HarryJ

chrysler75...I would suggest you join the WPC Club if you are not already a member. Their membership list includes members and their cars.

Friartuck...Thanks for the response. I don't have access to an infrared temperature guage, if they are available at a resonable price I wouldn't be adverse to acquiring one. Where can I find one? The fan seems to work fine. What is TSP, can I get it at my local parts house? There are no inner plates or baffles in the cooling system as far as I know.

bradsarcade....I don't know if this will apply to your situation; however, I have a later model vehicle that experienced the same problem. It turns out that the door hinge pin bushings were worn causing the door to sag. I would check to see if there is up and down looseness or play in the doors when they are open or if you lift the door when you close it it doesn't bump or collide with the latch on the post.

Jon....Chrysler used external contracting brakes thru the 1928 model year, except on the series 50 & 52 which used two wheel mechanical. I am not sure about the E-80 (Imperial).

Ric... how is the Franklin coming?

Good hearing from you Ric, Yes it works like a charm. I am still having an overheating problem with the car (see AACA tech forum)

I am still wrestling with the over haeting problem on my 1921 Studebaker Light "6". I think I have narrowed it down to a clogged radiator. When first starting the car from cold and during the warm up period there is a noticeable temperature gradient between the top of the radiator and the bottom. The surface temperature is somewhat even accross the face in the horizontal direction. As it warms up, the top half will get very hot and the bottom will be very warm (ie you can't hold your hand to the surface of the top whereas you can hold it for a few seconds on the bottom). Keep in mind this is a cellular type radiator and this test is being performed with the car sitting at idle or at high idle in the shop. I am wondering if there is a scale or gummy coating on the inner surface of the tubes that is insulating to the extent that it inhibits the heat transfer capability of the unit. I have in the process of analyzing the problem run water from my garden hose both up thru the radiator and down. There is seemingly good flow. By the way I have rebuilt the water pump, cleaned out the mud in the block, and tried to compensate for the missing thermostat by partially blocking or restricting the flow thru the upper radiator hose. The temperature continues to rise at the same rate. My question is...Has anyone encountered the phenomena and am I on the right track. I am considering having the radiator recored. Is there a scale flush that will remove any scales or gums safely?

ex98thdrill.....As to the nickel vs chrome thing; I don't believe chrome plating technology was possible prior to a certain date or model year, so he may have been using this as his basis to determine correctness. I am in full agreement with you that we need to tap (and record) this in-depth knowledge base that exsists within our club, this is vital in our quest to fulfill the mission of preserving the cars. I could sit arround the rest of my life and listen to some of you expound on how to fix a water pump, time a model "T", etc. Judging is not my thing, it's getting my hands dirty. We need to keep expanding this forum; obviously, it has had a very positive effect on the club from your comments. I'd like to see more pictures and video on this forum...say if the person with the post could post a live cam while we all comment on how to analyze and remedy the problem.

Twitch....That's a great idea!!!!! I think it would help address the question of what happened to the thrill of this site. An addition to this site that gives referals to parts and services that accumulates these referals would be a great source. I reccomended last year that we also have a technical section where parts and service manuals for early cars from the library and members could be quickly referenced be added. I know it is a big job; however, if everyone works at it over a period of time we could have a splendid reference database for those of us looking for advice and parts.

This is a great website! I only got a computer about a year ago ( still haven't learned how to operate it, but once I figure where to shovel the coal in and what steam pressure to operate at I hope to contribute more to this site) I'd like to post some pictures and videos so I can get some more of ya'll's good advice on how to maintain and restore my cars. Maybe it is time for the site to move to a new level; sorta like silent films to talkies or radio to TV. This is an excellent source for info on the history of the automobile, how to repair them, a forum for debate on issues relating to the automobile, etc. I think we need to advertize it's exsistence more to the general membership to encourage a greater participation.

tpkfarms...Try your local Oldsmobile dealer , they may know.

MrEarl....The kit looks good; however if it is the same vintage as the car or NOS pump you have the diaphragm may be dry rotted. I am sure someone out there has remanufactured kits for cars of this vintage recently; unfortunately, I can't reccomend anyone. Check out listings in Hemmings or your Buick Club newsletter. By the way you can still get Filister head screws just like those in the pump.

MrEarl.....I would not trust those old diaphragms. They have been sitting still for a long time, and when you pour gasoline on them and start flexing them I'll bet they will fail. Failure of the pump diaphragm will allow gasoline into your crankcase and will clog up your carb. If you can obtain a kit to rebuild it I would save myself more work in the future.

Big Jake....If you have the parts dipped I would wash them down thoroughly after you get them back using a good detergent and then plenty of clean water. In the past I had a gas tank chemically stripped, didn't wash it and the coating I put on inside peeled off.

