Help with a 1939 Plymouth.

[CameronJM]

Grampa passed away this year and gave my son his family 1939 Plymouth Business Class Blue all original. The car has not been started in over 50 years. We moved it to our  local shop and we want to see if it will start. I was looking for anyone out here that might be able to advise me on how to get it running. Also, I was told that this is a frame + battery and I what to verify that before I put a battery in it. I also think its a 6v system.

 

Thanks for your inputs.

 

[48ply1stcar]

I know that this doesn't sound like fun.  remove the radiator, one for convenience and your going to replace the hoses.  remove the carb and stuff something in the intake.  First job is to remove the head and turn the engine over by hand.  Then remove the oil pan and shovel out the oil. 

Then get back to us.

[keithb7]

Welcome!

You've indeed come to the right place. The vintage flathead Mopar centre of the universe is right here.

 

We can guide you. It's not that hard to diagnose and figure out a 1939 Mopar. Just need the desire and gumption to give it a shot.

@48ply1stcarhas got it right. Pull the head. There are no moving parts in the head. ITs easy. Get a shop manual if you can. Very important. Try E-Bay.

Please, report back. We'd love to help you out. 

 

You may find some helpful info at my You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVoBq2i7wl4w0W4JB6cAMjg

 

[knuckleharley]

5 hours ago, 48ply1stcar said:

I know that this doesn't sound like fun.  remove the radiator, one for convenience and your going to replace the hoses.  remove the carb and stuff something in the intake.  First job is to remove the head and turn the engine over by hand.  Then remove the oil pan and shovel out the oil. 

Then get back to us.

I would only add two things,

 

1:  Make sure that make sure you buy a new or rebuilt water pump while the radiator is out and it's easy to change. After sitting for so long the water pump shaft will have corrosion,and when you start the car the corrosion will start to wear the bushing,and sooner or later it is going to leak like Niagra Falls,and you are going to have to replace it anyhow,so why not replace it now while you already have the engine torn down?

 

2: Go ahead and drop the oil pan and thoroughly clean it and the oil pump while it is easier to get to all this. I can guarantee you the base pan is full of sludge after sitting for 50 years,and if you don't do this,your oil pressure is going to drop to zero one day while you are driving around,and if you don't notice the oil pressure guage,you WILL end up buying a new engine.

 

Replace the oil filter and take the oil filter casing off and thoroughly clean it out,too. Not a gentle rinse,but a good scrubbing..

 

Blow out the oil lines after taking them off,and then put them back on.

 

You will be glad you did all this once you have the car up and driving. Trust me on this one!

 

BTW,PICTURES! WE NEED PICTURES!

Edited June 11, 2021 by knuckleharley

[desoto1939]

you will also need to replace the fuel pump with a new one that can use the newer enthonal gas. That also is an easy repair.  You are also going to have the inthe fuel tank.

 

The old fuel if any will smell terrible and there wil be rust inthe tank.  Might think about a new tank contact MoparPro. He has replacement tanks.

 

I have a 1939 Desoto and have alot of cross reference manuals that might help you with your car.

 

where are you located and can you post some pictures of the car.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[knuckleharley]

7 minutes ago, desoto1939 said:

you will also need to replace the fuel pump with a new one that can use the newer enthonal gas. That also is an easy repair.  You are also going to have the inthe fuel tank.

 

The old fuel if any will smell terrible and there wil be rust inthe tank.  Might think about a new tank contact MoparPro. He has replacement tanks.

 

I have a 1939 Desoto and have alot of cross reference manuals that might help you with your car.

 

where are you located and can you post some pictures of the car.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

Rust in the old gas tank is a forgone conclusion. I have been through that situation 3 or 4 times now,and it is easier as well as cheaper if you figure your time to be worth minimum wage to just go ahead and buy a new one and be done with it. Do something once and move on to other things. Last time I bought a new one,it was around $230. Which amounts to pocket change these days,never mind labor and towing if you don't replace it.

 

Rich is steering you right on the fuel pump,too. It will probably work for maybe a few days,and then it will flood your oil pan with gas. Replace or rebuild before you even try to start the engine.

[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/oil 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......

