My 1910 Mitchell "parts car" project

[JV Puleo]

Often I have a tough time getting started on Monday morning...especially if, as was the case this week, I didn't come in on the weekend.

The drill I needed came in so I drilled and counterbored the fixture I was making to drill cotter pin holes.

 

 

 

Then threaded the end. The idea is that the unthreaded part of the bolt will just slip in and I can adjust the location of the cotter pin from the other end of the fixture.

 

 

Then I milled flats on two sides. A narrow flat on top and a wider one on the bottom.

 

 

And drilled center holes for the pin hole and a set screw.

 

 

 really should get a small vise for this drill press but, for the moment, used a C-clamp.

 

 

This technique works very well. It seems a lot of work to drill two holes but putting a hole in the center of a threaded bolt end is not as easy as it might look.

 

 

 

The fixture now goes in the appropriate drawer to be brought out the next time it's needed...and I'll appreciate the fact that I have it and don't have to make it.

Edited May 18, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I feel like I'm on something of a roll...today I fixed the pump for my friend Stuart's pool. (Stuart owns the building the shop is in so I get first crack at all those sort of repairs.) Then I decided to look at another job I've been putting out of my mind...the bearing cups in the axles. In the past I've cut these out with a torch but that's a job I really hate because it can go so terribly wrong.

 

 

Before I broke out the torch I decided to try to pry them out...something that has never worked in the past...but, lo and behold, it did this time.

 

 

This bearing is easy because my friend Mike West did the on his Mitchell chassis and made a not of the bearing that fits. But I still have to do the actual wheel bearings so I dug one of the front wheels out of my storage room.

 

 

They are in remarkably good condition... but, as you can see, this one has been apart. I got them this way and, truth to tell, haven't looked at them in probably 6 or 7 years.

 

The hub came out fairly easily but I discovered a new problem. Apparently some knucklehead tried to drill the bolts out...with a hand drill. The result was predictable. While the outside plate looks fine, the holes in the inside plate have been screwed up.

 

 

Ironically, I had another front hub but not thinking I'd ever have a use for it I gave it to a friend. Fortunately, I can fix this. I'll make some threaded steel sleeves and bush the holes. The real problem is that the holes in the wheels themselves are also buggered and I'll have to give some thought as to how to repair that. I think I can do it...and there is always the option of having new wheels made but these are so good I'd like to save them.

 

I'm off tomorrow to put the water pumps in the 1920 Cadillac. I'll find out how well they work.

[JV Puleo]

If I REALLY wanted to do something wild I'd try this...cast aluminum wheels. This ALF speedster was built by the late Dick Vincent. I saw it in NY in the late 70s and it reappeared in Rhode Island about 10 years ago, inherited by members of his family. The 12-spoke wheels were made as 4 pieces, the spokes and felloes combined, from melted down Corvair engine blocks.

 

 

[chistech]

Joe, and easy way to remove those bearing cups or outer races is to use an arc welder. Run a good bead of weld around the face of the cup not near any part of the hub and then flip the hub over. Usually a good shake or a slight bump on something will cause the race to fall right out. The bead of weld evenly shrinks the race away from the hub. An old timer showed me this when I tried to remove a blind race from the cover of a 90d gear box. There was no way to get behind it and he had me run a bead of weld around the face. When done he said to give him the cover. He looked my bead over, then turned the cover upside down, shook it, and the race fell right out! I used this technique to remove the outer races in Harley wheels on the older bikes. It scares the hell out of the owners when I grab the welder!😆
 

Wanted to add: I’ve even used a suitcase mig welder to do this but you have to run them a little hot with faster wire feed to get enough heat to be effective.

Edited May 19, 2021 by chistech (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

Thanks Ted...the only problem is that I don't have a functional welder and don't really know how to use one. All I have a VERY old stick welder that I used 2 or 3 times, not very successfully, about 40 years ago. I suppose it's one of those things I should learn  but it has so little application in brass cars that I've never thought it was worth the learning curve. I wonder if you could heat it with a torch and douse it with water to cool it rapidly? I think if I run into a problem with my motorcycles I'll just get my brother-in-law to do it. He is, by his own admission, a "farmer welder"...but this doesn't require any more than that.

