The D.C. P15 Update

[HotRodTractor]

Well as most know by now, I purchased Don's P15.

 

 

It needs some wiring to get back on the road, and I plan on doing some interior updates and upgrades - but first things first... time to make her run!

 

I've temporarily mounted the fuse center on the inside firewall above the clutch pedal. I can get to it, but its not readily visible unless you are looking for it. Even then.... I have something in the works to cover it up.  

 

 

I have the new turn signal switch mounted on the steering column.

 

I have mostly test fit the new gauge setup that Don already had into the dash. I had to do some slight filing on the corners of the new billet piece and I had to knock off the sharp edges on the original trim piece. Hopefully that will be mounted in place tonight.

 

I have also started tossing wires around from the new wire harness and turn signal switch - its a spaghetti mess.... but things are starting to sort themselves out into general directions and bundles. I haven't started running any wires to the back yet.... I'm going to pick up some more supplies and run at least two more wires out back to cover me for future reverse light(s) and a trunk light.

 

 

Well.... there should have been more pictures, but I am having a hard time with my internet connection at the house for the last week and a half..... hopefully that gets resolved soon. Anyway, back to laying on the floor of the car. I want it running from its own switches and wires by the end of the week..... and I won't get a chance to work on it the first couple of evenings this week.

 

Jason

Edited October 14, 2018 by HotRodTractor

[Plymouthy Adams]

bet you weren't this excited with the new bride.....well...maybe....

[Don Coatney]

New gauge cluster.

 

 

New turn signal switch

 

 

 

New fuse panel

 

 

 

New dimmer switch already installed.

 

 

[HotRodTractor]

19 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

bet you weren't this excited with the new bride.....well...maybe....

 

Well I'm not sure about all that.... But I do want to get her up and running and on the road. Lol

[Don Coatney]

While it is on my mind, This toggle switch to the left of the heater fan switch I used as an over ride switch for the radiator fan thermostat. With the new radiator you will probably never need it as the new radiator is much more efficient than the original one. And along those lines you should flush and re-fill the radiator with antifreeze. I believe it has water only in it. 

 

 

 

 

[HotRodTractor]

That is perfect timing Don. I was just going to start trying to poke around in your collection of pictures to figure out what fan control you used so I could effectively wire it in. I figured that switch was an override and wasn't going to wire it back in unless I found out I needed one.

 

I started the car from inside last night using the switch and push button on the new harness..... so I'm getting closer!

 

Also I found my home internet problem - some critter was eating through my phone line, so a new line has been ran and I can get some pictures uploaded now to show progress.

[Don Coatney]

The fan controller has a input that turns the fan on when the air conditioning is turned on. As there is no air conditioner I used that input as my override. Also on the (Ford)  4 pole starter solenoid there is one pole that is hot with 12 volts when ever the starter button is pushed. I ran a wire from that pole directly to the ignition coil by-passing the ballast resistor so that every time the engine is started it gets a full 12 volts to the ignition. 

 

[BobT-47P15]

Yes....Mr. Coatney incorporated several unique features in that ol blue Plymouth. 

You know, that car once made it from Murfreesboro, TN to Tulsa, OK (back in '07) for "The Big Race", a road

race against Pete "Blueskies" Anderson from Utah or Montana (I forget which)....in conjunction with the raising

of "The Buried 1957 Plymouth".   I witnessed the event.....all the while trying to keep up and take pictures.  That

blue car was pretty fast.  Don may have additional comments.

 

Oh yes.....one time a forum member named Norm and I met Don in Murfreesboro for lunch and received a ride in old Blue to check out his handiwork.   Good times.   (Don, Me, Norm.....L to R)

Edited October 19, 2018 by BobT-47P15

[HotRodTractor]

I've had a productive couple of evenings late this week and a couple of hours yesterday to work on the old girl.

 

Fuse box is mounted and wires are pretty much all run where they need to go.

 

Gauges are installed and for the most part functioning.

