Rusty_OToole

Your car came with 2 keys. One had an octagonal head, it was for the ignition and door locks. The other key had a diamond shaped head and was for the trunk lock and glove compartment lock. Keep trying the different keys. One may work.You never know your luck. If you are not lucky with that plan, any locksmith can make new keys. Try and find an old lock smith in the oldest shop in town, he may have the old key blanks. Or you can get them from Ebay or from antique car supply shops.

The information you seek may be on the build sheet. I don't know where Buick put them but common locations were in the springs of the back seat, behind the glove compartment and between the gas tank and floor. Sometimes the manufacturer can supply a copy of the build records for a price.

If it has been sitting for a while the gas will evaporate on its own. If the engine is flooded now, hold the throttle open and try to start it. If it starts OK. If it is too flooded to start take out the spark plugs. They will be covered with gas and black. Turn the engine over to clear the cylinders or blow out the cylinders with compressed air. Squirt about a spoonful of oil down each cylinder to lubricate the rings. One squirt from an oil can should do it. Clean the plugs and put them back in. The engine should now start. If not, the plugs may be too fouled up and need to be replaced or sandblasted. This assumes the ignition and carb are OK and the engine got flooded by mistake because someone pumped the gas too much. Naturally, if the carb is flooding or the ignition weak these problems must be addressed first.

When did Chrysler Corp make a six with seven mains? They made a 198 CI slant six but it had 4 mains. Every flathead six I have seen, had 4 mains.

I agree about the clear liquid being water, slowly condensing in the crankcase over the last 30 years. If the engine had been started and run the water would have mixed in the oil to make a grey goo resembling whipped cream. Or at least made the oil look milky. The fact that it is separate from the oil, indicates that it was not there when the engine was running but accumulated while it sat It is unlikely that it did any harm. It can't hurt to take the pan off for cleaning and inspection but I wouldn't tear it down any farther unless there was definite signs of wear, damage or rust. I would clean out the pan and put it back on then put in fresh oil and start the engine.

What about the Grocer Mercedes? Lol.

Most common last words in the South: "Hey everybody! Watch this!"

My dog eared Motor's Manual (1954 edition) identifies the Chrysler C52 as a 1951 or 1952 New Yorker. The 51 and 52 Chryslers were practically identical. I know of one way to tell the New Yorkers apart at a glance. The tail light and back up light are separate on the 51, together on the 52. The 53 was completely different, similar in appearance but no body parts interchange.It is also quite a bit shorter, on a 7 inch shorter wheelbase. The 49-52 body has the rear fender completely behind the rear door, on the 53 the front part of the fender is on the door. If you want the lowdown on every Imperial ever made, here is the place to find it. 1952 (Chrysler) Imperial Home Page

A few years ago a local man tried to sell 2 restored WW1 era Indian motocycles on Ebay. They refused the ad, saying it must be a scam since the bikes were not known to any Indian club, collector, expert, book or list. But they were real, 2 brothers had them, they bought them in the fifties and had them restored in the seventies. I know the mechanic who rebuilt the engines, a tool and die maker and antique motorcycle collector who did antique motorcycle engines on the side. The owner's name was Elliot and the bikes were in a private collection in Bowmanville Ontario Canada. So, it is possible for rare finds to turn up. These bikes were known to a few local enthusiasts but were never shown publicly. So, is there a chance an unknown Duesenberg might surface? I wouldn't bet one will, but I wouldn't bet my life one won't.

Reproductions are never as valuable as the original.

Old Cars Price Guide gives dozens of values from $960 to $43000 depending on model, body style and condition. If you tell us the MODEL, BODY STYLE and CONDITION and post a few pictures it will help narrow it down. Or spend $4.98 at the magazine store and get your own Price Guide.

