Pete K.

If you plan on buying this car or already have, I'd sure as Hell start it up and drive it to check things out. This car is made of IRON, not egg shells. You won't break anything.

I have a '25 Dodge with the fan mounted on the block. I have an original '22 Dodge manual that shows the fan on the head. Both blocks you have would use the Northeast Electric starter/generator that mounted on the front left. I don't know the values though.

Great car! 1; Parts found at Myers Early Dodge Parts, Romar dodge parts, Hemmings motor news, (Google them). 2; Any side curtains? Tool kit? Hand crank? 3;H pattern, top left,-first. bottom left,-reverse. bottom right,- 2nd gear, top right,-high gear. 4; Check fluids, Battery start. I think the '15 Dodge had a negative ground. ALWAYS retard the hand spark lever when starting this car! Pull hand choke, advance the hand throttle a bit, step on clutch pedal, step on starter button, When it starts, push hand choke in a bit for smooth idle. Advance the spark lever. CHECK FOR OIL PRESSURE!, (3-4 lbs pressure). 5; Water pump packings may weep a bit, check for any vacuum leaks. Make sure there is proper fluids in rear end, transmission and crankcase. You really NEED a reprint copy of the Dodge Brothers "Book OF Information" and the "Mechanic's Handbook", sold through Myers or Romar. I'm only just touching upon some procedures here for you today, as I don't own a 1915. I have a very modern '25!!! Good luck and keep us "posted"!!--A real beautiful car!

I can't understand this conundrum with the hidden valve stem on the lifter. If you have a reprint of the Mechanic's Instruction Manual, Revised edition, July, 1926, take a look on page 114 to see the front cutaway view of the engine, showing the valve stem/lifter in plain reach for a feeler gauge. I had to check all my valves OK, but everything was bolted up and in place which can make it difficult at times. Maybe there is a chance someone replaced the entire valve assembly with shorter valves and are using "deeper keepers" that cover the clearance area??

Would love to see the engine! My tip of the week--Keep the gasoline fresh and change the oil on a regular basis. I use 30 or 40 weight non-detergent oil in my '25, depending on the season's temps.

No, the spring stays where it is to give the valve the pressure it needs to fully seat the valve. Rotate the cam via the engine crank so the lifter appears all the way down and use a leaf type feeler gauge, sometimes it helps if you take loose the single feeler blade from the set. It should pass through tightly between the lifter and the valve stem, IF you're standing on your head! This is never a fun job on this engine. If you want to burn your arms on the manifold, do it with the engine running. Just make sure you know the clearances on the engines AFTER #265,496 are .005" / .006". Your engine should have the prefix letter "A"xxxxxx, which denotes "one million xxxxxx". Some owners prefer a different valve clearance and I won't get into that now.

If it's a NOS part, indeed the rubber is gone by now. I'm surprised Andy didn't mention about a rebuild kit for it when you purchased it from him. He is very knowledgeable. There is no "packing, per se. The rubber cups are the sealing points on the piston, whereas you have what I think is a Lockheed double piston type master cylinder for your car. One should always coat the new parts going in with a liberal amount of brake fluid first. You also should have a .001" - .005" clearance between the "bare" piston & bore of the master cyl. This can be checked with a blade type feeler gauge. Anyway, call Andy.

I have to say that the roadster should be put back the way it was new, or semi- restored/original. Unless you're an artist with metal, building a rat rod is brain surgery, even then, you'll not like the way it will handle on the road. You'll probably never get your money back from all the work you'll need to put into making it into a crap-rod. My vote is to "just flip it" and move on.

WOW! Thanks for the photo's. I was not aware that the later 3 bolt water pump had not only the lube fittings on the other side of the casting, but they are also reversed. I would love to know what adaption this engine was used for. It hardly looks used!

Jerry, I see your point very well. I also think you WILL find that piston, sooner than later! That's too bad about EGGE. There are a few folks that have these auto's and parts that aren't on the computer at all. Try Hemmings, not for the piston, but for a gent that is selling an early Buick and call him. Best of luck, Pete.

