My 1910 Mitchell "parts car" project

[JV Puleo]

First thing today I put this piece of bronze bar in the saw to cut a piece for the bushing I'll make.

 

 

Bronze is slow sawing...in fact, it's generally tough to work with compared to steel. That's why them make "free machining" brass but, of course, that isn't appropriate for this purpose. While that was working, I seated the second cap screw in the ring. Both are now well below the surface.

 

 

I then dismantled the fixture. The truth is, I find it hard to believe I pulled this repair off and have to keep going back to look at it!

 

 

The piece of bronze went into the lathe to be drilled and reamed. It doesn't drill well as the metal heats up and grabs the drill. People who do this a lot use specially ground drills and coolant but that's too much complication for my one-man shop.

 

 

After getting the drill stuck twice, I decided to finish the hole by boring. It bores pretty well and, in this case. I don't have to hit the size perfectly as all I want is to be able to ream it.

 

 

Which went well...taking it out only about .010.

 

 

I tried it on the pinion just to make sure it fit and then put it on an expanding mandrel to turn it down, first to the flange diameter of 1.5".

 

 

I'll finish this on Monday as tomorrow I have a roof to repair.

 

 

[1912Staver]

Thats a very crafty repair !  A first class example of outside of the box thinking. 

[JV Puleo]

My roof repair job took a lot less time than I expected so I came in to finish the special bushing, here turned down to 1.25". It is too long on both ends so I can fit it to the ring.

 

 

I tried it in the ring and it fit. It is a slip fit because it has to come out and go in several times and a thousandth or two extra play may compensate for any misalignment. I'll Locktite it in place when I'm sure it is right.

 

 

Next I used the rusty shaft collar as a holding fixture to take the flange down to .200.

 

 

Then turned it around and did the other side. The overall length is 1" so when I had the shaft collar down to .800 I would be there.

 

 

The finished bushing.

 

 

Tried in the ring again to make certain the measurements were correct.

 

 

All that remains is to try attaching the torque tube with the pinion in place. I'm not sure I can do that alone since it's heavy and awkward  to handle so I may need to dragoon a friend...

Edited December 4, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[edinmass]

In reference to the casting repair. The accomplishment of fixing the impossible, and fixing what half a dozen others have given up on is just pure joy for any craftsman. I seem to have fewer victories like that now……….basket cases and exploded machinery with no other options just don’t pass through my hands very often anymore. Last week for the first time in several years I made a mistake in the shop. What’s worse was it occurred from two things…….lack of patience and lack of attention. Fortunately the mistake can be fixed………but the fact that it occurred pisses me off to no end.

 

I’m impressed at you solution and your skill set making that repair. There are very few people who could have accomplished it. Very well done. And three thumbs up. 👍👍👍

[JV Puleo]

Thanks Ed. Of course, the real test is tomorrow when I do the test assembly but I am reasonably confident it will go together. If not...I have a "plan B".

 

I wouldn't regret not having to have done this but my financial situation precludes my owning any of the cars I'd really like best. Literally the only option available was to buy something that needed efforts well beyond the skills (or pocketbook) of most. The fact is, no in their right mind would do something like this otherwise, especially to a mediocre car like the Mitchell. Mike West asked me how much I thought this rear axle rebuild would cost...and I guessed about $10,000 if someone was paying shop rates to have it done and even then it would be nearly impossible to find anyone willing to try. I may well have spent close to $500 on tools and materials.

 

I can think of several cars I knew in the past, in completely worn out condition, that should have had a job like this done but in a collecting world that values cosmetics far more than mechanics even one of those was beyond my means.

 

By the way...could you PM me the contact information for Frank Casey? I'm at the point where I need to get that one minor crack fixed. Fortunately, he's only about 40 minutes from me up Rt. 146 so I can easily deliver it. I need it done right and don't feel the need to teach myself another new skill. Do I need an introduction?

 

Cheers,

 

Joe P

[edinmass]

JOe, I will give you a ring today. Need to talk about that shaft that has been hanging around for 8 months. Best, Ed

[Walt G]

15 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

in a collecting world that values cosmetics far more than mechanics

No truer words were ever spoken . This is not a put down for those of you who hold a high degree for a fine finish in a luster that would not have been seen when the cars were new. More important to make something look good then spend the time and $ on making it work correctly. I love a well presented machine - car , truck, bus, tractor, steam traction engine but have spent to many decades and pleasurable hours behind the wheel of a pre WWII era machine to ever say that looks are more important to me then motoring down a road in any kind of weather .  No, I do not attend concours , know why they exist - especially the ones that are there to raise ton$ of ca$h  for what are deemed worthy causes. but it is just not my thing. 

