Young Ed Posted July 24 Report Share Posted July 24 1 minute ago, 1949plymouthdeluxe said: I have to make a confession. That is what I did. I accidentally drove for a mile with it on. Maybe it was already worn out. I just remember smelling burning breaks and looking down and seeing the ebrake was still on. CRAP!~ Won't make that mistake again.... How do you think I knew to warn you??? Its a fairly common thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted July 24 Report Share Posted July 24 Remember when I was a kid just yesterday Drove a 51 Ford truck to school. The E-brake never worked good enough to actually use it ..... Since it was a floor shift truck and E-brake handle was next to the shifter, it would get kicked into the on position and could drive with it on no problem. Then after driving awhile it seems the brake would heat up and start grabbing, the truck would just chatter to a stop while your pulling to the side of the road. First time it happened was a real WTF moment. Then I figured it out and took the brake off and was fine again .... 3 months later same thing would happen, I was able to look over see the brake is in on position and take it off and keep going. Pretty sure anyone that have driven these old vehicles this has happened to at least once. ..... TBF, I was a 15 year old kid at the time and drove that truck for over 1 year. Now that I'm a little older, I might be better at checking to see it is off. Maybe age and timeline sounds off, I also quit school when I was 15 and went to work for a plumber contractor under the table and never got a drivers license til I was 18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonaldSmith Posted July 24 Report Share Posted July 24 Flashback -My father was driving his 47 DeSoto with the parking brake stuck on. The transmission tunnel would get a little warm. My mother pinned a Miraculous Medal on the tunnel, for some saintly intervention. Eventually no more parking brake drag. Of course my father knew that the lining would wear down enough so as not to impede us. In my car, I relocated the parking brake warning light to an auxiliary instrument panel. with a big red lens. But I found myself unaware of the light as I drove off, parking brake on. So I added a flasher can to the circuit. Now it will blink at me. Oh, ya, the parking brake! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted July 24 Report Share Posted July 24 @DonaldSmith Just laughing because I think it is a good story .... I think we all have a story about doing it at least once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted July 24 Author Report Share Posted July 24 I just need to get used to where the parking brake is. On my little Toyota truck and my Mercury the ignition and E-brake are on the right and it feels like second nature to pull the e-brake. But on this one its all on the left side- which feels super weird. I'm not sure the E-brake worked when I first got it. I just know that after working on it a few days ago I could push it. So now it gets parked with it in 2nd gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Buchanan Posted July 24 Report Share Posted July 24 23 minutes ago, 1949plymouthdeluxe said: I just need to get used to where the parking brake is. On my little Toyota truck and my Mercury the ignition and E-brake are on the right and it feels like second nature to pull the e-brake. But on this one its all on the left side- which feels super weird. I'm not sure the E-brake worked when I first got it. I just know that after working on it a few days ago I could push it. So now it gets parked with it in 2nd gear. A couple of observations..... Back in the day it was common to park the car in reverse, that offers maximum resistance to rolling because of the large gear ration. You mentioned an overflow tank for the radiator.......not needed, just leave coolant level about an inch and a half below the neck and sloshout won't occur. You have a nice car....enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted July 27 Author Report Share Posted July 27 (edited) I spent the past few days doing some more little stuff. One item was installing a new battery holder. Someone had put in an aluminum one and it was toast. Ordered a stainless steel one from Amazon. It arrive with ZERO instructions. Long story short... you are supposed to know that you need to weld two tabs it came with to the upper bracket. Good thing I can weld and own a welder. Anyone else? Guess you'd be SOL. Since the welds aren't SS I found half a can of wrinkle finish to paint that over. I have been suspicious the battery isn't charging. A test of the generator while running shows 0 volts. As mentioned I work on vintage electronics and one item in my collection is something called a Zenith Wincharger: A wind turbine that was put up on a barn or house to charge 6 volt batteries for radios when electrical power wasn't available. As these ran all day and night the brushes would wear out about once every other year. Mine was worn out. Its just a 6 volt auto generator with a huge 7 foot blade. Looks exactly the same as the one in the Plymouth. I pulled back the covers and the brushes are really worn down. It needs new ones so I have some on order. Meanwhile I bought some cheap Chinese battery charger that can charge 6,8,12, and 24 volt batteries. It weighs literally 1 pound. Its using switching transistors to do all the work. It works really well too. Modern technology! Spent more time in the interior. Crap tons of chrome. I use an attachment for my drill that is a small buffer. I use that on all the old radios I restore if they're made of plastic. Saves my hands. I use Novus No.2 for everything. Its for plastic but I find it works on everything including chrome. Got floor mats too. Cheap ones. They sort of look like crap. The speedometer is bouncing around and needs to be lubricated. I'll do that sometime this weekend. New ones are not too bad so if this one is toast its easy to screw in a new one. Edited July 27 by 1949plymouthdeluxe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted July 27 Report Share Posted July 27 To check charging system, make a jumper wire of 12 gauge wire about 6ft long with an alligator clip on both ends. Start the car and raise the idle speed with the hand throttle if present or by the carb adjustment screw. Rpm should be around 1000. Use the jumper wire to temporarily ground the field terminal (smaller of the two gen terminals). The Amp gauge should peg to full charge. If yes generator is OK, fault probably in voltage reg. If no, fault is with generator. If VR is suspected, remove VR cover, clean points and retest. Keep in mind, if your battery is at full charge, it's the VR job to cut out the field so as not to over charge the battery. If your battery tray was destroyed from acid boiling out, that's an indication that the VR was not doing its job properly. Remember to disconnect the jumper wire after checking amp gauge, and return idle to 500 rpm. Hope it works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Buchanan Posted July 27 Report Share Posted July 27 After you get tired of messing with the generator/regulator you might consider the final charging system solution. https://www.ebay.com/str/HowardEnt?