Went ahead started cleaning up the water pump. It’s actually in quite good condition other than cosmetically. It’s looking a bit better now.




Tomorrow I’m off to Chicago with my mom. We’re going to spend the rest of the week there with just the two of us…Mother’s Week instead of Mother’s Day.

When I get back, I’ll go ahead and back flush the block and clean it out the best I can. I also got the radiator to a shop today and hopefully will have an estimate from them by the end of the week.

I’ll also be making calls to find someone to re-build the engine. I wasn’t planning on that, but in the end, I’m sure I’ll be a lot happier getting it done.

In the meantime, there is still a lot of clean up I can do.

When you get the stainless in that is what will be a bitch.

I have not permanently put mine in but the window hits about 65 degrees up.


The high arc.

I don't use the rear windows. Right now cause I don't feel like messing with it.

If you want to keep the car mostly stock I would also suggest adding a 30 amp cube type relay as Ross mentioned and use larger wire between the relay and solenoid. You could mount and sort of hide the relay behind the starter or solenoid and have the carb switch and original wire operate the relay. 54s were started from the ign switch but even the switch contact could barely take the load of the big solenoids. 54-6 key start ign switches used on senior models with the pinion shift starters are known failure items and even they could benefit from a relay to take the large solenoid load out of the switch.

Here is a typical example of what happens to the 54-6 ign switch. The small starter contact is just a raised rounded area formed by pressing it into the fairly thin flat piece. On this switch heat has melted thru the contact and also melted the corresponding contact spot on the movable plate. The black spot is a hole letting the bakelite show thru the melted raised area.

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I semi-rebuilt mine. I didn't completely disassemble the solenoid, but did as much as I could and cleaned the contacts. The main issue for me were the brushes and battery cables.

Going off Ross's comment, the wiring on the '54 from the ignition switch to the solenoid is 10 gauge. On the '53 wiring diagrams it looks like the wires going to the carb switch are 16 gauge. That's quite a difference.

Sorry, I didn't pay attention that you were putting a 54 starter on your 53. Ain't no way that poor little switch on the side of the carb and light gage wiring are going to fire that thing. You will need a relay, or to add a pushbutton.

The reading light switch in the V8 sedans often doesn't work, but it's easy to repair.

First, take precision needle nose and bend up the tabs.

Then, polish the contacts. Obviously the contacts in the back plate, but also the sliding contact, and importantly the back plate holding tabs themselves must be polished on the insides, since the switch grounds through the case. In addition the mounting holes and mounting screws should be polished. Of course, by "polished" I'm taking cleaned up with steel wool or sandpaper, not brought to a bright polish necessarily. Just the oxidation/rust cleaned off.

Note: wrapping some sandpaper in the tips of pliers is a good way to get in the tiny spaces.

Take some light grease and sparingly apply to the moving contact and the sides of the front of the switch slider.

Reassemble. Be sure to note the white dot (white dot is down when installed and also white dot shown = on).

Test.

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Since you just installed the water pump last year, the first thing I’d check is the if tightening the packing nut a little takes care of the leak. Mine was leaking around the shaft and I repacked it and it took care of that leak (I also have a radiator leak). In your case, likely don’t need to repack the pump, but just tighten the packing nut a bit.

Thanks, Bob. That’s a good idea.

The Amp meter itself has just two terminals studs. Luckily you can't really hurt it. Either it will read correctly, or backwards. If it reads backwards, just swap the wires on the terminals.

But curious why they installed a new one under the dash? Amp meters don't really care about voltage.

The one in my 115-C works just find on 12v.

Ok thank you bob! This sounds like I can rewire it correctly back to six volts without removing the ammeter .. if not it seems there are four nuts holding it on if I have to remove it in order to wire it..