Jump to content

keithb7

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,302

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

 Content Type 

Posts posted by keithb7

    1938 Plymouth Sedan

    in Our Cars & Restoration Projects

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    Hi Dei, thanks for checking in. I do indeed enjoy my old cars very much. I find the work stimulating, addictive and very rewarding.

     

    Those to units int he corner against the fence are personal watercraft. One is a Bombardier Seadoo, the other A Yamaha GP800. We used them a fair bit over the years. As our sons grew up and their own lives started to develop, we have been using them less. I am thinking about selling them. We'll see what this summer brings.  These PWCs also require maintenance and repairs as you can imagine. I rebuilt the engine in the Yamaha a couple years ago. 

     

    I have been snowmobiling in the mountains here. It is extreme and fun. However I never did buy snowmobiles. I chose to stay out of that hobby. I never thought it was too family friendly when my sons were young.  Additionally, like you said, load up skidoos, drive, ride, drive home.  It adds up to a lot of time and money. The Seadoos get dropped in the river 5 minutes away. They have a ton less moving parts so maintenance is less in my experience. Anyway today, it's all about the old cars. That is where I spend my time and discretionary cash!

    • Like 1

    The classic car market in an era of COVID-19

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    9 hours ago, John S. said:

    .  Be positive, and when things get to be too much,, turn off the news, and  work on a project.

     

    This rings home for me. For a few days there I was engulfed by the news coming in from so many sources. I was watching TV, listening to the radio, and scouring multiple web sites for Covid-19 updates and stories. At one point it started to feel overwhelming. The world never ended. I still eat, sleep, work and play. This past weekend I spent about 18 hours working in my garage. I made tons of great progress on my old car. Today I was driving it around the block with a big smile on, not a care in the world. All that time in the shop was extremely relaxing and stress free. Well mostly, except when I struggled to re&re a master cylinder. Then had to pull it again when it didn't work right. Then re-install it again. For a couple days I didn't give much thought about Covid-19. I spent a lot of time doing something I really love. I feel refreshed and rewarded after a couple good, productive days of work.

    • Like 4

    1938 Plymouth Sedan

    in Our Cars & Restoration Projects

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    I tested the heater and it works! It blows nice hot air. I installed a simple 10A on/off switch with a 7.5A in line fuse. Momma likes that. 
     

    I reinstalled the front seat today. I really wanted a safe test drive. Sitiing on a milk crate is very sketchy. I do not recommend.  Seat has been out since October. Looks and feels so nice!  I made Momma jump in and enjoy her efforts. She reupholstered the seat. We went for a brief cruise around the block.  Big smiles all around.
     

    Part of me is shocked how very much improved the car is, compared when I bought it last May. 
     

    I will forge on!
     

     

    661B0188-F95A-4FC8-BD3D-850CB3278388.jpeg

    E9179994-CEC8-4CC4-A786-865C953B280A.jpeg

    • Like 6

    Canadian Chryco 25” Engine Parts

    in Chrysler Products - General

    Posted

    Thanks very much @fargopickupking . I appreciate the help. 
     

    Since I posted this question I’ve done more research again.. I found a Canadian Mopar service book that covers 1953/54. Looking up specs for D54 engines I had reason to believe my Canadian engine is a 1954 Dodge Regent or similar car engine. 228 cu.  Its defintely 25 ¼” long.  Still no head off yet. But someday I will, and can then confirm bore. 

    The classic car market in an era of COVID-19

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    I suspect it's too early to know, as data is not yet available. I am hearing stories of folks getting lots of work done on their auto projects. I am included in that group. Yesterday I put in a 12 hour shift in my garage working on one of my cars. I visited a local Auto Parts store to pick up a few things this week. I asked the parts guy if business was quiet due to Covid-19. He said no, that they are seeing people coming in form all walks of life buying lots of parts for their vehicles. He said he's been selling some items that are rarely sold. So it does seem that folks stuck are home, that are into working on their own cars, are indeed doing so with vigour these days. Perhaps a slight resurgence in the old car market will happen after this is all over. I'd like to see a boom in economic activity when it's all over. I hope people do indeed want to celebrate. Get out and live life like the 1920's, or after WW2. Life's short and delicate. Perhaps more will whoop it up!

    1938 Plymouth Sedan

    in Our Cars & Restoration Projects

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    Totally unrelated....This is the car that pulls my away from '38 Ply project. A pic from today is below. It also inspires me to stay motivated on my 1938 revival... (It's my thread, I can hy-jack it right?)

