Where do I start?

[Purple Moo Cow]

Hello! Just bought an hour ago this 1948 Dodge coupe. The gentleman said it hasn't been driven in 7 years and this is my first experience with a car this old. Aside from a new battery and an oil change, what else might you guys recommend before I try to start her? Any idea what kind of oil it takes? Tricks n tips? All advice is appreciated. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

establish if 6 or 12 volt and correct polarity of the charging system....check the condition of the radiator hoses and radiator so if it does fire over you will maintain temperature control.   Your fuel system needs flushed if running from the tank....or at least by-passed for first start up.  Check you oil line between the engine and firewall is not split.  THIS is just to fire it up...by no means should it be driven even in the  yard till items like the brakes are accessed....

[Purple Moo Cow]

@Plymouthy Adams I appreciate the info and areas to check. Didnt even register in my mind to consider coolant or busted hoses. I know it's a 6V system, so I'm pretty sure a new battery is the only way to power it to try and fire up. Not looking forward to the brakes 

[knuckleharley]

1 hour ago, Purple Moo Cow said:

@Plymouthy Adams I appreciate the info and areas to check. Didnt even register in my mind to consider coolant or busted hoses. I know it's a 6V system, so I'm pretty sure a new battery is the only way to power it to try and fire up. Not looking forward to the brakes 

Ok,so now we know it uses non-detergent oil. Now that you know this,you can change the oil to a 30 wt non-detergent oil,plus a new oil filter.

 

If it were me,I would then "filter" the oil I just drained out of it to trap any metal particles or particles of any other type. You can do this by a method as simple as pouring it into a container over a shop rag. The rag will catch the trash.

 

Since you know nothing of the cars maintenence history,plan on keeping a close eye on the oil,and the changing it again when it seems to be getting dirty,once again filtering the used oil so you can visually look at anything that came out. 

 

I would suggest taking the gas tank out so you can properly clean it and look for rust. If there is any rust in it,buy a new gas tank. It's cheaper than a ride home on a roll back if you are very far from home.

 

Do NOT forget to visually check the brake lines and hoses,and to look inside the master cylinder to check for rust/dirt. I go a step further than that on mine. I just assume from the beginning there is rust inside the factory brake lines,and that the hoses are dry-rotted and brittle,so I replace them with new copper/nickel brake lines and new hoses. I also replace all the wheel cylinders and the master cylinder with new ones,too. I consider this to be cheap insurance for both the car AND for me. There just ain't NOTHING about the car more important than stopping. Nothing.

 

While you are crawling around under the car doing all this,you might as well check for worn tie rods,steering links,and shocks. Grease up everything that takes grease while you are doing this,and look around for frame damage from rust or accidents while you are at it.

 

After that,I would check the tires for being brittle and cracked. If the car has been sitting for 7 years,you can bet  your bippy the tires are not safe to drive on.

 

To ME,all this is more important than how it runs.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by knuckleharley

[martybose]

knuckleharley, I wouldn't be so sure about the non-detergent oil. Mine had sat for almost as long a decade or two ago, but the sticker on the door said that it had a 20/40 detergent oil in it.  Unfortunately there isn't any good way short of pulling the oil pan if there isn't an oil change sticker on the door frame.  Having made the mistake of putting detergent oil in an old non-detergent oil car (my first car, a 1955 Volvo) I can attest to the joys of replacing oil filters twice a week until all of the junk filtered out.  It's a royal pain, but it might be worth pulling one of the side covers off of the engine to look at how clean it is.

 

Marty

[desoto1939]

OK if you replace the battery with a 6 volt battery remember that this car originally was a 6 v positive grounded car, yes 6 volt positive grounded car. So prior to taking off the battery cable check to see where each cable is going and where it is connected on the car.

 

Also check the battery cable since it is a 6v you can not use the thinner 12 volt cables. You will need the 0 or 00 thick battery cable to carry the voltage to start the car when the temperature is hot.  We all have made this mistake on using 12 volt battery cable.

 

You will need at three arm drum puller to pull the rear drums since it is a tapered axle. They might be stuck on but will come off.

 

As you go through the car post pictures, ask questions if you have doubts about sometime stop take pictures and post your questions.

 

There are some very knowledgeable owners on this forum. 