[JV Puleo]

I haven't accomplished much in the last two days...I uncovered my rusty motorcycle collection. These have to be carried into the cellar (there is no room in the shop for them) and I need help with that. I suspect I'll see my brother-in-law and nephew in the next few days to to that. This is the B44 BSA...a 67 Enduro - the dirt bike. I will be taking some liberties with this and rebuilding it to look a good deal more archaic than it really is. My first bike was a B44 Shooting Star so I actually have quite a bit of experience with these though that was a long time ago and it remains to be seen what I remember.

 

 

The Norton is actually complete...

 

 

Yesterday I saw the Cadillac I rebuilt the water pumps for. This is really a very unmolested car. I suspect it was painted in the 50s, as which time someone stretched vinyl over the original seats but aside from that it has had very little done to it. It still has the original Sherman clamps on the water lines and the side curtains were under the back seat. The owner purchased the GM data card which tell us that it was painted blue with black fenders. A real surprise is that it was delivered new in Providence RI so, after travelling around the country it is back home.

 

 

Most of today was spent trying to figure out how to mount the taper attachment on my lathe. When I bought the lathe (at a printing auction about 40 years ago) I knew so little about these that I must have left part of the attachment behind...I wouldn't have recognized the missing parts. I've never really needed it, though it would have been a big help with the White water pump shaft. Now I've designed a tool for an upcoming job and I will have to turn a long internal taper so I'd best give this some thought. I won't be doing the job for some time but I'd like to have the wherewithall to do it when that time comes up.

 

 

 

It's a good thing I saved this part because it is something I can't make. I think I can make what is missing though it will be a lot of work. And...not to let the day go by without doing something on the Mitchell, I started on the brass oil reservoir for the front end that was repaired a very long time ago.

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Mike Macartney]

I am sure you will find the bikes a lot easier and quicker to restore / rebuild than the Mitchel. I'll be interested to see the work on your lathe taper attachment. In the past I was tempted to buy one for my Myford lathe, but the price of them put me off. 

[Terry Harper]

I have a taper attachment on my 13x5 Southbend. I don't use it often but when I do I really appreciate having it!

[chistech]

Seems I put a taper on stuff I’m turning without even trying!😄

[JV Puleo]

I do that too...fortunately, most car stuff is too short to make a difference or the requirement for absolute precision isn't there. You'll notice when I made the shackle bolts, that have to fit bushings, I made them out of ground stock and made heads for them. That seems like a lot of work but really isn't when you consider you get a better result. It would make a difference if you were making thousands of parts but when it's only a dozen, I'll opt for the "hard" way.

 

I did a couple of things today...I've been looking at that dome-shaped oil reservoir and thinking of a way to fix it. I threaded the two holes that had held rivets...

 

 

And then started on a fixture to hold it in the mill. I am going to bore it out and thread it oversize for another threaded sleeve but, because of the shape, I can't hold it in the lathe in any repeatable fashion. I liked the split aluminum sleeve I made to machine the tie rod ends so I'm making another to the dimension of the ball end of the reservoir.

 

 

Drilled to 1-3/8 (my largest drill)... and the boring bar set up.

 

 

I have about .030 left to go but I'd rather do the finicky fitting when I'm rested.

 

 

And while working on this my Starrett hack saw was cutting this piece of 4" angle, 1/2" thick. The neat thing about this saw is that it turns itself off so I can work on something else while it's sawing away. The piece of angle was in the building when we moved in. It was one of the reinforcements on the sides of the loading docks that were originally built for unloading rail cars. They've since been sealed up - and the tracks pulled up. I spent some time last night designing the pieces I'll need for the taper attachment. My antique machinery collecting friends have helped with suggestions and photos of other attachments and I think I can do it although I promise I will change the design before I get to the end.

