NOR-MARtm ENTERPRISES 1948 (P-15) PLYMOUTH SPECIAL DELUXE, CLUB COUPE ENGINE RESTORATION

United We Stand

Divided We Fall
ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON DELIVERY DAY.  WHAT A MESS!
I RECOMMEND TAKING PICTURES OF EVERY ANGLE BEFORE STARTING ANY RESTORATION WORK.  THEY WILL PROVE INVALUABLE WHEN RE-ASSEMBLING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.  NOT ALL ANGLES ARE COVERED WITH PICTURES IN YOUR SERVICE MANUAL.  ENGINE RUNS, BUT SMOKES THE NEIGHBORS OUT WHEN IT FIRST STARTS UP.  IF YOU ARE OVER WEIGHT, YOU DON'T NEED A REDUCING MACHINE, JUST SIT IN THE CAR WHILE IT'S RUNNING.
WAS ABLE TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH THE CAR AFTER REBUILDING THE BRAKE SYSTEM.  CAR STILL RAN ROUGH, BUT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AROUND A LITTLE AND HAVE SOME FUN WHILE DECIDING IF I WANTED TO FIX IT AS ORIGINAL OR AS A STREET ROD.  FINALLY DECIDED ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO BUILD IT INTO A MILD STREET ROD/CUSTOM, WITHOUT CHANGING ORIGINAL LOOKS OF THE BODY OR THE ENGINE.

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NOW I HAVE TO TACKLE THE IMPORTANT THINGS FIRST.  GETTING THE ENGINE DONE, SO THE CAR RUNS PROPERLY.

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AFTER RUNNING A COMPRESSION CHECK.  FOUND I HAD TWO DEAD CYLINDERS AND ONE NOT SO GOOD.

ENGINE WAS PULLED IN AUGUST '98.  REMOVED VALVE COVERS AND FOUND TWO VALVE SPRINGS BROKEN AND A PIECE OF ONE OF THE BROKEN SPRINGS WAS LODGED IN A GOOD SPRING, KEEPING THAT VALVE FROM OPERATING FULLY.  IN REALITY, I HAD BEEN RUNNING ON ABOUT 3 1/2 CYLINDERS.  IT'S AMAZING THE CAR RAN AT ALL!

COULD HAVE REPLACED THE SPRINGS AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE RAN OK I GUESS, BUT THE ENGINE IS OUT, SO PULLED THE HEAD.
VALVES LOOKED A LITTLE PITTED, PISTONS LOOKED OK FROM THE TOP.  DECIDED TO PULL THE PISTONS FOR A BETTER LOOK.

ON INSPECTION OF THE FIRST PISTON, FOUND THE ENGINE HAD TWO PREVIOUS RING JOBS.  COULD HAVE ADDED ANOTHER SPACER AND JUST PUT IN NEW RINGS, BUT DECIDED ON NEW PISTONS.

AT THIS POINT, DECIDED TO JUST TAKE THE WHOLE ENGINE DOWN TO THE BARE BLOCK AND START OVER.

AFTER A COMPLETE REBUILD THE CAR STARTS EASILY AND RUNS SMOOTH.  BELOW THE PICTURES IS A LIST OF WHAT WAS DONE, AND A LIST OF PARTS AND WHERE THEY CAME FROM.  AS YOU CAN SEE THE ENGINE IS A CUSTOM COLOR.  ORIGINAL WOULD BE SILVER.

BLOCK WAS SENT OUT FOR MACHINING TO WEST ALLIS MACHINE SERVICE, WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN.  THEY BORED ALL ENGINE PORTS, DECKED THE BLOCK, AND INSTALLED NEW VALVE GUIDES.  IN ADDITION, THEY SUPPLIED THE NEW PISTONS, INSTALLED AND FIT NEW PIN BUSHINGS AND RINGS.  (NOTE:  IT IS BEST TO ALLOW THE MACHINE SHOP SUPPLY THE PISTONS AND RINGS.  THEY CAN GIVE AN EXACT FIT AND THE COST WORKED OUT TO ABOUT THE SAME AS IF I PURCHASED THESE SEPARATE FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.)

HEAD WAS WARPED AND OFF BY .35 IN THE CENTER, SO AGAIN IT WENT TO WEST ALLIS MACHINE.  THEY GAVE IT A SHAVE TO MAKE IT FLAT AGAIN.

NEW VALVES AND KEEPERS WERE PURCHASED FROM FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS.

NEW VALVE SPRINGS CAME FROM ANTIQUE AUTO PARTS.

NEW WATER DISTRIBUTION TUBE FROM MITCHELL MOTOR PARTS.

ALL ROD BEARINGS FROM ANTIQUE AUTO PARTS.

MAIN BEARINGS FROM ANTIQUE AUTO PARTS.

ENGINE GASKET SET FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS.  (NOTE:  THEIR HEAD GASKET THAT CAME WITH THE KIT DID NOT FIT.)

NEW HEAD GASKET FROM GASKET CITY.

NEW TIMING CHAIN FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS

NEW CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS

NEW CAMSHAFT SPROCKET FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS

NEW CHAIN CASE COVER GASKET FROM ANTIQUE AUTO PARTS

NEW CHAIN COVER OIL SEAL FROM ANTIQUE AUTO PARTS.