[JV Puleo]

Well...I tried it first thing today and it fit...

 

 

But as happens so often, solving one problem just exposed another. The holes that attach the torque tube to the differential don't line up at all. In fact, they appear to be exactly 1/2 a revolution out. I confess I missed that...so I took a look at the original differential.

 

 

And the hole are in exactly the same place. As I'm sure I mentioned, this was someone's project car. Given the amount of dirt on everything I never questioned that the torque tube went with the differential but it appears that it didn't.

 

 

The top hole on the tube is exactly in the middle of that on the housing! I also couldn't get the tube to slide in all the way but thought I'd better drop in the ring gear and see how that fit.

 

 

Not well...and it took me some time to decide out what was blocking it from slipping in. It turned out to be the flanged bushing which was hung up on a burr on the pinion. I took the bushing out and tried it again.

 

 

That was much better but the pinion still doesn't move forward enough. I am guessing (since I've never seen one of these properly assembled) that the original bearing was recessed into the holding ring. I made mine flush with the front of the broken casting but I may have not allowed enough room for adjustment. This may not be a critical problem since the flange is .200 thick. I think I will reduce the width of the flange and the face of the ring by .100. I'm just glad I didn't Locktite these things in!

 

 

The problem with the holes remains. My first idea was to drill new ones and plug the ones that are there...not easy to do accurately but certainly doable. Then I discovered that the improved casting has two additional reinforcing ribs exactly where two two of the holes would have to go...

 

 

I'm not rushing into this...it is clearly something that needs serious thought. I'm sure there is a fix but I want to be certain where I'm going before I start. One possible solution is to make an intermediate ring about 3/8 to 1/2" thick that would bolt to the housing and that the torque tube could bolt to. The drawback is that it would move the tube forward. On this car, the transmission is attached to the torque tube and swings in a pair of trunnions, all mounted on a cross member. The cross member is quite flimsy and I am considering making a better one. The worst problem is that the pinion adjuster would have to be about 1/2" longer and I'd have to do that again too...of course, it would then come out better but I'm not enthusiastic about doing things over if I can avoid it.

 

I took a lot of pictures before I disassembled the car so I'm going to have a look at those tonight and give this a lot more thought before I jump in.

 

This car is, indeed, what Ed calls "floor sweepings"!

[JV Puleo]

I pays not to rush into things. I now have a plan. It's a great deal simpler than my original ideas and doesn't involve lengthening the torque tube.

[chistech]

14 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

I'm just glad I didn't Locktite these things in!

Joe, when I rewood a car like the one I’m currently working on, I normally never glue any of the framework until the frame is completed, the sheet metal, doors, and hinges fitted just to make sure everything is correct. I do screw it together but not with ll the screws and I use smaller screws so if something is off, I can rework the screw. Of course, I broke my own rule on this Olds and glued the golf bag door framing together as it seemed perfect. Sure enough, it came back to bite me when I figured out one tenon angle was made just off enough to give the door the wrong curve!😡 When I explain my wood building techniques to customers, I often see it in their faces when I tell them that I completely build the frame, fit the sheet metal, fit the doors, and fit any other parts that are required. Then once happy, all metal is removed, the wood all comes completely apart, then glue is added to all joints, it’s reassembled, and then screwed tightly together. Then it gets its wood preservative applied before the sheet metal goes back on. I know they’re thinking “cha Ching” but there’s no other way to do it correctly and those of us who do this stuff know that. Trying to make a customer or others with no idea is a different story. I hear often,”isn’t that labor intensive?” Yes, yes it is! Being methodical and cautious in this restoration game always ends up saving time in the big scheme of things and we know that. But again, try to explain it to someone else that thinks restoration work is like changing spark plugs or an oil change!

As always Joe, your work is superb and your thread is the first one I go to when I turn on my iPad.

Edited December 6, 2022 by chistech
Spelling (see edit history)

[Walt G]

45 minutes ago, chistech said:

Being methodical and cautious in this restoration game always ends up saving time in the big scheme of things and we know that.

