Jack Bennett

I seen one exactly like that a few years ago. But, it was neither stainless steel, nor on the window sill of a 1951 Olds 98 sedan. Actually it was only about 10” long and laying on a shelf in my friends garage. And, it was painted black and had several screws placed in holes drilled through it. Sadly, I have no idea what it was either.

If you have solid employment now, say selling Cloverleaf Salve or magazine subscriptions, go for the restoration. But, DON’T quit your day job just yet. Jack

Personally, I would not hazard my own expensive iPhone, and certainly not the wiring of my old cars. But, it would be fun to take one of the kids phones, and use the antique car that belongs to the jerk down the street, and give it a go. Worse case scenario, the phone burns up and you kid needs to start reading books again. Or, it destroys the wiring system of your neighbors car, and he stops talking to you…….win-win. Or, it works, you are happy that you can now use your phone to call Hagerty’s or AAA if you have a accident or breakdown. Bad case scenario though is that your kid starts talking again, and you find out, after all these years of silence, that you never really liked them. Jack

I reread my post and see that I made an error in stating the size of the pullers maw as being 2 5/16” when I should have said 2 15/16” to 3”. Jack

I have looked for one of these, with the 2 5/16 - 3” opening, and they seem to be non existent. If you still have any relationship with this particular puller, or know of someone who has one, I will give you my portion of a Kings ransom. Jack

Hi Tom. Thanks for the offer of the use of your puller. I will decline though since this is something I have to deal with, and, as a friend said…….”You have no need to worry yourself over this rear end of an old truck”. “If all else fails, just buy another rear end”. Of course I won’t do that because I will eventually get the hubs off, or destroy the part in the process. Jack

I can see this is a old post, and this gizmo has probably passed through Hershey a few times since then. But, this tool seems to be what I need to salvage a otherwise very expensive, and possibly the last procedure I botch in the attempt to reanimate my 1929 Fargo Express panel truck. I have spent over two hundred dollars thus far on pullers and useless spanner nuts in the attempt to remove the rear hubs from the truck. I have succeeded in stripping the threads from the hub of the left rear (wooden spoked) wheel during the failed attempt to find a nut or spanner large enough, and of the proper thread count, to screw on the hub. These pullers come in a wide variety of sizes and threads, and none but the one intended for use with the specific vehicle will work. And the hub is inaccessible from the rear, has no studs or bolt holes to be used with an arm style puller, and seems to be made of that rare material called unobtainium. Momentarily my goals of renewing the braking system on the truck are put on hold until such time I can hope to pull the hubs without irreparable damage. It appears that this puller, being so near the 3” size, as compared to the 2 5/8 and other odd sizes which simply strips off the threads and does nothing toward removing the hub, is the one I need to work on the 1929 Fargo Express 1/2 ton panel delivery. I know there is a place on the AACA forum to look for parts and tools, and I also realize I am not supposed to use this thread to obtain these parts or tools. But, this is a idle post, nearly five years old, and this puller seems to be intended for use with the Dodge trucks. The Fargo was made by the DeSoto plant in Canada, and sold for export only, but seems to be constructed of Dodge Brothers parts, and the size of this puller is comes nearer to fitting it than any other puller I can find. That said, if you still have this puller, and are willing to sell it, I am most certainly interested in buying it. Or, if you no longer have this particular tool, or are unwilling to sell it, can you help me find someone who may have one like it? Jack

