The Caponemobile

To hwellen's, thanks for the information about my brake hoses. With those numbers and the description I should have no trouble finding replacements. I appreciate your time and effort. John Losch

Thanks ply 33 for your reply. I will see what i can develop from your information. I suspect that most of those hoses are the same. I will report what develops. John Losch

I need to replace the left front brake line to the wheel master cylinder. I assume that both left and right lines are the same, and I want to replace both although only the left has started to "weep." These are Lockheed brake parts, and I was able to buy a master cylinder kit for that car "off the shelf" a few months ago. I am guessing that the hoses I need are also still stock, but I have no idea what the stock or I.D. number might be. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. John Losch

OOOPS AGAIN. I was trying to make a new paragraph, and managed to post an incomplete comment. Moving on, we are going to try a sneaky repair for the master cylinder. There is very little play between the brake pedal and the piston on the cylinder so moving the adjustment nut is not going to accomplish much. Instead, we are going to loosen or replace the three mounting screws holding the master cylinder to the car frame, and insert eighth inch shims between the face of the cylinder and the frame. This will move the cylinder forward presumably the right amount. The piston rod can be adjusted forward if the shims make too much correction. I should add that "we" is several friends in our club who are helping me with the car. I have become disabled, temporarily I hope, and it is times like this when you know who your friends are. It is hard to adequately express my appreciation for their time and kindness. I hope others on this list are a lucky.

First, much thanks to Rusty O'Toole, and others for returning to this subject. The front end has been low on the list while "we" solved two other problems. A faulty pressure regulator has been replaced and the new more sensitive one has solved fuel and carburetor problems. Next week we are going deal with the problem that the return port on the brake master cylinder is not sufficiently open when the brakes get hot in hot weather. The brakes almost seize, so we need to pull the piston back a little further.

Progress report: We torqued the head in two stages, according to Sasha's pattern. First to 40 pounds, and a lot of studs were too easy to turn as we progressed. After an hour or so, we went on to fifty five pounds, but with the engine hot. After the first torquing there were no longer any weeps. After the second torquing, which seemed easy, because the engine was warm, we decided that was enough. We didn't want to stretch old studs. The engine is dry. We also replaced the plugs, not because they were not working, but because a couple of the plug seals were weeping oil. The seals were sufficiently rusted to justify the replacement. I report these things as a progress report on a car which was supposed to have been fully restored when I acquired it over three years ago. I have pictures showing that there was a body off restoration of the chassis and body, even with the report of an appraiser that described and graded the extensive work done. At this stage I believe the body and chassis work was well done, but it becomes apparent that a lot of mechanical and electrical work was left "for the next guy." Me. I hope my experiences are helpful to other "other guys" so I will try to keep you posted.

Rusty, thanks for the suggestion. Now two questions. Where is a damper installed on a 30 front end, and are such dampers available. Shimmy has been my principal problem.

Thanks! That solves one question. Now I can order the tube I need. Thanks for your help.

I have not been around much lately; both my Chrysler and I are fighting old age, and winning. The engine is now running without spilling gasoline on the barn floor. Whew! We (I have mobile friends) are about to adjust the thrust of the master cylinder so that fluid can more readily return to the reservoir when the brakes and fluid are hot (advice I got here), and we have found a shop with a wheel stretcher that can replace the inner tube with the leaking filler neck. I have two questions: 1. where do I find the alignment specifications for my '30 Chrysler 77 sedan (four door)? 2. what is the correct inner tube for my Firestone 550 - 18 tires? Cocker tires has a tube for 550 - 19 that reviews say will be ok. The same supplier has a tube for a 550 - 18 tube, but with an "off set" filler neck. Any advice on which I should use on my wooden wheels? The hole in the rim looks to be centered, and it is very much larger than the rubber filler necks I have, and are available.

Thanks for all the above information. Still, I have a question. I have seen slight "weeping" at spots surrounding the head before the engine is warmed up. I assume that I should re-torque the head, at least as a "first step." My question is, does Sasha's torquing strength (60-65) and pattern also apply to my '30, Model 77 silver dome engine? I notice that the layout of the studs varies slightly from Sasha's drawing. (Also, I did not count the studs.) Note: so far, I have seen no evidence of water in the oil, always a possibility if the head is loose. Obliged for any information or comments.

