More Engine and Drivetrain

Here's the original crank as from the factory with no counterweights.  Next pic is the waterjet cut counterweights  that I got from my old steel door company right down the road from where I live.  All I did was provide them with an exact size drawing, they scanned it into their CAD program and the machine cut them out fast!

 Next pic is them being fitted to the crank in preparation for welding in place. The crank will be dial indicated for exact placement opposing piston and rod mass.  Next up is a pic of the two 1934 -1935 late model pressure plates that will mate up to the lightened flywheel. These aren't being made or reproduced today with the needle bearing pivots and counterweighted release arms, so they are extremely hard to obtain. Most end up with the Model A Collectors and are not for sale  at any price.  I just got lucky and fell into these two,( In High school I dated the niece of the man that had them) so I have a spare. After the fabrication of the new engine parts all the rotating mass will go to North Wilkesboro to be computer balanced as one assembly.

Engine Pics

The latest in the rebuild story. Back main bearing cap had suffered damage to the oil return tube and was losing thrust surface on the babbit.  Both can be remedied with some epoxy. Some one has tried brazing the tube but the dis-similar metals said no to that fix.  Lifters and cam have both seen better days and cannot be reused. Will opt for new adjustable lifters and a touring grind cam. The cam is so worn that it is not even useable for a core to exchange, so Walt will give me one that I can trade in. 

Next pics show block after major clean up. Exhaust valves had been leaking so long that they had eaten away the cast iron around the seats. New seats will be installed to fix this. Where the pistons  sat dead in the cylinder for so may years they pitted it pretty badly on one. Hoping it will hone out and be useable. Two of the head studs had been stripped out. One I was able to drill to the next larger size and tap for a oversized stud. The other one was already larger than oversize and will require a cast iron plug to be installed and then drilled and tapped to original 1/2" 13tpi. Flywheel is at the machine shop losing 32 pounds of unneeded weight. I had crankshaft counter weights waterjet cut this week to balance the crank and Mike and I found a nice late model V-8 pressure plate and clutch to match up to the lightened flyweel.

"A"nother Day at the Shop

Got the engine completely apart and ready to steam clean tomorrow.  I had to heat the back main cap and some epoxy in the oven to repair the oil return tube in the rear bearing cap.
Cylinder #2 has been sleeved many years back and looks good.  All 4 cylinders have slight pitting where the pistons stopped many years ago but should hone out ok.  Looks like new rings is a definite and lifters and camshaft are too pitted to reuse.  Walt has lots of cams and I'll buy adjustable lifters for it.  New valves, seats, guides and springs arrived so Walt and I will go to Morganton next week to have his machinist mill the block for the seats and then I will do a valve job on it.  

Walt gave me a measured drawing of counterweights that you can buy to weld onto the crankshaft to balance the engine that Henry Ford forgot to do.  Well I have a company on my way home that laser and waterjet cuts steel that I have used in the past to cut custom deck railings.  I went to see them and they will cut me a set of weights (actually 3 sets) cheaper than you can buy one set.  Walt wanted some spares!  

Then next week we are going to Tommy Berry's machine shop in Kings Mtn to have Walt's and my flywheel lightend to improve balance and extend bearing life.  More pics after the steam clean!

Back main oil tube.

New Brakes

The new brake linings arrived yesterday afternoon along with dust caps, actuator pins, and new king pins and bushings , so today was brake day. Got them riveted on and ready to put on the car. Lots of difference between before and after shots of them.  More tomorrow.

Out of the sand.

New brakes.

Today's "A"dventure

Picked up the engine for the roadster yesterday and brought it home for a rebuild.  Unloaded it by myself and did a quick once over to see what she needs. Once in the shop I drained the oil and removed the pan. Looks like last rebuild 40+ years ago New pistons were installed, crank turned .020 with new babbitt bearings poured. Lots of shim left in mains and rods. Flyweel will be lightened with new ring gear installed. Valves and guides had seen better days. Removed them and will install stainless valves with new guides and new seats. Preliminary inspection shows engine is in pretty good shape. Just needs some love and care.  Weather was decent so I was able to prime and paint all the parts I had been beadblasting.  More to follow!

Unloading

Bottom end

Bottom of piston

First oil change in 30 years

Guides out

Old valves and guides

From the Royster Garage

Nasty weather this week gave ample opportunity to glass bead many project car parts and the warm morning let me prime and paint some of them. My friend Walt kindly helped me with a few missing parts this week and shared with me much info about restoration.  I was able to pick up some missing parts at a very nice price. Starter, Handbrake lever, shock arms, lugnuts. correct fan. Wheels got a paint inner coating to protect the tubes for later on.  Shocks, links, arms, brakes, drums, crossmember supports, fan, brake arms, all got primed and or painted for later installation. Waiting on new brake linings to arrive. This car has the aftermarket brake system on it whereby the shoes float in the drum allowing them to center on the drum instead of just rubbing  at the high spots when applied! Having a blast.

Blasted and painted.

Inner coating.