WW1 Peerless lorry restoration

[Old Bill]

Of course, especially made in China!

Wheels are all loaded up ready for transport to the tyre press.

Looking forward to getting them on the lorry and having a rolling chassis, at long last.

Steve  🙂

[flandersflyer]

Good 

[ruxy]

Sorry - returning to coatings on steering wheels.    I have observed that some vintage car steering wheels are tightly wrapped with a black cord to give grip.  I noticed this on the  Invicta  (the last Top Gear prog.)    Does anyone know exactly what this black cord is  ?

[MatchFuzee]

Hemp cord dyed black. 

https://ashridgeautomobiles.co.uk/services/cord-binding/

 

More information on binding a steering wheel:-

https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=5290

http://pub25.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=2099944454&frmid=5&msgid=989559&cmd=show

Edited July 7, 2022 by MatchFuzee
Added 2 more links.

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

It seems to be the latest fad, bit like the fad that all vintage cars owners need leather satchels strapped to the running boards to carry their lunch in.............

Edited July 7, 2022 by 8_10 Brass Cleaner

[Old Bill]

We have been nearly ready to start reassembling the engine for some time and this is now getting closer. There are a few more bits to do on that front, however. One of them is the inlet manifold.

This is just an aluminium casting but has some interesting brackets fitted to it to carry the HT leads.

These brackets have insulating bushes fitted to them, made from red fibre.

One of them had been broken but, as it was threaded on the HT lead, the broken part was still there.

Some heat soon loosened up the screws and they all undid without drama.

I made a bit of plate to hold the broken one together and then silver soldered it.

It came out very well but I do think the bracket is a poor design for manufacture in cast iron.

Red fibre rod has proved unobtainable in small quantity so I resorted to tufnol which is more or less period.

The bits are all with Father for painting but the insulators are ready for the reassembly day.

You may recall that the steering box is all complete and fitted save for a large Peerless pattern greaserm mounted on the rear. We have the base but the top is missing.

However, I have had the great good fortune to be loaned an original to copy.

I turned the housing from a bit of bar, knurled it and then bored it out. I can't believe that it would have been made that way originally but I cannot see how it would have been knurled if it was hollow as it would have collapsed. Another puzzle from the mists of time.

The original piston was fitted with a leather cup washer but I have given in and used an O-ring. Much easier!

Result!

The timing cover has an oil filler hole in it and should have some sort of cap.

I have been puzzling over how it should look but have this photo of an original. The Tee handle is pushed down against the spring and rotated through a quarter turn to align a cross-bar with two slots.

The cap was a simple turning.

The tee handle was a bit trickier. I filed it from the solid to try to match the photo. The original cap would have been a casting.

Another job ticked off!

Looking forward to getting the wheels sorted and then getting stuck into the engine.

Steve    🙂

[Bill Coates]

Wow! Amazing attention to detail!  Well done; the details make all the difference to a good restoration (imho)

[Old Bill]

Thanks Bill. There is great joy in these details, I find. Copying from a photograph is never quite as good as having the piece in your hand but this isn't too far away. Good enough until we find an original anyway!

I have just been able to fit the copy greaser in the correct position on the underside of the steering column and I must say that I am very pleased with the result. The steering gear is now officially complete!

At long last, I can start to reassemble the engine. We took it apart at the beginning of 2019 and it has been too long hanging around us. Mind you, we have made a number of new bits. I started today by assembling the gudgeon pins into the pistons. When we took the engine apart, we found that the pins were not secured but just prevented from scraping the bores by some brass bushes pushed into their ends. These were not factory fit but a later mod. The gudgeon pins have cross-coles in their ends into which a locking bolt is screwed. This is secured in turn by a tab washer. I had previously turned up the locking bolts and filed up the tab washers so they were in stock ready to go.

With no bolt in it for years, the locking bolt holes were thoroughly gunged up and had to have the tap run through them to clean them out. 3/8" UNS again!

Locking bolt fitted and it only remains to bend the tab washer, two wings down and one up.

I also found our two new pistons. What pieces of work they were. I had forgotten how much work we had put into them but I am very pleased with them and how well they have come out.

I have had a few hours of panic, wondering where I had put the rings as I could not find them. Dad then reminded me that I had decided to re-use the originals as they are so good. I had no recollection of that at all. Old age! Interestingly, the rings are knurled on their inside faces. Has anyone seen that before? Do you know why it might have been done?

