newbie with a 49 tudor...Flathead 6

[Harper]

he wasn't home, so I parked down the road and walked in
there was an old thunderbird vertible rotting away, a stutabaker, and old ford pickup, I didn't walk in far but there is quite a few old cars in there. I will go back when it cools down one afternoon.

[tiquer]

The six is a good performer you will like it if it runs well

[Harper]

Originally Posted by tiquer

The six is a good performer you will like it if it runs well

I believe so. As clean as the plugs were and I mean they were clean. I believe once the starter is unstuck It should spin over and crank up.

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Harper

he wasn't home, so I parked down the road and walked in
there was an old thunderbird vertible rotting away, a stutabaker, and old ford pickup, I didn't walk in far but there is quite a few old cars in there. I will go back when it cools down one afternoon.

Let me know if he has any 51 club coupe parts.

Especially a 51 or 52 Fordomatic and/or associated parts,and a complete 51 ignition switch with all the springs,bezels,and lock nuts.

[Tinker]

I would not scoff a flat 6. Unique and has potential.

Don't think its good deal entering this guys property if he is not around. Might never let you around again. Never know who is watching you. Even if you think nobodies around its just bad etiquette

[Harper]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by Tinker

I would not scoff a flat 6. Unique and has potential.

Don't think its good deal entering this guys property if he is not around. Might never let you around again. Never know who is watching you. Even if you think nobodies around its just bad etiquette

Agreed both counts!

[Harper]

Where is the best place to get a carb rebuilt for my 49?

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Harper

Where is the best place to get a carb rebuilt for my 49?

Not trying to be a wise ass,but at home. They are very simple carbs. Chances are all yours will really need is to be cleaned,blown out,and have new gaskets installed.

The kits even come with instructions.

From what I have seen and experienced,the more work guys do to their cars,the more they appreciate and value them.

Besides,it gives you the excuse you need to buy tools.

Win/win.

[Harper]

its out!

L shape bracket and two bolts that held it in.


picture of the starter

[Harper]

Ok starter turns but the gear does not pull in all the way...

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Harper

Ok starter turns but the gear does not pull in all the way...

Take the starter drive off and then look at the shaft to make sure it is straight and that it will turn by hand. If it is bent you will need a new armature as well as bushings.

Bent armatures are rare,though. Usually it's just the starter drive spring that is worn out,or the teeth chewed up.

BTW,don't panic if the starter drive seems to wobble a bit (You DID put nuts on the long rods before you tried this,right?" when you test it with a battery and jumper cables while off the car. That starter drive is a lot of unbalanced weight out there on the end. When it engages the flywheel it won't be shaking.

BTW,do yourself a favor and buy a Motors Manual that covers 1949 to 1951 cars,and also get the Ford factory service manual. These cars were pretty simple to work on,and the manuals are written in a way most people can easily understand what they are being told to do. Lots of photos in them,too.

[Tinker]

Hey buddy. Take a minute and give us a complete rundown of the car. Post pictures of the full car, problem areas, rusted out areas ( trust me we have seen the worst) and maybe a bit of how ya recieved it. Take it slow and be over exuberant on pictures. It will save you a lot of time and money. Going from one small project to another ( starter or carb ) won't help you in the long run. We are here to help.

[Tinker]

Does the engine turn over? You can put a wrench on the crank and turn it over. Best with all the spark plugs out.

[Harper]

The car was saved from a local scrap yard a few weeks ago. The more I have investigated the better it looks and the more I believe that this car was a running car within the last 2-3 years. The engine turned over when my tow driver was loading it by it mistakenly being in gear. It currently is entirely complete with exception of passenger side trim, and rear seat. The windows let up and down pretty well, the car has all the windows in it, all the wiring, hoses, plug wires, everything. The ignition switch is taken apart and not currently working.
The car even has the exhaust on it (hole in the muffler)
I discovered the carb needs a top gasket in it when I poured fuel in it anticipating starting it this last Saturday (fuel ran out the gap in the side where a gasket should have been).
I have pulled all plugs and they were like new nearly, the points system seems to be ok (not stuck) and I have a new 6v battery for it.
I now have the starter removed and cleaned and it still appears to spin and is not in a bind (spins freely) but the gear doesn't appear to engage all the way to the inner bushing (where the fly wheel would reside).

I just put a wrench on the front crank bolt and it turns like any engine should. I can feel compression but it is not excessive nor does it appear to be to easily.
I have many pictures posted in the picture album attached to my profile. I will post more tomorrow as I get more.
Thanks for all replys it has definitely helped.
My goal is to get bit started, running and as time and money permit driving. This car has found a good home. I intend on keeping her for a long time

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Harper

The car was saved from a local scrap yard a few weeks ago. The more I have investigated the better it looks and the more I believe that this car was a running car within the last 2-3 years. The engine turned over when my tow driver was loading it by it mistakenly being in gear. It currently is entirely complete with exception of passenger side trim, and rear seat. The windows let up and down pretty well, the car has all the windows in it, all the wiring, hoses, plug wires, everything.

