Found my camshaft! - Pulling motor on 1948 Dodge.

[Bryan]

2 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Do not remove the gland nut with the sender bulb stuck in it.

If the sender bulb will not easily pull out of the gland nut remove the small soft plug above the sender and wedge the sender bulb out with a wide screw driver.

Yeah, was careful but didn't exactly do it like that.   Wish I had read your message first, would have been easier.   I was turning the large gland nut and watching the copper tube carefully to make sure it didn't twist.  The spiral protection coil doesn't matter if it spins.   Flexed the nut back and forth and slowly turned it out with plenty of penetrating oil.   When I got the bulb out I cleaned around it with a jeweler's screw driver and got it free.  

[Bryan]

Got the exhaust header loose with plenty of oil, map gas, paint scraper & chisel.  Got the temp sender out, carb linkage and fuel lines, part of the transmission linkage.

[Sniper]

Crusty, can't wait to see it all prettied up.  You are doing a great job.

[Bryan]

14 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Crusty, can't wait to see it all prettied up.  You are doing a great job.

Thanks a bunch..I take about 5 pictures for about each one I show.  Got a lot of the linkages and carburetor.  I either put the bolt back in the hole or sandwich bag it with a paper note and taped label. I read enough from other people and sites saying not to force bolts..heat..oil..jiggle..heat til they come out with normal pulling. I'll be glad when I get the exhaust & intake manifolds off and head off. Since its so warm here concentrated on underneath also..don't want to lay on cold concrete.  Tomorrows an off day...wife is wanting to get out of the house..

[Greg51T&CWagon]

Those little notes you slip in the baggie, never use a ballpoint pen or marker, always use a pencil or crayon. inks fade and surprisingly quickly at that. I have several blank tags on the wiring harness I'm duplicating that are only a year old. I also own a Dennis Hopper self portrait-He was also an accomplished photographer, that his signature faded away to nothing b/c he signed it with ballpoint. Moral of story- PENCIL.

[Bryan]

Out most of the day with the wife. Got home around 3 pm and decided to test my water temperature gauge.  Took already boiled water in jar from the house and boiled it again with the sensor in it. Seems close enough.    Other picture: Found out why I should have jacked up under the control arms also..old rubber upper bumper disintegrated on both sides.   Also measuring my fan belt..it measures on the outside exactly 48 inches, not 49 as the new ones list.  Wonder if it is like me and shrank with age?

[Bryan]

Turned into a **** show today..taking the manifolds off...and all the bolts came off except that LAST ONE.  Never does.  So, I finally go my drill out to drill the head off, so the manifold could be pulled off. With the bolt head off...NOOOO, we ain't gonna come off.   Well, I found that you cannot pry even lightly on cast iron..it popped right at the intake heater.   Anyway, I found it was already cracked on the front tube.   Last insult, the bolt was still stuck in the last remaining header fragment. Tapping, turning, etc...still broke off with about a 1/2 "  sticking out.   Crap.  Well on the bright side maybe I'll put dual headers on it.  Plus with the intake, there was only one bolt holding the exhaust manifold to the intake.  The rest were already broke off

[keithb7]

This is indeed a **** show. Sorry to hear of all your troubles. Looks the manifold was no good anyway. 

 

I have had great luck with a small buzz box welder.  Hit the bolt head with some welding rod. Get it red hot. Bolts have been easily convinced to come out this way.  Still might work to get the studs out of the block. Weld a nut on.  Get things cookin'. 

[Bryan]

One thing I was careful about while stuff was going downhill, made sure I didn't pry against my valve covers. Also didn't wedge anything against the block surface where the gaskets are.   Think I might go for dual headers..wish there were single collector headers with the collector in the rear.

[Bryan]

Today was either depressed or tired. Was stiff and aching yesterday. I cleaned up where I had been working, cleaned and sorted my tools and stuff. Everything was on the floor. No work besides cleaning.  Notice I have 2 bolts that were broke. The left one possibly some time in the past. End of bolt was rusty.  Anyway, think  I'll leave it to a machine shop. Why break off a hardened easy out in the bolts.   Looked at the ports..exhaust valve ports are nasty with crud.   Intakes are clean, but noticed the head bolts extend down to the edge of the intake ports.  See pics.   On the intake manifolds I looked at the ports. They could have done better, two outer ones have a large step between the tube and edge.

[Bryan]

Quick break today..waiting for it to get warmer so I can crawl underneath. Used the time to make sure shocks and solenoid I bought actually fit (before I wait 6 months to find they don't).  Measuring heater hose, wires etc.

[Bryan]

Had to knock off early, feel like getting a cold again.  Tried fitting my Power Wagon PCV stuff just to see if okay.  The draft tube fitting is looser than the original, probably will need to use some type of gasket or O-ring.  Intake end seems to fit better in front of the intake. I see the side fitting on the intake but trying it there the bottom draft tube fitting doesn't make sense. Plus as  I've commented before, the supplied valve never gets complete suction one way. It has full flow one way, somewhat restricted flow the other.. might buy a cheap modern valve to test.   Was expensive..and I think there are more parts I haven't bought that need to go to the air cleaner..

