Spark Plug Update #1

After multiple trips to the hardware store to acquire torches, chemicals, nitrile gloves, goggles, and two sizes of "easy-out," I am pleased to report that I now have access to all cylinders and have poured Marvel Mystery Oil into all six.  On the downside, the threads of four of the plugs are still in the head.  I tried to use the easy-out but could not get the tool to seat firmly enough to turn the threads.  I may have been able to strike it harder with a hammer to get it seated, but my first principle is to avoid doing any damage.  If I pound too hard, I will damage the threads in the head.  Because my goal was to get oil into the cylinders in order to determine if the engine is seized, I have to consider the current situation a minor success.  If the engine does turn over, I will probably pull the head and make further efforts to remove the threads.

I also drained the radiator, disconnected the hoses, and removed the bolts holding it to its cradle.  That all went comparatively smoothly.  It is too heavy to lift out on my own so hopefully this weekend I can find someone to help me lift it out.  The purpose of removing the radiator is to gain access to the front of the engine so I can try to manually turn the engine over.  The radiator inlet (I think its the inlet) is rusted through as shown below.  I'm not sure if that means the radiator is toast or not.

I'll do another post on this, but I had a great visit with Byron Richardson of Tillamook, Oregon last weekend.  He owns five incredible Mopars including a 1948 Windsor and a 1948 Imperial and an amazing 1956 Chrysler with a big hemi.  He let me take a ton of pictures and answered a hundred dumb questions.  He took me for a drive in the Windsor even though the weather was terrible.  After gassing up, he shocked me by making me drive the thing!  It was pretty nerve-wracking but a great experience I'll probably never forget.  It was raining cats and dogs, the windshield was steaming up, the road was rutted, and the car has bias-ply tires!  It was rocking all over the road, and I was terrified I was going to wreck his beautiful car.  I got the hand of it after a while and now have at least a basic understanding of how the transmission on my Traveler should eventually operate.