Jerry, have you tried EGGE Machine Shop? They used to have a good variety of parts stuck away for some early Buick's.

Hey Wayne! I saw your beautiful Buick in Reminisce a week ago. Congratulations too! I've been getting that great magazine since their inception and I always turn to the "Name That car" page first off. Reminisce "Extra" is a good add-on to get also.

Good job on that little flat spring Ray, I think it will do just FINE. I believe most of it's intended purpose is to steady the float in the tank.

Glad to hear it's going well Jay, But,as the book reads to make sure you've got a .004" valve tappet clearance on that #8 valve, with the blasted engine "WARMED UP". It seems like a Catch 22, since you're doing this procedure to GET it running! So,-- would we aim for .003"?? on that #8 valve clearance, cold? One must realize here that a very slight variation on this valve clearance on the #8 will make the crankshaft turn WAY more PAST tdc than it should be!! Meaning in the long run, you'll lose you first inch of your hand spark lever, whereas engine may kick back on starting and too advanced while driving using the normal action on the spark lever. Jay, is there ANY WAY you can find even a real picture of someone's EARLY '25 engine taken apart to try and figure out which punch mark is for real? They would need to somehow measure from the hub, out to the tooth where the correct punch mark should be. I'm beginning to think we need more help here on this problem.

I don't have the technology to measure that flat spring here, while it's on or off the unit. I estimate the tension @ 3-4 ounces. Ray, if you can't find a small rivet for that linkage if you do dismantle it, I believe you could use a similar fastener like a linkage pin and "C" clip like the ones I've seen on older carburetors. Even a small screw with two nuts would work, as long as the weight remains close. I would also go ahead and make a flat spring that mimics the broken one you have. I'm not preaching "sloppy, back yard mechanics" here. As a Federally licensed aircraft mechanic for 32 plus years, I know there is no room for guess work or careless work, but I also use common sense keeping our early auto's going, where there maybe no factory parts available. To quote the great Thomas Alva Edison, " I have not failed, I've found 10,000 ways that won't work."

The "ARC" badge, #2, is from an old car radio cabinet, or case.. Automatic Radio Corporation.

Here's a photo of my spare unrestored Stewart vacuum tank innards, showing the "C" spring in question here. It is brass, not soldered to any part, but Ray, it has a tiny "wave" at the top whereas the linkage rides on, creating a stiffer "fit" to that linkage and the float. From what I can see, the purpose of that C spring is to remove any excess play in the riveted point at float and linkage AND it seems to keep the float from rattling around in it's inner tank. I would try to replace that blumin' thing.--Best, Pete.

Tony, I think he's having a problem with two marks on BOTH gears, If I read his thread right.

Ray, the compression type fittings with the brass nipples work just fine. My Model A's use them originally to the carb & so forth with no leaks ever. Two notes here-- set the nipple no more than 1/8" from end of copper line. 3/32" is ideal, and snug up the up compression fitting. You should replace the nipple and cut off the "used" end of the line a bit if you remove the line at any time later. Although I preach this, I'm guilty of re-using these fittings if I change out a carb. Just don't tell anyone. I found a very good source of hardware for old cars, both US & Metric, a place called "McMaster-Carr". Google them and see the thousands of great things they sell!

Jay, Not a big problem... pick your favorite punch mark and bolt up your gears. Hopefully you've got the distributor unit on block. Loosen the little port hole on your flywheel housing, DON'T remove the screw all the way. Follow the instructions for timing on page 71-73 on ignition timing in the Mechanic's Handbook. To summarize, Get to #8 valve lifter, crank the engine 'till you can just turn that lifter with your fingers, putting #1 cylinder in position to FIRE, only if you have the spark lever ADVANCED. The rotor should be right under your # 1 contact in distributor cap. If not, pick the other punch mark on cam gear and try this procedure again. This should verify where those gears mesh correctly.