More challenges in Fargo Land as I ready the brakes of the 1929 Fargo Express to stop in circumstances short of hitting a huge, stationary object. This particular truck, to my amazement, has hydraulic brakes on all four wheels. Coming off the projects of my 1927 Willys Knight, which has internal, expanding shoe, front brakes, and external, constricting rear brakes, all mechanically operated, and my 1923 Dodge Brothers roadster, which also has mechanical brakes, but only external constricting bands, on the rear, I was surprised at the level of technology invested in building the Fargo service brake system. However, all three cars have in common the way the rear drums are pressed onto axle, and a puller is (normally) required to remove them. The major difficulty in restoration of the Willys brakes was not getting the hubs off as fabrication of a puller for these hubs was fairly easy. But, fabrication of a device needed to center the front brake shoes was another lengthy project. The Dodge Brothers Roadster was a different set of issues since it only has rear expansion type brakes. But removal of the hubs still requires that the hub be removed from the axle to replace bad rusted and bent bolts and renew the spokes. This procedure would normally be accomplished using a hub puller specifically made for the rear axles of this car, and was probably available as a tool which could be bought from a Dodge Brothers dealer. However, I found that a 5 ton, three arm hub puller and a NGK bearing spanner, number 14, screws on the part of the hub, threaded for this purpose, works well too. However, the rear brake drums on the Fargo, albeit they are exactly the same sort of hub removal procedure and tools as was expected with the Willys and the roadster, have presented a set of difficulties which have been both a delay in repair of the brakes as well as giving me a real headache. The same sort of NGK bearing spanner as I used on the other two cars would seemingly work as well on the Fargo rear hubs as it did on the others, but, it appears, that the word “simple” isn’t to be found in the Fargo vernacular. McGuire bearing is a resource in getting parts for these old machines, and they have a copious quantity of NGK bearing spanner, which should easily screw onto the threads of the hub. Note how easily it is to say that when actually doing it seems to be a impossibility because the number 13 NGK spanner is a bit too small (in diameter), and the size 14 NGK spanner is too big and slops on the threads. Normally, if I can’t find something of this sort from McGuire bearing, Tacoma Screw Products can usually help by either stocking the part for sell, or give me some advice as to where else I may find it. In the case of a device to screw onto the hub of the Fargo, and allow use of a puller to remove it, neither could help. It appears the hub is cast iron, and welding lugs to it to connect to the arms of the puller seems to be a project which invites destruction of the hun as well as the wooden spokes it contains. So, I am rethinking the nature of this delay and somewhere in the quagmire comes the fact that the truck was made in Canada, which means it was probably made using metric measurements, and the NGK spanner was made in the USA, which makes it a probable SAE measurement. So, I have asked McGuire bearing to order me a size 13 spanner, in metric, rather than SAE measurement, from their warehouse in Oregon, and hopefully that will be the tool I need to finish up the rear brakes on the Fargo. Wish me luck, I’ll post how the new spanner works, when I get it, and have either removed the hubs, or consoled myself with another cold MGD. Jack

The past couple of weeks has been filled with anticipation as I get nearer the day when I can drive my 1929 Fargo Express Panel from my back yard. Very probably the way we place a value on our old car projects, as compared to that of a spanking new Denali, is something we never even consider. Too often I compare the amount of pleasure and sense of accomplishment I get from doing some simple something to my old truck to that of the pilot of the huge C-17 aircraft gliding effortlessly a few thousand feet above my head. Surely the Captain of the awesome Trident submarine, silently plying the depths of the ocean, realizes more pleasure from commanding a fearsome war machine than a 80 year old guy can get from reanimating a 95 year old panel truck or a 100 year old roadster. I can’t help but feel a certain amount of embarrassment when I think these things because it resembles a person who sneaks into a almond grove in California in hopes of going home with a nice bunch of bananas. If you visit the maintenance hangers at JBLM McChord air field, here in Tacoma, or the Naval shipyard at Bremerton, you can find the C-17 air craft, or the Trident submarine, with the pilot and the captain nowhere in sight or or sound. But, if you check their home garage you just may find them under the hood of their old collector car or taking it for a spin in the country. The immense difference is the immeasurable expanse which separates something you do as a vocation and something you do as a hobby. In my case I need not sit in the seat of the C-17 as it soars above me at 40,000 feet, nor must I don my deep sea diving gear to appreciate the enormity of the Trident, because they will both return to roost eventually, and all I need to do is walk around them to view their magnificence. On the other hand, our old machines offer us the opportunity to be our best as our responsibilities as custodians of a slice of the past is concerned. Circling back (I know this has became a overworked government phrase, but I am borrowing it, regardless) to the the first paragraph of this post, I have made a tad of progress toward the time I can call my old machine a truck again. The 1951 Dodge engine and transmission I replaced the original truck engine with has a number of differences which presents another layer of mental challenges. Keeping the panel as near to its original appearance as possible is a real challenge when it comes to repair or replacement of a part as easily identified as being modern or antique as an emergency brake operating mechanism. And this is what keeps the hobby interesting since it makes the difference between a 1929 Fargo panel emergency brake, floor mounted with a long, trigger equipped handle, and a 2024 Dodge Daytona SRT with its tiny pedal and fancy dash light. Anyway, I am at the stage of reanimating the Fargo that it can now move under its own power, and (with unabashed exuberance) I now have to repair, or replace, the parts of the panel necessary to stop it. As I mentioned some time ago, I had a couple of Dodge Brothers transmissions left over after I completed the build of my 1923 Dodge Brothers roadster, and the emergency brake set up on the 1924 vintage transmission invited conversion to fit the transmission of a 1951 Dodge Pilothouse pickup truck, installed under the hood of a 1929 Fargo Express Panel truck. Without the high registration costs associated with owning a C-17, or the parking problems one would expect if their primary means of conveyance was a Trident submarine, I achieved the same level of accomplishment when I pull the long, trigger equipped emergency brake handle I have now installed in my old truck, and it stops. Pleasure is a fleeting feeling, and gratification may be no more than a chef watching a group eat their food, but it sure feels good when a brain conspires with a 80 year old body and the results is looking at a completely flat floor board and, resting below it, is a device capable of stopping a 1/2 ton truck with little effort.