NEW REAR MAIN SEAL FROM ANTIQUE AUTO PARTS

CRANK SHAFT AND CAM SHAFT WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE WITHIN SPECS AND WITHOUT CUTS OR SCRATCHES.

NEW BATTERY CABLES FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS

NEW BATTERY FROM REMY BATTERY, MILWAUKEE

NEW HEAT RISER REBUILD KIT FOR EXHAUST MANIFOLD FROM ANTIQUE AUTO PARTS.

NEW WATER PUMP FROM JC WHITNEY.

REBUILT CLUTCH DISC AND PRESSURE PLATE FROM FORT WAYNE CLUTCH.

NEW THROW OUT BEARING FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS

NEW CLUTCH FORK BOOT FROM MITCHELL AUTO PARTS

SPARK PLUG WIRE SET FROM ANDY BERNBAUM AUTO PARTS

PLUGS FROM BUMPER TO BUMPER AUTO PARTS

NEW POINTS, CONDENSER, ROTOR AND DISTRIBUTOR CAP PURCHASED AT A LOCAL SWAP MEET

CARBURETOR REBUILT BY CARBS UNLIMITED, MILWAUKEE  (GASKET SET CAME FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS)

ALL NEW HOSES AND CONNECTORS WERE PURCHASED FROM BUMPER TO BUMPER AUTO PARTS.

PAINT IS, MG MAROON ENGINE PAINT FROM HIRSCH AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS.  GREAT PAINT, GOES ON EASILY AND COVERAGE IS GREAT.  GAVE TWO COATS TO ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AND STILL HAVE ABOUT 1/2 OF THE QUART I PURCHASED LEFT OVER.

EXHAUST MANIFOLD PIPE PURCHASED FROM WALDRON'S EXHAUST.

SMITHY MUFFLER FROM THE FORD BARN.

TAIL PIPE CUSTOM FIT BY CAR-X.

I DIDN'T LIKE THE OIL BATH AIR CLEANER.  IT'S MESSY AND I DON'T FEEL IT IS VERY EFFICIENT.  BECAUSE OF THIS I TOOK ONE APART SO I COULD USE A MODERN AIR CLEANER.  BELOW IS WHAT THE GUTS OF THE OIL BATH AIR CLEANER LOOKS LIKE AFTER SOAKING AND BLOWING AIR THROUGH IT FROM THE COMPRESSOR.  NOT TOO CLEAN.

THE PICTURE TO THE LEFT AND THE TWO ABOVE IS  SUPPOSED TO BE WHERE YOU GET AIR INTO THE  CARB.  THIS IS AFTER SOAKING.  AS YOU CAN SEE, SOAKING AND BLOWING COMPRESSED AIR THROUGH THE FILTER DIDN'T DO MUCH TO CLEAN IT.  THE  PICTURES BELOW SHOW THE PAPER ELEMENT AFTER YOU REMOVE THE OLD DIRTY SYSTEM.  NO OIL IS  NEEDED WITH THE SYSTEM BELOW.  THE AIR CLEANER STILL HAS THE STOCK APPEARANCE.  THE BIG  DIFFERENCE IS THE EFFICIENCY OF THE AIR FLOW TO THE CARB.

THIS IS THE INSIDE OF THE TOP OF THE AIR CLEANER,  AFTER REMOVING ALL OLD FILTRATION MATERIAL.

YOUR NEW PAPER FILTER SYSTEM.  WE USED A ROCKHILL #66184 FILTER.  YOU CAN ALSO USE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: AC  #A432C FRAM  #CA6370 HASTINGS  #AF903 MOTORCRAFT  #FA1080 NAPA  #6184 PUROLATOR  #A14380 WIX  #46184

THE GAP BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM HALF IS THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL, BEFORE WE GUTTED IT.  YOU CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AIR CLEANER AND THE  ORIGINAL UNLESS YOU TAKE THE TOP OFF AND PEEK IN.  NO DIRT WILL GET INTO THE CARB. AND THE AIR FLOW SHOULD BE GREATLY IMPROVED.  WHEN IT'S TIME TO CLEAN THE AIR CLEANER NOW, JUST PULL OUT THE PAPER ONE AND REPLACE IT.  NO MORE MESS TO CONTEND WITH LIKE THE DIRTY OIL BATH CLEANER.  WILL PAINT THIS ONE NOW , THEN REPLACE THE ONE ON THE CAR WITH THIS ONE.

NOTE THE SPARK PLUG COVERS.  USED THE OLD EVERDRY SPARK PLUG COVER AS A PATTERN TO MAKE NEW ONES OUT OF ALUMINUM, THEN POLISHED.
 

The old heater control valve (Brass valve with ears on it) was frozen open.  That meant the heat was always on in the car and could not be turned off.   In addition, it was not the original valve and was not hooked up to the heater cable and knob on the dash.   To solve this problem I picked up a modern valve from Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts locally.  To determine which valve to use, I simply went through the catalog at the store and picked this one out.   I then spliced it into the heater hose as shown.  To make the cable connection I picked up a collet at the hardware store.  Used a regular screw instead of the set screw with two bolts to hold the cable.  Works great and now you can control the heat from inside the car.  The valve name and  part number used is:  Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Store numbers:   Brand - FOURSEASONS, F/S 74627, API 7174627, EVERCO H1931.   This a valve used for late 90's vehicles so should be available in any parts store.  The cable support and locking clamp are part of the valve.

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