I think I might hate you. I know I will hate you if you tell us you paid 200 bucks for it.

[Harper]

Originally Posted by LazarusLong

I think I might hate you. I know I will hate you if you tell us you paid 200 bucks for it.

Technically I traded two free cars for this 49, so I have $135.00 in tow fees
However I have since bought a new 6V battery (over 100 bucks)

Thanks for all the great info.

The starter spins it was dirty when it was removed from the car.

I will check for the "H" on the head in a few minutes.

I have been watching project banana split on Detroit musclep on television and they put disc on the front of their 49. I think this would be a great improvement. They also added a dual master cylinder from a C3 vette in the stock location and it worked great they said.

I may have to rebuild the stock brakes at first but hope to go disc on front later on

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Harper

I will check for the "H" on the head in a few minutes.

I have been watching project banana split on Detroit musclep on television and they put disc on the front of their 49. I think this would be a great improvement. They also added a dual master cylinder from a C3 vette in the stock location and it worked great they said.

I may have to rebuild the stock brakes at first but hope to go disc on front later on

The letter "G" or "H" will be on the block,not the head. It will be just below the intake and exhaust manifolds.

My advise is to just stick with the basics for the time being and rebuild what is there. It is pretty cheap to do and real simple. You can learn from it and if you decide the car is not for you after driving it around for a short while,you won't have a ton of money in it that you can't get back when selling it. Installing disc brakes,a new dual outlet disc brake master cylinder,and a power brake booster can get expensive.

Nothing wrong with disc brakes,but the truth is there is also nothing wrong with drum brakes if they are operating properly. Disc brakes handle heat better without fading,but if you are just doing normal driving and not going up and down mountains or hauling heavy loads,the old drum brakes will work just fine if you service and adjust them properly. Make sure if you replace the brake shoes that you also have the drums turned and new grease seals put in the front ones.

[Harper]

Can anyone tell me which carb kit I need but the earlier picture of my carb from an earlier post?
Thanks in advance

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Harper

Can anyone tell me which carb kit I need but the earlier picture of my carb from an earlier post?
Thanks in advance

Since it is a old car and might not still have the same carb it came from the factory with,the best thing to do it take it off,drain all the gas out of it,and take it to a NAPA store and let them look at it and order a rebuild kit for you. Generally speaking,the guys at NAPA stores are more knowledgeable than the counter guys at places like Auto Zone.

A word of caution,do NOT drive the car on the road or into your garage until you have rebuilt the brakes,including replacing the brake lines and hoses. This is a old single outlet master cylinder you have on that car,and if just one brake line fails you lose brakes to all 4 wheels.

The first thing you should do with the car is make sure the emergency brake works,and that it will stop the car if it is rolling. Then you can worry about the other stuff.

My 51 had brakes on it when I bought it. The guy selling it said he had rebuilt all the brakes and replaced the brake lines that needed replacing,and they worked fine driving it around his farm and driving it on my trailer. When I rolled it off the trailer at home the master cylinder failed,and it rolled into a box truck bumper. The guy didn't rebuild the master cylinder. He didn't even flush the system out when he rebuilt the rear brakes because there was rust and trash in the lines. One set of rear shoes were put on backwards.

You just never know what has been done to these old cars by previous owners,so be cautious.

You can buy brand new wheel cylinders from http://www.rockauto.com/
for $4.95 each,and the hoses are inexpensive,also.

My recomendation is to replace the steel brake lines while you are at it with the new copper/nickel brake lines that you can bend by hand without kinking. A 25 foot roll will cost you roughly $30,and it's enough to do the whole system. The brake line on your car most likely has rust on the inside as well as the outside,and it's just not worth taking the risk to save 30 bucks.

Rock auto also sells a master cyl rebuild kit for 12 bucks,but since you are a new mechanic you would probably be better off just buying a brand new master cylinder and using yours for a core. Napa can help you with that,or you can just buy it off one of the usual suspects,like Dennis Carpenter or Bob Drake. Cost will be close to 100 bucks including shipping. Sounds like a lot,but the truth is you can rebuild your whore brake system for less than 250 bucks,and this includes new shoes and having the drums turned if it needs them. Do it all at the same time,do it right,and then you don't have to worry about it again.

[40 Deluxe]

Find a parts store with an experienced counterman that can pull out a paper catalog and look up the carb kit. Chances are one is still available.