We have owned this house for over forty years. And, for the past thirty five years I mowed the grass, trimmed the trees and manicured the junipers into perfectly round columns of greenery. Then, shortly after my wife died in 2019 I had to rethink what I was doing to harm the environment and defeat what nature was trying to do to keep it pristine. Weeds, such as dandelions are edible plants and provide the makings of a popular salad for some nationalities of people. Nettles and thyme are plants which provide a source of holistic medicine and a pleasant addition to food to enhance flavor and aroma. Grass keeps down airborne irritants such as dust and mold spores, and is a excellent source of oxygen and consumer of carbon dioxide. On the other hand, my old cars leak oil and sweat rust which can contaminate the water table, and ultimately kill marine life in our coastal waters. So, the decision to increase the salinity of the atmosphere with my sweat, and increased global warming from the copious quantity of carbon dioxide I emit when working, or just work on my old cars was a no brainer. I will take a bit longer to let winter worry about the greenery I use to destroy with my smoke belching mower, but I think I can wait. 🤓 Jack

Well, I suppose my future was written to preclude ownership of a old Allis Chalmers tractor. Since the Facebook seller stopped communication immediately after I sent the text saying it would be a while before I could come to the island to pick up the tractor, but I would pay them for it as soon as they could meet me off the island, I can only presume it was a scam. They furnished me a telephone number which went to a mail box which announced it “was full” or simply kept ringing with no answer. Shortly after the seller affirmed my text message asking “am I buying your tractor” with a one word answer “yes”, the tractor was removed from Facebook marketing and the and changed to read “SOLD”. I have provided the seller with my email and telephone number, but they have never contacted me to tell me where the tractor could be picked up, or a address where I could contact them. I am without when it comes to explaining why anyone would go to so much effort to pull off a stupid scam like this. But,I can still see a bit of joy in believing they saw enough good in me that they chose another victim, or simply cancelled the ad because no such tractor ever existed. Regardless, I need the time to finish up the reanimation of “Mite”, my new 1929 Fargo Express project so the tractor may fit into the category of being “one of the best prayers is that one which was never answered”. Be careful, there are scammers who do prey on people who participate in our hobby too, and they too may want much needed attention or our personal information obtained only by phishing on Facebook. Jack

Hi JACK M………The cemetery was established in 1858 as a burial place for Masonic Brethren, their families and friends. The land was bought by the lodge in 1858, the cemetery surveyed and laid out as 24’X24’ burial plots out by lodge members, who were professionals at the trade, and then sold to those in need . Since that time the cemetery has been the resting place of those affiliated, in some way or another, with the lodge and a number of plots donated to others by the lodge. There are no paid positions associated with the cemetery and the daily, as well as the twice yearly annual, cemetery maintenance and clean up is wholly performed by lodge members, their families and friends on a volunteer basis. In my stead, I have a postage stamp sized yard at my home, and the cemetery is the sole excuse I have for keeping one, or more, antique tractors. It is a part of the hobby and using the tractor in the cemetery is equal in every way to a weekend drive in one of.my old cars. The lodge has a fund, established, and sustained, for maintenance of the cemetery by the brethren, and a $300.00 per annum allowance has been set aside for costs needed to reimburse personal expenses, I.e., gas and repair parts, incurred by those performing the maintenance. It is understood, without further explanation, that any portion of this fund which may be allotted to reimburse me for gas or maintenance of my tractor is donated to the lodge Almoners fund for redistribution to the widows of deceased lodge members. Further information regarding the cemetery can be viewed on the Findagrave website and entering Steilacoom Masonic Cemetery at Lakewood, Washington. My screen name on the site is “JLB”. Jack