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[knuckleharley]

1 hour ago, martybose said:

knuckleharley, I wouldn't be so sure about the non-detergent oil. Mine had sat for almost as long a decade or two ago, but the sticker on the door said that it had a 20/40 detergent oil in it.  Unfortunately there isn't any good way short of pulling the oil pan if there isn't an oil change sticker on the door frame.  Having made the mistake of putting detergent oil in an old non-detergent oil car (my first car, a 1955 Volvo) I can attest to the joys of replacing oil filters twice a week until all of the junk filtered out.  It's a royal pain, but it might be worth pulling one of the side covers off of the engine to look at how clean it is.

 

Marty

I agree,but the "easy way out" when you are first "learning" a old car that has been sitting and you know nothing about it is to keep it as simple as possible. IF it has been running detergent oil,a fill or two with non-detergent isn't going to hurt anything,and you can alway switch back later with no harm,no found. You can't say the same about assuming it has been running detergent oil,and then filling the base with it before you even start and run the engine.

 

After all,it ain't like a new owner of a old car that has been sitting needs any "new hills to climb".

[knuckleharley]

28 minutes ago, desoto1939 said:

OK if you replace the battery with a 6 volt battery remember that this car originally was a 6 v positive grounded car, yes 6 volt positive grounded car. So prior to taking off the battery cable check to see where each cable is going and where it is connected on the car.

 

Also check the battery cable since it is a 6v you can not use the thinner 12 volt cables. You will need the 0 or 00 thick battery cable to carry the voltage to start the car when the temperature is hot.  We all have made this mistake on using 12 volt battery cable.

 

You will need at three arm drum puller to pull the rear drums since it is a tapered axle. They might be stuck on but will come off.

 

As you go through the car post pictures, ask questions if you have doubts about sometime stop take pictures and post your questions.

 

There are some very knowledgeable owners on this forum. 

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

Not to mention a LOT of patience unless you get very,very lucky.

[joecoozie]

#1- Drop the oil pan and clean it out - it will probably have an inch of sludge in it

#2- Remove the spark plugs and squirt some WD-40 into each cylinder. Either clean or replace the spark plugs. 

#3- Turn the engine over BY HAND - this will assure that the lubricant will coat the cylinder walls.

#4- Remove the valve covers and clean out the sludge that sits in the oil "wells" -  And, get someone else to turn the engine over by hand, while you watch the valves/lifters. You may find that there are a couple of stuck valves

#5- Remove the distributor cap & rotor and either clean the points or replace them and the condenser. Also, check the cap and rotor - they may need to be cleaned or replaced. When cars sit these parts develop oxidation and need to be "cleaned" - or filed to remove the oxidation.

#6- As mentioned above - check coolant, hoses, belt, etc. You might want to lube the water pump, too.

#7- Run a remote gas tank with fresh gas connected to the fuel pump.

 

#8 - And most importantly - HAVE PATIENCE - DO NOT RUSH TO TRY AND START THE CAR WITHOUT TAKING, AT THE LEAST, THE ABOVE PRECAUTIONS.

YOU CAN DO A LOT OF DAMAGE BY JUST DROPPING A BATTERY IN AND CRANKING THE ENGINE......

[allbizz49]

First thing i would do is pop the plugs out and put a little marvel mystery oil in each cylinder. See if you can turn the engine over by hand. I bought an old Plymouth that has been sitting since 87. Had it running in 3 days and now I am driving it in less than 3 months. If she spins by hand, throw new plugs in it and a battery and fire it up. If it runs, it will smoke for a bit due to the oil but it will burn off. For all you know, the motor was rebuilt before it was parked. Then you can do brakes, full tune up new tires. Good luck, hope it's a runner.

[chrysler1941]

And post photos of car while standing next to it

[Purple Moo Cow]

19 hours ago, knuckleharley said:

Ok,so now we know it uses non-detergent oil. Now that you know this,you can change the oil to a 30 wt non-detergent oil,plus a new oil filter.

 

If it were me,I would then "filter" the oil I just drained out of it to trap any metal particles or particles of any other type. You can do this by a method as simple as pouring it into a container over a shop rag. The rag will catch the trash.

 

Since you know nothing of the cars maintenence history,plan on keeping a close eye on the oil,and the changing it again when it seems to be getting dirty,once again filtering the used oil so you can visually look at anything that came out. 

 

I would suggest taking the gas tank out so you can properly clean it and look for rust. If there is any rust in it,buy a new gas tank. It's cheaper than a ride home on a roll back if you are very far from home.