Nice job on that tank Ray! They really are very dependable when restored. I never had a problem with one on a hill either. It's funny you mention about the copper tubing! I just bought a two foot length of it yesterday at my local hardware store for use on the Dodge. I simply asked the plumbing manager there for 1/4" copper tubing. It's inside dimension is 1/4". I measured the outside diameter with my micrometer just now and it shows .312" I tried using a steel scale and it seems to be pretty close to read 5/16". Sorry this is not in Metric's. I seem to be having a real problem finding the steel flare fittings that are used on the Dodge carb & lines, so be careful when you fiddle with them!

The little filter I was describing to use in the vacuum tank is available at Snyder's Antique Auto Parts and it's part # is A-9193-T @ $4.00 each. They are in New Springfield, Ohio, USA. Phone toll free@ 888-262-5712. Don Snyder and the girls are very friendly to deal with and very helpful. From what I've seen in books, the Stewart tank was supposed to have a short standpipe (not a filter) inside the tank at the outlet, but I've NEVER seen one in any vacuum tank I've taken apart over the years. I'm betting it WAS there, a tiny steel pipe that probably rusted out and became dislodged several years (or decades) later. Anyway, for my 2 cents, this filter is the best deal going for many types of old cars, in many different application sites in a fuel system. Our old fuel tanks and vacuum tanks are getting harder to locate and they don't get any better with age. IF someone reproduces specific tanks someday, it will be a huge money layout I'm sure. Rust in the fuel system is probably the cause and effect of half the postings on the old car forums whereas a car won't run right or quit running.

Ray, good luck on your vacuum tank. Looks like it's really coming along. My '25 Stewart tank wasn't quite as bad as yours, but needed a lot of work too. That "C" snap spring must be there for a reason, I can't see it though...I looked at the pictures of the Stewart tank cut-a-way drawing in "our book" and was surprised to see it wasn't shown. I don't have the dedicated little reprint book on the Stewart tank. That may explain it. One very important part of that tank to work right is the complete sealing between the vacuum check valve and it's seat, up in the top of the tank cover. If you're done with the de-rusting of your outer tank, O.K.-- I was going to say that I found a good fix was to first get all oil/grease off the metal, then soak it in a can of "Evaporust". It really works well on rust but won't cut through any oily residue. Buy a "stand pipe" type fuel micro filter that Snyder's Antique Auto Parts sells and install it in the bottom outlet INSIDE the tank. The float WON'T hit the filter. I had to apply a thin coat of solder (twice), to this brass filter stanchion area since it's made for a Model A Ford gas valve but it tapped in nice and tight in my Dodge tank and works FINE. I'll never have the worry and heartbreak of foreign particles ever getting to my fuel bowl. EVER.

Definitely the above two, and try plugging off the vacuum wiper, if you've got one and be prepared with a $30.00 gasket kit for the carb re-assembly or... buy a roll of "fuel-proof" gasket paper (the dark grey stuff), for about $5.00 and cut your own gaskets. You'll need a new heat proof gasket for the carb-to-engine gasket flange when it comes off in three pieces. The disassembly of that carb has to be done in a sequence when you remove the 4 bottom screws on the carb's rack & pinion unless you first remove the choke bell crank, then the pinion shaft packing nut assembly. the metering valve has a LEAD seat up in the shaft tunnel for the metering pin. Don't go picking at it or scratch it by accident when cleaning those parts. Also don't clamp and force too much on the cast brass parts in a vise since they're old and FRAGILE and they will snap. First before a total carb overhaul, try un-screwing the large drain nut under the bottom of the float bowl and see what may come out. There's a filter screen up in there and comes out with the bottom nut I'm talking about. If you say the engine ran fine a while back, there's no reason the parts like the float needle and seat are worn & leaking without being moved in and out. It may be dirt.or rust from the vacuum tank. If you find the tank has gotten rusty, there's a fix for that too.

Question is, will your safety gap even spark if your plugs are hooked up & installed? It's been too many years for me to remember about those mags. Do you have ANY printed information on the magneto? I think at least one of the Dodge parts vendors sell a book on them.