yirgaman

Thanks for taking the time to explain more on these carburetors. I'll be getting back to you when I'm ready to get serious about making a switch. Right now my engine has finally come back from rebuilding and I've got some other irons in the fire. Larry

Question for Carbking....My '32 DK8 uses a stromberg DXR-3 carburetor and they seem to be RARE as well as rebuild kits also rare. If this carb goes south, what do you think would be an easy replacement carb that I could use and still find kits and parts for. At a glance a lot of the 1 barrel MOPAR carbs look alike and I'm sure they aren't. Larry

Wow! hwellens nailed it! thanks to him and to straight8pontiac for asking his question. I printed this invuable attchment to use. The air cleaner I am using right now is just an aftermarket chrome thing from Auto Zone. I have the correct Dodge air cleaner for the original carb, but it doesn't line up with this BB1 carb so i'm not able to use it right now - it's big thing looks like a cigar box with a breather tube and a filter on top of that. My camera is not available or I'd get you a picture. larry

Thanks jdome! If I get this right my mileage might rise above the present 9 - 10 mpg.

I "thoink" you're right Phil. Old lubes used to contain animal fats, which probably worked well with leather seals - kinda like putting the animal back together. larry

I'll give it a try tomorrow! Thanks! I don't know about the barking though - does that mean a roar or a backfire?. It was running good over the winter and earlier this year when I drove it around., The needle spring is not loose so I can't imagine the needle valve vibrating that much to loosen up over a whole turn. Larry

Can some one give me an idea about the needle valve adjustment on this carb? It's on my '32 DL6 Dodge and I know it's an aftermarket unit, but it's running way too rich, I can smell the gas in the exhaust fumes going down the road. The needle valve was out 2 1/2 turns. I backed it down to 1 1/4. It seems to run better now, but do I turn it in more? Larry

A note on what is in Marvel Mystery oil....p 79 of August 2011 Hemmings Motor news - a reference to some analysis of MMO states that some of the contents of MMO are pig fat, perfume and red food coloring in a base of petroleum solvent. Maybe that's the short version for what idrjoe_sandiego said in the earlier post. Larry

Well 1930, because I only have 1932 Dodges and no other years - my best source for lots of information comes from the master parts book. I 'm sure if I had the luxury of actual 1932 detail I would use it first - but it doesn't exist. I can't speak for all the other years covered in this book - but I have found it beneficial to know that some other year Dodge parts (not many - by the way) carry the same part number and are therefore useable as replacement parts. I even bought Chrysler,Plymouth,Desoto and Dodge truck master parts books to cross reference part numbers in the hope of finding things I need to keep my cars on the road. 1932 production of Dodge cars were at the all time low for Dodge Brothers which means parts are more scarce than other years. I just didn't like the reference to the book as a Joke - I for one don't see it that way. Larry

Just a comment on "1930's" comment that the Master Parts list is a joke....I disagree on that and have found it to be very useful. Not much technical detail was printed during those depression years and we have to use what we can find. I know there are a few things not listed completely, but I've not found any screwups at least for the '32' model year. I have an original final printing edition as well as the re-print. The original has more info not included in the re-print. Also the company kept changing things in order to sell the cars and parts not moving during the "lean years" . By the way John where did you find your specific 1931 info?

Thanks for the support Phil! FYI - from the Dodge Brothers Salesman's Data Book, wire wheels were standard in '32 and wood wheels were optional at no extra cost. Both were 18". Larry

The 31 DH did come with an oil filter - per the master parts book. The engine carries a model and serial number is stamped on the driver side of the block,just under the cylinder head toward the front, behind and above the generator. If it's a '31 DH, the serial number will start with "DH" followed by several numbers. The cars "VIN" number is on the passenger side door post on a metal tag and it should be a number between 3518002 and 3557371 if US built, and between 9450801 and 9452111 if Canadian built for the DH. Larry

Ooooops! proofreading should be mandatory! I left out the Myers's web address: Myers Early Dodge will give you their online catalog. Larry

John, I've never found any windshield rubber for the '32 Dodges and I imagine the '31 uses a similar product - You may have to improvise. The light switch at the end of the steering column is called a "clum" switch, it fastens onto the rod that houses the horn wire that runs up thru the column. Again I don't know of anyone making these, but all the Dodges from '28 -'32 used this same switch according to the Master Parts List - but you might try ROMAR, http://geocities.com/romardb or Tom and Cindy Myers, Myers Early Dodge for starters. I found one at a swap meet - it came off a chrysler, but it was the same switch, so maybe Plymouth also had this switch.

