Pete K.

Yes Jay, disconnect at engine bay instead of behind dash if you don't want your floor boards well lubed. When I blew out my oil feed tube, I didn't see anything but a few drops of clean oil exit.

When using compressed air to blow out the oil feed tube, you must disconnect the line at the oil pressure gauge. Very likely you will spring the gauge assembly with the air pressure.

Glad to hear of your success Ray! Did the back firing cease too? ---Pete.

Ray, This has to be either one or more of your high tension leads leaking past the manifold wire clamp, where they are very close to the iron itself, then jumping to ground. At a high or higher RPM, one can not always tell when one cylinder's plug becomes grounded. There was also a 1920's tech note I remember reading about a Dodge engine grounding problem between the distributor housing and mounting flange. It was noted to mechanics to run a separate wire for a better ground at that point. I don't believe things there were changed in '26, even though they went over to 6 volts and other generator changes. I must agree with post #2 & #3. Last resort, call an exorcist.

It's called Bernoulli's Principle. Air speed increases, (in a venturi here), the pressure drops with the temperature also. The carb will feel cold and you may see frost on carb with the ambient air just right. Ray, your '26 hot air feed is quite different than the earlier set up. Your '26 also has the air filter. Although the miles I've put on old cars without air filters, I've not seen any difference in engine wear or polluted oil in a faster rate, probably since the cars are driven infrequently enough and most all roads are paved. I've looked around my barn and yard yet cannot find even a rusty spare heat tube for a '25 or earlier Dodge. I'm sort of surprised since many early Dodge parts are around here. I did find the remnants of an early Dodge Brothers manifold heater and control linkage.

I wish to heck I took a photo of that heat tube the day I had the valve covers off. I don't seem to have any set screw on manifold to help keep tube steady while installing it. There's not much more to it, other than the "angle" of the tube & the diameter of each end which could be seen on the manifold and the valve cover openings of the Dodge.

Here's a picture of the heat tube installed on the engine. The notch is at the top of the seamed tube, not the bottom. Tube fits into the cast iron opening of the manifold and is held by the two valve covers. Believe me, it's not an easy task to install it when replacing the valve covers. There is just no room to finagle the valve covers over their wing nut studs and overlap the rear cover onto the front cover while trying to get the heat tube to stay put with the notched seam in the right place.

Yes, Pokes through the valve cover's only a short bit. I think they made the tube slightly oval so that it doesn't rotate and fall off it's mounting flange on exhaust manifold. There is no clamp on this tube. The lower notch in the tube rests on the two valve cover's openings. It seems a very likely "rattle trap" when car is in operation.

Joe, I'm thinking the wire may have caught somehow at one end and got coiled up tight while turning the wheel at some point in time, then "un-wound" to a point which would possibly leave the wire looking like that. I've never seen anything like that before either! Very strange indeed. ---Pete.

My '25 has the horn shaped oval tube from the bottom center of the manifold then passes through the valve covers, about an inch, at the center of the block. There it stops. the entire bottom edge of the sheet metal tube has a spot welded rib seam with a notch in it to help stabilize the tube once it's in place with the valve covers holding it. It is extremely difficult to get everything back in place when having to have the valve covers off. I can see why many are missing. At one point, I wanted to chuck the blasted thing across my yard. I believe the tube itself was painted black gloss enamel, or lacquer. Without this tube, I don't see how the carb could ever get enough hot air on start up, or rather warm up.

RJ, Got thinking about your question some more and I wonder if you're talking about the "other" hot air tube, located on right side engine, connecting exhaust manifold with the passage between the block. Let me know.

It is only a small sleeve about 1-3/4" long that is rotated by hand for more or less opening in air tube. It has a slot and a dimple that rides tightly in a small slot in air tube. You could make one up pretty easily in a pinch. I don't see these for sale by themselves, usually, it is still on an old carb. I don't think I have a shot of one in my photo file but I can get some if someone doesn't do that sooner. Last fall, when I had my '25 started up, I, too, noticed frost on the iron part of the carb. The air tube was only cracked open a bit and frost went away when engine warmed. That part of the carb is just outside of the big venturi of the Dodge carb and I suspect this was a common occurrence back in the day. It has to do with some Law of Nature, air speed increases, (in the venturi), temperature drops, or something like that. Frost will form. I believe this is why aircraft air foils ice up without de-icing devices in place.----Pete.

Yes, It's one thing if they opened a box with a Sterling silver flying goddess or a box with just some nuts and bolts or king pins.

Ray, I'm not quite sure what rumbled means. By whom? 27dodger, I think the grade 8 bolts would work just fine if not better than some replacement studs. I would cut off the heads and finish the ends for studs. This is probably what you do anyway.

There is a way around those charges. A friend in the States buys the parts and forwards them to G.B., marked as one dollar's worth of "parts" on the international customs form. Payment and shipping would be figured out between both parties.

Did you say SNOW?!!!! Wow! Tomorrow, here in NEW ENGLAND is shorts and tee shirt weather. (finally). I'm wondering, Ray, do you think one of those modern type exhaust "doughnuts" would work OK with our Dodges? Getting the counter clerk to help would be nice since I don't know yet the actual size. I know the exhaust pipe is 2" dia. It would most likely take up some space between manifold and pipe that may not agree with the clamping device. I suppose longer bolts would be needed only.