 

 

I made a big engine stand out of these several years ago. Then, a good friend gave me a much better engine stand so I broke it up and leaned the angle against a wall against future need.

[JV Puleo]

I just noticed that this thread started 4 years ago yesterday.

[Terry Harper]

Joe,

 

The time has certainly gone by fast! Thank you so much for sharing your skills, knowledge and time. I have learned a ton from your work and really enjoy your posts and conversations both through the forum and via Email. Once you get this beast done you need to come up here for a tour in Northern, Maine!

 

 

[JV Puleo]

Thanks Terry...I confess that in a few instances I've gone back through this thread to see how I did something...because I'd forgotten!

Through the kind offices of one of the members here I may have another machine arriving next week...It's very exciting but we'll wait until it is in place before I share it. In the meantime I came in today to do some straightening up and pack up the accumulated motorcycle parts to go home. There simply isn't enough room in the shop for those too. But, with that in hand, I finished boring the fixture I was making and slit it.

 

 

And then pressed in the brass oil reservoir. It's a tiny bit tighter than I'd wanted but that spherical shape isn't all that precise...it's probably a casting that was polished rather than a machined part. In any case, since it did go in it will be relatively easy to machine.

 

 

I have to make a threaded insert for it...then solder it in as well as fill the two pin holes.

[JV Puleo]

One of the things I inherited from my late cousin George was these metal drawer units...a very welcome addition to the shop because I've completely lost track of what I already have. I spent half the day organizing my taps and threading gauges and the drawers proved their value at once...because a few days ago I ordered a 1-16 tap, only to discover today that I not only had one but also had the threading gauge to go with it. That is happening more and more - a combination of my "not as good as it was" memory and the sheer quantity of tooling I've accumulated. Although some people that know me might find it hard to believe, I really don't like working in a mess...I do much better work when I don't have to stop every 15-minutes to try to find something I know I have.

 

 

With that done, I went back to the oil reservoir I'm repairing, first making the threaded insert from a piece of a bushing  left from another job...and also something I found whle sorting out the bushing drawer.

 

 

I threaded it a little loose because it will have to go in easily and be soldered in place...making use the threading gauge I didn't know I had.

 

 

Then I centered it under the spindle of the mill.

 

 

And set up the boring head. The original threads weren't completely stripped but they weren't very good and I did consider just leaving them but having come this far it seemed a shame not to finish fixing it. I would not want this to jiggle loose and fall off on the road...

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[dibarlaw]

Joe:

 It seems that the eternal search for things are pervasive in our hobbies. I have a small set of 1940s Montgomery Ward metal organizers that were my grandfather's. Each time I find a missing piece from his stash I say a little prayer of thanks. Every so often I have to take a day just to reacquaint myself with the stuff I have. "There is the part I bought 2 of because I could not find it"....Of course our making a tool to make a part to make a fixture to replicate the missing or worn out mangled original auto part. Be it a 1910 Mitchel or 1925 Buicks.

 At the location of the machine we spoke of there is a nice set of similar metal drawers. I would like to have those also. But then there is that space issue again.

[JV Puleo]

I have a set of Craftsman open end wrenches that my father bought just before he got married - because his brothers told him he'd need them. Not surprisingly, he never used them. He was EXTREMELY un-mechanical but I still have them and use them nearly every day.

 

I finished boring out the "oil dome" to 1.2"" and threaded it 1-1/4-20 for the threaded sleeve at which point I ran into a problem. For some reason it wouldn't thread in easily. I really don't know why but I suspect that the tap is dull and didn't cut deep enough. I had to stop and make a 2nd threaded sleeve, this time fitting it to the actual piece. I also went out and bought two 10-32 brass screws. With the thousands of fasteners I have you'd think I'd have some, and I probably do,  but I couldn't find any.

 

 

I smeared the threads with flux and screwed the pieces in...

 

 

Then soldered everything in place.

 

 

Then I face milled the end flat.

