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Don't know how closely 37 compares to 36 as far as line routing but here is a waterflow photo out of the 36 120 data book which appears to partially show the vacuum lines. Unfortunately the water flow cutaway hides the termination of the lines. The pump appears to be different than yours with the vacuum section being on the bottom.

Looks like 38 has a similar pump layout to yours and is taking the vacuum from the front of manifold as did the later engines. Be nice to have a photo of a 37 to compare exactly how that year was done. Maybe someone will have a photo of their car.

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[quote]
cli55er wrote:
i'm going to relocate the fuel filter to before the fuel pump and on the frame rail.

I was told that fuel filters used with the relatively low-pressure mechanical fuel pumps should be located after the fuel pump. That's why you see so many of the fuel filters located at the entrance to the fuel bowl at the end of the fuel line. The reason for this is that it is easier to push fuel through a clogging filter than it is to suck fuel through it. I would also think that a before pump filter could exacerbate vapor lock on a hot day. Both of my Packards have fuel filters located on the pressurized side of the fuel line, between the pump and the carburetor.

well.....crap...that makes sense.


i was trying to avoid having junk build up in my newly rebuilt fuel pump. that was the thought behind putting it behind the pump. that and keeping the fuel filter away from the hot exhaust manifold which that line goes right near.

but it actually does have one behind it already...electric fuel pump on frame rail already has one on it although a small one.

i've found the best way to avoid vapor lock is to run summer mix gas, never winter, and if you have any trouble with that....mix race gas in with it. works a charm on my 70 dart.

more progress. although it looks like i will be modifying the line to the carb to accept a fuel filter. don't have one of those period correctly looking glass ones, so a modern metal inline one will suffice.

i will cut back that hard line coming from the carb and rig up the filter that way.

while working last night i just found my light to be insufficient. then i remembered the lights my Grandfather put on the firewall. i had the battery charger on already, so i hooked up the battery and flipped the lights on....thanks Grandpa....they work great!

you can see in the picture how i rigged up the choke stove since it did not want to stay in the manifold.

spark plug wires were original looking style lacquer coated. they had a few small cracks in the coating from being bent in the same location over the years, but they ran fine and the engine had no miss before the rebuild. i'll reuse them until i can get something newer. its not permanent, but will do for now.

harmonic balancer was rebuilt by Dale Mfg out of Salem....same dude that did my 55. 213 with shipping back fyi. its on its way home now.

a few small minor things left to do, time consuming work in the details, but its very close to starting. the thing i look least forward to is putting the front of the car back on the frame.

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Wondering about the coiled chrome very small diam tubing next to the furl pump. Coiled lines like that were used in Senior * cars where the oil pressure line exited the rear of the crankcase and went up the firewall. The coil allowed for the rocking of the engine. The tube on your engine seems to go from the engine to the engine, thus no flex is not needed. I had a '37 a few years ago (1960)so I might have forgotten a few details....oops,, just remembered I have a 37 Conv Sedan which I was looking at in our paint shop, will check.

The coil was just there becuase the old line i took off had it. no idea why or even if that was the original line (doubtful) several oil filter setups have a coil in the tubing, although usually on the output side. i liked the way it looked so i duplicated it on the new line. no other reason besides that and it wont really hurt anything.

pretty much the same reason i used the braided fuel line to the carb. i just liked it.

you are correct on the oil pressure line. my original gauge pressure line had a coil in it. i tucked it away and will be making a new one from fresh copper tubing that will feed a new modern gauge under the dash or in the glove box, haven't decided yet. new gauge will also be used for the temp as well. old temp sender will be tucked away.

Not sure tucking any gauge out of sight in a glove box is the best idea. I think there is at least one person on the forum that found out the hard way that even an in view oil gauge is no use if there is a problem and you miss seeing it.

If you do go with an out of sight gauge how about doing as he did. In the housing for your old gauge install some idiot lights but leave everything gauge wise intact. He put a couple of red LEDs below the opening so they are not seen but when they light off it illuminates the entire gauge face in red. His original gauges are still functional so he added another sensor to work the lights.

I think that is a really neat idea. If you are not going to use the temp gauge you could do the same there too. At least if there was a problem you would have some indication before you found out the hard way.

there are already some holes under the dash on the passenger's side that will allow me to mount the 3 gauge cluster at an angle facing me and still be moderately out of the way, but viewable at a glance. the original gauges still work, i just don't know how accurate they are and i dont want to risk it on my fresh built motor.

i have the same 3 gauge cluster in my 70 dart mounted in a custom housing i made in place of the radio. they work great. no need for a radio when the exhaust is so loud you wouldn't hear it. believe it or not i am a constant gauge reader. that and mirror looker.

considering how much other stuff isn't 100% original on the 37....i dont know why i'm worrying about hiding the gauges in the glove box. i'd just either drive around with the door open or constantly open it checking the gauges. not worth it. i do like the lights idea, that's pretty clever! thanks for that idea, i will tuck that away for future reference.

finished up pretty much all of what was left on the motor this weekend.

I formed a small dent in the bottom of the air breather so the choke would fit without it pushing the breather up and tilting it. now it sits flat and looks much better.

I got the balancer back from rebuild only to find out the hub is cracked right at the key slot. well....good news i had another one at the shop from those pile of 36 parts i acquired. those are paying off over and over for the effort to pick them up.

i had to cut the original pulley off to fit the pulley for the 12v coversion belt. nothing a hacksaw couldn't handle. The converted pulley was a monster itself as it was all hacked together as you can see in the pictures. the hub portion was cut and the pulleys welded back on after cutting them. it works, but its not pretty.

balancer itself came off the cracked hub, except that one bolt...little bastard. i got it out though.

new oil pressure line and i hooked up the exhaust although it doesn't show it in the pictures.

started it for a short period (no radiator). of course i was 180 out on the dizzy...don't know why i would expect anything less then that! got that corrected and set timing by ear for now. i set it sans vacuum advance which i plugged the line to the carb to eleminate the vacuum leak.

i have a video of it running, it has a lifter or two needing adjustment....boooooo

and the alternator needs some help lining up right as you can hear some belt noise in the video. whoever mounted it didn't put 100% effort into that one.

no idea if the wipers work, i forgot to check.

carb is also leaking out of linkage shaft where the throttle "cable" goes. so thats gonna need a rebuilt. its amazing it wasn't doing that before and now it is. go figure.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ENe0zCeLxc0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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The crack is fairly obvious. I would have thought the damper company would have noticed it and at least given some kind of alert to see if you wanted to continue with that particular piece before doing the work.