BenHawkins Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Using some leather I had on the shelf I cut out two rectangles to fit between the axle and springs. These are similar to, but slightly less crusty than the ones I took out. The axle loosely bolted in place. We will have to wait and see if Christmas visitors assist or hinder the fitting of wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Comber Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 A most enjoyable thread , thank you for the time and effort in continually keeping it updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevWringe Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I totally agree with the last comment. It's wonderful to watch your progress and your superb Ingenuity in action. A wonderful thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 The tapered socket for the other steering arm was quite corroded as there had been no arm fitted for many years. It appeared to be six degree included angle. If that doesn't do the trick I found a trick for boring tapered holes with a boring and facing head: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/vertical-mill-lathe-project-log/109301-cnc-3.html#post1357394 Though that part looks just about small enough to (with great difficulty) mount on a lathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 If that doesn't do the trick I found a trick for boring tapered holes with a boring and facing head:http://www.cnczone.com/forums/vertical-mill-lathe-project-log/109301-cnc-3.html#post1357394 Though that part looks just about small enough to (with great difficulty) mount on a lathe. That is a clever solution for tapered holes. We will have to wait and see if my sanded bore is sufficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 24, 2015 Author Share Posted December 24, 2015 Thanks for the messages of support. You may remember that I had problems getting the front wheel bearings out from the wheels. After a while I realised there was a part missing. I have some pneumatic hubs that came with another chassis with the same axle arrangement. One still has the bush in place so I was able to take dimensions from this. Then I could make a new pair on the lathe. And tap them into the wheels with a mallet. I fitted one of the thrust bearings to the top of N/S king pin. The thread on the O/S nut is a bit tight so I will need to clean up the thread before it can go on. Unfortunately I do not have a 1-1/8 BSW tap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share Posted December 25, 2015 I found a cheap tap on ebay for the kingpin nut so I can remedy the damaged thread when it arrives in the new year. There is now a longer gap for the bronze wheel bearings resulting from the replacement thrust bush fitted to the wheels. The bearings from the pneumatic wheel hubs now fit and are much less worn than the originals (and not butchered either), so we will fit these. I had to run the reamer through the bushes for the track rod again once it was in place as I could not get the shoulder screws through. I then lubricated the one stub axle and wheel bearing and jacked the axle up so that it was marginally higher than the bore of the wheel. Then it was just a case of inserting the wheel bearing and sliding the wheel onto the stub axle. Hopefully we can repeat the process on the other side tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 We fitted the final wheel this morning and then decided to push it out of the garage. Quite pleased with the progress for one years worth of evenings and weekends. Then it was just a case of making some new leather washers to fit the hub caps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alixcompo Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I always feel bad about interrupting a thread just to say "Great work" but if us, the 'umble public, can boost your endeavor with our awe and support then so-be-it. Fantastic to see your progress in preserving a lost vehicle for the next generation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Why leather washers in the hub-caps? I am sure they weren't mentioned in the subsidy lorry books and we haven't fitted any. What do they do? Steve PS Good progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 27, 2015 Author Share Posted December 27, 2015 Why leather washers in the hub-caps? I am sure they weren't mentioned in the subsidy lorry books and we haven't fitted any. What do they do? I should probably have described them as leather gaskets as they fit between the hub cap and the wheel flange to prevent (or at least slow down) the passage of oil. I have looked in the parts book for this chassis and they are not listed for the front wheels but are for the back (they are also included in the drawing for the rear wheels). There were leather gaskets on the front hub caps when I took it apart but I damaged them levering the caps off. It appears that a paper gasket would be too thin as the stub axle end would rub on the hub cap. I could have used rubber or cork (and it would certainly be a better solution from an engineering point of view) but thought leather was probably used originally. We took our guests to the Black Country Museum today so a little less progress. I did spend a couple of hours drilling bolts and fitting split pins so the front axle is now properly fitted. I was then bored and wanted to make something so took a hacksaw and file to a piece of brass sheet and made the first of the moustache style handles for the bonnet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 I cut out another blank for a bonnet handle; sometimes it is nice to do this rather than my usual laser cutting. The other issue is the laser cutters always charge a fortune for brass; I assume this is something to do with the zinc fumes but have never asked. The next stage was to bend the ends with a simple folding tool. From a piece of old roofing batten I shaped a basic press tool. Then did the final shaping by hand around a bar end in the vice. Unfortunately I don't seem to have any 1/8" brass rivets