1950 Dodge electrical and choke

As some of you know, I have a 1950 Dodge 4-dr Coronet. I appreciate all the advice you gave me on the tires/wheels, and I am happy to report that the tubeless-mounted tires on old wheels with oval stem holes have not leaked at all. Sine they have been mounted.

I would like some advice on a couple of other issues:

The engine runs reasonably well, but it is tired and uses about 1 quart of oil for every 300 miles. Odometer says 73,000 miles and I suspect that it is accurate. I am looking for a reputable party in the Mass/NH area that will do a 230 flat 6 rebuild, but so far have not found any one. Suggestions, please.

The Sisson Automatic choke is detached. The studs rotted away, and when I was cleaning the engine, I knocked against it and it just flopped off the manifold, studs broken. The choke itself looks shot, and I am thinking it would be easier to replace with a manual choke. Any opinions?

I would like to replace the wiring, but electrics is not my thing. The wiring is frayed in several places and the gas tank-to-gauge wire is shorting out. Any ideas on who might do this work in my area would be appreciated. I don?t want to convert to 12-volt, everything works just fine; I am only concerned about the age and condition of some of the 56-year old wires.

Thanks for any opinions, especially any from the Guru, Jon Robinson.

It would probably be easier to fix the Sisson choke. All you need to do is take out (or if necessary drill out) 2 studs and replace them. The choke mechanism has a V shaped bimetallic spring and an electric solenoid. You can test the solenoid by connecting to a 6 volt battery. The arm should go to the full choke position. It is very simple to install and adjust. If it is really worn out I don't know what to say. I recently replaced mine (51 DeSoto) and was lucky enough to find one on Ebay for $15 bucks in like new condition.

Once it is on the manifold here is how to adjust it. There is a place where you can put a wire or finishing nail down thru the shaft to lock it in position. Loosen the nut that clamps the arm to the shaft. Close the choke fully and tighten the nut to lock the arm in position. Remove the wire or nail .That's it.

Any good mechanic or auto electric shop should be able to fix the wiring. If it is real bad you might consider buying a new wiring harness. But usually the under hood wires are the worst, years of heat dries out the insulation and it crumbles away. The rest of the car may be OK depending what kind of climate the car experienced.

You can buy the Sisson choke gasket on ebay for $7.50 but I made my own using material from a leftover Ford flathead intake manifold gasket.

Keep the Sisson unit. It's not all that simple to go to a manual choke. Choke butterflies installed in carburetors designed for use with the Sisson unit have no built-in vacuum "unloader" to partially open the choke as soon as the engine fires. If you hook up to the choke manually, there is a good chance you will overchoke it on some occasions. The last thing you need in an engine you want to preserve is too much raw fuel in the cylinders thus accelerating engine wear.

As far as the wiring is concerned, these are are not overly complicated electrical systems. With some time and patience you could re-wiwre a majority of your car by yourself. You need a good set of crimper/wire strippers, soldering gun,solder,good connectors and termninals, shrink tubing, wire cable ties, wire in as many colors as you can get. The system will be 6 v, you need 12 and 14 gauge for the lighting, as well as 10 gauge for some of the underhood wiring. I would also use very heavy battery cables 1/0 or 2/0, the higher amperage demands for a 6 volt system demands it. You could also replace what is in poor condition and leave any wiring that is in good shape. The last thing you need is the gas gauge wiring shorting and setting this classic on fire. If you have suspect wiring, disconnect your ground cable when the vehicle is not in use, or is parked in the garage, this will help prevent a fire, that you do not want to experience.

Another tip on rewiring the car, get a schematic for your car, have it blown up at a printing shop. Color code all of your wires, when disconnecting wiring in the car cut and label them somehow, so you don't create your self a confusing situation................hope this helped a bit Fred

Thank you for all the advice, especially on the wiring. FYI, there is no electrical wire on the Sisson Choke, just a mechanical arm linked to the choke butterfly. I have temporarily strapped it down to the manifold until I can get the time to drill out the studs, and it is working "semi-OK," but definitely should be replaced.

As to my other question, any advice on engine rebuilders in my area (Eastern Mass, Southern NH)? Definitely needs a ring and probably a valve job. The heat riser is not just frozen, it is welded. Three months of soaking with PB Blaster, tapping and applying heat, and it still will not budge.

If you take a close look at the choke mechanism there should be a screw on top. This is where the wire goes. The wire connects to the starter solenoid. It pulls the choke tight shut when the starter is engaged.

There is a Sisson Choke Manual reprint available on eBay if you need adjusting information, servicing information, and Service Hints, for the AC-700 Series, AC-600 Series and the AC-500 Series.