New Car Day! 1938 P6 Plymouth Deluxe

[Tim Larson]

5 minutes ago, keithb7 said:

My wife is laughing at me while I sit in my black dark garage, inside my ‘38 tonite.  Today was a small step for car repairs , but a giant step for my own benefit and motivation. Tonite we have dash lights in the Plymouth! Super exciting stuff. I felt nostalgic sitting in there enjoying the old gauges. Feeling like a passenger might have in 1938. 

 

The wiring re-work is progressing. The rear chassis harness and fuel tank are back in place. Today I cleaned up a fair bit of badly deteriorated wires. More to go, but just wanted to share my progress. 

 

Great to see an update, Keith! I've been wondering how things were going with your '38.

[RobertKB]

38 minutes ago, keithb7 said:

My wife is laughing at me while I sit in my black dark garage, inside my ‘38 tonite.  Today was a small step for car repairs , but a giant step for my own benefit and motivation. Tonite we have dash lights in the Plymouth! Super exciting stuff. I felt nostalgic sitting in there enjoying the old gauges. Feeling like a passenger might have in 1938

 

 

I'm not laughing. I used to do the exact same thing in my '38 Chrysler which I have since sold. I would sometimes sit out there at night with the instrument lights on and sip on a beer and just enjoy the moment. I would wonder who were the people who travelled in that car and discussed what was happening during World War II.

 

I sometimes have seller's remorse when I see a picture like this.

 

[keithb7]

If someone has some clues on how to remove the pull-knob type light switch I'd appreciate it. I can't seem to locate any info in my OEM shop manual. The old switch seems corroded up pretty bad internally. Lights are flickering and dimming when I wiggle the switch. Thinking I will replace it.

 

There is a chrome ferrule on the dash where the pull knob comes though. I suspect it dresses up the mounting nut that I think is behind there. Not wanting to get ram-y and pull stuff apart so thought I should ask here first. 

Pic below.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2019 by keithb7

[RobertKB]

Can't see the pic. If it's the same as my Chrysler, I can probably help.

[keithb7]

Try pic attached here. Does that work?

Thanks @RobertKB

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2019 by keithb7

[Merle Coggins]

Looks similar to the nuts that retain the B-series truck switches/cables. Are there small indentations around the outside of the nut? There is s special tool that sets into those indentations to remove/install the nuts. Before I had such tool I was able to remove them by taping up the jaws of pliers and carefully grip and twist. 

[Young Ed]

The 39-47 truck headlight and panel light knobs have a small indent in the bottom. You have to release it with a small screwdriver or blade while pulling the knob off. Then you can remove the bezel and the switch will come out the back. The choke and throttle typically have the knob attached to the inner cable. There is a nut from behind that holds the outer cable. 

[DonaldSmith]

Sitting in the car with the instrument lights glowing is good therapy. 

Also listening to the clock ticking and periodically thumping its rewind.

Nostalgia.  Sitting in my Dad's car, lulled by the soft ticking. 

[RobertKB]

12 hours ago, keithb7 said:

Try pic attached here. Does that work?

Thanks @RobertKB

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it does. However, Merle and Ed have answered your question. There was a fellow on ebay who made and sold a small tool that could be used to take the bezel off. It had two different ends. One worked well with my '38 and the other with my '48 Dodge. I used a small screwdriver like Ed said to remove the knobs. Those small ones that usually come as a set of six and would be used by jewellers and clock repair businesses. Let us know how you make out!

 

[T120]

While I've driven my old Dodge at night on many occasions, I have yet to sit in the car while parked in the garage unless I was working on it... I kinda like that idea, having a quiet moment at the end of the day parked in the garage with the dash lights aglow ,together with Robert's idea of - sipping a beer.?

[keithb7]

I found this on here, but info is dated. Seller seems to have vanished off of E-bay.

http://p15-d24.com/topic/31764-dash-nutbezel-removal-tool/?hl=%2Bbezel+%2Btool

[Bbdakota]

17 hours ago, RobertKB said:

. I would sometimes sit out there at night with the instrument lights on and sip on a beer and just enjoy the moment

I sometimes do the same thing! And wonder about the history of the car. Where it's been, who owned it, what it was like using it as your main transportation back in the day. Funny I just run across this while thinking about selling. 

[Bobb Horn]

20 hours ago, keithb7 said:

If someone has some clues on how to remove the pull-knob type light switch I'd appreciate it. I can't seem to locate any info in my OEM shop manual. The old switch seems corroded up pretty bad internally. Lights are flickering and dimming when I wiggle the switch. Thinking I will replace it.

 

There is a chrome ferrule on the dash where the pull knob comes though. I suspect it dresses up the mounting nut that I think is behind there. Not wanting to get ram-y and pull stuff apart so thought I should ask here first. 

Pic below.

 

 

The light switch did not work well on my 38, so I took it apart and did some repair with a little steel wool on the contacts.     It has worked good since.     I did similar cleaning on the gauges, and speedometer...

[westaus29]

From what I remember the knob was pulled off by pressing a jewellers screwdriver into a small hole at its base. I then made a tool to unscrew the chrome ferrule using some small aluminum tubing (soft so does not scratch), filing the end to create two dogs to fit the ferrule. The switch is held in by the chrome ferrule. You can then disassemble the switch and clean the contacts. I have since seen quite a few switches on ebay at reasonable price, however the conversion to Aus dollars plus ebay/paypal charges plus postage ex US makes it way to expensive for me.

