MikeC5

I need to do this. Thanks for the reminder.

Yea that Gorilla urethane-based glue is great stuff.

It's really coming along! It is going to be so solid... What kind of glue are you using?

Not sure about Luvax shocks but I have some Monroe single acting piston hydraulic shocks with patent date of 1926. I think you nailed it with the Standard 8 being the basis for this. Do you think it was ever finished and was actually on the road?

Not be pedantic but in engineering/strength of materials - terminology, I think your example of bending the crankshaft is an example of 'elastic' bending (bending within the 'proportional' or 'elastic limit' of the material). This means no plastic deformation is occurring (i.e., no permanent bend). If the crankshaft in your example was plastically deforming for a portion of the 0.05" deflection, it could be forced back to true by pushing the other way hard enough that it will yield the opposite way just enough to end up straight again (crankshaft straightening process does this). If you take a paper clip and bend it back and forth it fatigues and breaks quickly. If, on the other hand you stay within the elastic limit of the material (no permanent bending), it will last a long time (possibly an infinite number of deflection cycles, depending on material). Generally speaking, these reverse bending cycles aren't good for the part as it can degrade the fatigue resistance properties of the alloy in the localized area where the plastic deformation occurs. I'm not sure that glass is a good example for comparison because it more closely resembles a really viscous liquid, at a molecular scale, than a solid from what I've read. As such, it 'flows' slowly due to gravity.

I have a tough time believing that the stress on a crankshaft from lying horizontal (due to its own weight) would have any measurable effect on the straightness/concentricity of the main bearing journals. Think how many multiples of stress it is subjected to in operation (with no plastic (permanent) deformation if properly designed). I'm too lazy to look it up but I'm sure creep properties of cast iron or steel at room temperature would far exceed the maximum stress from horizontal storage.

Incredible work!

So true! You have to keep up with transferring data to the latest media. I still have VHS videos of the family from 25 years ago that need to be digitized (I do still have a working VHS machine)... And there's no need to justify collecting 1st edition books.... If one questions that, think about all of the other things people collect (antique automobiles? How crazy is that!)

I have struggled with the decision to seal the tank in my Dodge. It doesn't leak but I was surprised at how much rust was in the in-line fuel filter after 2 - 3 years and not many miles (I posted photos of it a while back). I decided to try and seal it after seeing that. I have cleaned it with lacquer thinner and 2 pounds of roofing nails sloshed around, then poured out and let the tank dry. The stuff came out very rust colored. I have a decent bore scope and have examined the inside pretty closely and it appears that whatever loose rust there was is gone. I then put a gallon of Rustoleum rust remover (mostly phosphoric acid) in there with the nails and agitated the tank for a good hour. This solution came out quite dirty too and the tank is quite clean looking now. I plan to do another Rusto treatment, then rinse with hot water, add a little alcohol and shake it up to absorb any remaining water and then heat dry. At that point I'll start following the detailed instructions that come with the Bill Hirsch kit. I liked that this kit does have detailed instructions and includes a degreaser solution and etch solution prior to the sealer. The tank does have one baffle so it remains to be seen if I can get that fully covered with sealant.

Thanks for the additional tips all. I did send an email to the local historical society but am patient and do not expect them to drop everything to answer my question. I dig through some more newspapers (The Day) and did find several different brands advertised and dealers located on State St. or Bank St. which are the two principal downtown streets to this day. Ford, Maxwell, Chalmers, Cadillac, etc. quite a few by 1918. I was also looking for anything in the want ads for shops offering auto repair but haven't seen anything yet. It's fun looking through these papers from over 100 years ago.

I came across the Sanborn maps but could only find the downtown area. Thanks TG. Interesting that it shows it as a private garage. Maybe it was rented out to those wanting to store cars? It’s not a fancy neighborhood, no mansion needing an elaborate carriage house... curious....

I can’t see how there could be a down side to applying an inert coating (paint, undercoat, etc.) to slow down external corrosion. I would even consider adding a coating to the inside of the tank to prevent corrosion, such as Hirsh tank sealer, etc. With a new tank, the inside can be prepped to ideal conditions for a good bond with the sealer.

I'll go with Fred too....

True, it could have had a non auto-related original use but if re-faced it probably wouldn't have been past the twenties. There is a historical society and I do plan to contact them. It could save a lot of digging. I agree that the ornamentation seems fancier than one would expect for an auto repair shop.

Yes, but Google is a little off. The city records it as 46 Jefferson Ave. The building now used for wine cellar design firm. It won't hurt to ask if they have any idea on the history of the building. I will try the local library too. The wheels sure look like artillery wheels with tires. Were any buggies made with pneumatic tires? A telephone book from then might yield a clue...

This building is in the next town over (New London) from where I live in CT. I've been meaning to try and research what business it was originally built for but have only been able to determine it's from 1910. The artillery wheels adorning the front and the garage door-like openings, suggest it might have been a dealership or maybe an auto repair business? Although in 1910, in a small town like this, I'm not sure they would have had a dedicated auto repair shop. New London's peak was as a whaling, ship building town but by 1910 I think that was well over. Square footage is a little under 6000 sq ft, so I think it would have been large enough to house an early dealership. I tried looking at a few issues of the local newspaper archives from 1910 - 1911 but saw no obvious automobile advertising. Where else might you look?

Those gargoyles are great. I hope they get saved.

You must have a good sized lathe Matt!

I would think the rotational inertia of the flywheel would influence how quickly the engine can accelerate (how fast can rpm rise for a given input toque). It's been a long time since I studied this stuff but it seems to intuitively make sense to me. Doing a little on-line searching, I found "rotational inertia has an impact when you're power limited (in terms of engine power or braking power), but becomes non-important when you're traction limited. The reason why rotational inertia is more important for acceleration is that the average street car is power limited under acceleration and traction limited under braking. And just to be clear, lighter wheels an tires and such will still help" As for downshifting, I would think the engine would decelerate faster with a lighter flywheel which may help downshifting. Keep in mind though, the transmission on these has the layshaft disconnected in top gear and we hope the viscosity of the trans oil 'drags it along' so downshifting can happen (main shaft and layshaft gear must match speed to downshift).

This is my buddy Diesel.

Looking great!

I bent them myself. They were long straight stems and have a brass tube (I think) inside. This thread has some photos of what they look like (page down to blue wheel) https://forums.aaca.org/topic/305892-26-disc-wheel-inner-tubes/?tab=comments#comment-1708571

Good one!

Could timing chain be broken? Cam would not turn. If I remember correctly, if you remove the oil filler cap, you can see one of the rocker arms on the head. Rotate the motor and verify that the rocker moves up & down. If it doesn't move, cam is not rotating. If I'm wrong about being able to see a rocker arm, remove the distributor and rotate engine and try to look in the distributor hole with a flashlight to verify cam gear is turning.

Thanks for the details. I think I could do something like that with my MIG welder.