Didn't see this one coming

[JayG]

Last fall after rebuilding the vacuum tank three times then finally getting new NPT fittings (the old ones were leaking vacuum) the problems with my 25 were resolved and it was a running car. It gets limited use and probably has a total of 30 miles on it since then. Thursday I took it out and on the way back home oh oh it was shutting down then starting then shutting down --- well you get the picture. I was able to limp home. I decided that it was probably time to install the gas filter I had intended to install. Even though I had cleaned out the tank a few mnths ago. Did that today and still wouldn't keep running. Cleaned out any (very little) crud from the carb and still won't keep running. Seems like not getting fuel. Decided to drain down the vacuum tank into a bottle to see if it had crud. About 2 ounces came out clean as a whistle. Hmmmm There should be a whole lot more gas in there than that. Started checking fittings for tightness. Nothing loose. Check the screws to the top of the tank and holy crap!!!! They're all only finger tight. Tightened them back up and now runs as it should.

So a couple of things here. 1)Do the cork gaskets shrink with use or heat? Enough to loosen every screw? 2) Don't take anything for granted. Just because you tightened something last month maybe it's wise to recheck it every so often.

Just thought I'd share. Jay

[Pete K.]

Sounds like little Dodge gremlins to me Jay. I actually left the desk in my shop here and took walk to far end of barn with a screwdriver to check my tank screws on my '25 that I re-did about a year ago, using a cork gasket, with the little tiny bits of black rubber intermixed with the cork that I must have got from Myer's Early Dodge parts--- no loosies! It's GOT to be Gremlins in Ct.

[JayG]

Maybe - Need to get an exterminator in as these little gremlins are annoying. My gaskets were from Myer's too. It was tight when reinstalled last fall. After all the trouble I had getting it working I know I didn't leave them loose. Something I'll just keep an eye on fro now on.

[1936 D2]

I was reading a piece in the June "Skinned Knuckles" where there was a short discussion about a product from Permatex called "PermaShield", which is a fuel resistant gasket dressing and flange sealer.

You would use a thin coat of this product (that comes in a tube) on each side of the cork gasket when installing. This stuff is a non-hardening, non-setting, high temperature urethane based sealant. This would work perfectly for this application. (At least by the description given.)

Gasket Sealants : Permatex® PermaShield