[Bryan]

Also today was measuring for buying wires: Here are my notes:

Fender holes for light wires are 1” W without insert and 3/4” W with. Plan to use grommets.

 

Driver side park light wire is 18 ½” long + 6” inside housing.

Passenger side park light wire is 66” L (say 68) + 6” inside housing.

Don’t forget turn signal wire and separate ground wire if running extra wires.

Driver side headlight wires are 16 ½” + 8” inside fixture.  Ground wire to rim use 1 ft.

If separate ground wire same length as above.

Passenger side headlight wires are 57” L (say 59”) + 8” in fixture. Plus 1 ft ground if not running new.

 

Light wires from terminal to dimmer switch is about 54” L, make it 60” to be safe.  Remember extra park wire.

 

Between horns wire is 19” (say 20”). Horn to terminal area is 10”.   Terminal to horn relay is 36”.  Buy 66” total.  HR to solenoid wire is 10”, buy 12”.

 

Generator to regulator wires is 26” L (say 28”).  Small wire is light green with yellow tracers, large wire seems to be salmon color or light red.

 

My splices between solenoid, horn relay, etc to firewall will be less than 2 ft.

 

[Dave72dt]

All those measurements are good reference material but you're going to be buying wire by the roll if from local parts houses and unless you go to a specialty wire supplier, you aren't going to find it with tracers or hash marks.  Cloth covered wire means a specialty wire  supplier.  If you want it original looking, you may want to contact someone like Rhode island Wire for a complete harness.  It may save you a lot of money in the long run.

 

Rhode Island Wire does sell by the foot

Edited November 16, 2021 by Dave72dt
added info

[Bryan]

6 hours ago, Dave72dt said:

All those measurements are good reference material but you're going to be buying wire by the roll if from local parts houses and unless you go to a specialty wire supplier, you aren't going to find it with tracers or hash marks.  Cloth covered wire means a specialty wire  supplier.  If you want it original looking, you may want to contact someone like Rhode island Wire for a complete harness.  It may save you a lot of money in the long run.

Yep, already found 2 sources for cloth covered wires w tracers, Brillman and on Ebay Ton's Performance.   They sell wire in 5, 10, 20  or 25 ft rolls.  All my wiring inside and under the dash is in perfect shape.  I've worked on electronics a lot and will splice new wire (and solder) near the firewall.  I can do connectors also. Will do it close to original but in a way I feel silly, 95% of the original wire is covered in electrical tape or rubber hose (bonded to the wire).

[Bryan]

17 hours ago, Dave72dt said:

All those measurements are good reference material but you're going to be buying wire by the roll if from local parts houses and unless you go to a specialty wire supplier, you aren't going to find it with tracers or hash marks.  Cloth covered wire means a specialty wire  supplier.  If you want it original looking, you may want to contact someone like Rhode island Wire for a complete harness.  It may save you a lot of money in the long run.

 

Rhode Island Wire does sell by the foot

I looked today and ordered a bunch of wire colors (about 80ft total) from Rhode Island Wire.  Their prices are pretty low compared to others. Only down side is by phone orders only, not even confirmed by email.  But we'll see.  

[Bryan]

And, wasn't feeling well today. Stayed inside mostly except to confirm a few measurements and check wire colors.  The black coloration in the picture isn't burnt..some kind of tar based tape was on the wire.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Bryan
Forgot to mention tar tape..

[Bryan]

Did a little today even though not feeling well..it's 70F here in SC. Took the linkages loose.  From the top and bottom of the transmission I'm wondering if it will clear, see pics. Has anyone taken one out with the driveline brake on?    Also I went to take one of the short arms off the transmission.  Nut off, gently tapped arm and started seeing a brass bushing so I stopped, and tightened it back up.  Does this come off? Please see 4th pic.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Yank hard enough and maybe the engine, trans and driveshaft might pull forward....that...if the floor hump and cross member spread apart enough.

[Dave72dt]

Yes, those arms come off. (pic 4)

[Bryan]

1 hour ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Yank hard enough and maybe the engine, trans and driveshaft might pull forward....that...if the floor hump and cross member spread apart enough.

Yeah, hurray for the humor.. I checked some other posts and see that it's best to take the transmission off first.  Thanks for the help.

Edited November 17, 2021 by Bryan

[Dodgeb4ya]

I did not mean to offend posting the "yank hard enough".......

I just posted ...I thought on your thread recommending it's best to pull the transmission.

I actually posted it on Bryce's thread on Saturday...

Sorry..?

 

[Bryan]

5 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

 

Sorry I'm grumpy, haven't been feeling well..was out a little over an hour trying to get something done.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Maybe take a bit of a break. Health before major projects?

[Bryan]

Went and bought the Harbor Freight 450 lb low profile transmission jack yesterday.  Today I cleaned out the garage and made space for the motor stand I bought a few weeks ago. Knew my floor jack wouldn't be safe with the transmission.   Messing around checking old gaskets against the dual exhaust manifold I received.  About all the Umpf I have in me today.