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted July 29 Author Report Share Posted July 29 Quote To check charging system, make a jumper wire of 12 gauge wire about 6ft long with an alligator clip on both ends. Thanks for the advice. I'm about 95% sure the issue is that the brushes are totally worn down. Will see after they get installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted July 31 Author Report Share Posted July 31 So quick question. Any of you get a oil filter kit for these engines? Mine doesn't have a filter period. I initially changed the oil when I first got the car. What came out was pretty nasty looking. I drove it for a week and then drained and refilled with new oil because I figured might as well clean whatever crap out that had not been gotten in the first change. What came out looked like it might as well been in the car 3,000 miles. I assume because there's no filter. So I am looking around at kits, not sure where to start. What would be a straightforward, no BS kit if such a thing exists. OTOH if all I do is drive the car around town and change the oil every 1,000 miles then do I really need one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted July 31 Report Share Posted July 31 Originally they didn't come with filters. It was an option, usually dealer installed option. There's a good chance the pan and tappet area is sludged up. If so, you're going to keep getting that really dirty looking oil. You may want to drop the pan, pull the tappet covers and do some cleaning, check the valve lash and then a few low mileage oil changes to flush the remainder of the gunk and you should then be able to go back to whatever oil change schedule you were thinking of originally. . As far as a filter kit, since the original engines didn't have one, the lube circuit was set up for a by pass system if a filter was to be installed.. Full flow filter kits require some circuit modification to a bypass lube system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted July 31 Author Report Share Posted July 31 The engine was more recently overhauled so its probably ok as far as sludge. But its easy enough to pull the pan to look. If I go with what the car came with, which isn't the full flow design, is that a matter of bolting it on and calling it a day or does that too need some changes? Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted July 31 Report Share Posted July 31 Probably a bolt in. Several aftermarket systems were available to the dealers. Did you have it overhauled or the previous owner said it was? "Overhauled" has different definitions depending on who did it. Sometimes it's just a rattle can overhaul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Buchanan Posted July 31 Report Share Posted July 31 (edited) 13 minutes ago, 1949plymouthdeluxe said: The engine was more recently overhauled so its probably ok as far as sludge. But its easy enough to pull the pan to look. If I go with what the car came with, which isn't the full flow design, is that a matter of bolting it on and calling it a day or does that too need some changes? Thanks for your help. Here are the installation notes about a spin-on bypass filter on my P15: https://p15-d24.com/topic/50622-installing-a-spin-on-bypass-oil-filter-photos/#comment-537063 You may be just as well off changing oil every 1000 miles instead of installing a bypass filter if the car isn't driven on long trips. My car didn't have a filter until I installed this one. Edited July 31 by Sam Buchanan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted July 31 Author Report Share Posted July 31 Thanks for the info Sam! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted July 31 Report Share Posted July 31 Plymouths are Special, Fords claim to be super... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted July 31 Report Share Posted July 31 and Chevies just rust.......😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booger Posted July 31 Report Share Posted July 31 that thing is primo! keep pluggin away at it all these old coots in here know their mopars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted August 2 Author Report Share Posted August 2 Still have a problem in that the battery isn't getting charged. Took out the generator and its actually been rebuilt. So that part is fine. Fields are magnetized and have continuity. The brushes I thought were worn out are also fine. This has to have the regulator correctly connected and adjusted for the generator to be engaged so I guess that will be the next thing to look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sniper Posted August 2 Report Share Posted August 2 53 minutes ago, 1949plymouthdeluxe said: Took out the generator and its actually been rebuilt. So that part is fine That is an assumption, until it is tested and proven fine you do not know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted August 2 Author Report Share Posted August 2 Quote That is an assumption, until it is tested and proven fine you do not know. Maybe. There isn't much to these. As mentioned the fields don't have a open circuit, have continuity and are magnetized. Brushes are making good contact with armature. I measure 4.5 ohms across the two terminals. So while there may very well be something wrong with it, I think next step is to check the regulatotr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 2 Report Share Posted August 2 what are your voltage and amp readings when properly tested....and in what manner or state of use were these readings taken.....have you followed the actual step by step instructions in the manual? by following these you are led systematically through the trouble shooting so you will not be probing helter skelter with no questions if doing things right, is what I read what I am SUPPOSED to read at this test point/time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1949plymouthdeluxe Posted August 5 Author Report Share Posted August 5 Quote what are your voltage and amp readings when properly tested....and in what manner or state of use were these readings taken. Measuring from the connected brush side of the generator to battery gives me no voltage. Next step is to pull the cover of the regulator to see whats happening there. The manual has a ton of steps showing how to adjust these things. My suspicion is the regulator is either faulty or that one or more of the connections to it may also be faulty. Because you have to have it in order for the generator to activate. If the regulator is fine then its time to start at the front of the circuit and work back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Klozoff Posted August 8 Report Share Posted August 8 Yours is a bit shiner than mine! https://imgur.com/gallery/VanXtPD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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