 

 

 

The thread on the steering knuckle is 1-16 and the hole size is .9375 – exactly 15/16 so rather than bore it I plunge milled it with a 15/16 end mill.

 

 

Then threaded it.

 

 

The finished up by spinning it in the lathe with a round file up against the ends of the little screws. I didn't even try to make this invisible - that would be a lot more work and for what? It will work now – in fact, this one is probably better than the undamaged piece. It ran out so dramatically that it is obvious it was not a precision part to begin with although it is mechanically precise now.

 

 

Then, cutting some pieces of angle for a job I'll do tomorrow, a bolt broke on the saw so tomorrow I'll have to fix that as well.

[JV Puleo]

I looks as if I'm out of the old car business for two or three days. The broken bolt is behind the piece shown here - the clutch that engages and disengages the saw blade. I spent all day trying to get it out by drilling. I even used my Snap-On broken stud extractors which have worked in the past better than "easy outs" - (which are never easy). Before I ruin something it looks as if I'll have to take it apart. My real concern is that I won't be able to get the table casting in the mill but I have an idea for that as well. I think this repair is almost as challenging as Ed's water pump gear.

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I was not looking forward to completely dismantling the saw and trying to get that big casting in the mill and aligned.  In thinking about it last night I came up with another idea...a guide to center an end mill in the hole. That is what I'd be doing in the mill but the problem was how to do it in place. I started by removing a few of the parts to get access all around to the part of the casting I'm working on.

 

 

This is what I'm dealing with...out of focus but you get the point.

 

 

The threads inside the hole are 5/8-11. The minor diameter is .513 so if I can get a 1/2" end mill to go in straight I should be able to remove almost everything except the threads on the bolt. Fortunately, the bolt is broken off below the surface leaving a 5/8 hole about .200 deep. I started by making a guide with a 1/2" hole in the center and a short 5/8 projection to center it.

 

 

That fit well and I intended to make a clamp to hold it in place when I had another idea...a spring around the end mill pressing the guide in. So, I ran out to the local hardwars store and bought a couple of springs...

 

 

This is what I ended up with...and it did work although I had to shorten the guide once I'd gone in about 1/2" - then finish without the guide, using the hole I'd already milled.

 

 

I picked the remains of the bolt out of the threads as bes I could and then chased the hole with a 5/8-11 tap.

 

 

And screwed in a 3/4 shoulder bolt - which has the correct thread. This one is too long so I'll have to order one tonight but this should work. The threads are slightly damaged from the drilling but not enough to cause concern. Since the saw has been pulled out of it's spot, I'll clean it up before reassembling it. This was the first machine I overhauled - about 14 years ago when I started this shop. It had been outside in the weather for the previous 10 years so I have had it all apart but I confess I don't remember much about ow it went together. I'm sure I could figure it out but I don't think this repair would have come out any better even if I had been able to get it in the mill.

 

[Bush Mechanic]

Your Grandmother was right once again, JV.

[Luv2Wrench]

So you made a guide for using an end mill in a drill... is that legal?   I'm pretty sure you're supposed to destroy that part of the casting, then braze it back on while creating a big crack in the back of the casting that then needs to be stitched together.   Machining a guide to hold the end mill in the proper place and remove the bolt while leaving the thread serviceable seems too easy.   Congrats on extracting yourself from a very tight situation there.  Very well done.  I'll probably be stealing that idea in the future. 

[chistech]

Hey joe, what’s going on? I need my JP “post fix” real bad and nothing for a while. I’m getting the shakes and not feeling very well from all this withdrawal!😢

[JV Puleo]

Well...the saw is fixed, as of about an hour ago, so I'm back in business. Actually, I've used this down time for some very badly needed reorganization of my tooling. I'm not done, but I am making progress. In fact, I have so many bits in the works that I'm a little confused as to what to do next but with the saw working I can forget about that one for the time being. Interestingly...a friend dropped in this afternoon, another car guy but someone I know through Antique Machinery collecting. He knows a great deal more about scientific metallurgy than I do. He took one look at the broken bolt and told me it had gotten too hot when originally heat treated...of course, it lasted 100 years so I don't think I'll be complaining to the Starrett company.