 

 

Everything is done under the hood except wire loom and figuring out running new wires to add in front turn signals.

 

 

All the wires are routed to back of the car and distributed about - I just need to finish wiring them into lights.

 

 

• I do need to get a new flasher relay to work with the LEDs - this unit doesn't appear to flash at all currently.
• I need to wire in the dash lights.
• I need to figure out what I am going to do with the high beam indicator and light. Probably going to go LED and make a little bracket so the original housing works.
• I need to run the choke and throttle cables.
• Tailight power isn't wired in yet - I needed a bullet connector for the wiring that I don't have - I'll pick that up later this week.
• I also need to adjust the fuel sender a bit. I followed the directions and it appears that something is off..... 4" worth of gas in a tank that is 10" deep is not nearly empty..... which brings me to my next problem to tackle.....

I went out for a spin yesterday morning - the first ride for the girlfriend and her best friend that was in from Texas..... after fighting with the car for a bit, she fired up and I drove over to the farm to grab some fuses (I popped one because I left the power on while wiring in the headlight switch... dumb!)... anyway.... 1.7 miles is all I made it and the car shut off like its out of gas. I popped the tops of the carbs.... empty. Fuel tank is nearly half full and relatively clean (I just dropped the sending unit down into the tank). So it looks like I lost the fuel pump. I grabbed the tractor and towed it back to my garage. Again I've got a busy first few days of the week on the road, so it will be later in the week before I have much chance to mess with it. I did take a quick gander down in there and lamented about how little room there is compared to a Pilothouse for access to that fuel pump.... oh well it has to be done.

 

Jason

 

[Don Coatney]

I have some bullet connectors if you need them.

 

 

Did you install the new vacuum gauge?

 

 

 

I have a roll of the blue wire loom I forgot to send with you. If you want it let me know.

 

 

I have a new pillar switch for the interior light. If you want it let me know.

 

 

 

Bearing number for the transmission pilot bearing.

 

 

There is a fuel filter located on the inner frame rail below the drivers side rear door. I have never changed it. You might consider installing the electric fuel pump I sent with you. If the car sits for a few days the carburetors evaporate and it takes a bit of cranking to fill them up. The gas tank filler pipe may leak where it enters the tank. This only happens when you fill the tank all the way to the top. I did not deal with it because I never added more than 10-12 gallons when the gauge was below the 1/4 mark. And the 10-12 gallons carried me 150 miles or so and by then I was ready for a pee stop. 

 

 

 

 

 

[HotRodTractor]

I found some bullet connectors at AutoZone while I was out and about running errands today - so I might have taillights yet tonight.

 

Don - I totally missed that new vacuum gauge, but I remember seeing it somewhere after seeing that picture.... I wonder what I did with it... I had a relatively new Stewart Warner Motor Minder sitting on the shelf that I shoved in the bracket. Its not hooked up yet, but the intent is there.

 

I'm not sure what I am going to do with the interior lights yet. I had a hell of a time getting the wires up through the A-Pillar.... its a snug fit. In fact I had to cut off where the tail light wiring breaks into three separate wires. It simply wouldn't fit prewired like that.

 

Thanks for the tip on the fuel filter. I haven't had the car up in the air yet to find that guy. I'm intending to install that pump. I was hoping it was going to be a later on project... but it seems that it needs it now. lol

[HotRodTractor]

So - I towed the old girl over to the farm shop because I have a 2 post lift - so its way easier to get under the car and change things like my dead fuel pump. It was miserable day to do this... but its the first chance that I had and I had help. Cold, wind blowing, and spitting rain off and on. Good thing its a short trip.

 

I proceeded to inspect the fuel system, found the inline filter along the frame rail, and started to figure out what supplies I would need need to install an electric fuel pump on the frame rail.

 

In the meantime I swapped the mechanical pump out for a good one and after bleeding the air out of the system she fired right up and idled beautifully. Unfortunately if you want to see a grown man cry.... watch his face as a glass sediment bowl slips through his fingers full of gas and accelerates towards the shop floor only to have it reach its destination with a resounding crash. It sucks, but it is what it is now. I'll find a replacement bowl in my stash of stuff somewhere I'm sure.

