[Chas]

I am familier with this radio, I once owned a 54 Chrysler for several years as a teenager. Radio was similar two piece. I refurbished the radio and even found a way to install an eye-tube of the linear type behind the dial. The blue green glow was great as it often fluttered while receiving DX. Since the radio was not that old in the 60's the vibrator and caps were still in usable condition. I wish I had saved the radio when I scrapped the car it was remarkable DX set with great tone.

As for the electrolytics, FWIR there is ample chassis room to install axial electrolytics but disconnect to old ones in the can(s). Tack down any large new component to the chassis with a daub of electronic silicon cement. Road vibration will break the wire leads on large components with long leads.

If this radio is your fist vibrator powered auto radio refurbish, go slow and ask questions.

Expect this radio to use a LOT of current, When I would use my '54 on a "date" I could get only 4 hours and then the engine would crank ever so slowly on the depleted battery.

Tell Us....

Does your '51 use the Powerflite (two-speed) automatic transmission or one of the fluid clutch types? I also recall the power steering pump as part of the generator. There was also a Chrysler option of a strangely constructed disc brakes as opposed to the conventional drum brakes...

My '54 had a flat head "Spitfire" six, (four rings on each piston). I did have to have the head planed once, warped, blowing head gaskets. Later, I sheared the side of a piston when passing in kick-down mode I drove that 6 on five cylinders for several weeks before I pulled it and had it rebuilt as a short block. When the car was scrapped (accident buckled right "A" frame, plus a a lot of rust) since I rebuilt the engine the Spitfire was transferred to a Dodge oil delivery truck and lived on for several years.

Chas

[radiorich]

Hello mike,
I agree with chas Buffer Capacitor I bought mine from mouser !

here is some good info about buffer capacitors
   https://www.justradios.com/buffer.html
Sincerely Richard

[mwiedmer]

Bob, Chas, and Richard,

Thank you all for your advice. You have given me a lot to digest and research.

Our radio is labeled (prominently) a Mopar Model 815, which, I strongly suspect, was actually built by Philco. It is equipped solely with Philco components. This two-part unit is from a 1951 Chrysler New Yorker Town and Country wagon, equipped with the first year 331 hemi coupled to a Fluid-Torque semi-automatic transmission. It has the first-year power steering, and the pump is coupled to the generator. This car came with drum brakes; in 1951 some Imperials could be had with disc brakes. I am at an age now when my dates in the car do not last 4 hours.

I should get replacement tubes by the end of the week and then I hope to know more about what else I will need to do.

Thanks again to everyone—I appreciate your time and efforts.

[radiorich]

Hello mike,
that sounds like a plan !

Sincerely Richard

[fenbach]

Anybody find much [any] information about the radio? I searched for Mopar 815 and found that it's equivalent to a Philco C-5109. But the only schematic I can find is for just the high voltage/audio amp module.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/philco_c_5109.html And did see that the rectifier tube is a 6X4. Funny to me, neither model turned up on nostalgiaair.org

[mwiedmer]

Thank you for that information. I did not previously know the Philco model number and that helps!

[Arran]

I can confirm that the radio that was in the 1954 was built by Philco, some Chrysler products used Motorola built radios but not in these cars. Generally speaking the tubes should be fine, car radios were not used anywhere near as many hours as an AC set in the same era, the ones in the tubes in mine all tested close to brand new, the issue is going to be the paper caps if the set is going to be used for any length of time, age is killing those. My car has the four wheel drum brakes, only the Crown Imperial models got the Ausco-Lambert disk brakes as standard, the limousines also had 12 volt electrics but I'm not sure when that started. The disk brakes don't work like the ones were are used to, they work more like a clutch plate, and are actually self actuating, kind of like the shoes on a brake drum. https://www.web.imperialclub.info/Repair...ambert.htm
 My car has the two speed Powerflyte, I think the late 1953s was the first year, two forward, and one reverse. Also has the power steering, the pump runs off of a shaft coming out of the back of the generator. This was not an unusual arrangement, G.M and Ford cars used similar layout back in the 1950s.
Regards
Arran

[Chas]

Hmm,

I have a hard copy of Riders Auto radio. I believe it has been scanned online somewhere?

None the less if I can get an exact model number for the radio I will see if both; if I can find that manual and if that model is in it. Then I can scan or pix each page...
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Cars may not have been equipped with a radio at the time of sale ( I had seen these in junk yards with radio block-off plates) and radios could have been recovered from salvage or ordered, installed later. So, that could skew the finding of the correct schematic and model year.

It would likely help me and others if you would sketch the two chassis top sides in blocks and circles locating front, back, tube type/location and any IF coils/transformers on each chassis. If the correct Rider can be found, there may be a usable part list and alignment instructions. I do know setting push buttons was a bit tricky... Clear/sharp photos posted to your thread will help immensely too.

Chas

BTW my wife is at a rest home recovering from heart failure, so I only have an hour every day for hobby stuff...

[mwiedmer]

Arran and Chas, thank you for your replies.

We have the build sheet for our vehicle, which confirms our wagon was originally equipped with a MoPar 8 Tube radio with Antenna.

"Fenbach" (above) reported that Motorola 815 is equivalent to Philco C-5109. I have downloaded the available specifications and schematics from the Radiomuseum site Fenbach recommended. I do not know how to share those or pictures.

Chas, I wish your wife a speedy and full recovery.

Mike

[Chas]

Mike,

I might get a chance tomorrow to both find the Riders handbook and see if the schematic is there. I agree, RM only provides the audio/power section...

Overall my wife is doing better. She and I have uncovered several erroneous entries in both her health profile and medications list. I have moved forward to procure a new PCP and will have her fully evaluated by a doctor I can trust. We have experienced the same kind of gross negligence when I was ill in 2014. The only real escape is to find real doctors and not Quacks...

Chas

[mwiedmer]

Thank you, Chas. Yes, it is critical to find medical professionals you trust and can rely on for extended stretches of time.

[Chas]

I have been home 4/29 & 4/30 so I had a chance to look for the Riders auto radio. Seems I have only volume 1 to 1933 so it is no help at all. Sorry.

[Antipodal]

Thanks Chas for the PDF on the vibrator tester. Much obliged.

[Chas]

BTW normal response to a good vibrator is a slight difference in brightness of both bulbs but also a throbbing of the brilliance. That is because the "natural" frequency of the vibrator is 110 cps, line is 60, the pulsing is a difference.

Must use incandescent bulb (alike) and wattage specified...

[mwiedmer]

Thank you, Chas.

Mike