38ShortopConv.

Thanks.

I am interested in purchasing a pair of Aluminum Finned Heads manufactured by " Hogan Auck NZ" Somebody on this forum had a pair a while back. Any available?

John, now that you have repaired your sender wire and the dash gauge moves to the top when you ground it, it sounds like you just need a sender that works and is compatable to your gauge. You can test sender units in a jug of boiling water under the hood suspended from the sender wire. Of cause you need to remove them from radiator or head first and ground sender body. Don't put sender wire connection into water. Be aware of escaping radiator water when removing senders. Start with warm water coming to a boil and watch gauge rise slowly, if the sender is compatable and working. Beats running motor all the time, try not to overheat the ignition coils if both the ignition points are closed at once which they sometimes are when motor is not running with ignition switch on, could disconnect ignition wires at coils. Frequent short start ups on new LZ motors can glaze bore , then they smoke, best to drive briskly non stop for 100 miles to bed rings in, don't know how many miles yours has done .Cheers Roy

Yes your drums have been turned out to compensate for wear so the radius of the drum is larger than the radius on the brake shoes and lining. You need to have your shoes " radiused " or as the Americans say " arc ground" to match the drum curve.

John, correct! looks like a new gauge then may be a compatible sender. Good point from Colin. Roy

It looks too big to fit between motor and inner fender panel as an engine mud pan, the humpy bit could go under your hot air heater I suppose but the fixing holes don't seem to be in the right place. Are you sure you took it out of your 37 LZ. Have you got all your floor panels back in yet?

I have only worked on 1938 LZs. your 1936/37 looks similar except for the twin cables. Soft linings are best , bite in easier, less pedal pressure needed. Linings should be radiused [arc ground] to fit curve of drum and shoes centralized by adjusting large nut and eccentric stud on outside of backing plate. Refer to service bulletin. Weakest spring on leading shoe to come on first then stronger spring on secondary shoe follows pulling shoes in direction of rotation to tighten into drum. Red, green black shoe springs clockwise seems to ring a bell? Cables may need to pull in straighter line, looks like that rear backing plate could be revolved clockwise to next set of bolt holes to give cables a straighter pull. Colin will know all this , Cheers

John If you can get access to the dash temperature gauge terminals you should have 6 volts at the gauge terminal with the ignition switch on. [The dash gauges should be fed directly from the ignition switch, not the ignition resistor bank ] If you ground the other terminal at the gauge the dash gauge needle should rise to the top. Don't leave it on more than a few seconds. Do all this with the sender wire disconnected at the sender end, isolated from ground . If the dash gauge is working after these tests ground the sender wire at the sender end, if the gauge still works then the sender is not compatable with the gauge. If you have the ignition switch on for any length of time while testing its best to disconnect the two ignition coil wires at the coil to avoid the coils overheating and draining the battery especially if the radio is on. Could overload ignition switch as well in this situation and cause early ignition. switch failure. Cheers Roy

It looks like those two ignition coil wires are conected to the capacitors. This will short the battery voltage to ground thru the points. The wires need to be terminated under the knurled nuts. The dropping resistors could be connected at the knuuled nuts in this [engine out of car] "start up" situation.

If the oil is coming out the split pin hole in the bell housing it could be passing thru the rear main bearing. No amount of sealer on the cork gasket or elsewhere will stop the oil leak if it is. Oil could intermittently pass thru the rear main bearing due to a number of reasons, worn bearing, high crankcase pressure, blocked or missing drain pipe from rear main, high oil level, slogging up hills, worn modified seal etc. Just my brainstorming.

John, Someone has been messing in there. The wiring at the resistor block looks pretty right to me except that heavy brown wire [ its a live feed, red arrow] should be reconnected to that empty [live] terminal on the black relay. The taped wire [red arrow] on the resistor strap should stay , it comes from one side of the ignition switch. The other side of ignition switch should connect to the live terminal on that black overload cutout relay with the heavy brown wire you need to relocate. The ignition power supply should not go thru black relay. Relay controls lighting not ignition. Bear in mind the relay could be faulty [open circuited], . The two red wires should each go to a coil connection. Do you know any tame auto electricians?

An old fashion speedo repair shop should have them, they crimp on. Had a complete speedo cable made up about a year ago for the Columbia, about 10 feet long, it had two of those fittings on the outer sheath, one at each end.

Sounds OK to me

John, my humble opinion, disregarding originality, on a rebuilt motor {no fumes} you could use "either", "neither", or" both" as long as you use a breather cap{ not sealed} on the oil filler tube. When using the air cleaner vent tube system the inlet manifold gasket may need a vent hole punched out below the vent tube. I have found some gaskets don't have that hole. Roy

That looks like a hot air heater to me, I have one on my 38 convert. coupe, nice cosy warmth.