Then to fit the rods back on their journals. Fortunately for me, there is no wear and they all fit beautifully with no rattle at all so I have not even had to tighten up the shells. Mind you, the next time I do a Peerless engine, I will build a taller engine stand. This one is killing me!

All four rods back on the crank and tightened up. Dad's brand new bolts just need pinning and I can look at re-assembing the blocks. Once they are on we really will think we are getting somewhere!

The temperature has calmed down nicely today to proper working conditions so I am inspired to make some progress at last!

Steve   🙂

[7VHU]

Steve,

Knurled on inside to expand the ring? I’m sure I’ve read that somewhere. Practically steam engine workshop practice.

incredible restoration! Keep up the good work (and the story)

Peter

[IAN_B]

I have come across knurling inside rings too, but I cannot remember where - could have been on my Russell Newbury D2.

Ian

[dgrev]

Could it be some sort of die mark from a grip knurl on the machine that formed the rings?

Rather than have any function after manufacture?

[7VHU]

Not quite what I was looking for but indicative of some earlier ideas…

https://www.speed-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12903

Or hammered

https://www.americanhammered.com/heritage.html

Edited July 21, 2022 by 7VHU

[Asciidv]

7VHU your links are really interesting! It would never have crossed my mind the knurl the inside of the rings to expand them. Your first link then expands into knurling pistons to take up piston slap, with stories from old engine men. All techniques which need to be kept alive.

[radiomike7]

Was there a reason for converting the gudgeon pins to fully floating, were the small ends prone to seizing?

[Old Bill]

That has prompted some interesting comment! I guess knurling would leave the inner surface under compressive stress causing the ring to expand in diameter. An interesting approach.

Not sure about the gudgeon pins. I have seen no mention of making them fully floating in any of the literature. Our bores have suffered at some time as there is a scratch along its length caused by a moving pin. It would be interesting to know whether this was due to a failed fixing arrangement or a deliberately floating pin.

I have been back to it and managed to get the block up on the bench. It was at the limit of my strength, however! Anyway, I was able to tap the paint out of some of the holes and clean up the threads inside the valve caps before looking to grind in the valves. Our beautiful new valves fit like a dream but, unfortunately, have no way of turning them to grind them. I therefore cut a slot in each with the Dremel so that I could twist them with a screwdriver and that worked well.

Once they were seated, I looked at the ferrules which locate the springs at the end. Four proved to be unserviceable so Dad is turning up some replacements at the moment. Interestingly, they are not solid but contain a cylinder of red fibre, 7/8" dia x 3/4" long against which the locking bar sits. (see lower left). This strikes me as very odd. Can anyone think why they might be fitted? I have managed to salvage the four and will put them in the new ferrules but I really can't see what they are supposed to do.

Ready to fit so I dug out my modified valve spring compressor and tried it out.

It worked very well and I soon had the valves fitted. Isn't it nice to have the right tool for the job?

Once the spring was compressed, a little piece of bar was fitted through the end of the valve and trapped by the ferrule.

Now, the moment of truth! I oiled the bores and pistons and we tried to fit the first block.

I hung on whilst Dad lowered.

The ring compressor worked like a dream and was remarkably easy to use. Fortunately, the band I had made for the Thornycroft also fitted these pistons.

And then it was on!

I have put some nuts on the studs and will finish the job tomorrow.

The second block shouldn't take so long!

Steve  🙂

[Ex-boy]

Re the turning of valves for grinding, when I was in the trade it was done with a sucker on a stick, which is all I ever used for the job.

[Old Bill]

I have tried the sucker-on-a-stick method but I didn't get on with it very well as I just couldn't get enough torque to spin the valve against the grease. Perhaps I wasn't doing it right.

I have, however, spent the day grinding valves and one in particular. It is not very exciting so no pics. Where we have fitted a new guide, as the original was too far gone to ream, the valve is slightly off-centre to the seat so I have been grinding it in. It has proven to be a remarkably slow and tedious process so hopefully, I will complete it tomorrow. Then the second block can go on. I do hope I finish tomorrow as it is a remarkably tedious process!

Steve   🙂

[mammoth]

The difficulty with the sucker stick may have to do with the sheer weight of the valve? If the new valve guide is on a different alignment shouldn't you be using a cutter, and the grinding paste only for the final hone?

[Cel]

You could also use a drilling head clamped to the valve stem. With a drill or manually, depending on the amount of material that has to be ground away. Pressure can still be applied from the other side if needed. I did the same with a 1940's Bentley engine a few weeks ago, your valves should be easier as there is no groove for the collets. I am sure they will come out nice though!