Under the hood of every antique car there lurks a tractor just waiting to escape. Along with my 1923 Dodge Roadster, 1927 Willys Knight, 1951 Plymouth Cambridge, 1995 Ford F250 pickup, 1947 Cushman M-53 Airborne-civilian motor scooter and recently purchased 1929 Fargo Express Delivery, I keep a 1947 Ford 8N tractor and a 1941 Massey Ferguson brush hog. I have taken the Fargo far enough along in its slow return to being reanimated that I am looking for another project to do this summer. A huge part of my interest in old cars are their history and the level of technology when they were built. And, it is no surprise that a primary source of materials I use in my antique vehicle reanimation projects comes from Tractor Supply Company, rather than the local car parts store. As I have said, working on these old vehicles, for me anyway, a great part of the hobby is working on them most of the time, and driving them some of the time. So, my next project will be as much about driving it as working on it, and my old cars, what with registration, insurance and continuing maintenance is sort of like being a archeologist in Egypt and supporting a family in Missouri……… My sights are set on a 1957 Allis Chalmers tractor which is advertised as having “set” for several years but “should” be restorable to operational condition. Wish me luck…….The first photos are of my currently owned Ford 8N and the others are of the one I’m buying.

We had to pass through a small hamlet with streets barely wider than our M-60A1 tanks, and the houses were built with the front doors opening at the streets edge. This hamlet also had some very sharp turns, and the houses were also built to touch the strasse as it rounded the bend. It was very often that a tank driver had to move the tank within distance the gun tube touched the house, and then the tank commander rotated the turret as the tank neutral steered (under it) around the turn and proceed with the gun tube over the rear deck. It was second nature for the driver too kick the tank in the butt and move out at a higher speed when cleared to do so by the tank commander. That particular day Comrade and his Frau refused to back off and allow the tank to make a safe turn with adequate room to clear their Volkswagen, so the driver chanced it anyway. Feeling really cocky at what he thought was the successful completion of amonumentally difficult turn, having seen the VW disappear alongside the tank as it pivoted, the driver kicked it in the butt a bit harder than usual. It wasn’t until the tank leading the one which just completed the turn made the radio call, “Bravo 13-Bravo 14…….Check your rear deck…….Out”. When the tank had negotiated the turn, and Comrade had rushed forward in the VW to prevent being crushed between the brick wall of the house, and the tank’s drive sprocket, the sprocket of the tank had neatly lifted the VW. and its occupants, in a arch which must have been much higher than the tank back deck. The consequence of this was that the VW, with it two occupants, was placed upright, facing forward, on the back deck of the tank. And, other than two very shaken occupants and some damage to the metal skin of the car, all was normal. There was no UCMJ punishment issued, and the tank commander was not boarded out in disgrace. Comrade and his Frau has some photos and a story to tell their grandkids many years from now. And, we have some memories which say……Yep, we were bad, but sure liked a good laugh also. Jack

While I am not familiar with the term “flowable grease”, that in itself is not surprising. But what is surprising is the number of types of grease manufactured, the multitude of uses grease is prescribed for, and the singular word “grease” is used to describe it all. My books prescribe “steam oil” and “semi-liquid grease” for general use in my antique cars, which vary in age from 1923 to 1929. But, I have had conversations with t some highly placed individuals in the lubricant business, as well as talking to the folks at places like Meyers Old Dodge and Snyder’s regarding the purchase of “steam oil” or “semi-liquid grease” and the reply has been unanimous……..”Stick with 600W or 1500W and you can’t go wrong regardless of the age of your collectible cars. Of course only a idiot would think it’s OK to put 600W or 1500W in the transmission of my 1951 Plymouth, but, any idiot who thinks it is OK deserves to have their transmission destroyed. I personally think that the cost of a quart of 600W or 1500W has a lot to do with the tendency of “frugal” antique auto collectors to stray into untested territory regarding the type of lubricants to use in their antique gear boxes. I have heard that mixing some number of tubes of grease, mixed with some amount of 90/140 gear oil will stop the leaks from a 1923 Dodge transmission or differential. I also understand that hominy grits and a diet of ground cork will stop leaks from a perforated ulcer……….and I believe these solutions to a problem, one not so serious, and the other very serious, are both equally laughable. When in doubt stick with a time proven product and hope you outlast your 100 year old car. https://www.valvolineglobal.com/en-ksa/grease-101-different-grease-types-and-when-to-use-them/ Jack