Hi Shirley ,Best post this decade, this will help a lot of viewers. I met you and your husband on the way to Phoenix Arizona for the LZ Convention in 2001? I was with Jerry E in his 40 Continental, you in your 39 LZ Coupe. Roy NZ.

John, LZ. hydraulic lifter oil gallery layout is rather complex and confusing particularly if you are not familiar with the layout. Its taken me over 20 years to sort of understand it. But that's another story. Your problem was mainly oil filters, I think thats sorted now. I lost track whether you had solid lifters or not. Roy

John, motor looks great, if you had a LZ. factory oil filter you could bolt it on the left head, that's where they sit and steel pipe it up with flare nuts to bell housing before you put motor in, you will be glad you did, easier than when in car. Bottom pipe from filter to lower hole of three on left bell housing, feeds lifter oil gallery. Side pipe on filter to one of 2 feed outlets higher on bell housing. Oil pressure sender unit also connects there. You could use a Tee fitting and plug 2nd hole. Somebody may provide a diagram. I dont have that skill. U/ joint, has bolt up center, Just pack with grease, fit bell cups and bolt on clamshell, grease nipple to bottom as Larry says. Roy

John, you could check if your hydraulic motor still has hydraulic lifters or been changed to solid lifters. On 36/ 37 LZ motors the oil filter return pipe is routed to the pan tray. The supply pipe is connected to one of the two oil supply holes on top left of bell housing.[ The filter is only a bypass filter not a full flow filter]. On hydraulic lifter motors[ from 38] the filter return pipe is connected to a third hole on bell housing [lower left below two supply holes] this delivers filtered oil to the hydraulic lifter oil gallery.[ The 36/37 motors don't have this third lower hole only the two top holes.] When a hydraulic motor is converted to solid lifters the hydraulic lifter oil gallery is blocked by the solid lifter [no oil groove] at the rear lifter left and right side so there is no oil circulating from the filter. It would just stagnate. Don't panic! The bearings are still receiving oil direct from pump. But its unfiltered. You could plug that bell housing third hole up and direct return pipe to sump as per 36/37 motor or run a oil pipe from rear metering valve cap to front oil pressure valve cap, this would direct filtered oil to cam gear and in turn to rest of motor. With hydraulic lifters fitted oil travels to cam gear via hydraulic oil gallery anyway as per factory. To add to confusion Early 38 motors don't have that third hole just metering valve inside so oil filter would return to pan.

No. the axle dose not pull out thru the brake shoes from the center spline like some vehicles do. You need to remove the left axle housing then both axles and ring gear assembly can be drawn out of right housing. Of cause you will need to pull both hubs and remove left radius rod 3 inch? bolt from drive shaft housing.

Dave , removing cluster panel is easier I find on my 38 if you remove a glove box , right one, use a light and mirror and socket to locate the cluster nuts. Enjoy the trip. Roy.

Possibly part of the problem here could be due to constant running, 900 miles each way prolonged running on 70 year old windings., heat build up breaking down old insulation, creating a high current short circuit.

Thanks Zephyrdave Wow, Art Deco dash, continuation on a theme, extended center consul , ash trays become a/c outlets, still running a Lincoln motor. I'm almost tempted to succumb to a swap for my 38 original conv. coupe, then you would have two original LZ. yer right.

Zephyrdave, The Conv. looks like the "Longtop" model 760B from that angle with the back seat? a Club Convertible you could say. Looks great, nice touches. Is that windshield lower? Can you show us more? Please.

Talking about cars to die for. As we know the 38 Short top LZ 760 is a convertible coupe not a Club Conv.coupe. It doesn't have a back seat, neither does a steel top coupe. That leaves the conv. with a medium length turret, [top]. The steel "coupe" turret is shorter and gives it a slightly longer trunk image. The club conv. coupe turret is the longest giving it a shorter trunk The turret length and shape on the conv. is what gives it those beautiful soft well balanced proportional lines, combined with the rounded fenders and non protruding rounded " hood" front. The 3 passenger convertible coupe must rank as one of the most prettiest LZ. ever built. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course. I have owned one since 1996, but I'm not biased!! Larry, I did meet you at the 2000 St Louis LZ. meet, it was very brief. Years ago when we took a couple out for dinner we had a 38 LZ sedan as well so we went in that, lots of room. I should also mention I have bolted a separate seat and back in the parcel space of my 38 conv. coupe, very little leg room but the grandkids love it. When I can work out how to send pictures of my car I may do.