 

 

I also cleaned it up a bit. This was the first machine I overhauled for my new shop. I actually bought it about 30 years ago on the front lawn of a house in Central Falls, RI. Because I eventually lost my storage it spent about 10 years outside in the weather. It was very rusty but, being made largely of cast iron, really came back well.

[JV Puleo]

6 hours ago, Luv2Wrench said:

So you made a guide for using an end mill in a drill... is that legal?   I'm pretty sure you're supposed to destroy that part of the casting, then braze it back on while creating a big crack in the back of the casting that then needs to be stitched together.   Machining a guide to hold the end mill in the proper place and remove the bolt while leaving the thread serviceable seems too easy.   Congrats on extracting yourself from a very tight situation there.  Very well done.  I'll probably be stealing that idea in the future. 

 

It was more an act of desperation. I really didn't want to completely dismantle the saw and, even if I did, I wasn't sure I could get the piece in the mill to bore it out. The problem was further complicated by the fact that the arm that pivots on that bolt has to be perfectly located to work properly so even if I could get it in the mill I wasn't sure I could locate it perfectly. I did think about drilling the hole out, reaming the hole and making a pin that would be retained by set screws...that was plan B if I ruined the threads. The whole idea of making drill guides is readily applicable to other situations and especially in car work where so often it simply isn't practical to remove the part that needs to be drilled. I've an idea for another tiny improvement in the front axle - 3/16" holes that will make it easy to knock the bearing cups out and replace them. Perhaps I'll get to that tomorrow.

Edited June 2, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I'm trying not to have the motorcycles encroach on the Mitchell project by working on them at home, though I'm pretty tired at the end of the day so at best I spend an hour or two on them. But sometimes it's unavoidable bringing the parts into the shop...as in the case with this front brake hub.

 

 

It is supposed to come apart at this point but years of laying on it's side in a fallen-down building have taken their toll. It is good and stuck so I brought it in to see if I could take it apart.

I made this little plug in the hope I could put a big puller on it and pull the backing place free of the drum.

 

 

All it did was push the bushing into the hub. But, with the bushing free I was able to lever the plate off.

 

 

And gradually get the parts out. It's only a 1967 machine so not really old - at least by my lights. I suspect it's much like working on a Model A or T - virtually every part is readily available so the tension that comes from working with impossible-to-replace parts is altogether missing. It was still a bear to dismantle though...

 

 

I had to use my 20-ton press to get the brake cam out. I have to remove and possibly replace the bearings but to do that I need the spindle and I left that at home so I put the gears back in the Mitchell rear end. This is to take measurements and plan the job. There are several things that need to be done, including putting in a drain hole for the rear axle (something Mitchell-Lewis didn't bother with.) In this case, I'm going to have to really study it carefully before acting.

 

 

And, I got the front axle and spindles ready to be sand blasted. I'm hesitating on this because I don't want them to rust after being blasted so I should paint them. To do that, I'll need to get the paint - which I haven't done. I can't spray paint in my shop and don't want to do a "rattle can" job so I'll brush paint it, which, strictly speaking is correct since that is what the original maker did.

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[mikewest]

2 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

I'm trying not to have the motorcycles encroach on the Mitchell project by working on them at home, though I'm pretty tired at the end of the day so at best I spend an hour or two on them. But sometimes it's unavoidable bringing the parts into the shop...as in the case with this front brake hub.

 

 

It is supposed to come apart at this point but years of laying on it's side in a fallen-down building have taken their toll. It is good and stuck so I brought it in to see if I could take it apart.

I made this little plug in the hope I could put a big puller on it and pull the backing place free of the drum.

 

 

All it did was push the bushing into the hub. But, with the bushing free I was able to lever the plate off.

 

 

And gradually get the parts out. It's only a 1967 machine so not really old - at least by my lights. I suspect it's much like working on a Model A or T - virtually every part is readily available so the tension that comes from working with impossible-to-replace parts is altogether missing. It was still a bear to dismantle though...

