1937 Dodge D-5 4 Door Touring Sedan

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Yep. Gonna get it all in first and make sure that secondary rochester seals right and tips in right proper! A bit of cam would be sweet once she's dialed in.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Dad,

Starting pump and pulley assembly. Water neck is good, bolts a bit long for the aluminum manifold, so some tweaking to do. I scrapped the o-ring and put in a real felpro gasket with the Stant 180 degree thermostat.

Started placing the Alan Grove pulleys and brackets, for now, crank set is assembled and the power steering pump and bracket assembly is roughed in. Brackets will need paint but it all looks like it'll clear.

Back of block to front of crank pulley is 26.75", add a half inch for clearance at the firewall and the nose of the pulley set will be well back from the radiator. Power steering pully at mid point of its adjustment is 12" from center of crank to outer edge of power steering pump....as the inner fender wells flare out as they rise, should be plenty of clearance both to the side and between the power steering pump and power steering shafts.....i think!.....we will know soon. Hope to be setting the package in the frame for first test fit in about a week.

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bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Rich, I hope you don't mind me jumping in periodically, but I do have another suggestion or two..
T stat housing I'm my experience will warp and leak if using a paper gasket. I have no idea why, but the chrome ones will not hold up when the paper "swells". I always seal them with a good dose of red, high temp silicone gasket sealer. Any excess is easily trimmed off after curing. I also usually scuff the base just a bit to enhance adhesion.
I also seal both sides of the intake gaskets at the water ports with the same sealer. Also, make sure to use good, heavy duty washers under intake bolts on aluminum intakes. Several companies make them for just that application.
Measuring engine placement. Make sure you allow for the distributor. I think I read you were planning to run a GM HEI unit, and those are of a large diameter and require more space for clearance.
I'm sure you are aware, but just in case, Chevy has two different water pump lengths for that style engine. You will save length by using the short. Depending on bracket style, you can choose pump style. There also are a couple or so different p/s pump styles that may allow different free space options. Oval track competition pumps are the most compact that I can think of.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Good call on thermo gasket. Will do a good seal.

I have large and small dizzy shells on hand to check clearances. Will make final decision soon.

Big washers are on the intake and open threads sealed.

Ac short pump on the way and all brackets and pulleys will be for the shortie.

Keep advising. I value it a lot!
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Dad,

Quick video update. Trans is together. Motor and accessories test fitted. A flexplate and starter/shim kit is on the way.....once thats tweaked, it'll be time to bolt the power pack to the slush box and stick it between the rails. Looking good. Alternator to set, pulleys to shim, exhaust and steering yet but almost far enough along to get it off the stand. Perhaps mid week.

PS, went old school, used Indian Head shellac on the paper gaskets....its never failed to seal for us.

 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Dad,

Baring any issues, we set the engine and transmission in the frame Tuesday.

Starter is in place, a gear drive mini to save room and its clockable to allow for exhaust clearance. Starter is also rough shimmed for clearances on the gears. Final shimming after the flex plate is torqued into place. Flex plate is bolted to the back of the motor, just needs final torque.

Much learning going on here. I recall all the flat head motors we assembled over the years with calibrated arm torques, no assembly lube, no pre oiling and not a drop of sealant or lube on fasteners. Was probably a minor miracle that they all ran so well....or perhaps Dodge Flatheads are so sloppy that any old work is good enough to run them. I don't know, but I'm following instructions on this one as its the last motor you and I will ever install in Ol Bessy. I'm sure it'll move her down the road well past her 100th Birthday.


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Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Ate breakfast. Cleaning shop. First set of Ol Bessy's motor in a few hours. Hopefully have it roughly set by evening.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Much to do starting tomorrow.....back to front again. Align the engine/trans up/down, left/right and forward/back. Check fit and potentially modify the Power steering pump bracket, fabricate the trans cross member, repair the frame x member where it was cut out to fit the ginormous other GM transmission, trim and drill the motor mounts, install the frame brackets for the motor mounts, etc.....prolly a couple days with everything still sitting or hanging on chains and jacks and such.....but, great progress. Couldn't have done it without help from GoodWife! Feels real good to have all that heavy iron off the stand where it could have fallen and sitting in better security between the frame rails.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Bigten. Engine angle? I'm thinking trans 3 degrees down. But.....no easy way to set ride height and rake yet.....

So 3 degree down compared to what? I'm thinking compared to the long flat on the frame rail as it all comes down in front with added weight and front springs trimming.


Thoughts?
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Bigten. Engine angle? I'm thinking trans 3 degrees down. But.....no easy way to set ride height and rake yet.....

So 3 degree down compared to what? I'm thinking compared to the long flat on the frame rail as it all comes down in front with added weight and front springs trimming.


Thoughts?

Engine angle should be set to frame with ride angle set with the suspension system. Personally, I would prefer level with frame, up to 5° or so would probably be fine if you plan to have the front suspension a bit lower. Make sure pinion angle to transmission alignment stays close while allowing for rear suspension upwards flex.
You'll have a bit of adjustment with your mounts at block and transmission if tweaking is needed.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Copy......frame is one degree up.....engine 10 down, carb base is 6 down. I'll get busy on the math! Got some tweaking to do but at least its supporting its own weight now.
 
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Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Dad,

A full day today. Temporary brace for the transmission, no more jack support, everything taking its weight and I don't have to rely on hydraulics to hold it all up.

Hours spent measuring and aligning engine/trans to frame and rear but its all within 1/16" any way i measure it. Trans will need a stiffer brace but for now, this gets me centered and allows me to shove the engine back once I bring its nose down some more.

Yard work and vet visit tomorrow but Fri and Sat should be trimming the motor mounts to drop the front of the engine down several more degrees.

So, I have left to right figured out. Next is up down and then finally, front to back. After that, more measuring and selection of distributor and exhaust system. Then steering and brake and suspension and wiring and fuel plumbing and.....

She's coming along.

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bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Rich, what kind of rake are you expecting with the front? Approximate frame angle?
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Oh, btw, just by the pics it looks like a light adjustment at the trans mount will get you pretty close. Maybe 1/4 to 3/8 up in the rear looks to be adequate to get you in the range if she's gonna be a tad nose down. If you're planning to run fairly level, may want to up that to 1/2 +
 
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