hddennis

Thanks Terry, it's a 1917 so it's a completely different beast than the early ones, more akin to a Model T Ford engine. Please share your oil pan bolt sealing tricks as I believe that is my main problem. Howard Dennis

Thanks for the vote of confidence but my asking shows how frustrated I actually am. Howard Dennis

Bernie, funny you should post this image. I have this picture on a period post card and believe the guy on the far left is Eddie Rickenbacker who drove for Maxwell. Howard Dennis

Thanks Dave, I've been hoping this thing would clear up for a long time now and purchased a large drip pan from local auto parts store. Pretty sure as stated above the synthetic oil opened pathways and if I can ever get it all cleaned out and using sealers I "should" be able to stop it. I think the most leakage is through the pan bolts which are drilled into the crankcase and oil spray hits the ends when it's running. Wish I could sue Shell for all this unnecessary aggravation. Howard Dennis

I have to respond to several responses: Overfilled? I didn't work for over half a century on motors without knowing enough to NOT overfill a motor especially when it has a cork float gauge on the side of the block! Synthetic oil was sold to me as non detergent in mislabeled bottles, I didn't choose to use synthetic intentionally. My 1917 Maxwell has survived just fine on a diet of non detergent oil for over a hundred years and I see no reason to change now especially on a car used very little in controlled environments with frequent oil changes. Howard Dennis

Thanks Bernie, that half century of engine rebuilding I mentioned was mainly done on antique motors and after an early experience with a Model A motor that sat for 50 years and had the oils acids pinhole the dipper trays, that is one of the first things I look for. This is a very clean bare metal pan and the leaks seem to be going through the pipe threads on the drain plug, between the block, pan and gasket as well as through the pan bolts. Basically anywhere that damn synthetic oil touched the 30w follows. Howard Dennis

I need some guidance on something I've never had to deal with before, persistent oil leaks! When I got ready to fire up my Maxwell for the first time I filled it with 30W non detergent from Shell and when I came out to the garage the next morning my newly assembled motor was leaking like a sieve. Online research revealed I'd been sold mislabeled synthetic oil which is known to leak in older motors. I've disassembled it twice and cleaned and made new cork gaskets and refilled with non detergent oil all to no avail. I'm about to add detector dye and see if I can pinpoint the exact points of leakage and do something I've NEVER done in over half a century of motor rebuilding and that's to slather it up with sealer to try and stop this annoying problem. Does anyone have a leak proof sealer they can recommend that has always worked for them. Don't care if it's one of the old time sealers or something space age designed specifically to stop this crappy synthetic oil from ruining my restoration, garage floor and marriage!! Howard Dennis

Can someone move this to the proper "For Sale" section so it gets more views? Howard Dennis

Found 3 more pictures, best I can do. Howard Dennis

Took me awhile to find a picture and really hoped for a better one but until I do this will have to do. The bolt holds a stamped metal arch that reads "empty" & "Full". There is a stamped pointer clamped onto a rod coming through the oil pan that has a cork float on it's end. Howard Dennis

Allen, send me price, pictures and contact details and I will contact my friend whose car needed this. Howard Dennis

Various Antique Car Parts for sale this week: https://www.ebay.com/sch/ddennis/m.html?item=123181276542&rmvSB=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 Howard Dennis

Anyone need an early Hudson radiator emblem for their restoration? https://www.ebay.com/itm/1910s-1920s-Hudson-Automobile-Cloisonne-Radiator-Emblem/123145370836?hash=item1cac093cd4:g:gmsAAOSw4Q5a-Q-w Howard Dennis

Anyone need an early Chrysler emblem for their restoration? https://www.ebay.com/itm/123145072706?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649 Howard Dennis

Anyone need a Chrysler or Hudson Emblem for their restoration? https://www.ebay.com/itm/123145072706?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649 Howard Dennis

I decided to find this switch this morning since my photos aren't clear enough to show what this could be. I've either thrown it out or misplaced it so I looked online hoping to find one like it. This Connecticut switch is the closest I could find. It is listed as having a removable key/lever and that answers my own question as to why it had such an odd lever. My switch (from memory) had a hot center terminal that the lever snapped on to and at the top of the switch body 2 and maybe 3 positions that the power could be transmitted to. I'm curious if anyone has or has seen a similar switch. My car/truck by serial number should have been equipped with the very new Atwater-Kent coil distributor battery ignition. But, my chassis was sold without a body and was meant for commercial use as a delivery and Maxwell at the time 1917 and on into 1921 lists magneto ignition as standard on trucks. Since my chassis is the only known survivor of this program found so far I'm trying to determine if that odd switch on my dash might indicate it came originally with magneto ignition if that is what that switch is for. Howard Dennis

I think this whole post somehow went south. I'm looking for possible reasons and purposes for the switch shown in the first picture. The second and third pictures show the restored dash for my car and the fact that it had a functioning headlight and ignition switch to answer the first response. I removed the original blind rivets to restore the dash and after these pictures were taken I filled in the holes and it now looks totally original. My car Is a "late" 1917. Howard Dennis

The dash panel has a switch that is a combination headlight switch with the keyed center turning the ignition on and off. Howard Dennis

Probably should have done this years ago but I was just going over old photos and noticed a switch on my Maxwell's dash when I first took possession of it 11 years ago. It had been a parts car and was a basket case so at the time there was no wiring for me to check out its function. It is pictured just to the left of the hole for the dash panel. Is it just an accessory switch or would it signify being used to switch from battery to magneto ignition? According to serial number my car would have been one of the first to switch from magneto Ignition to the more modern Atwater-Kent coil and distributor but I have found several items that either were custom ordered or did not follow the norm so I can't be 100% sure it didn't have the earlier magneto. Just curious if anyone knows why the switch may have been used. Howard Dennis

I didn't want to post this here because I was positive it had nothing to do with a Maxwell : Howard Dennis

https://www.ebay.com/sch/ddennis/m.html?item=123131364816&rmvSB=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 Check other items as well. Howard Dennis

Thanks Layden, I knew someone on here would recognize parts of this so called prototype! Howard Dennis

Anyone recognize what this chassis started life as? https://www.ebay.com/itm/173315206115?ul_noapp=true Howard Dennis

jpage, Thanks for the response and source. It may help a future searcher. I ordered some brass cast reproduction triples from Lang's Antique Auto Parts. They were so tall I couldn't stretch my canvas over them no matter how hard I tried. Since I just barely missed fastening what I had I decided since nothing else would work maybe I could flatten my existing fasteners. I placed the canvas on a steel block and smashed them. It may have shortened the life of this canvas but for the time being I'm able to fasten two pieces of canvas on the same double fastener. Thanks also to all the other responders with sources for fasteners. Howard Dennis

Thanks Guys, that was my guess also but was hoping someone could come up with proof we are right. Funny you should ask my body style, I guess you would call it open as it was sold new with NO body! Howard Dennis