 

 

I had to use my 20-ton press to get the brake cam out. I have to remove and possibly replace the bearings but to do that I need the spindle and I left that at home so I put the gears back in the Mitchell rear end. This is to take measurements and plan the job. There are several things that need to be done, including putting in a drain hole for the rear axle (something Mitchell-Lewis didn't bother with.) In this case, I'm going to have to really study it carefully before acting.

 

 

And, I got the front axle and spindles ready to be sand blasted. I'm hesitating on this because I don't want them to ruse after being blasted so I should paint them. To do that, I'll need to get the paint - which I haven't done. I can't spray paint in my shop and don't want to do a "rattle can" job so I'll brush paint it, which, strictly speaking is correct since that is what the original maker did.

 

Joe, I was given a new gal. can of "Zink Enriched Primer" that came from a Railroad Car restoration shop that was used  on all new chassis castings. It has excellent  filling quality's as the consistently is heavier that most primers. When you sand blast that axle you'll find its full of pin size holes if its like my 1910 Mitchell.It brushes out like satin  and drys very fast!! In warm  climate its dry to the touch in 20 mins or less! It sands  well if you get a sag.  I loved it for chassis parts like springs, axles, ect as its drys fast and applies smooth .Of coarse its claim to fame is excellant rust  protection and filling qualities. Google  it! Mike 

 

[JV Puleo]

Thanks Mike...sounds like just the ticket.

[JV Puleo]

Back in the shop, I brought the front axle for the motorcycle in and knocked the bearings out. They appear to be in good shape and will not need to be replaced although I'll clean and re-grease them. Fortunately, they have an OD of 2" (a good reason why I prefer working on stuff with Imperial sizes)...so I was able to set the hub up on the lathe using an expanding arbor in the bearing seat.

 

 

As you can imagine, being able to spin it made cleaning it up much easier...

 

 

There is still some minor pitting but nothing that will keep it from working.

 

 

 

I will probably have the hub powder coated. It is going to need a new wheel laced to it because the original front wheel was literally rotted through on one side...and by that I mean about 7" of it was missing. I've never had anything powder coated so I'm wondering what the drill is. Can they mask off the areas that you don't want coating on? In any case, the backing plate is chromed and there is no way I'll pay to have that done over. I'd much rather paint or powder coat it - which is in keeping with the style I'm finishing this in. To do that I need to remove what is left of the chrome so I'm soaking it in a Muriatic acid solution...an idea I found on the internet so I've no idea if it really works or how long it is supposed to take.

 

 

With that done, I returned to the Mitchell and immediately discovered that the axle seals I'd designed can't work. My idea was an aluminum cylinder, like a cartridge, with 3 felt seals in it, slipped into the tube. I failed to notice the big rivet that holds the tube to the central casting that prevent it from going in.

 

 

Giving it a little thought, I came up with a way to turn this to my advantage. I'll make the cylinder with a groove in it to match the rivet head. That way there will be both a stop - so it can't slide down further, and it can't turn either. But, before I can make the part I need to get an accurate measurement of the ID of the tube and, to do that I want to clean it. I bought some flue brushes for this job. This is an adapter to add a long piece of 1/2" aluminum rod to the brush so it will reach.

 

 

I still need to pin the adapter to the rod but that is easy...then I'll clean the inside of the tubes. They are caked with 100-yea-old coagulated grease. I suppose it isn't really important but having gone this far I want the pieces to be as close to antiseptically clean as I can get them before I assemble it.

 

Edited June 6, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

Excellent work Joe!

 

In regards to the chrome plating. Reverse electrolysis will work as well. I try to avoid Muriatic acid. I call it the gift that keeps on giving. Any parts treated with it will rust quickly and the fumes are nasty!

 

I like to use Phosphoric acid for rust removal and metal prep. (not sure how it would work removing plating) The blackish coating it leaves behind protects the metal from surface rust and provides an excellent surface for paint. However, you have to get all the old grease, paint etc. off first.

