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Thanks Rollie, found it. Christian

Rollie, I tried to google black plasti-grip but got nowhere. Could you give me a hint where to get it? Thanks, Christian

Gentlemen, thank you so much for all the useful hints. I´ll do exactly as you suggested (pull the plugs, remove the head, disable the by-pass valve and check radiator and water pump) and pray that my pistons and rings don´t look as bad as Steve´s did. One more question (as I never did this before): If I want to remove the radiator, how much of the hood and nose do I have to remove. It seems to me that I have to get the grille and nose completely off. Is that true? Thanks again for all your valuable advice, Christian

Hi there, is there anyone who can give me a hint, why my 37 Roadmaster is so easily overheating when I go beyond 55 mph? I checked ignition timing - ok I overhauled the carb - seems to be ok there is quite a bit of exhaust fume coming out of the engine block (both, from the valve cover and from the crank case). Does that point to worn pistons or rings?? No oil in the coolant, no water in the engine oil, oil pressure is excellent. I took an infrared thermometer and measured the temperature at various places of the engine and this was interesting: The engine gets continuously hotter with each cylinder from front to rear. While I measured about 194F at the cylinder water jacked of the first cylinder, it was more than 220F at the last one after a trip on the highway. Measuring a bit further down between the cylinder and the crank case, it even got up to 230F. Water temp at the lower exit of the radiator was only at 130F, so a clogged radiator probably can be excluded. My suspicion is that there is not enough coolant circulation to the rear cylinders, maybe because of mud and residue in the cooling system or because of an inefficient water pump. Would you recommend to: a) take the manifolds off, undo the freeze plugs and clean out the block do a) plus take the head off and have a look at the cylinders c) bring the whole engine to a shop and have them worry about it? There is probably a cost differential of x40 between a) and c) Any other ideas that I could try before I have to rob my piggy bank? Thanks for your advice to this lengthy issue. Christian

Hi there, when I look at my 37 Roadmaster convertible, I do appreciate the various witnesses of her age, like a bit dull paint, wear on the leather etc. - as long as the general state is still very good. My running boards however do concern me a little bit. The rubber is cracked, hard like a stone and I am a bit concerned that it´ll get worse over time. While I do like that look, I don´t want it do go on like that. Do you know any method to repair / restore / soften up the old rubber without replacing it? Is there any "miracle gum" that reverses the process of ageing for a little bit? Anyone any idea or experience? Thanks and happy Easter break! Christian

Janne, too bad what you experienced! I ordered a soft steel exhaust system for my 37 Roadmaster Convertible from Waldrons and the fit was close to perfect. Only the the triangular plate that holds the exhaust pipe to the manifold needed a little processing as the new pipe seemed to be thicker. This plate is not part of the delivery, so you need to keep the one from your old exhaust. What surprised me though was a completely different sound than before. Previously my straight 8 was pretty silent and had a smooth soft sound. Now it sounds like a big block V8 from the 60s, less soft, more coarse and when you push it, the sound gets a hard thud to it. Good, if you like it that way. Not good if you prefer the smooth and silent glide. Cheers, Christian

Hi there, thanks for all the good advice. as there is less than a quarter inch between firewall and engine block, the mirror thing didn´t work and with my fingers I couldn´t feel and freeze plug. Also in the shop manual there is no hint for a freeze plug and I believe that the 37 320 engines didn´t have one. Another interesting thing was that the leakage stopped again by itself. I had the car out for a spin in wonderful autumn weather, and there was no more leakage. Doesn´t solve the problem though on long term. Another question: the engine blows out quite a bit of smoke (whiteish, smells like exhaust fume and gazoline)through the crank case ventilation and also through the valve cover ventilation. Is that a sign of piston ring wear? There is no oil in the coolant and no water traces in the oil, so the head gasket could not be blamed for that. Any hints? Oil pressure ia always excellent. Christian

Did you think of your ignition timing? I had problems with backfiring when going downhill fast until I found out that my ignition timing was rather late. After advancing it a bit, the problem disappeared. It also helped a bit against overheating. Christian

Jeff, thanks for the advice. If all things fail, I´ll remember to send you a ticket. Maybe there would be some time for a spin through the black forest ;-)) Christian