Ray, I'm not sure how to measure the back pressure and correlate that with factory spec's. on something 85 years old. Most all low-compression engine antique cars only require a "close to" tolerance back pressure by inspecting original literature, parts books, etc... to find what the original system would appear as. Some Model A Ford folks have discussed this topic in length on the "Fordbarn" website. My main objective when replacing an old system is to make one appear neat and clean using as much original looking pipes and muffler one can do. Safety is a prime concern among all of us, (I hope). The old "Flextube" piping has been illegal here for many years in an exhaust system. It's OK in an oil breather system though. I recall as a kid, I had a complete system made up myself for a '39 Plymouth using flextube pipe. This is a topic I will be keen to research soon, as my '25 will need a new muffler.

Ray, In all naturally aspirated engines, correct back pressure is necessary to have engine run correctly. Think of it as a hydraulic fluid. The exhaust gasses have to go somewhere after leaving the cylinder. A muffler, or pipe system that is sooted up and partially blocked will have trouble exhausting the gasses and high fuel consumption will occur. It may also act as an EGR effect whereas exhaust gasses will stay in the cylinders, disrupting proper fuel/air mixture, resulting in poor running. I don't subscribe to this stunt, but back in the day, if one should have a vengeance against another, a raw potato forced up the tailpipe with a broomstick of the hapless individual's car, will prevent the engine from running at all for no less than a few seconds. That is almost 100% back pressure. The only ways to fix it is to remove the pipe and burn the now swollen vegetable out with a torch or replace the pipe. SO, if an old muffler has either a lot of carbon or a dead mouse, nests, etc... clean 'em out.

Now THAT'S a ride to take to the local Walmart or perhaps the Dunkin'-Donut's drive thru. Bret, anyone that can build/restore a monster like that will have no problem restoring/conserving an old Dodge! Speaking here about steam cleaners, the "wheel-around" type steam cleaners that auto shops would have, are oil fired for the heat and steam, good pressure, will remove all gunk and old grease from axles, engines,etc... The only thing people seem to forget is to add a detergent to the water. Plain steam out of the wand won't do much but push the grease around all over the place and a big waste of time. I used to haul my early jukebox mechanisms over to a local auto machine shop that did the steam cleaning for me. Like I said, with the detergent, they came out like a jewel. I'd spray them down with WD40, or the like and set them in the summer sun for one afternoon. Final lube after mech went back into the cabinet. Anyway, I am always on the lookout for one of those steam cleaners at a bargain price. It would be ideal for undercarriages. setting a large shallow pan under the area that's being cleaned would catch most all the goop, I'm sure.

Ray, My '25 has an old rusty system on it. (1950's?) Seems to still be OK though. It must have been replaced at one time or more, since new. It is put together in pieces with the clamps. The exhaust pipe has a clamp made to bind the pipe to the manifold. It looks quite strong, but I don't think it's original. I believe it originally had a large nut that threaded onto the manifold. I don't have a MPB. One of my top priorities is to remove muffler and clean it out, verifying I will have correct back pressure.

Ray, I'm glad to hear things are working better.

Since I haven't rebuilt my '25 Dodge transmission, it seems to shift OK, as only driveway miles are still being clocked. (Still have registry and title problems.) Try draining gearbox and pouring in straight STP. It's thick, very thick. I use it in my original '31 Model A pickup and drive it every nice day with no shifting problems. In New England here, we have hot summers and cold winters. The little Ford doesn't have a multiple plate clutch. I don't see why it would matter. To change out the pilot bearing on the Dodge transmission, either the engine or the rear end/torque tube has to come out to separate the transmission from engine as far as I can see.

Hi Bret, I have to say again what a nice find you've got there. With just mostly some elbow grease, a "conserving" of all the original cosmetic aspects of interior and exterior of the Dodge, you'd have an award winning car for most original "unrestored". A very rare thing these days! You may want to consider the Goodyear all weather diamond tread tires. I have had a set on my '31 ford for a while and they are the best. I believe Coker also sells them. Check the back pages of any Hemmings Motor News for all the old car tire co. ads. The valve stems on the tubes come either as a center mount or offset, depending on the wheel. In most cases, wood spoke wheels take a center mount stem which pokes up straight between the spokes. Coker and others sell tubes with either rubber stems or the nicer, but pricier, nickel plated brass stems which would have been on your car when new. The metal stems are vulcanized onto the tubes, not just clamped in, which can lead to leaks if not done right. Tubes these days seem to leave a lot to be desired. They're now made mostly in Vietnam and other foreign countries, nothing close to the quality of old, USA rubber tubes. If your tubes are OK, not dry rotted or patched to death, SAVE 'EM. You probably know all this with all your experience with other "oldies". Not sure how to soften the rubber mat. I would like to know that too.

This IS a long shot, but did any '30's aircraft have hubcaps? Maybe Wright-Martin?

The original horn on my 1925 Dodge is a Northeast, as pictured in the owner's manual also and it is a very loud and strong AOOOOGAA. Car is #; A388850, a 1925 appointed auto with a '26 build date.