[JV Puleo]

I can do the electrolysis thing but I'm concerned about forgetting it's in the tank and corroding it. If this doesn't work in a few days I will probably go that route. You're right, the fumes are nasty but I don't mind slow as long as it eventually gets done.

[chistech]

Starting to see some of the “ Mitchell meat and potatoes” now! Yes, they can mask areas that you don’t want powder coated. Funny, when I read about the rivet in the tube my immediate thought was to make a groove in the aluminum housing you mentioned and use it as a “key”.  The biggest issue I think would be to know if the axle is in the true center of the tube when it enters the differential but I’m sure you probably already checked that.

[JV Puleo]

The construction is such that it has to be very close, at least at the center. Because it's a full floating axle it isn't as critical at the end. There are no bearings at the end of the axle tube – the bearings are in the hub. The axles themselves have square ends. One end goes into the differential and the other is held by a "spider" and kept in place by the hub cap. The result is that the hub caps are a very important part of the system. Without them, the axles would just fall out. That's another problem I'll have to deal with. As it is, I only have 1 of the axles so I have to make one. I do have two rear hub caps but one is pretty badly battered and they are such an important part of the rear end that I may make them over incorporating some method of locking them in place.

[chistech]

I guess they couldn’t use a Mitchell for those movies with chase scenes where the cars are going around all kinds of corners losing over half a dozen hubcaps doing it!😆

[JV Puleo]

No. I'd never encountered this system before and I don't think they did the best job of it. At least there should have been some sort of lock on the caps. As it is, if you lost a rear cap the car is immobilized....the axle would literally fly out of the end of the tube. I'm thinking it needs a circular spring clip, one end of which passes through the cap and into the hub. I think I could do that very neatly so it wouldn't be obvious it was an alteration. In any case, I've got a long time to think about it.

[JV Puleo]

It is supposed to be blistering hot this weekend so I mowed early this morning and then came into the shop - which, being in a basement, is much cooler than it is outside. I made some drawings of the improved axle seal for the Mitchell last night but, when I looked, I don't have the materials to make them so once again I'm waiting on them. I also took the front forks off the BSA last night - being quite please that I figured out a way to do it as they are very rusty and everything is stuck. I dreaded trying to take them apart...but, while I won't say it was easy, I'm amazed that I managed to do it. I only damaged two parts - both of which were junk to begin with. About half of the parts are junk....you can see here how rusty the fork stanchions are. I expected that but I didn't expect to get them out whole.

 

 

I also checked on the acid bath for removing the chrome plate. It does seem to be working, albeit slowly. You can see where the chrome is blistering. At this rate, it may take a week but that's not terribly important if it works.

 

 

Despite the inevitable headaches, working on common stuff from the 60s is a breeze compared to brass cars and big classics.

Edited June 5, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

I love the (rare for me) feeling of taking something apart that is fused with rust and age without breaking it.

[JV Puleo]

I've ordered the material I need for the rear axle seals - and the parts I need for the BSA front suspension so I went back to the Mitchell rear end, starting with using my flue brush to clean the tubes...As you can see, it was needed. This is all old coagulated grease and oil and I can tell from my machine tool experience it has been there a long time and there was a lot more of it than I guessed.

 

 

 

I'll have to make a bit cleaning rod...something like you'd use to clean artillery to get the soft grease out but it is working - although it's a VERY dirty job.

 

 

Then I flipped the rear end around and tackled the brake I hadn't disassembled years ago. I left it together in case I fgorgot how it went together but I now have a pile of pictures and, more important, a good friend has just reassembled his 1910 Mitchell rear end so if I get stuck I know who I can ask.

 

 

After about an hour's fighting, I got the external band off...

 

 

And went on the the arm that controls the external band. Unfortunately, the Mitchell people used tapered pins to secure it and these are always a headache...I never use them on any part that there is a chance might have to come apart. I marked the end of the pin and pumched it for a drill and...to my surprise, it came out! This is the first tie that has happened to me.

