Well, I've stopped procrastinating

[martybose]

Since it is now April, I decided that today was the day to start on my winter project for my 47. Up until now, every time I went into my garage to work on the car, I wound up going for a ride instead. What can I say, I like taking it for a drive!

But today I drained the radiator and the block, removed the distributor, the alternator, the water pump, the intake manifold, all of the head studs, and finally the head.

Tomorrow I'll clean everything up, remove all of the remains of gaskets, and start getting ready to send the head to my machinist. He's going to convert my Edmunds head from 1/2" reach plugs to 3/4" reach plugs using timeserts and spacers. This should make it easier to find a plug that is designed for the large gaps the HEI wants.

While he's doing that, I'm going to try to seal up all of the various bolts and studs that have been leaking (due to my use of Evans NPG coolant, which works well but will find places to leak from like you wouldn't believe), and I'm going to polish the alternator and the intake manifold (also an Edmunds). I'm going to replace most of the standard slip-on heater hose connections with AN fittings and hoses for leak resistance.

I'm also going to pull my OD solenoid and have it rewound for 12V. I've got all of the rest of the parts/relays/push buttons for a 12V OD installation, but needed a 12V solenoid to complete it. One less excuse for not getting it done. I mean, I've only been driving it with the OD installed but not functional for almost 5 years now, so what's the rush?

I'm also going to try to figure out the best way to mount and connect a right angle tach drive to my front damper, so that I can install the vintage Stewart Warner mechanical 5K tach that I have.

When I get my head back from my machinist I'll polish it too, then finish cleaning up the engine compartment and put it back together.

Given my goals and my slow start, I figure with luck I'll get it back together just in time to put it away for next winter, so I guess it's really my 2007/2008/2009 project!

Marty

PS IF this takes along as it is likely too, I'll probably try to squeeze in some front disk brakes and a dual master cylinder into the program as well.

[Don Coatney]

I'm also going to try to figure out the best way to mount and connect a right angle tach drive to my front damper, so that I can install the vintage Stewart Warner mechanical 5K tach that I have.

.

Marty;

I fully understand not wanting to disassemble a good running engine.

Just a thought on your tachometer. Most mechanical tachometers I have seen are driven by the distributor. The distributor spins at half the crankshaft speed. You will most likely need a reduction gearbox if you drive it off the crankshaft.

[martybose]

Marty;

I fully understand not wanting to disassemble a good running engine.

Just a thought on your tachometer. Most mechanical tachometers I have seen are driven by the distributor. The distributor spins at half the crankshaft speed. You will most likely need a reduction gearbox if you drive it off the crankshaft.

Yep; the right angle drive I have is a 0.5 to 1 ratio for that very reason. Stewart Warner used to make a kit for mounting this adapter to the crankshaft of flathead Ford V-8's; the few times I've seen them for sale they have gone for a fortune! Mine will be something a lot simpler, methinks.

Marty

[blueskies]

... I'm also going to pull my OD solenoid and have it rewound for 12V....

Depending on what the re-wind costs, you might check with Neil Riddle seaplym@hotmail.com for a 12v unit. I bought my 12v solenoid from Neil, to replace the 6v unit that was on my od when I got it.

Pete

[martybose]

Depending on what the re-wind costs, you might check with Neil Riddle seaplym@hotmail.com for a 12v unit. I bought my 12v solenoid from Neil, to replace the 6v unit that was on my od when I got it.

Pete

Thanks for the tip, Pete; I just sent Neil an email. I had previously bought an OD control cable and the OD pamphlet set from him, but hadn't considered him as a source for the solenoid.

Marty

[Don Coatney]

George Asche may be another 12 volt source.

[martybose]

Interesting; I just got a reply from Neil Riddle. He stated that the shaft lengths for the 6V and 12V solenoids are identical, but that there is no need to change a Plymouth 6V solenoid to 12V anyway. He states that they are wired heavy enough to work okay with 12V, and that he has several customers who have been running 6V solenoids on 12V cars for years with no problems. He said that if I really wanted a 12V solenoid I could probably find them at a swap meet for a Chevy or Ford application, as they are fairly plentiful for them.

I'm confused; I thought that using a 6V solenoid was pretty much guaranteed to fry it. So is anyone here running a 6V solenoid on 12V?

Marty

[Norm's Coupe]

I'm also going to pull my OD solenoid and have it rewound for 12V. I've got all of the rest of the parts/relays/push buttons for a 12V OD installation, but needed a 12V solenoid to complete it. One less excuse for not getting it done. I mean, I've only been driving it with the OD installed but not functional for almost 5 years now, so what's the rush?

I think I still hold the record for procrastinating. 5 years is nothing. I bought my headliner and insulation for under it in 1999. Just put it in the car last July or August.

[Suddensix]

Interesting; I just got a reply from Neil Riddle. He stated that the shaft lengths for the 6V and 12V solenoids are identical, but that there is no need to change a Plymouth 6V solenoid to 12V anyway. He states that they are wired heavy enough to work okay with 12V, and that he has several customers who have been running 6V solenoids on 12V cars for years with no problems. He said that if I really wanted a 12V solenoid I could probably find them at a swap meet for a Chevy or Ford application, as they are fairly plentiful for them.

I'm confused; I thought that using a 6V solenoid was pretty much guaranteed to fry it. So is anyone here running a 6V solenoid on 12V?

Marty

Marty, Ive been running a 6 volt solenoid on my 12 volt system for 2 years with no problem. I took the motor out for an overhaul this winter and thought that it would be a good time to switch to a 12 volt unit. Neil gave me the same story as you so my 6 volt unit is staying put.