The Chrysler 77 Sedan has a headache. There are three major problems. Last time I asked about the front end. It is all tight, and, when the car becomes mobile again, we will have to have the front end aligned, from all appearances. We (my 14 year old helper and legs) and I took the front wheel to what I thought was a real tire specialist, and he wanted nothing to do with my leaky front wheel with a split rim. TBC. We planned to put the spare wheel in place when we found that the reason the tire on it had never touched ground was that the wheel can't be removed from the spare holder. The internal rim of the wheel won't fit over the bottom of the spare frame. In league with the great mysteries of the universe is, "How the Hell did anyone get that wheel on the spare holder frame in the first place?" We let the air out of the tire, but that helps nothing, because the split rim can't be opened, and the tire removed, with out some form of destruction. Low on the priority list is how to remove the entire assembly from the car, and see what can be pried, sprung or bent without bending the tire rim itself. Ultimately, I conclude that I will have to remove (grind or machine) enough of the lower half of the spare holder frame for the lip of the tire rim to pass out from under it. Another TBC! I seem to have eternal carburetor problems. When I started the car a few days ago it was pouring gasoline on a wooden barn floor again. That's widely seen as a definite NO NO! Again, the needle valve was stuck. Right now I am not in a position to replace the inappropriate Carter W 1 with the correct DX3, so I decided to order a rebuild kit for the Carter. I found the model, and, you guessed it - - - the kit is out of stock. We have the patience of a rock, and the search continues. I did examine the condition of the needle valve under a microscope, and neither the seat nor the tip of the valve seem damaged. I have slightly lowered the float, but have since then not yet reinstalled the assembly for further test. Does TBC seem unfamiliar? Next, I believe I should either rebuild or replace the hydraulic brake master cylinder. On a couple of occasions I have had the brakes lock and I was able to relieve them by cracking and spilling fluid that should have passed back through the master cylinder. Probably it would be wise to purge the brake system on the assumption that there are particles of rust in the system. Still, I feel I would like to overhaul the master cylinder as a security measure. My problem is that I have no idea what master cylinder, or kit, I should order. The cylinder is original as far as I can tell, using the "77 Handbook" as a reference. Clearly the reservoir was overfilled at some time, and brake fluid has spilled over the grungy looking cylinder. (The rest of the engine compartment is a lot better looking.) Note: I tried to attach a picture of the master cylinder, and lost all of my text. Through some miracle I returned to the forum, and found my "lost" text. I have no intention of messing with all this again just to attach a picture. Computers are not my thing. If anyone needs a picture of my master cylinder, I will try again, but not until this text is sent. If anyone got this close to the end of this message, can you tell me how I identify the brake master cylinder for my car? Thanks for your patience with my ramblings, and for any information you can provide. TBC? John Losch

Thanks for the good ideas. I will report back.

After several months of me being restored, I am back to my 1930 Chrysler Model 77 Sedan. It has various problems perhaps from too much rest. Of immediate concern is balance of at least one wheel. The last time I drove the car it suddenly broke into a front end shimmy at about thirty miles an hour. It did it a couple of times, and I was able to stop it by swinging the wheels to the left or right suddenly, then resuming my direction. Over the winter I discovered that the right front wheel had a flat tire. The filler valve was canted to about thirty degree angle, and I assume the tire and tube must have shifted during the shimmying. I also assume that the tube is leaking at the valve. (I will find out tomorrow when the wheel will be removed.) In the mean time the leak is extremely slow, because the tire will stay at about forty pounds for two or three weeks at a time while just sitting, fyi. The car was inspected shortly before the shimmying incident, passed inspection, and from that I assume that the bearings, tie rod ends, and other parts of the front end are free of play. I will learn more about that tomorrow when the front of the car will be jacked up. At this point my suspicion is that the problem is wheel balance. With wooden wheels and demountable rims, as is the case with my Chrysler, I have no idea what is involved with balancing wheels. Will I need to pull the wheels, and balance all as a single assembly, or can the rims and tires be balanced separately - - - - and, of course how? I would appreciate any advice, suggestions, or reports of experience available from my friends on this list. Thanks for any help.

I can't resist. Lucky you, it's just your 1928 Chrysler rear end that needs repairs. I just found out my 1932 rear end will undergo repairs next Thursday.

Final question for this subject: Since my Carter Carb is too small, is not even remotely original to my car, and should be replaced, what available and affordable carburetor should I be looking for for my 268 CID engine? I am not trying to make my car totally authentic even though I don't want to do anything that would not be reversible to some future restorer. I want it to be a reliable driver when I feel like taking it out for the fun of it, or to shows, or I and or my grandchildren sometimes feel like just showing off. I expect "The Caponemobile" to be a low mileage, low use car. Should we, as a practical matter, just do with what we have?