[Dan Hiebert]

Welcome to the Forum!  You've come to the right place.  Assuming your '39 Plymouth is original, then yes, it is a positive ground electrical system, and 6v.

 

I can't add more than the already noted sage advice.  Emphasis on patience, I've seen a few folks ruin an otherwise good long dormant motor by getting it running, or tryin to get it running, with no TLC beforehand.

 

Kindly note that we like photos whenever possible ? 

[Los_Control]

see if it turns over .... if so add some marvel mystery oil to cylinders. Let it soak a bit.

 

Pull the distributor out & clean the points ... you know they are corroded & no spark ... distributor is slotted not geared ... if rotor is pointing at 12 O'clock, re-install same and will be fine. Easier to work on it and inspect on the bench.

 

I would disconnect the wiring, you need power from battery to the starter, then a jumper wire from battery to coil to hot wire it ... I would not want power going to the ignition switch or lights etc ... til inspected & probably replaced or repaired.

Also with all the wiring disconnected, you can use a 12 volt battery to start it. The starter will spin the engine faster, the 12 volt battery will not care if you connect it + ground.

 

pour a lil gas down the carb and fire it up!

 

Lets be honest here ... this way is quick & dirty, but if you can hear it run for just a few minutes. Then you have a better idea what you are working with. Does it have bad bearings and rods knocking with no oil pressure?

You just have better info to prepare your game plan for next moves.

 

Good chance after sitting for 50 years, the valves are stuck open and those cylinders will not have compression.  But if you can get 3 or 4 cylinders to run, the others just may free up and start firing. Chances are not enough compression to start. But nice if it does.

 

So if it makes any sense, all above are correct, you will likely end up pulling the head & the pan, rebuild/replace water pump, fuel pump, carburetor.

If I was a betting man, I would bet your rear main seal will be leaking after sitting for 50 years.

Good chance you will in the end pull the engine out and freshen it up & new seals .... if you can hear it run for a few min before ... it helps.

[Tawnya]

Thank you for all this information - oddly enough my grandfather passed away as well and left me his 1939 Plymouth Truck which hasn't ran in probably 30-40 years and I came on here to get some answers as to what to do first.  I was given the advice of removing the gas tank and replacing it first so I have one on order, should I not do this first?

 

[46BulldogDodge]

Congratulations on the truck and welcome to the forum.  There is a wealth of information among the collective members and eager willingness to be of help.  Granted the tank may need to be replaced with the years gone by, but it may make more sense to check out the engine attempting to revive it.  Use the search feature.  Changing oil, filters, cleaning carburetor, checking spark plugs and coil are all on the typical list.  A good battery and a starter that works you can fire it up with a dribble of gas into the carb just to see if it will run...only for a moment.  After that there are many things to check out before it is ready for the road.

 

Also check some of the posts that have many pages, meaning they have been running a long time, and read them from the beginning.  All of us have been there to start!   And others will add to this meager advice.

[Young Ed]

1 hour ago, Tawnya said:

Thank you for all this information - oddly enough my grandfather passed away as well and left me his 1939 Plymouth Truck which hasn't ran in probably 30-40 years and I came on here to get some answers as to what to do first.  I was given the advice of removing the gas tank and replacing it first so I have one on order, should I not do this first?

 

I would suggest starting your own thread over on the truck side. And I agree with the last reply. Get it running on a gas can before diving into tank replacement 

[Floydflathead]

One thing I'm not sure was mentioned above.   The electrical system is positive ground.  Your positive battery terminal should connect to the ground cable or ground strap.   I have a 40 Plymouth P9 business coupe, and others besides. 

Edited yesterday at 01:46 AM by Floydflathead

[desoto1939]

Check the metal tag that still might be attached to the generator and or starter motor. The color of the tag should be red and this indicates that it is 6 volt. If the tag has a green background color then it is 12 volt.  Also same with the volt regulator.

 

Verify and double check all of these prior to installing the battery. I would think that the car was never converted to 12 volt.

 

You will also need to purchase a drum puller to get the rear drums off the tapered axle.  When you get to the point of doing this contact us again so we can walk you through the process.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com