[westaus29]

Here is a pic of a spare switch with the knob off, showing the slot in the knob and the tool that I made from an old tyre pressure gauge stem to unscrew the ferrule.

 

You can gently bent the tangs and disassemble the switch to clean the contacts

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2019 by westaus29
add tool pic

[keithb7]

Thanks for the tips folks. I removed the knob and bezel last nite using taped up needle nose pliers. Then the switch easily came out. I decided to order an NOS replacement switch. I decided its 81 years old so a replacement won’t hurt. Although I agree I could have likely opened it up and cleaned the contacts.  New switch was $25. 

 

I will attempt to make a tool for reinstallation. 

[Young Ed]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1939-1940-1941-42-1946-1947-Dodge-Plymouth-Pickup-Truck-Switch-Nut-Removal-Tool/153525351941?hash=item23bed2f605:g:nWgAAOxyzHxRJD5o&vxp=mtr

 

this seller has a few premade tools if you'd like a shortcut. You can also hunt for vintage tools if you want a challenge. Far right is a vintage snap on dash tool socket. Other tall one is the ebay one I linked too above. Short ones are for the oblong fastners used on wiper motors. 

 

[keithb7]

Ok getting to relays again. Further to what @Merle Coggins had to say in post 78 in this thread.

 

I went thru a box of spare parts. Located 3 relays. Also removed a couple that were in my ‘38 car. They were not wired up properly to work. I have  3 different types here.  I believe all are grounded thru relay frame, thru car frame. 

 

Two top right are Relco Remy.  Stamped 775  6V. With both “H and S” stamped on the both outer two terminals. Centre terminal not labeled. 

 

Bottom right also Delco Remy with integrated fuse. No terminal markings at all. There is a terminal on each end of the fuse. That'll be a fuse in series for the hi-amp circuit I suspect. Safe to say these two types are both suitable for head/fog lights? On for long periods?

 

Far left two no brand name. Made in USA. “H B S” terminal marking. Horn, switch, battery. Better suited for intermittent use such as a horn?

 

I’ll get to testing these now. Ensure they all work. We have working stock hi and low beam headlight circuit tonight. The light is certainly not all that bright. I hope to improve that with 2 relays, 1 for each beam. Hi and low. The stock circuit has full lamp power from the battery to ammeter,  then going to the headlight switch then down to the hi-low beam switch, then out to the lamps. Lots of room for resistance there! Then there's the ground wire soldered to the inside of the rusty lamp bucket. "Good clean grounds" that I always hear about here, is what I kept hearing my head while I worked on the circuit. Pre-war old cars. So much fun!

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by keithb7

[Merle Coggins]

The problem with using horn relays in a headlight circuit is that the relays are switched with a grounding switch, such as in a horn button/ring. If you go back to the post you referenced and look at the diagram you'll see what I mean. You really need 4 pin relays that can be activated with the voltage from your headlight system.

[keithb7]

Thanks @Merle Coggins. I see what you are saying. I guess it's not do simple to active the ground point through a headlight switch. I'll find some 4 pin relays to use.

[DJ194950]

Add in two 4 pin relays (I like to use ones rated 30 amp) after the floor hi/lo switch one relay for high and one for low beam. Under the hood is cleanest place to install and the relays are small footprint and mounting blocks with female receptacles to plug them into are readily available.

Power the relays off the battery with fuses to be safe. This setup takes all but a small load off the headlight and floor switches.

 

Oh ya,   clean the headlight grounds (as you mentioned) and coat with dialectic grease to prevent future rust. ?

 

DJ

Edited October 18, 2019 by DJ194950
add ground info

[keithb7]

More wiring clean up today. I took out the seat again seeing as I seem to be living under the dash lately. Replaced headlight switch with NOS. . Disassembled and cleaned dash lights switch. All working good again now. 

 

Today’s win, I have a working high beam indicator light! Exciting stuff. It’s located inside the headlight switch. A tiny jewel lights up. Seen here at arrow. 

 

 

 

[Worden18]

Awesome Keith, nice work ??

[keithb7]

Another baby-step. 2 actual working headlights! Been decades I’d wager.  Hi and low beam. Both lights! In unison! Yes!!

 

You may bump into me in a dark back alley somewhere. A welcome sight, as seen here hopefully. 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by keithb7

[keithb7]

I am hoping someone here with a 37-38-39-ish  Moapr can assist.

 

I don’t have access to another car to reference. The fuel line routing is not listed in any books that I have. 

 

RF corner under the rad. Fuel line from tank threads to a brass bulkhead.  Bulkhead fitting is attached to the RF corner motor mount bracket.  Other end of fitting is a barb, to accommodate rubber fuel line. However fitting does a 90, from hard fuel line, then up vertical. From there I need to route the hose over to the fuel mechanical pump. It’s down on the side of the engine almost parallel to the bulkhead fitting.  The 90 fitting seems odd to me. Likely not stock I suspect?

 

Can anyone tell me what was originally here for fuel line routing?  I suspect some rubber hoses were used to allow flexing with the engine bouncing about.  The fuel pump mounted to the block wouldn’t be hooked. Up with rigid fuel line to the bulkhead. Correct? Here is photo of the area. The black hose seen is just laying there. Not permanent. I was just laying stuff out, tying to figure out what to do. 

 

Thanks. 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by keithb7