 

Do NOT forget to visually check the brake lines and hoses,and to look inside the master cylinder to check for rust/dirt. I go a step further than that on mine. I just assume from the beginning there is rust inside the factory brake lines,and that the hoses are dry-rotted and brittle,so I replace them with new copper/nickel brake lines and new hoses. I also replace all the wheel cylinders and the master cylinder with new ones,too. I consider this to be cheap insurance for both the car AND for me. There just ain't NOTHING about the car more important than stopping. Nothing.

 

While you are crawling around under the car doing all this,you might as well check for worn tie rods,steering links,and shocks. Grease up everything that takes grease while you are doing this,and look around for frame damage from rust or accidents while you are at it.

 

After that,I would check the tires for being brittle and cracked. If the car has been sitting for 7 years,you can bet  your bippy the tires are not safe to drive on.

 

To ME,all this is more important than how it runs.

 

 

1) what the heck is non-detergent oil? 2) if I were to just assume the brake lines need replacing, how challenging of a job is that?

 

I appreciate the wealth of suggestions and information, from you as well as the others on here. Didn't even know people still used things like Mystery Oil 

[allbizz49]

Non detergent oil is just that, oil without detergent. The theory is if you have an old engine with sludge build up, the detergent will loosen it up and allow it to clog your oil passages. As far as the brake lines go, yes, just swap them. It's an easy job. I like to hit all of the connections with PB blaster or wd a day or two before attempting to change old lines that have been sitting. Helps save the hassle of stripped fittings. A set of line wrenches helps too. And lastly, Marvel mystery oil is still going strong, haha. 

[Purple Moo Cow]

53 minutes ago, allbizz49 said:

Non detergent oil is just that, oil without detergent. The theory is if you have an old engine with sludge build up, the detergent will loosen it up and allow it to clog your oil passages. As far as the brake lines go, yes, just swap them. It's an easy job. I like to hit all of the connections with PB blaster or wd a day or two before attempting to change old lines that have been sitting. Helps save the hassle of stripped fittings. A set of line wrenches helps too. And lastly, Marvel mystery oil is still going strong, haha. 

 

If it's as easy as you say I may just swap them to begin with. I didn't even know they made oil with detergent, I just assumed the normal motor oil I'd buy for my modern vehicles is all that's available. Maybe it's a dumb question but is PB blaster the preffered lubricant to wd40? 

[harmony]

The first thing I'd do is bookmark this forum.  You'll soon discover that you're on here more than any other site on the internet. 

If you have time, go back in time on this forum and read lots of threads that relate to your car.  Lots to learn on here.  But don't rely on the search engine for this site to find things.

  

If you're in a position where dropping the oil pan is not on the immediate list of things to do or you're having difficulty getting the proper gasket set, then start by changing the oil every 500 miles or so.  I did that for the first couple thousand miles.  Each time it was black after each oil/filter change.  Now I've stretched that out to 1000 miles and I can now see the dip stick instead of black oil. 

 

After buying a service manual and parts manual I suggest you watch every You tube "Chrysler Master Tech" videos for 1948.  Yep they are a little corny, but they are full of valuable information.

[Los_Control]

WD40 is a cleaner not a  lubricant. iirc was created as a wing de-icer for airplanes. And it is a very good product, but is not a oil.

 

A good example, when I worked in a tire retreading shop, everything was ran by air ... air tools would get gummed up & lose power. Clean with WD40 & regains power, but now you need to add a oil to lubricate them.

You can spray wd40 on a car door hinge and it works smoother and stops squeaking because is clean, now you need to oil it.

[Marcel Backs]

Worth mentioning before start up a thorough check of your car’s wiring system is a must prior to hooking up a new batt. If the car has been sitting for that long connections have probably picked up some oxidation. Wires need to be checked in detail for signs of shorting, old tape wads and rodent activity. Do a point to point test on all circuits and grounds. The insulation on your old wiring is very prone to fire during an electrical short so the preceding steps will help minimize the chances of an electrical fire because that is a damn nice coupe. Welcome to the site, you are among a good bunch with a ton of combined knowledge! M

[Plymouthy Adams]

you don't even need to have the electrical connected except to the start....a bypass switch for solenoid and a hot wire to the coil....are we starting the car or are we going out to spin the wheels off the moment it hits...this has blossomed greatly...while are are valid points...remember the object is to test fire the engine.

[Purple Moo Cow]

11 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

you don't even need to have the electrical connected except to the start....a bypass switch for solenoid and a hot wire to the coil....are we starting the car or are we going out to spin the wheels off the moment it hits...this has blossomed greatly...while are are valid points...remember the object is to test fire the engine.