     

    My other vintage car, a 1953 Chrysler. It was my first vintage car. It bit me and gave me the bug for old Mopars. Once I figured it mostly out, I needed another car. A project. Something to work on, while my '53 remained ready to take out for cruises and shows when I wanted. I had built up a support network for my '53. The '38 is not a whole lot different. So I bought the '38 Plymouth and dove in. I've been loving every minute of it.

     

    Progress update on the '38: All the brakes have been rebuilt. Wheel cylinder and master cylinder rebuilt.  I made all new brake lines. New hose flex lines. 1 last steel line to be built tomorrow. Followed by bleeding. The diff is re-installed. All new axle bearings and seals. Foot pedals assemblies are out tonight. They need a good degreasing and clean up, adjustment and re-installation. Rims painted. New tires installed.  I plan to change the diff pinion seal next , then maybe it's test drive time again. I want to test all my brake and drive line work. Perhaps I'll put the front seat back in and perform a proper test drive. 

     

     

    IMG_5842.jpg

    • Like 6

    How long did people keep their cars in the 30's 40's 50's?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    Car ownership...I think back to when I was a teenager. I was buying early to mid-70's used cars. This was in about 1987. Those cars were only 12-15 or so years old. But man, they were wore out! All I could afford to do was work as many hours as possible to buy parts, to get under the cars, in all weather to fix them and keep them usable. It was a real steep learning curve for me. I learned a ton about looking after cars. Back then it was painful. Today it seems easier.  My daily drivers are not clapped out 70's cars. Today I have a couple options on what I can choose to drive. I work on cars because I enjoy it. I own 4 cars between the wife and I. Plus a company vehicle. So one car can always be down and out while I do major repairs. Yes, I do feel fortunate. Until I add up all the expenses! I'm a fool for cars.

     

    Today I feel that maybe we have a little shorter attention span for vehicle ownership. My wife got a brand new Honda in 2016. I think we'll run it out to 120,000 miles or so. We'll see. It is fun driver. (1.5L turbo) but she is missing features that give her confidence in bad, snowy weather. Every winter up here in my area of Canada, we get some good dumps of snow. My wife has commented that a smaller SUV 4x4 would be nice. I get it. That'll be next. The Honda won't be worn out, but we'll have gotten our expected value from it over the years. Today it has about 55,000 miles on it.

     

    Every weekend and most evenings I can be found out in the garage fixing up my 82 year old Plymouth. Definitely a labor of love. Who knew that reviving an old car would consist of so many hours of chiseling away old grease, tar and road grime? Just to gain access to so many chassis parts! Lol. If l my health and finances carry on as they are, I hope to have that Plymouth car for its 100th birthday. We shall see!

    M4 vacamatic gear box leaking help!

    in Chrysler Products - General

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    The countershaft does not turn. The cluster gear turns on the countershaft. The countershaft is held in place by an interference fit and a keyway, into the main tranny housing. In another example the main countershaft and the reverse idler gear can have a shared lock tab. As seen in post #2 of my 3 speed manual tranny, above. The countershaft is pressed/hammered in place. I guess if you wanted to, you could weld the countershaft in place. I could not recommend nor would I attempt to try this. Two very different metals. Cast housing versus machined steel shaft. The cluster gear & countershaft needs to be movable to properly perform transmission repairs. 

     

    The Semi-Auto tranny needs to see 10W oil to shift properly. A different viscosity oil will cause shifting problems. The ground-speed driven transmission oil pump needs to make 40 psi. I use the suggested 10W non-detergent engine oil.  The semi-auto tranny functions differently from the manual tranny. When you select hi or lo range, you lock either the hi or low range final ratio gear to the output shaft.  This is the manual shift that I talk about early in my semi-auto tranny video. You are only picking hi or low range. The sliding of the manual synchronizer happens.  Once you get up to a certain speed, you lift your foot off the gas. The tranny gyro-switch is now open. The solenoid 6V power is cut out. The internal valve ball is lifted up off its seat by a spring. Oil then flows into the hydraulic piston. The piston then moves forward. Its related linkage moves, engaging the main automatic clutch gear at the input pinion. Then the direct drive action of the main shaft occurs. This is when the input pinion and the output shaft are joined by the main, automatic, clutch gear near the front of the tranny. Remember though, its final output speed is effected by the final output gear you selected. (hi or low range). This is 100% dependent on the cluster gear being in pace and spinning.