 

I continued on with my wiring project and installed my fusebox base and cover. The cover JUST fits over the assembly with the new electronic flasher unit for the LEDs....  I'm probably going to print a new cover with a bit more room, and spaces for spare fuses, a fuse tester, and a fuse removal tool.

 

I have the rear lights wired up - tail lights, turn signals, and brakes are all good to go!

 

I now have enough done that I can start to drive her around a bit and put some miles on her. Most notably to drive her to get VIN inspected hopefully sometime this week.

 

Things to do:

Shorten wires going to the hi/low beam switch on the floor.

Wire up dash lights

Figure out high beam indicator mounting and light (I have a blue LED that I am going to use)

Install wire loom

Zip tie up the wiring in the trunk

Install heater

Install electric fuel pump

Hookup front turn signals (still undecided in my direction on these, either a double bulb in the parking lights, or perhaps use a set of 7" headlights I have sitting here with LED "angel eye" daytime running lights and turn signals.... or maybe both).

Hookup emergency brake cable (need to buy some supplies)

Front seat..... I need to do something with it. either make a foam cushion for it, or completely replace it with something like Chevy silverado buckets out of an early 2000s (they happen to have integrated seat belts, so that would be a nice added feature as well)

 

Jason

 

 

 

[Don Coatney]

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v65/DonCoatney/Lights/Mvc-005v.mp4

[HotRodTractor]

I had a few minutes this evening so I thought I would work on the headlight high beam indicator. Since The original high beam indicator mounts into the dash and also into the original cluster, and I no longer have the original cluster installed I need to make a spacer to take up some room. A generous 5 minutes with the part, some calipers, and a computer and I whipped up a widget as shot it off to my 3D printer. 15 minutes later I have this fancy spacer and the LED holder.

 

 

The two wires coming out the back are coming from my bright blue LED that I have in a 3D printed housing (that didn't quite work the first go around.... hence the tape).

 

 

 

All assembled on my desk.

 

12V LED powered by 9V because that was all I had in the office.

 

 

Now I just need to fix my LED housing, and come up with a lens for the factory trim piece and I should be set to mount and wire it into its new home!

[HotRodTractor]

Got off work a little early today because its been a long week with way too many hours. Came home, fired up the car and went for a drive into Urbana to get a VIN inspection for out of state title transfer - this thing runs pretty damn well. Speedometer is definitely reading too fast (it read 40mph when I was doing 30mph according to GPS) - but the odometer now says 35 miles on it..... so I've driven it at least a couple of miles now   I got it up to 70mph or so on a remote road in Mexico and it was perfectly happy.

[Don Coatney]

At 70 you were not yet in overdrive.

[HotRodTractor]

2 hours ago, Don Coatney said:

At 70 you were not yet in overdrive.

 

Then perhaps I was going faster..... lol I was in overdrive with about 2200RPMs on the tach give or take. I wasn't pushing it, but it was moving pretty decent with way more available if I desired.

[HotRodTractor]

On 10/21/2018 at 4:06 PM, Don Coatney said:

The gas tank filler pipe may leak where it enters the tank. This only happens when you fill the tank all the way to the top. I did not deal with it because I never added more than 10-12 gallons when the gauge was below the 1/4 mark. And the 10-12 gallons carried me 150 miles or so and by then I was ready for a pee stop.

 

Can confirm. I have a leak after putting 10 gallons into it yesterday and having maybe 1/4 of a tank in there already. I'll have to take a look at that in the next couple of days.

[HotRodTractor]

So its been pretty crazy at work this week and I haven't had time to do much with the car - except order parts.

 

I picked up a Lokar emergency brake cable set - everything from the brake handle all the way to the lever arms on the rear Chrysler drums. It looks mostly painless to install, and I should never have to worry about the e-brake cable ever again. Hopefully I get to that over Sunday.