TC3modena.....I would put a few teaspoons of oil in each of the cylinders and turn it over a few times prior to trying to start it; plus change the oil and make sure you are getting oil pressure before you start it. If it has been sitting for 30 years I'm pretty sure the radiator and heater hoses are dry rotted and will give out soon after you get it going. Find out why it was parked in the first place. If it was something serious you don't want to start it and cause further headaches. The carb will probably have to be rebuilt and the gas tank and feul lines are probably all gummed up with gas residue. The fuel pump diaphram is probably bad also, so when it is started and flexed it might come to pieces. Take it very slow at first when getting it back on it's feet. GOOD LUCK!

oakland....I have a period temperature guage that was installed on my '28 Lincoln when I purchased it. The guage is a mechanical (bulb and fluid) type that is installed in the upper radiator hose by boring a 5/8" hole in the hose and installing the bulb using a set of special clamping plates that are convexly curved (inside) and concavly curved (outside) and some clamping nuts. You may be able to adapt a guage by placing a metal tube in the upper hose gap in which you have milled a hole in to bolt the guage bulb in.

Cartunman.."The Standard Catalog of American Cars", does not list a Stinson automobile or even a prototype. Can you post a picture, and how does your friend figure it is a Stinson?

Friartuck...I am not very good with electrical problems; however, "Dykes Automobile an Gasoline Engine Encylopedia", has a section on Delco-Lincoln motor generators.

Indiana_Truck....To update you and other people following this project...Since my last post I have: taken a sample block to Donsco for their perusal, toured the Sloss Sheffield furnace and inquired about their casting program, sent drawings to Oscar Merrow out at Prime Pattern (see his post in the commercial section) for a quote, and talked to several people about this issue. The cost issue for small runs still stands as an obstacle. Oscar Merrow sent me a quote to produce the 1 pattern and eight core boxes necessary to produce a block for the "L" Lincoln. The quote was $12,500. This is quite reasonable for the job. By the way he sent me pictures of some of his work; he is quite a craftsman. From the talk with foundries I have had, 50 or so units could probably be cast for somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,500. This leaves the machining to be accomplished. I have not fully explored cost for this step; however I estimate it may be in the neighborhood of $10,000; bringing the total cost of the project into the vicinity of $30,000, or $600/block. This a very resonable cost if all 50 of the blocks could be liqudated within a year or two. On future runs the costs would be somewhat lower per unit due to amortization of the pattern costs and more rapid machining time due to experience gained from the first run. I am seriously considering persuing this production; however the initial cost are a load for a average guy like myself. For cars that have survived in large enough numbers this avenue is somewhat feasible; however for automobiles of which there are only a few left the cost would be unworkable unless the car was worth a substantial amount of money when restored. To answer your question I am still persuing this goal.

Sam...Just a suggestion, try your local Ford dealership. By chance they may have this on the shelf or can order it from the Ford warehouse.

I started the car three or four times today, two of which I checked the coolant temperature several times during the process watching it rise from warm engine to just boiling in a 15 to 20 minute time frame. I also watched the coolant through the radiator neck. There was some periodic bubbling noted throughout all the time it was running. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with my machinist/mechanic consultant. An interesting point was brought up in this conversation; the light six of 1921 was built with a thermostat. My car has no thermostat. Mr. Badwrench (me) figured this missing thermostat was of no consequence as I thought these gadgets were there to help improve warm up on cold days. Ric pointed out that without the partial obstruction of the thermostat the water could be circulating too fast, not providing enough time for the radiator to do it's job. Mind you I did not check the timing today.By the way the car started with just a bump of the starter whether cold or hot and ran smoothly throughout each of test runs.

THANKS!!!! I am 100% behind our troops and I'm sure everone else is.

Terry....Stude8...Thanks for the advice. A light 6 of this era has a steel tube lower radiator connection, which is held in place with two short connector hoses. This precludes collapse. When I rebuilt the water pump; the impellar was in good shape and was within tolerences relative to fitting in the pump housing. Since my original post I have not had the opportunity to check for bubbles. When I last drove the car it did boil over and shoot steam out of the overflow tube. I also intend to recheck the timing. I hope to do this work this weekend. One more question relative to this quandry. Keeping in mind this car runs a flat head six with an aluminum head; if I open the engine up, what kind of wear damage should I expect to find on the underside of the head, if any? PS...Hal that is a good suggestion about using the air pressure to check for leaks.

stude8....Thanks again, I was unaware of this exsisting condition in the cooling system. I had heard from some mechanics that bubbles at the radiator indicated a definate combustion leak.

I am presently in the process of restoring a 1928 Chrysler with a Fisher (wood frame/steel skin) body. The car was in almost parts condition when I started to restore it some twenty five years ago. The body wood was severly rotted when I obtained the car; since then I have (with the help of a master woodworker) replaced all of the wood in the body that required replacement. Wood in the doors did not require replacement; however, the glue joints have dried out causing the doors to sag and warp. What is the best way to square the doors with the body, do I have to peel the skin off and rebuild the wood work or is there a way to reset the door and glue/brace it back?