I have seen the same problem on a Model A Ford that had recently been rebuilt. The problem was that the new pistons were much heavier than the originals and threw the engine out of balance. There should be no such vibration. When they were new they did not vibrate like that or no one would have bought them. You say you replaced the pistons but did not balance the engine. That is bad. 4 cylinder engines of that period were balanced to quite fine tolerances. They had to be, there were no rubber engine mounts and road speeds were climbing. It is very common for modern pistons to be much heavier than the originals. If you check the weight of the original pistons and rods you may be surprised to find they are significantly lighter than the replacements and practically identical to each other. You may have to take the engine apart and have it balanced, or at least make sure the pistons are the same weight as the originals. To drive it the way it is, is to risk rapid engine wear and possibly a catastrophic failure or in other words the rod through the block.

I don't think they published specs for those bolts. There are tables of torque settings as Martylum pointed out, they are generic but should be accurate for your use. They did not specify torque settings where they are not critical. Mechanics used to tighten them by feel and they were close enough.

In 1927 Henry Ford changed his mind, repudiated his former views, shut down the Dearborn Independent, issued a public apology and burned a large collection of valuable, but anti Semitic books. Too bad the Ford bashers can't learn by his example.

There should be a metal plate on the distributor telling the make, model, etc.

Auto stores sell O rings and so do hardware stores. They are used in plumbing and many other things and they come in many sizes.

I have 2 original owner's manuals for early 50s Chrysler products. Both recommend Chryco Fluid Drive oil only for the fluid drive. For the transmission they recommend 10W motor oil or when temps are below 10 degrees F, 5W.

Bolt pattern is standard 5 bolt on 4 1/2 centers used by Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler (but not Imperial) same as older rear drive Ford, Studebaker, Toyota, Hudson and many other cars. The only problem is that you have bolts instead of studs and nuts. This means you can't use aluminum wheels because they require special nuts. Another issue is that your car has a locating pin on the hub to help install the wheel. If you substitute other wheels you will have to drill a 5/16 hole in each one for the pin.

Every good auto parts store sells cork gasket material if you want to cut fresh gaskets. But I would substitute neoprene O rings if possible. They are a much better grease seal, and cheaper.

You could try jacking up the back wheels and see if they turn. This will tell you if something is dragging in the transmission. It used to be common in cold weather to do this.

TDH tractor fluid, ISO 32 grade from Walmart or farm stores, or auto parts stores. TDH stands for transmission, differential and hydraulic fluid. It's good for your transmission too. The whole subject of operating and caring for the fluid drive transmission was covered in depth a year or 2 ago on this board. Search for Fluid Drive in the Chrysler and Dodge sections and you will find plenty to interest you.

Someone might be able to help if you told us the model and year of engine.

You don't have to take out the old stuff. Just tighten the nut every once in a while, like once a year. When it bottoms out and won't tighten any more put in more packing. The same stuff plumbers use on pumps and hot water valves. After that you may have to retighten a few times until it packs down. Don't jam it down too tight just snug.

The same model number seems to appear in the list as beginning production in September 1940, 1941, April 1944 and October 1945. In other words was produced for at least 5 years. It could be military or civilian but if it were military it would have ID plates and instruction plates on the instrument panel and other mil spec features. So it is probably a civilian model. The serial number places it after April 1944 and probably after October 1945 in other words, most likely a 1946 model. This model continued practically unchanged until they brought out an all new model for 1949. Many parts such as brakes, fan belts, spark plugs, gaskets etc can be bought from your local NAPA store or any old line parts store. You need to find a dusty old parts store with an old gray haired or bald headed parts man. The place where all the farmers shop. Not a bright new shiny place with a kid behind the counter with purple hair and a snot ring. The parts are available thru normal channels if you know how to order them. Another good source of info and parts is Vintage Power Wagons-- Your Source for Dodge Power Wagon Parts and Trucks! -- civilian military m 37, m-37 wc Dodge Power Wagon. They specialize in parts for the 3/4 ton Dodge Power Wagons that were widely used in WW2 and later. The motors, bodies etc are very much like your truck and a lot of the parts interchange. They are also very knowledgeable about old Dodge trucks and their quirks.

There is supposed to be a 1 way valve on the vacuum system, either on the engine or on the booster or even in the hose. Check if it is holding pressure. Could also be a leak in the hose or booster.