Hi there, as I got so many useful tips I thought that I write up something that seems to be a typical story for my fate as an amateur mechanic, and a question at the end. My 37 Roadmaster had some overheating problems. This started after I renewed the exhaust system (Waldrons), had the carb overhauled, inserted a new thermostat (from Bobs) where there was none before and had the ignition timed. Well - after playing with ignition timing and some consulting through this panel I decided to flush the whole cooling system with an acid that I got from a local radiator rebuilder to dissolve any lime and muck. I also removed the thermostat again. I chose this one because it did not require a lot to dismount. So far so good, after extensive flushing, I filled in distilled water, took the car for a spin and happily noticed that the overheating problem was a lot less severe - or gone. One week later you can imagine my face dropping when I discovered a big rusty puddle under the engine and 5 pints of coolant missing. The oil was still clear. When I start the engine, it coughs up a bit of black water through the exhaust - just for a few seconds, but enough to notice. There is no pressure in the radiator and no oil either. I found out that the coolant seems to be leaking between the rear end of the engine and the fire wall - the best place to not get to or see anything. So the acid tratment may have eaten up the cylinder head gasket - if not worse. I have to make a decision now: Just exchange the head gasket - or spend an extensive engine overhaul? I am dreading what I discover when I remove the head. But I am dreading the bill for a complete engine overhaul as well. 1. Any comments or recommendations? 2. In order to remove the radiator, do I have to remove the nose? I know how to unsrew the grille, but am not so sure about the whole front part. Thanks as always for advice, Christian

Grant, there is one aspect where you might want to have the turn signal going without the engine running: when you need the turn signal as hazard lights (all 4 flashing) in case of a break-down. Most after market turn signal switches can do that and in modern cars this would be a hard requirement. Independantly I think, it is a good precaution to have that - just in case. For that reason, I routed power from the hot side of the ignition switch, but I installed a fuse panel behind the speaker screen under the dash board with just one wire going from the ignition swithch to there. From there I distributed power to all other users through a fuse. Christian

Hi there, on my 37 Roadmaster I am considering to remove the engine core plugs in order to remove scale and other stuff inside the engine block that may be the root cause for overheating. Now, the engine looks like it had got a pretty paint job and the core plugs have been painted over. What is the best way to remove them without causing further damage? And how do I get new pugs to fit in tightly? Do I have to use some special sealant? Thanks as always, Christian

Hi Jeff and all, thanks for the great advice, I may follow the core plug thing first and see how much is in there. Highly corrosive acid in an engine block gives me the kreeps anyway. Cheers, have a nice weekend, Christian

Hi there again, my 37 Roadmaster keeps on overheating. I checked the ignition timing, carb is overhauled and seems to be ok, spark plugs are light brown - as they should. Ingnition timing vacuum advance seems to work fine - as much as I could tell. Coolant is plain clear water, no anti freeze. So I believe I did the obvious. Still, on uphill roads it doesnt take long until I am stranded with a boiling car on the curb side. Even in idle, the temperature doesn´t go down anymore (which is strage, as elsewhere the temperature never goes up in idle to this level). Somebody told me that before I remove the radiator, I should try to eliminate all the lime scale and calcium deposits inside the engine block and cooling system by chemical wheapons. He recommended to let the engine run with a quite strong and aggressive acid in the coolant for several hours and then flush with plain water afterwards. Has anybody done this before? What does it do to gaskets? Is there a recommendation for the type of acid? - I was thinking of one that is usually taken by plumbers to clean old heating pipes. Thanks as always for your helpful advice, Christian

Hi there, thanks again for all good recommendations. The Waldron´s muffler is in now and I have to say that manufacturing quality is very good, excellent fit and very tight. The sound however is more of a 60s V8, a bit rough and coarse, not like you would expect from a low compression long stroke straight 8. So I am thinking of a secondary muffler as I rather prefer the quiet whisper. Has anybody got experience or a recommendation for that? Thanks again for all your valuable knowledge and advise. Christian

David, my McLaughlin Roadmaster Convertible has the trim but no badge on the side mount cover. I am confused on the term "plastic wheel cover", mine is sheet metal. Christian

