Today, for the first time in years, I changed the oil in one of my own cars. The roadster with its little DeSoto Hemi. I dislike this chore, I always make a mess, it's a h***le for me to get rid of the drain oil, it's easier to drive to a quickie oil change service (the car wash I take my new truck to does a great job, and I'm already there at least twice a week), and I admit to being lazy. Actually, at home I've usually got several things to do that seem more worthy of my time, if that counts as a reason. We're in Florida at our winter home, with the roadster, I have plenty of time and needed something to do today, and I don't have a place here I feel comfortable with yet. I bought some ramps and a drain container from HF, and a couple sheets of cardboard from Amazon deliveries to protect the driveway, so I set to work. True to form, I made a little mess but the cardboard saved my (new) driveway, and nothing leaked, although I did have to make a trip back to Auto-Zone to get a filter. The new one I'd brought down with us seemed to have jammed threads and wouldn't go on the base, but other than that it wasn't too much of a h***le. For a "car guy" to not do this simple chore makes me feel a little guilty. I admit I put it off for two seasons, having put over 3,000 miles on this (freshly built, done 20 years ago and never fired until I got it) engine, so I probably get some demerit points for that as well. It had used just 2 quarts, which isn't bad I don't think for a "new" engine that's 72 years old. We're having fun with the car here in Sarasota, it's roadster weather every day, so hopefully I'll put enough miles on it this winter to have to change the oil again before we get back to Michigan. Now, maybe I'll feel ambitious enough to pull the front brake drums and try to chase down that annoying, "Squeak...squeak...squeak."
Why hurry? That squeak is just telling you things need you. And I'm sure that it's muffled so good, that people need to be able to hear the squeak to know you're rolling at them...
Your in Florida, driving your hemi-powered roadster with a squeaky wheel. And you had to change the oil yourself. Poor kid.
I always wish I was in Florida when it's cold here in Minnesota. But I was there this summer and I honestly don't know how anyone can live there in the summer. Makes me think Minnesota isn't that bad after all.
Shoulda been obvious: No photos of dinner, no politics, no photos of a cat. Also, I thought a short essay about having fun with and actually using a car built with cast off parts, in a traditional style, was what the HAMB was about?
The front drums touch the backing plate. I've ground the areas where there was a mark, but it soon starts again. When the brakes are applied, it goes away. The rears are Speedway reproduction drums, they don't contact the backing plates, but the fronts, which have had the lip machined off, do.
For you and everyone else with a nice driveway..............get a gallon of Kerosene and a spray bottle to put some of it in. Any time you or anyone else drips or even pours oil or trans fluid on your driveway, sop up the excess if its a big pool and then spray it with kerosene before it rains. Maybe spray it a second time the next day. It will disolve and vanish...and make the wife happy. It really works well. As an example, I had a guy come to buy something from me once and his car was leaking ****** fluid badly. When he left, there was a puddle about 18" in diameter and the attendant dribbles where he went in and out of the driveway. Sprayed it a couple times with kerosene (diesel works too) and it vanished. Works best on sunny days.
I have tree bats that come down at night and lick up the oil drips. The enzymes in their tongue wash the spot and the concrete looks like new
That's a good tip. The shifter shaft seal in the TH350 is what leaks, I had dumped some trans goop in it earlier this year, in the (vain) hope that it would help. It did, for a little while, now it's back to seeping. I'll get a new seal, I have one of the little extractor tools at home, which is kind of more work than just punching a little hole in the old seal and prying it out with an awl.
I use one of these clean the underside of the car or flip it over and do the driveway or shop floor.https://www.ebay.com/itm/1938756816...dNFR%2BTaFcj8v88xkvp|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:4429486
Cool to see your roadster, no matter what you're doing with it, Brian. Btw, you got out just in time.
Brian, if you fix the shaft leak on the T350, it will just start leaking somewhere else. That’s just what they do.
Here in Texas, we do driveway maintenance in the wintertime. In summer we never leave the house. It's sort of like Covid 19.
About the shifter shaft, I use a local garage when I'm having leak problems. He tells me that the shaft gets groove wore in it where the seal rides and a lot of rebuilders over look changing this seal and messaging the shaft. Over the years I think about all my rebuilt 350 trans have leaked from this area. The brake drum fix is not difficult. I've done dozens of these brake conversion over the years and the local machine shop that did the work had me make up a 12 inch early Ford backing plate on a spindle with bearings for a guide as to how much to remove from the drum. In you situation you might be able to find a local shop with a drum lathe that could remove a little material to stop the squeak?
The Jalopy Journal