By the way, I think I have one of these if you are interested. You can email me at yirgaman@netzero.net Larry

This intake silencer was used only on the '32 DL models, the last year of the updraft carb. The same silencer was shared with Desoto in '32 and carried the same part number. In 1933, Dodge went to the downdraft carb which changed the air cleaner altogether. Larry

hi, No and No. ............. standard sized would not work , but .040 oversixed DH would. The DH and DK and DO used the same pistons. So oversized is the same for all three if oversized is required. I need DB part #322124 in a quantity of 8, that's the part number for the .040 over pistons. I don't want used pistons, at least not yet. But thanks for the offer. Larry

I've now sent an email to both the DO8 and the DK technical advisors - thanks for the suggestion. Larry

Thanks Bill, but that's the first place I went to and they didn't have any. By the way, The pistons I need carry the same Dodge part number as those for the 1931 DH 6, and the '33 DO 8 as well as the early '32 DL 6. All with a 3 1/4 inch bore. Larry

I'm looking for a set of new pistons for my DK-8, they must be .040 oversized. Any help would be appreciated. So far 2 vendors thought they had a set, but both were wrong and it's holding up my engine re-build. Larry

Good luck with that one! You know Dodge used these same mascots for 3 years ,'32-34 and on trucks - I think the trucks were the same, maybe some variation in the base - but they all had replaceable heads. Somebody somewhere has to have a whole box of these heads, but I've never even seen one for sale anywhere. Those mascots without replaceable heads were aftermarket 1 piece castings. Larry

I was told by a couple of old Dodge men a few years ago that the head slides off from the chin up off the body. You do this by putting a flat screwdiver blade on the rams knees and gently prying the head straight up and off in the direction of the lines that you see therre. I have a couple with the head off and see that it is a reasonable method because there are "tracks" on each side of the body to allow this. I'd soak it in a penetrating oil for a little while first to make sure it will not resist to the movement. I've never done it, and I've never seen heads for sale anywhere. The purpose of the removable head was to replace them when gas station people and others twisted the ram cap off by the horns and broke them off. Larry

Thanks for your added input Marty! I'm printing this out to take along to the re-builder. My #1 rod bearing is what went bad, and there was some evidence of an earlier re-babbit work on that rod. I have the engine out and tied down on the trailer ready to go in about 15 minutes. The guy I am working with also did my DL 6 engine a couple of years ago, and it really runs great. I'm going to be looking for rings and bearings and maybe timing gears and a chain if they're badly worn - so any advice as to where I might find these would be appreciated. I'm starting with Tom Hannaford at the Antique Parts Cellar - but he probably won't have everything. I won't know what's needed until the shop has it torn down and measured and checked out - then the frantic search starts! I've already been told that main bearing replacements don't exist, and will have to be re-babbited. Larry

Thanks for your inputs - You guys are convincing me to do what I suspected was the right way to fix this, I know these engines are rare - and I know some of the new parts are going to be tough to find (and $$$) - but a short cut could cost a ruined crank or a hole in the block. When I got the car the engine was not running and I took the oil pan down and saw how clean it was - but there were missing cotter pins on the rod bolts and babbit was splattered around inside the block as though someone had done a quick repair - maybe pouring the babbit and spilling it - mostly around the #1 cylinder area. Guess I'll be doing what they should have done, I'm almost 69 now and I'll probably be 70 when I get this car on the road again - that'll give me time to fix all the other things - like the roof. Larry

I'm looking for some advice concerning my '32 DK-8 engine. After lots of slow and interupted work, I finally got my car on the road, and it was running great! I put about 50 - 75 miles on it making short test runs. The last time out, #1 connecting rod babbit bearing material broke down. As soon as I heard the knocking I shut the engine down and coasted home. The babbit material is now in the bottom of the pan. This car has 26,000 on the odometer and I think that's not too far off. The engine is really clean inside and no ridge in any cylinder. Compression readings were good, etc. Should I pull the engine for a re-build and have all rod bearings recast etc.or try to fix it by having the one rod bearing re-cast. The other rod bearings have some pits in them (maybe air bubbles). I'd hate to loose the engine if the fix wasn't enough, but the re-build will cost a lot and take months to complete. Larry