 

I also pulled a set of headlights out that I have had sitting here. They are 7" round lights with H4 bulbs installed - and a daytime running light halo with amber turn signal switchback capability. I figure as blind as everyone is on the road these days - DRLs are almost getting to be a necessity (and they do help with visibility). The built in turn signal function could take care of my front turn signal dilema - but I also feel that I should swap out the parking light bases and bulbs for some dual filament jobs to further improve visibility.

 

If this link works its a quick video demonstrating the DRL and turn signal switchback capability: CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

 

 

[HotRodTractor]

I didn't get very far today. My OT daily driver needed a tire plugged so that had to go onto the lift first and took longer than it should have.

 

Anyway - I put it on the lift and started by removing the existing parking brake hardware under the dash and running the new front Lokar cable from from the factory parking brake handle down under the car. That was pretty easy and uneventful. I pulled the rear wheels and drums and that is when I knew that I needed some more parts....

 

 

That would be part of the automatic adjustment feature on the passenger side.... missing the cable entirely and bent up pretty good.....  so I'll have to source some parts to fix that.

 

Other than that - I unhooked the old cables in the back and attached the new sheaths to the backing plates and played with routing for a few minutes. That was as far as I got. So my todo list is to buy the parts needed for the adjuster and finalize my routing so I can button everything up.

[Don Coatney]

This might or might not help.

 

 

[HotRodTractor]

Small update - I'm hoping the weather warms up enough to get into the shop soon - there is plenty to do.

 

New fuel tank showed up - need to install it and an electric fuel pump and filter.

 

New headlights with built in daytime running lights and turn signals still need to be installed.

 

Need to install the heater

 

Need to loom up the wiring under the hood.

 

I did however get the rear brakes squared away and the new parking brake installed. Apparently I never posted any pictures because I failed to take them..... I will do that when I am doing the gas tank and associated parts.

[HotRodTractor]

I finally got some time to spend with the car in the shop - kind of a birthday present to myself.

 

Working on trying to figure out where to mount the new electric fuel pump and filter, I don't want it on the outside of the frame rail, so my options are kind of limited..... thinking about hanging them both right in front of the fuel tank..... but not sure yet.

 

I had an idea for the headlight wiring this morning on the way to work that I think will solve my issue of how to have daytime running lights and everything working as they are supposed to.... I'll outline the details later this week, hopefully as I start implementing them.

 

Nothing else really got done as I spent my time cleaning up a few things, and troubleshooting a fuel leak..... I finally started the car on the lift and raised it up to see exactly where it was coming from...... my brand new mechanical fuel pump installed last fall has a crack in it where the outlet fitting is...... I've installed lots of these over the last 20 some years and never had one crack..... popped it off the engine only to discover the inlet port is cracked as well..... either I don't know my own strength or this material just ain't what it used to be..... ordered a new one, making sure its an Airtex that should be here this week and we will see how that goes.....

 

Parking brake is kind of boring to take a picture of. Here is where the front cable assembly mates with the rear cable assembly and gets adjusted. I know the front bracket looks a little crooked, it has to do with where and how I routed the front cable, but it works smoothly, so I am not too concerned about this slight aesthetic that is hidden on the inside of a frame rail. It still needs some minor adjustment, but I need to drive it more before I mess with it any more. The Lokar parts worked well and bolted right to the factory handle on the front and to the drums on the Charger axle out back. I only trimmed the rear cables for length and am pretty happy with the ease of the whole experience.

 

[greg g]

Have you searched airtex fuel pump issues on this message board?  Interesting reading on cam lever fulcrum pins. See if you can pull them up.

[HotRodTractor]

6 hours ago, greg g said:

Have you searched airtex fuel pump issues on this message board?  Interesting reading on cam lever fulcrum pins. See if you can pull them up.

 

Guess I will now.... lol

 

I know the one I bought was a chinese special and had phillips screws holding it together. From the looks of it the Airtex units had hex bolts - so I figured at the minimum it would be different. lol