Guest jasonperkins Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I just bought a 1937 plymouth 4 door. The paperwork says it is a P4. Anyhow it has the flat 6 engine, and it runs. I want to rebuild the engine and carb but can not find out what carb it has on it. Can anyhow tell me where to find rebuild kits for both of these? Also anywhere they can find cross reference parts as I would like to change over distributor and the wires as well as they are old and could use a "Tune up". I changed the spark plugs last night as well could not find the originals, but found another one that fits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) Have you found my web site yet, or more specifically, the parts cross reference section of my web site?Your engine number will be stamped into a small boss on the block above the generator. The carburetor information will be punched into the web between the top of the float bowl and the air horn. Distributor model should be on a tag on the distributor.Edit: I don't have the cross reference for the points you need, I'll check with a P4 owner that I know and see what his mechanic installs. It may take a few days to get the information and for me to update my database. In the meantime the cap and rotor information is there... Edited March 28, 2012 by ply33 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 JasonFirst, buy a service manual for your 37 Mayflower. You can find reproductions on ebay and other online sites. As for your carb , The Carb King, who posts here ofter, can tell you the correct carb and he probably has rebuild kits or can rebuild it for you. Check THE CARBURETOR SHOP.Just because a spark plug will fit the hole doesn't mean it will perform correctly. Go the the Plymouth forum below and ask what plug most people use on this model of engine.Egge Machine Company in California probably has all the engine parts you would need for a rebuild. EGGE Machine Company - Parts and Services for Nostalgic Motors. Check the Plymouth forum below and you can get info on other suppliers.These Mopar flathead engines have a water distriubution tube in the block that directs coolant to most effectively cool the cylinders. This should be replaced if you rebuild the engine. Again, check on the Plymouth forum for sources of new tubes.Have fun with you new baby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jasonperkins Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Thanks guys, and yeah I have already had fun with it. I got more questions about it driving it to the gas station and back then I do in my new camaro ss :/ lol why you call it the Mayflower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) Thanks guys, and yeah I have already had fun with it. I got more questions about it driving it to the gas station and back then I do in my new camaro ss :/ lol why you call it the Mayflower?Sailing ship on the emblem. Mayflower brought the first group of New England colonists to Plymouth....Of course you get more comments about it than a new car of any type. My wife is always amazed at the people in very expensive new cars who honk and wave at us. People in cars costing 10 times more than the market value of our old Plymouth.It is also easier to have the oldest car on the block than to always have the newest car on the block. Final edit for this post: Regarding Bob Call's suggestions on parts, you'll find that an awful lot of the parts you need to keep the car running you can get at your "local better auto supply". Thats the one with the old guys behind the counter mostly hidden by the racks of paper catalogs, not the ones with everything bubble packed and with teenagers punching buttons on a computer terminal. That is the reason for my on-line parts cross reference: It gets you a number you can use at your local auto supply. Edited March 28, 2012 by ply33 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jasonperkins Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Nice it never clicked why it had a ship on there until now. Would it be reccomended to rebuild the engine if it runs now or wait until it needs it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Nice it never clicked why it had a ship on there until now. Would it be reccomended to rebuild the engine if it runs now or wait until it needs it?Check the compression, check the oil pressure, watch the temperature, listen for undesirable sounds. If it seems okay, run it. They are pretty sturdy beasts: the basic engine design was pretty sound with that basic engine being in production for nearly 40 years.Cautions: It may have lots of sludge built up inside. Dropping the pan to clean it out will allow you to inspect the bottom end. Cleaning out the sludge from the valve lifter area would be a good idea too.The water passages may be filled with gunk too. You can pop off the freeze/welch/core plugs and flush out the worst of it. And, as Bob Call mentioned, there is a distribution tube behind the water pump that is critical for keeping the cooling working properly. It may have rusted away or gotten crudded up. If you aren't over heating then I'd leave it be. But if you have cooling issues that is a prime suspect. If you are lucky you'll have the brass version and not the rust prone steel one.One thing that seems fairly common when an older Plymouth L-6 engine is started to be used in different service is the top ring and/or top land of one or more pistons breaking up. You'll hear about that when it happens and is basically your signal that a rebuild is past due. I think it may be caused by the piston traveling just a smidge further than it used to and the top ring hitting a slight ridge. Chances are that even if that happens to your engine, it will get you home if you take it easy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Commodore Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Here is some tuneup parts for your 1937 plymouth. These parts are for the stock Autolite IGS4003-1 distributor. Check that is what is installed on your engine.Points: Standard Motor Products AL-5661X, NAPA CS709Condenser: Standard Motor Products AL-118, NAPA MO5000 or AL868Rotor: Standard Motor Products AL-98, NAPA AL62Cap: Standard Motor Products AL-96, NAPA AL63Spark Plug: Autolite 295, Champion 592 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryJ Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 You may not need to rebuild the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Here is some tuneup parts for your 1937 plymouth. These parts are for the stock Autolite IGS4003-1 distributor. Check that is what is installed on your engine.Points: Standard Motor Products AL-5661X, NAPA CS709Condenser: Standard Motor Products AL-118, NAPA MO5000 or AL868Rotor: Standard Motor Products AL-98, NAPA AL62Cap: Standard Motor Products AL-96, NAPA AL63Spark Plug: Autolite 295, Champion 592Thanks! I've added the ones I did not have to my online database. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Oldengineer Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I had a stock 37 Dodge Business Coupe back in the 60's. The carb on her flathead was a little Stromberg. Never could find the parts to fix it back then, and, ended up replacing it with a carb off of a 50 model. Had to modify it to get it to fit.Regards:Oldengineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 (edited) My book only goes back to 1940 but every Plymouth six I know of takes a Carter B&B carburetor right up to the eighties including the slant six.Carter B&B also known as the Ball and Ball carburetor.There should be a name and model number on the carb. On the ones I am familiar with there is a number stamped on the web on top of the float bowl at the front of the carb.My suggestion is to get it running, tune it up, and check the compression and oil pressure. If they are OK drive it around. It may take a few hundred miles of driving for the engine to come back 100%. If it is badly worn, down on compression and oil pressure, burns oil etc then you will have to consider a rebuild. Fortunately they are not a complicated engine and parts are available reasonable so a rebuild is not very expensive as such things go. Edited April 1, 2012 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jasonperkins Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I have it running and driven it around the block the oil all looks good pressures look good, but the temperature is stuck on 212. I know it is not that hot because it always shows that. Any ideas how to fix this? Or an aftermarket temp gauge to install and if so where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I found a NOS temp gauge on evil bay for my 36 Dodge. Sounds as if you can still cruise without a new one for now. These old motors are tough, I call them "eternal combustion." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I have it running and driven it around the block the oil all looks good pressures look good, but the temperature is stuck on 212. I know it is not that hot because it always shows that. Any ideas how to fix this? Or an after market temp gauge to install and if so where.If it is stuck on the high temperature side of the scale you are looking at either a professional rebuild or NOS replacement.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 You need to check the engine temp. The gauge could have broken because the engine overheated.Get a hand held infrared temp sensor. Check the temp of the engine at the head. Should be 160 - 180 degrees. Check the front and the back of the head. If the back of the engine is way hotter than the front, like more than 10 or 20 degrees, you have another problem. If the whole engine is hot could be a clogged radiator.If there is any problem with engine temps come back and tell us, maybe we can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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