Dear Steve, Joe and Grandpa, thanks for the valuable advice. I´ll check these points one by one. Another question to indicate if the engine is tuned properly is the average milage. I am running at 10 miles per gallon on long distance trips. How does that compare to your experience? Thanks, Christian

Hi, today on a real hot and humid summer day (90 Fahrenheit) I took my 37 Roadmaster Convertible for a longer spin (first time since the carburator was rebuilt, a new Waldrons exhaust system was installed and ignition was adjusted). After quite a while the engine approached boiling temperature and there was no way to get it down again, even in idle, the temperature kept up. When I turned the engine off, the engine started boiling immediately, releasing quite some amounts of cooling liquid on the street. Even keeping the engine on at higher revs in idle didn´t bring the temperature down significantly. Oil pressure was still at 30 when going 50mph and there was no water missing in the radiator. My question now: Is that just normal at these temperatures or is something quite wrong? Is there a common root cause that I may have overlooked? Can you drive your cars at normal speed during hot weather? Thanks for advice, Christian

Joel, I have both, a 37 Coupe converted to 12V and a 37 80c Roadmaster still on 6V. The 12V conversion was done professionally, rewinding the coils of the generator and the solenoid. Everything looks original, the starter turns quite a bit faster and replacement batteries are cheaper. Other than that, no difference. My Roadmaster starts on 6V as reliably and since I am not driving extensively at night, the dim headlights are not really the issue. Maybe one little drawback for 6V is that I haven´t found yet auxiliary fans for the radiator that run on 6V. The engine is easily overheating at outside temperatures above 90F, as soon as it gets a bit hilly. If you haven´t got this problem, stay on 6V and spare yourself quite a bit of headache.

Dear Grandpa, thanks for your message. I am actually living in Germany, so bringing the radio over to California might be the very last resort. As of now, I am still hoping to get some info about the schematics. Chris

Hi all, thanks a lot for your replys, I was out of country - hence my late reaction. As far as I know, Kanter doesn´t sell any mufflers anymore. At least I haven´t found any in their online catalog. Anyway, there is plenty of coice as it seems. Did anybody have some experience with Waldron´s? Chris

Hi, as I am living and driving my 1937 80c Roadmaster in Germany, spares supply is always a special challenge, as you can imagine. Thinking about replacing my entire exhaust system, shipment cost from the US become somewhat prohibitive. Other people told me, that any muffler of about the right shape and made for engines of this size would be ok and the pipes can be bent locally. Well, the muffler looks unusually long and slim, so it may be impossible to find one anyway. I am really looking for a smooth ride with as little engine noise as possible, so I am looking for a good solution and not necessarily the cheapest. a) is it true that you can use a generic muffler? is it true that soft steel is lower noise than stainless steel? c) if I have to bite the bullet and get this shipped to Europe, what would be a good and recommendable source for exhaust pipes and muffler? (fit, low noise, durability)? Thanks a lot for your advice, Chris

Hi, as I am living and driving my 1937 80c Roadmaster in Germany, spares supply is always a special challenge, as you can imagine. Thinking about replacing my entire exhaust system, shipment cost from the US become somewhat prohibitive. Other people told me, that any muffler of about the right shape and made for engines of this size would be ok and the pipes can be bent locally. Well, the muffler looks unusually long and slim, so it may be impossible to find one anyway. I am really looking for a smooth ride with as little engine noise as possible, so I am looking for a good solution and not necessarily the cheapest. a) is it true that you can use a generic muffler? is it true that soft steel is lower noise than stainless steel? c) if I have to bite the bullet and get this shipped to Europe, what would be a good and recommendable source for exhaust pipes and muffler? (fit, low noise, durability)? Thanks a lot for your advice, Chris

Hi, in my 1937 Roadmaster Convertible there is an original radio. An extra speaker (round and pretty bulky) is mounted underneath the dashboard. It doesn´t give a squeak, but looks in pretty ok shape. I really would like to get it back to working condition. Does anyone know where I can get schematics and values? Any hint or help would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Chris

Thanks for the advice, you may be right to not make compromises on this safety feature. I´ll contact that person. Christian