[Old Bill]

Hi Chaps. Thanks for your thoughts. I have decided to stop the grinding and see if I can get hold of a seat cutter. This proving tricky as, at 2 1/4" diameter, my valves are a bit larger than most hobbyist's! I will have to ask around but it won't stop us fitting the engine into the chassis. My objective at the moment is to get the engine assembled enough to be fitted just as soon as the wheels return. I am desperate to reduce the pile of bits around us!

Whilst Father was turning up some new valve stem ferrules, I cut some new gaskets for the sump and fitted that.

Then the ferrules materialised. We fitted those to the valves in no short order and tried to fit the block to the crank case.

When we tried lowering the block onto the pistons, the centre distances didn't match with the pistons being closer together than the bores by 1/4". This seemed ridiculous as I am sure that the rods are straight. Anyway, we dropped the sump again, released the big ends and reversed the rods whereupon the centre distance grew by the missing quarter inch and we successfully fitted the block.

It is beginning to look engine shaped again but then we had to re-do the big ends and pin them up.

Finally we put the sump back. All is now well but there was a lot of consternation for a while and the whole exercise has taken all day!

It all looks very nice but we both have some homework before the next visit. Dad is making up a load of 1/2" UNS half-nuts to secure the blocks down and I have a load of brake adjusters to make to allow the brake drums to fit over the shoes. I also have the carburettor to look at. The carb is an absolute work of art but that will be a story for another day.

Steve   🙂

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2022 by Old Bill

[Richard Farrant]

53 minutes ago, Old Bill said:

Hi Chaps. Thanks for your thoughts. I have decided to stop the grinding and see if I can get hold of a seat cutter. This proving tricky as, at 2 1/4" diameter, my valves are a bit larger than most hobbyist's! I will have to ask around but it won't stop us fitting the engine into the chassis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Steve,

If you can borrow a Neway seat cutter, they are adjustable and make a nice cut, don't forget to check the seat angle that you need.

Here is a link so you can see what they are like. I have used these a lot in the past and very impressed with them.

http://www.fondera.co.uk/neway-range-of-valve-seat-cutters.html

regards, Richard

[Barney]

Sorry, duplicated post. 

John

 

Edited July 24, 2022 by Barney

[Barney]

Hi Steve,

In the garage we had a three way fly cutter for seats larger than the VibroCentric could do and this was sufficient for the occasional extra large seats we got. The heads were cast iron in those days so cutting a new seat was easy.

Easy to make, it just used round HSS bits held in with two grub screws so no need to cut square holes. 

Lorry looking great now.

John

[Barney]

Hi Steve again,

Some further thoughts on the three way cutter.

The mandrill was held tight in the guide by a nut on the bottom and there was a very fine thread on the top end. 

The cutter was slid into the mandrill and then a ball thrust washer and knurled nut gave the pressure to cut but only hand turned.

It was fiddly to set up so mostly only one bit actually done the cutting.

We also had a similar tool, also hand turned, for replacing burnt out inserts and for fitting new steel inserts on seats that were too deep to recut, or were too deep after recutting.

This tool only had a single cutter but came with an assortment of different size heads and it was necessary to choose one that didn't leave too much overhang on the cutter. Again, easy to use and cut brilliantly.

John

 

Edited July 24, 2022 by Barney

[Old Bill]

Thanks Richard. I am on the scrounge for one at the moment but our valves do seem to be uncommonly large!

Thanks for all of that John. Do you have any sketches so I can make one?

A quiet week but a little more progress has been made. Dad has made up the 1/2" UNS half-nuts to hold the blocks down.

I have picked up the magneto base again. You may remember that it was broken and this old aluminium just doesn't weld so I made up a pattern.

Dad has picked the casting up from the foundry although, to be honest, I don't think they were having one of their better days when they did it.

Anyway, it has machined up without a problem although I have replaced the UNS threads with UNC.

The original pivot pin was corroded on the bearing surface so I turned up a new one.

I also made up the screws to hold it down. Not worth looking for just four!

Something we found when last I was down, was that the brake linings foul the brake drums and the drum will not go over them. There are adjuster shims which sit on the actuating cams so I have made up some thinner ones. Of course, the screws are UNS again so I had to make them as well.

Just going out in the shed again. Let's see what the day will bring!

Steve   🙂