QuestionI have one other question(for now) - this afternoon, the car ran hot. When it cooled off, I checked the oil and water, and the water was about 3/4 full, but the oil was almost dry. I haven't seen any oil on the pavement, and no white smoke from exhaust pipe. It had been sitting up for a long time, before the finishing touches were put on it. Do you think I'm going to have a problem with the oil? Thanks again for your help.
Followup To
Question -
I just recently bought a restored 1963 Plymouth Valiant from a friend. I got it at a good price, so naturally, some things were left for me to do. What I need to know now is this:
Are there fuses in these cars for the gas gauge and dash lights? If so, where would they be located? Also, the needle on the speedometer is missing. Is there any way that could be replaced?
Thank you for any insight you can give.
Lee Ann Maples
Answer -
Yes, there are fuses for both of these items. Unfortunately, I don't recall off hand exactly where they are, but I'm sure they are under the dash, toward the firewall, probably just about in front of your left knee when you sit in the car.
The speedometer needle has probably just fallen down into the front of the unit, behind the glass. If you are handy with small tools, and can bend like a pretzel, disconnect the battery, slither under the dash with a good flashlight and you can see where the mounting screws for the speedometer are. Undo them and lift the unit out of it's mounting. You'll have to unscrew the speedometer cable outer nut (like a garden hose) and unplug a few wires and light sockets, but I think you can figure it out. You'll probably find the needle down inside the glass somewhere.
Take the speedometer to your friendly local speedometer shop and have it gone through while you have it out - the unit will work like new if you do, and probably will drive you nuts with noises and jumping around if you don't.
I strongly advise you to watch eBay for a shop manual and an owner's manual for this car - it will tell you how to find/do all these things, and many more - it will pay for itself, even if you have to hire someone to do the work, it will save much time, and time=money!
Dick.
AnswerThe water level should be about 2 inches below the radiator cap when the car is cold. Filling it above that level will only cause it to burp out the excess when it gets warm. You should be running 30% to 50% solution of anti-freeze in your radiator. Make sure you have a good radiator cap, one that holds the specified pressure (probably 12 PSI, but check with your auto parts dealer).
The oil level sounds scary. Did your oil pressure warning light come on? The dip stick should tell you how low the oil was - had you checked it recently? YOu need to check the oil with the car level, and after it has been turned off for a few minutes. Did it go down suddenly? If so, there is possibly a serious problem with the engine. What is the history of this engine? What oil are you using? If the engine is somewhat worn, you need to be running SAE40W (NOT 10W40!). If you are running 10W30 or that type of oil, that is too thin for this old a car - switch to straight 40 weight.
Is this a 225 slant 6 engine? These are exceptionally durable engines, but they will wear out sooner or later.
The engine can consume oil without you noticing any smoke, especially if you have a plugged PCV valve or a bad front seal. If it is using more than a quart every 500 miles or so, you have a major repair in your future - sorry!
Dick