I have always had a place in my “awe locker” for you folks who managed to make that much steel floatable. It must be wonderful to be able to find a battleship in the middle of the ocean……..and I am still having problems finding a Phillips screwdriver in my tool cabinet. Jack

😂

And your reflections regarding my reflections served in the Army are priceless. Boredom is a bugger, and a three month stay in the field, with 24 hours a day of “attack”…..”delay”……”retrograde”……..”reorganize”……….”attack”……is essentially the same thing as having biscuits and gravy, three times a day, for three consecutive months. The mod said if I wanted to go off topic, stick to my own threads……..well? Anyway, what a lot of people don’t know is that the military training exercises, like Reforger and Team Spirit brings together the armed forces of many nations to train as a single entity. And, the days I trained with the Aussies, Limey’s (and I know it may be offensive until you’ve shared a slit trench for three months), Gurkha’s, and some nationalities I didn’t even remember was a member of NATO, was a invaluable, no, I’ll go a bit further and say “precious” part of my real military training as well as some good lessons on simply being human. Thanks to you and your country for being the first to commit to service in Korea. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/07/31/national/diplomacy/korea-australia-korean-war/20230731172945165.html Jack

I have heard that corn head oil works good in bevel gear transmissions. I also recall the same person telling me to dump a quart of automatic transmission fluid in my cars crankcase to stop valve noise. I have, and will always use 600W aka semi-grease lubricant,or steam oil in my transmissions. For years I have used CV joint lubricant in my steering gear boxes, and have yet had one to leak or fail. Jack

Thanks for your service Paul. I watched the A-10 Thunder Bolts, aka the Warthog, fire the gunnery ranges in Korea. I don’t know whether or not they fired on targets you had charted, when they finished, what remained of the 12” thick battle ship iron targets placed high on the mountain side, sure made a believer out of me. Jack

No, not personally. But I remember they had some problems with gas tanks exploding during a rear end collusion. But, I suppose a semi-tractors fuel tanks would explode if hit hard enough, and the circumstances favored an explosion. I have had mucho experience with a Vega, and I bought one, with a seized engine about 1973, and I learned a whole bunch about their aluminum head and Teflon coated cylinder bore. I just chose a Pinto here because it gathered a reputation as a junky car….perhaps rightfully so if compared to a LTD or Gran Torino, but worth the money as a economy car. The Vega, well, history says it all so I will let a sleeping dog lie. Jack

Gotta remember that rocks and rust were invented several years after I took science classes in high school. But, while thinking of a similarly matured AACA member “Rusty O’Toole”, I recalled that “fe” was in some way related to the way metal acts, and I now suppose your use of fe203 must allude to the natural decomposition of steel while returning to its natural state. I must apologize on grasping the meaning of the second elemental symbol, but my bet is that it lives close to the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. (TNT) though. Jack

I’m not sure what you’re saying here so I’ll insert my own opinion of why so many old machines are removed from the sales floor in the most un-sanctimonious ways imaginable. The monetary and sentimental value of anything is often based on its rarity. And the rarity of the object is mainly determined by two things. 1. Some things, like the Pinto, the Vega and the eight track tape player were junk from the day they were invented. They are “rare” because they all died early in their existence and so few have escaped a early grave. 2. “Rare” may also describe a well made, highly desirable and much desired object. But, using the “Ming Vase” or a Samurai sword as the example, millions may have been made, and under normal use, should have lasted forever. So, as was the “two hundred mile per gallon” carburetor, the demise of the “too many” part of the items number must be artificially hastened….thus making it “rare” and “valuable”. My only example for this was to imagine everyone in the USA owning a Rolls. Royce Silver Shadow or a Porsche 911. Jack

Gee, what a good thought. And, I would think it would add to the horror if one remembers that those destroyed by the military were probably arbitrarily selected, and destroyed as found….i.e. “barn finds”. And then, if you consider that those destroyed while filming a single movie scene may have been completely restored, or were formerly of “collectible” condition, the horror becomes unbearable. Jack

Never, ever, has anyone appreciated the all engrossing exhilaration of doing an awe inspiring speed of thirty five miles per hour……until it is done on a no speed limit Autobahn in Germany. A 60 ton, M-60A1 tank, rolling on a track of rubber blocks simply was not designed with the intention of being driven, on a hard surface road, at any speed. I don’t know if “fish-tail” is a good word or a proper noun, but I do know it is a prominent part of the tankers vocabulary after a three year tour in Deutschland😱. Jack