so fitting them will have to wait until another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 After placing the cylinder blocks on for a photo I decided I should fit them properly. The first stage was to cut out new gaskets. Then fit to the crankcase with gasket sealant. Followed by fitting the pistons to the connecting rods. And finally lower the cylinder blocks on using an engine crane whilst jiggling the piston rings into the bores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 I had a go at welding up the holes in the bottom tank of the radiator. I didn't think I could make it any worse than the big holes that were in it. It was reasonably successful but I only had a few rods. We put the steering column in position. This should allow me to get the bends right in the pedals and measure up for the mounting brackets. This made me think about the steering wheel. It needs some work before it is usable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 After removing the bronze hub for cleaning the wood rim had further wood screws that I was unable to remove. I spread the joints and liberally applied wood glue to all the joints. Then refitted the hub. To close up all the gaps I wrapped it all in electrical tape, squeezing the gaps closed with my hand and pulling the tape tight. Hopefully it will be OK when I come to take the tape off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Hopefully it will be OK when I come to take the tape off. Just tell everyone that it is special Ebonite tape and it is meant to look like that :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asciidv Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 "I had a go at welding up the holes in the bottom tank of the radiator. I didn't think I could make it any worse than the big holes that were in it. It was reasonably successful but I only had a few rods." Stick welding aluminium...what sort of rods were you using? Can we have a look at the result :-) ? Barry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 The rods I used were purchased from ebay so I don't know too much about them. They were covered with a soft white flux. I started by cleaning back to clean aluminium. Then welded up one of the holes. You have to use positive polarity on the electrode; around 2/3 of the heat generated by the arc is at the positive electrode so you melt the stick away quite quickly and don't put that much heat into the substrate. The weld is left with a covering of hard white flux. The rod end also has a hard white covering of flux so you have to chip that off before you can start another weld. With the flux chipped off it leaves you some aluminium. I later filed this back; the finished results are in the earlier post. I don't think I got fantastic penetration and was thinking that if I went down this route I would get the porosity in the weld and the rest of the casting impregnated as is often done on castings such as cylinder heads. Although I have filled the big holes I don't think it is a structural repair, possibly more like a big lump of filler with a similar thermal expansion coefficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 We were babysitting in Manchester today so no real Dennis work done. I unwrapped the steering wheel on my return. It feels much more sturdy now. There are a couple of pieces of timber missing from the back face. I am undecided about whether I will glue new pieces in. Once all the glue is fully dry I will give the wood a coat of varnish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 I decided to refit the valves this morning. It is just a case of compressing the spring so the retaining clip can be fed through the slot in the valve stem. All eight valves installed. With the last batch of laser cutting I had a couple of hexagon blanks cut for steering wheel hub nuts. The first stage was to put a chamfer on. Then drill and tap the centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 We retrieved the radiator core from the back of the garage. It has been many decades since this was last on a vehicle. The accumulation of dust and spiders webs meant it was impossible to see through the core and it certainly looked like no air would pass through. We scrubbed it with warm soapy water, washed it through with water then blew it through with compressed air. It cleared a massive amount of gunk out. We then fitted the rest of the radiator to it with a few bolts. The safest place for it seemed to be the front of the chassis. The top and bottom tank with need to come off for further repair/impregnation or replacement. The core needs a fair bit of attention in the form of straightening bent gills. I will then need to find a source of radiator blacking paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted January 1, 2016 Author Share Posted January 1, 2016 Happy New Year! I decided it would be a good idea to make some progress on repairing the gearbox. Starting with the better pair of engine mountings I lined up the laser cut profiles to check they would fit. Using the angle grinder I put a radius on the edge so they would fit snugly against the casting. Then tacked in plates with holes for the mountings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted January 1, 2016 Author Share Posted January 1, 2016 After grinding a v I fully welded the other side. Then tacked all the other parts in place. Rain then stopped play but it all seems to fit quite well. Hopefully I will not distort it too much when finishing the welding. Obviously I need to cut out the strips over the tapped bosses before final fitting. The front pair of mountings will be more of a challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 I assume the plan isn't to pop-rivet the gearbox and braces together, so what is the plan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Nice job, for your radiator paint try a firm that repairs radiators. In france they sometimes use barbeque paint for parts that get hot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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