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Franklin Speedster Build


MikeDeFelice

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1930 franklin Speedster in Build Stage. 3 Side Draft Webers, Lowered Suspension and Chopped Narrowed Cowl. Packard Wheels and Hubcaps. 1910 Stanley Steamer Lights, New exhaust Manifold. Brake, Clutch and gas pedals. New Exhaust with Powder Coat. Started motor today (Sept 19) for the 1st time, It runs (POORLY) and needs some additional tuning.Found out Valve Timing was wrong and firing order was wrong. Fixed those problems. Strange for a motor that was supposed to be running. Now I find the Starter Drive is junk. Someone tried to weld it and it is no good. Looking for a starter drive so I can back to sorting this Motor out.I have the starter drive problem resolved but now the starter is dragging copper on the armature. It was working ok before I had to resolder the stud on the field coils and replace the starter drive. trying to figure out if the starter is binding or something. It appears to be turning the motor over without a problem but is arcing badly on all brushes. Received a second starter from a Franklin Friend. Starter problem resolved and now the Distributor has a problem. replaced Points,Cond, rotor and Dist Cap. Now I find out the Dist Housing is worn. No bushings so we bored the dist and made oil lite bushing. Motor seems to run OK.Now it is time to try and sort out those 3 Webers.New Grille with Air Cooled Script and Faux Hand Fuel Pump. Still trying to figure out how to run on Rubber Exhaust Extension. Maybe it will be Summer when I can go outside???New Headlights with Dillion Lens and Crank hole in the Grille. Pics of new Windshield and Wing Windowbelow/down. Can only post 20 pics on a Post. Another piece of junk on the motor. The generator was no good. Fixed the generator ,brushes, bushing and a cutout. Had a learning experience with the Weber Carbs. originally made the new manifolds parallel to the old ones. Machined manifold to get 5 degrees up on the Carbs and made a significant positive impression on the idling of the motor. Went to the Franklin Trek for 2 days and had a great time and a bunch of super nice people. Motor is leaking oil from lots of places. I was told that is what keeps the outside clean. I hope to make it through the summer before getting serious about fixing the leaks. Well a new problem. Clutch pedal went to the floor. Why not assume the clutch is no good like everything else. Clutch had no facing on one side and the throw out bearing cage was broken and the bearing locked up. I Ordered a bearing from NAPA and it was the wrong one. I bought an adapter and the right bearing from Mike and had the disk repaired. I put the clutch in and realized that it would not release. Removed the clutch again and found out the new lining was slightly off center and to big. I tried it in the flywheel originally but did not have the pilot tool in it. It was rubbing on the inside of the flywheel. I put the disk in the lathe and removed a small amount of material from the outer edge. I put the clutch in and every thing seemed to be ok. The next day I drove up to Seneca lake for Labor Day. $325 for gas to show my new toy. I backed out of the trailer and the clutch pedal went to the floor. The Throwout Bearing unscrewed and was loose. I was able to reach in the inspection hole and thread the bearing back in. I drove the car back in the trailer and that was it until I came home and remove the clutch again and tightened the bearing. I still haven't figured out why it came loose.

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Edited by MikeDeFelice
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I haven't tried to run the motor w or w/o the Webers. That maybe the next big Project. Everything else has been a project. Steering Box, Brakes, Cowl Mods, Lowering Chassis and Motor. No plans for mods to the motor just hoping it will run ok with the new Carbs. Working on the Gas Tank, Bucket seats and Linkage for the Carbs

Mike

Edited by MikeDeFelice (see edit history)
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Thanks. Very interesting. I'm assembling a '12 Franklin speedster and wonder if that would work on a wooden frame. I'm thinking of lowering everything by a few inches. Please keep us informed of your progress.

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Mike, it's been a few years since I lived in New York but I seem to recall their Motor Vehicle Inspections don't allow copper brake lines even when original equipment. Might pay to check before you invest more labor. Howard Dennis

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  • 5 weeks later...

Dwight, Thanks for the Comments. Axles are 1930 Franklin. The Packard wheels will bolt up. The Hubcaps will not thread on the Franklin Hub. We made threaded adapters to fit the Franklin Hub and then cut the threads off the Caps and machined the Packard Hubcap and pressed the adapter into the cap.

Mike

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Mike,

Thanks for the information.

The axles looked like they "grew" there but I didn't know Franklin had hydraulic brakes that early.

As a side note, please consider installing seat belts. I discovered they are particularly important in speedsters.

Some friends on the Model T form were recently ejected from their speedster onto the road during a low speed front end collission. Both survived, but the wife spent a long time in the hospital with a broken pelvis, shoulder and fractured skull. In a similar accident with a speedster a few years ago, the wife didn't make it.

Keep up the great work (and the pics),

Dwight

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you get a chance, I'd like to see a picture of your motor mounts. Looks like you did some nice work on adjusting the engine height.

With the 1930 engine and a light speedster body, you are going to have a fast car.

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Googled the rules: [GREAT RACE only] Vehicle entries must have been manufactured in 1969 or earlier and shall be as defined in Part IX. A Hot Rod or Muscle Car that because of its power train, suspension, equipment, or other modifications would be considered a post-1969 vehicle for purposes of applying an age factor may be accepted for entry on an individual review basis based on Great Race’s determination that it complies with the spirit of encouraging the participation of vehicles whose body styles are 1969 and earlier.

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post-89954-14314216495_thumb.jpgThe rear mounts I just lowered on the Chassis. The front mount I replaced with a straight angle and attached it to the frame with 3 inch channel. Lowering the motor in the chassis provides lots of opportunity for problems. Clearance on the pan and drag link. hand brake linkage, Clutch and Brake Pedals are not in the right place and had to lower the floor. Still trying to sort things out. Will try to get some pics when I have better access to the mounts.

Mike

Edited by MikeDeFelice
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  • 1 month later...
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Tom, Can you tell me what temperature I should expect to measure about 6 inches from the exhaust port after engine has been running at idle. I have some cylinders around 260F and some around 450F. Trying to sort out the engine. found out that the Cam timing is off so I need to fix that first.

Thanks Mike

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That is one impressive motor. Don't see many Air cooled Speedsters.

Do you know what the engine specs are?

Yes on the Seatbelts, this is what I have selected for the Speedster I am building now. Just give some serious thought as to what you are attaching them too. Even in a relatively slow speed collision, the forward momentum in the human body is several times its weight.

I think in a Speedster these are perfect. http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/am4point.html

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  • 3 months later...
Guest Hudson33

Hi great job Good luck on recovery program,

I like the comment on black and red seat belt. Not sure how to attach the upper support or just go with lap belt. Any ideas??. I rode in a Reo many years ago and am still remember wondering how far I would have gone thru the windshield in a collision!!!

Fred

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