 

 

From there, everything went down hill. I literally broke one of my pullers truing to get the damn thing off...

 

 

I may have to make something. It will come off but its not proving easy.

 

But, the Muriatic acid seems to be doing a good job removing the chrome. It's been in the bath since Saturday and I'm guessing in a couple more days it will be clean.

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[mikewest]

3 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

I've ordered the material I need for the rear axle seals - and the parts I need for the BSA front suspension so I went back to the Mitchell rear end, starting with using my flue brush to clean the tubes...As you can see, it was needed. This is all old coagulated grease and oil and I can tell from my machine tool experience it has been there a long time and there was a lot more of it than I guessed.

 

 

 

I'll have to make a bit cleaning rod...something like you'd use to clean artillery to get the soft grease out but it is working - although it's a VERY dirty job.

 

 

Then I flipped the rear end around and tackled the brake I hadn't disassembled years ago. I left it together in case I fgorgot how it went together but I now have a pile of pictures and, more important, a good friend has just reassembled his 1910 Mitchell rear end so if I get stuck I know who I can ask.

 

 

After about an hour's fighting, I got the external band off...

 

 

And went on the the arm that controls the external band. Unfortunately, the Mitchell people used tapered pins to secure it and these are always a headache...I never use them on any part that there is a chance might have to come apart. I marked the end of the pin and pumched it for a drill and...to my surprise, it came out! This is the first tie that has happened to me.

 

 

From there, everything went down hill. I literally broke one of my pullers truing to get the damn thing off...

 

 

I may have to make something. It will come off but its not proving easy.

 

But, the Muriatic acid seems to be doing a good job removing the chrome. It's been in the bath since Saturday and I'm guessing in a cule more days it will be clean.

 

Joe , Heat the base of the arm up red hot and cool it quickly  with lots of water. It will come off  with  a rubber band. 

[chistech]

Yup, blue wrench the arm off!

 

[JV Puleo]

I got it off. Unfortunately, the arm cracked right across the pin hole. A headache, but those things happen with old machines. I'll have to make a new arm - or more likely two so they match and I'm giving that some thought. The originals appear to cast malleable iron and I don't have a foundry that does that. I can send it away or do something else...but that is in the future. You can also see that this part is not in very good shape.

 

 

This is the critical part because I can't think of a good way of replicating it. I'm thinking of turning the shaft down from 3/4" to 11/16" which should clean it up and not effect strength. That would require making new arms in any case.

 

 

In taking it out, I also melted out all the Babbitt metal that was used for a bushing. This was one of Mitchell-Lewis's shortcuts. Babbitt is not a good material for a shaft that never even makes a full turn. I will replace it with a bronze bushing but that involves quite a bit more work.

 

 

Next, I pulled off the inner race of the inside wheel bearing. This was also very tight but I put it under pressure and just touched it with the torch as which point it shaped free.

 

 

I was not lucky enough to have the pin in the other arm cone out easily so I center drilled it.

 

 

Then went about half way through with a 1/8" drill. The idea is to weaken the grip on the tapered hole but not go all the way through because you then put a drift in the hole and drive it out. This is the normal – or at least most frequently used means of getting them out.

 

 

That left me with just the backing plate to remove.

 

 

It's held on by 5 rivets. To remove them I drill the center...

 

 

Then knock the head off with a cold chisel. This also works well and I suspect I'll really get good at it when I un-rivet the chassis.

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

1 hour ago, JV Puleo said:

In taking it out, I also melted out all the Babbitt metal that was used for a bushing. This was one of Mitchell-Lewis's shortcuts. Babbitt is not a good material for a shaft that never even makes a full turn. I will replace it with a bronze bushing but that involves quite a bit more work

 

Joe, I am still trying to wrap my head around that one! I can't believe that pouring babbitt was much cheaper than pressing in a bushing. They certainly had a different approach to engineering.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Terry Harper (see edit history)