     

    The spinning cluster gear is 100% mandatory to the operation of this tranny.

     

    This all can be a little difficult to grasp. Additionally I'm no skilled technical writer. I recommend a shop manual..

    M4 vacamatic gear box leaking help!

    in Chrysler Products - General

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

     

     

    The countershaft gear set (aka cluster gear) does not move by sliding. The shaft you are seeing the end of, only provides an axle for the cluster gear.  The cluster gear only spins on it.

     

    If you are interested in learning more about how countershaft transmissions work see a couple of videos I made and uploaded here.

    Video #1 here is a manual 3 speed that I tore apart and rebuilt. Video #2 is a semi-auto tranny, M-5. It's also a countershaft tranny that shifts automatically by hydraulic oil pressure. Very similar to your M-4 that uses vacuum to shift.

     

     

     

     

    M4 vacamatic gear box leaking help!

    in Chrysler Products - General

    Posted

    Do you have an parts image of this transmission? I recently rebuilt a manual 3 speed and the counter shafts leak slightly where they press into the transmission housing. There is no seal used here. Looking back now, I should have put some type of permatex sealant on the countershaft end,  before it was pressed back into the main housing. Pic seen here.

     

    A counter shaft style tranny I don't believe can be run without the countershaft in place. The entire countershaft turns at all times when the clutch is engaged. Even when the tranny is in neutral. The counter shaft is usually in direct, constant mesh with the input pinion.

     

     

    IMG_5833.jpg

    Dark times , cheer up memory

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    Sure I'll contribute.

     

    This is a photo of the first time I ran out of gas in my 1953 Chrysler. I learned that when it's fuel gauge reads 1/4, I'm actually empty. Here my wife waits patiently in the car as I head off, on foot, to a gas station. I've since never let the gauge drop below 3/8. Also I pay annual AAA club fees now. Once is enough in an old car.  The last time I ran out of gas I was with the same girl. We were 17, just newly dating. That was over 31 years go. We laughed. Good times.

     

    Gas-less.jpg

    • Like 1

    1950 chrysler windsor

    in Chrysler Automobiles and Parts - Buy/Sell

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    This post reminds me of a couple of old local cars I located. 1 was sitting in a forest rotting for 50 plus years. I could have used it as a parts car. It was about a 9-10 hours drive away, 1-way. I needed to rent a trailer to go get it. Hotel, meals, etc. I considered my costs and made the seller a fair offer. He refused. So, off it'll probably go to be scrapped. Netting the seller less cash than my offer.  I guess some people think that an old mass produced Mopar is going to "Pull in big bucks. And darn it, if not... I'll get even and crush it!" 

     

    Another one, a 1949 New Yorker straight 8. Been sinking in a field since about 1972. Vandalized. Rotten mold. No glass left. I don't even own a NY'r but I thought I could part it, out and help out a few guys who need parts. Maybe make a couple extra dollars to fund my old car project. I got a quote for a tow truck, and made an offer. Seller refused. That was over 2 years ago. It still sits rotting in the same field. When I looked at it, it was sunk up to the axles. I suspect it'll sit until mother nature has taken it all back.

     

    It's unfortunate that this car above was sent to the crusher. It had lots of good parts on it. With low demand for regular old cars, and freight prices being so ridiculously high, it's understandable. The seller needed it gone. It could have literally taken years to dispose of most of it, by parting it out.

    1947 Chrysler Windsor no reverse

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by keithb7 (see edit history)

    My understanding is the shift linkage may need adjustment. Try putting the gear selector in neutral. Get down and follow the shift linkage to find the flange and adjustment nut. See how sloppy and loose it is. Try making some adjustments and re-test. 
     

    Also have a look at where the shift linkage bolts to the tranny. Does it all seem to be there? Is it sloppy or tight? If all that seems to be good, and linkage parts all present, if it were mine next step would be opening up the tranny. Where the shift linkage enters. See what’s going on behind the cover. Is the shift fork in place? The reverse idler gear is there and look ok? Sliding as it should on it’s shaft? 
     

    These trannys are engineering marvels. Simple but effective. They can seem complicated to the average person. They indeed are not. A little time inside these, builds confidence and understanding. If you have a shop or other space, some tooling, the desire, and patience, I recommend getting at it. If not, ask around for someone who can accomplish the tasks I mentioned. 

×
×
  • Create New...