gunfixinsmith

Dave : I have rebuilt MANY transmissions from the era . 1936 has been my specialty for many years but I have done mechanical restorations on everything from 1934 - 1948. Your transmission was used in almost all mopars from 1935 thru 1939 with the '39 model year offering both direct and remote shift linkage. Most of these gearboxes suffer from the same problems the most usual being moisture. All the parts to rebuild are readily available. You will need countershafts ( main & reverse ) front and rear bearings , thrust washers , cluster gear and pilot rollers ,and rear seal which can be the most difficult part to find. I do advocate the use of synthetic gear oil , especially if you live in a cold climate . It will supply much better lubrication. You do need to be certain to apply gasket sealant to the countershafts when installing them . Once completed they are very dependable. Evan Bennett gunfixer2003@yahoo.com

Herb : Did you find a distributor ? Almost all the L head mopar dist 'assy.s will interchange. Let me know if you have one -I may have an extra..Evan gunfixer2003@yahoo.com

Rob : Were you able to locate the headlight trim rings you were searching for ? I may have extras & will look . They are merely pushed on over the edge of the headlight shell. I believe there may be an interchange among '36s because all 36 passenger cars use cocoran -brown "riteway" headlights. The only snag may be that plymouth mounted their lights on stands mounted to the catwalk & dodge des. chry. mounted directly to the side of the grille shroud. Evan Bennett gunfixer2003@yahoo.com

Jon : Don Axlerod out in timson mass. used to carry all that stuff. After you find the reflectors have them coated at uvira laser optics , make sure you have a full 6 volts to the sockets and that the reflectors are grounded , and you will have headlights that are just as good as sealed beams. I did the headlights in my '30s cars this way and they are bright. Let me know if I can help further gunfixer2003@yahoo.com Evan Bennett

Herb : The unit in your dodge will probably be alright for sometime to come if it is not noisy or leaking. I have had several fluid drive cars ( '48 dodges included ) and would still recommend having the seal replaced while you have the drivetrain apart. Be sure to use automatic transmission fluid in the seal NOT motor oil . 10w oil is used in the M-5 and M-6 semi auto trans. only . As long as you do not use the ford type A.T.F. general use A.T.F. is what is recommended as a replacement for the original mopar fluid drive oil. By the way , while you are rebuilding your car be sure to replace both the inner and outer real axle seals. You can email me directly if I can help you further ; gunfixer2003@yahoo.com Evan Bennett P.S. I had a '48 newyorker too - rebuilt everything in the car including the 323 c.i.d. eight.

To begin with , do you have the tools to change the seal in your fluid coupling ? Without the miller tool set the removal of a coupling seal is EXTREMELY dangerous if at all possible. The two types of seals used in this application both have very strong springs that maintain tension against a carbon running surface . The seal and it's mating serface must be in perfect order or you will have a leak. Secondly , the bearings housed internally in the unit must be considered. Then there are two runner hub bushings inside the bore in the unit that are made of bronze and should be changed . Think of these as dual pilot bushings. Typically the loss of fluid drive oil will be obvios because of the presence of oil in the clutch area ( other than rear mainbearing seal leakage) and the loss of response when starting out from a stop - similar to a slipping clutch. I have owned many cars equipped with fluid drive units and have changed a lot of seals. I still have my tool kit with which to do so. PLEASE do not be mislead by well meaning people who may give you bad advice. The seal should be inspected , just do not endanger yourself ! If I may be of further assistance please feel free to contact me directly ; gunfixer2003@yahoo.com Evan Bennett

STOP!!!!! If you really care anything about this car you will want to tear the thing down and see why it is stuck. Almost always the exhaust valves are stuck . No amount of ANY penetrant will do a valve job for you !

There is a man in this area who is a legendary mechanic. I'm sure he can solve your problem if anyone can. His name is Dean Sylvester (641)653-2342. You may have to try your call several times to reach him .

Bill : The arrangement you describe is a road shock eliminating spring shackle.It was thought to be a major improvement over the '35 arrangement and was designed to reduce the amount of road shock transmitted thru. the steering column and on up to the driver.

Ken : I'm not sure he is still making trumpets but C.T. Nuxoll who I believed lived in Spokane, Wa. used to make wonderful repros. He will be in the W.P.C. club roster if he is still with us.

Mac : I sincerely hope you used silicone( dot-5) fluid and replaced everything or your problems are just beginning ! Your pushrod adjustment can result in the condition you describe if you just do not have full pedal. Check to see that the piston in the master cyl. is returning all the way back against the washer and snapring. Usually the condition you describe is attributable to a weak return spring in the master cyl.or to swelled or deformed piston seals or cups. Ever since the boys up in Detroit decided to send half the parts in a rebuild package while still charging us full price , this has been a problem. I have had to resort to scrounging up longer springs,using a spring inside the original , as long as it is wound the opposite direction and is enough smaller to work freely. If you are clear on all these things and have ALL the air out of the lines make sure you have all the brake shoes adjusted correctly. 1936 was a year in which Chrysler built the best looking and most reliable cars the company ever produced ( in my opinion ) They are easy to service so don't give up! I'd be glad to help further if you need . Evan Bennett gunfixer2003@yahoo.com

Jax : You'll want to remove all the old lead filler and replace it with a product called dynaglass. I had the priveledge of working with an excellant automotive body restorer who used that product. Stay away from slik and the cheaper fillers. Some of them are even corrosive. Dynaglass is very strong and will flex with the car preventing cracks. A car as glamorous as yours deserves carefull treatment! I specialize in 1936 vintage chrysler product vehicles.

Your grinding problem is more than likely due to a worn blocker ring. This part acts as a "brake" to slow down the gears and allow the almost silent shift that the transmission ( M-6 )in your chrysler should provide. As a test try disengaging the clutch at the shifting point-just before the trans. shifts up-if you do not hear a grind it will be the blocker ring. The torque unit should be filled with A.T.F.( non ford ) and the trans. with 10W non detergent. Have you checked thoroughly for a vacuum leak ? Manifold gaskets,carb. base,vacuum advance line or diaphragm, fuel line and flex line, etc. Have you rebuilt your carb? The introduction of outside air into the mixture often accounts for an uncontrollable idle and can damage valves by superheating them. If you are certain none of the above are at fault ( vacuum gauge can help ) make sure the linkage is not bent or restricted . Floor mats have a nasty habit of causing this. If I may help you further please just email. Evan Bennett gunfixer2003@yahoo.com

I am able to install new seals in fluid drive units.I have been doing so for several years, but cannot replace the bearings ( except the runner hub bushings and those are relatively easy to change ). The seals, however, are becoming more and more difficult to find. The units are usually serviceable if the ring gear and bearings are still good. Give Michael D.Jones a call @ (641)652-7882. Mike has several used fluid drive units.

Sounds like a rebuilt engine. Those usually have a brass tag attached to them somewhere. The displacement would indicate that you have a post '41 plymouth motor with the 3 1/4" bore. The '33-'41 3 1/8" engine was a 201.3. The block size should ( provided this isn't one of those export dodge truck engines - measure for length against your '49 engine ) interchange in all '35 to '59 dodge and plymouth cars and trucks using that length engine. Chrysler and desoto use an engine that was 1 15/16 " longer. Serial #'s on the L head motors are found on that pad above the generator. These always carried the model # of the vehicle they were intended for followed by the serial# up until the late '50s when they went to an L-230 designation. If I can help in any other way email me at gunfixer 2003@yahoo.com