a vintage automobile:D

[Guest P15-D24]

...1947 Plymouth project with its "new" 1970 Chrysler engine.

are you talking about?

[MoparAl-]

Your not alone my friend, my 71 Plymouth has cost me a bloody fortune and still dont run as i want it to ! if it aint the ignition circuit its valves-timing-fuel mix-back pressure............ etc etc, but hell we dont stop and every time we sort a problem we become a little bit more knowledgable, albeit aggy first ! Lol

[Don Coatney]

Mark;

There is always a bit of regress in progress. Good to see that you are close to ignition. I will plant my ear to the ground and listen for the rumble in Fresno. Been a long time coming.

[Mark Haymond]

To P15-D24, I am installing a 1970 Dodge 318 LA engine with a 904 automatic because my wife wants to be able to drive it. It has a stock two barrel economy carb and there are no performance parts on the engine. That is so we can enjoy the legendary reliability of this small block when we go on trips.

[Greg F]

I am at the same point you are. Finally finished up the re-wiring now time to start her for the first time next week. I am excited but also very worried, being as this is the first car I have really ever worked on.

Anyone have some kind of checklist I can run through to make sure I have checked everything, before I start her for the first time? Any tricks to getting it running the first start?

Thanks as always..Greg