Thank you for helping to bring it back full circle. While I'd love nothing more than to see what that nailhead six and fluid trani can do, I haven't even thought of registering the car yet. I just need to make sure she'll start up so I can know what needs to be prioritized. If she will run and drive around a little I'm content keeping as much as is and working on the interior first, because that is truly a mess. If she won't run though, I need to solve that first and then potentially live with a garbage of an interior till I save some more money.

[Purple Moo Cow]

@Los_Control I appreciate the insight. I'll be honest, I owned a 1990 YJ with a 4.2 for about 10 years and PB blaster was mainly all I used but prior to that I only bought wd40. I never knew though the actual cleaning and then oiling/lubricant situation. Thanks for the info

[Los_Control]

PB blaster I I think is good for breaking loose rusted bolts ....I will not say it is best oil for lubricating door hinges ... many will have own opinions, if nothing else it is oil and better then nothing.

 

If your wiring is original cloth, you can bet it needs replaced. ... my 49 was and totally shot ... cloth falling off it. You need to inspect what you have, if it is cloth chances are the headlight & tail light wire running in hidden places need replaced ... just disconnect all of that with the main power wire going from your battery to the car ... just run a jumper wire from battery to coil to hot wire it ... whatever you need for to get the solenoid to turn the starter over.

Then work on wiring ... who knows it may have already been replaced and fine ... you do need to investigate it.

 

[chrysler1941]

2 hours ago, Los_Control said:

WD40 is a cleaner not a  lubricant. iirc was created as a wing de-icer for airplanes. And it is a very good product, but is not a oil.

 

Nope

 

"WD-40" is abbreviated from the term "Water Displacement, 40th formula",[6] suggesting it was the result of the 40th attempt to create the product.[1] The spray, composed of various hydrocarbons, was originally designed to be used by Convair to protect the outer skin of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion."

tests on WD-40, showing that the principal components were C9 to C14 alkanes and mineral oil

 

De-icing is done with glycol

Edited June 6, 2021 by chrysler1941

[knuckleharley]

4 hours ago, allbizz49 said:

Non detergent oil is just that, oil without detergent. The theory is if you have an old engine with sludge build up, the detergent will loosen it up and allow it to clog your oil passages. As far as the brake lines go, yes, just swap them. It's an easy job. I like to hit all of the connections with PB blaster or wd a day or two before attempting to change old lines that have been sitting. Helps save the hassle of stripped fittings. A set of line wrenches helps too. And lastly, Marvel mystery oil is still going strong, haha. 

I would only add that you MUST use copper/nickel tubing. It doesn't rust inside or out,and you can bend it with your hands without kinking it.

 

Unless you have a tubing bender and are a glutton for punishment. If that's the case,by all means use steel lines.

[Los_Control]

Just now, chrysler1941 said:

Nope

Well I heard my story on the internet ... We know it must be true ... 

Seems to me that missiles have wings, maybe my post was not to far off base ....

Many products are created by the military and then later released to the public.

 

Just saying water displacement to remove water from wings on a missile to prevent icing and course changes ... kinda like removing water from airplane wings to prevent icing at high elevations? Same story just a different story teller.

Just now, knuckleharley said:

I would only add that you MUST use copper/nickel tubing. It doesn't rust inside or out,and you can bend it with your hands without kinking it.

 

Unless you have a tubing bender and are a glutton for punishment. If that's the case,by all means use steel lines.

 

Knuckle you old Bastard, you make too much sense.  I have been doing my truck in steel .... I have thought many times to rip it out and start over before I finish the rear brakes.

[Purple Moo Cow]

Went through and pulled out the carpet, checked the hoses they seemed alright, some of the wiring has definitely been updated but some of it has not. Honestly the engine bay looks a lot better than I expected it to, but there is this wire on what I believe is a solenoid of some sort? On the driver's side of the firewall and it's definitely broken off. Any idea what it goes to? There also appears to be a smaller wire loose from the generator, not sure where it goes to. Didn't take a picture of it wasn't thinking at that time to do so. Also, to clarify, I am not pointing to the long wire on the left, that's attached to something inside the car, but to the stub of a wire on the right.

 

What's the cost difference in copper to steel lines? Is it worth trying disc's on the rear as well? I saw someone posted there's a conversion kit for the front, is there a reason people ignore the rear? Aside from the fact that most of the stopping power comes from the front?

 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Purple Moo Cow