My sincerest gratitude to Joe and Chris for sharing all they know in a manner we can comprehend easily . In the early 1970s I restored a custom bodied car made in 1930 for the 1931 NY and Chicago custom body salons. I went through much of what they are and have gone through but on a much lesser scale so far as machining new parts. I did this restoration with the help of people , who like they are, knew their craft and were highly skilled - a machinist and a wood worker.  I recall the pins that held the shutters for the front shell on my car had worn and new ones had to be made , nearly 40 of them, they were 3/4 of an inch long and both ends were not the same. Machine one end, then flip it over and machine the other end. I used a stainless steel rod that was great and given to me from a friend who worked in aviation. It was not "free machining" so had hard spots in it so we couldn't "go faster" to create any of it. The first one to see how we had to make it took over and hour and a half. The rest took about 40-45 minutes each. I would show up  at my friends home who had the lathe we worked on at 7 - 7:30 each night and leave by 11 pm; this is after working all day from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Yes it takes a lot of patience and determination that most never even thought they could muster to do an accurate and worthy job. Now 50 years later I sometimes wonder where I got the energy from but my determination to do things has not changed ( yes I am a stubborn old coot) .

Once again thank you Joe and Chris for the education and taking the time to share your knowledge.

Walt

[JV Puleo]

I accomplished quite a bit today, starting by taking the flange on the pinion bushing down by .100.

 

 

Then doing the same thing with the ring that holds it. I think this is far enough but if I have to take more off I do have the room although I may have to make another bushing.

 

 

 

I also put it back with the alignment fixture to make sure it was ok...which it was although just a shade tighter than before I took it out.

 

 

 

I have to drill and thread 5 holes in the flange on the housing and they have to align with the holes in the torque tube. To do that, I'm using the alignment fixture I used for the boring...why make another one when I know this one is perfectly centered.

 

 

I will have to drill 14 holes in this. Seven align with the threaded hoes already there while the others will be guides for the new holes although I'll only drill 5 holes in the flange. For this I needed my indexing head. Fourteen does not divide evenly into 360 so using the rotary table was a non-starter. First, I drilled a 1/4" hole through a 3/8-16 bolt.

 

 

Then used that with a 1/4" transfer punch to mark the center of 5 of the holes. It's very difficult to measure the radius of a hole circle when there is an odd number of holes so this an empirical method of getting the right circle.

 

 

I also had to change the indexing plate ... something I've only done once or twice before.

 

 

The marks from the transfer punch allowed me not only to set the radius but to check that I'd set the arms on the dividing head correctly. I use this so seldom that every time I do I have to relearn how it works!

 

 

It did work fine and I ended the day by setting up the next step.

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

11 hours ago, chistech said:

I know they’re thinking “cha Ching” but there’s no other way to do it correctly

So true! I learned this the hard way building a set of half doors (wood frame around a metal panel)  for a truck cab. I measured, cut and dry assembled - was very pleased. Since the truck was several hours away I skipped a fit-up and did the final assembly. When I finally hung the doors I found out that I had absent mindedly taken measurements from only one door opening - not both. As it turned out the angle iron frame of the cab on one side had been pushed out of wack (being a dump truck that shouldn't have been a surprise) so one door opening is a parallelogram.... the doors are in storage reminding me of the error of my ways every time I walk by.

[edinmass]

That dividing head sure looks familiar! 😎

[JV Puleo]

Not the same. This one is about half the size of the head I used to make the White gear. For the gear, I needed one that could be gear driven so it would rotate the part while it was being milled. This one just works manually. The bigger head is perfect for making gears so I leave this one with a chuck on it for jobs like this.

[1912Staver]

Do you have enough parts to do a mock assembly of the rear end , springs and gearbox housing ?  Now that you know that the torque tube is probably from a slightly different year or model Mitchell , you might want to confirm it is the correct length. Wheelbases often vary from model to model back in the early teens. 

[JV Puleo]

I do but the car was more or less "assembled" when it arrived. The torque tube was in place (although it must not have been bolted) and the transmission was attached to it and the yoke it hangs from so I'm certain the tube is, at least, the right length.

 

I did make a lot of progress today, starting with the fixture to drill the new holes. I put in 7 holes around the outside edge (every other one of the 14 center holes) matching the size to the holes in the torque tube.

 

 

It bolted in place perfectly.

 

 

Then I drilled out the remaining 7 holes to 5/16" - the drill size for a 3/-16 bolt. This picture shows my technique for centering the holes. The center drill puts in a tapered hole. I use this pointed piece to find the hole and apply pressure against the table. Then I tighten the clamps. I've fond this to be quite effective as it's much easier to drill the holes on the drill press than in the mill.

 

 

With the 7 holes drilled, I bolted it back in place. Since I work along I didn't get any pictures of the drilling. It's tough to hold the camera and do that at the same time. But, the holes were started with a center drill that fit the drilled hole. Then I used a short _stub drill_ or "screw machine drill' to go through the housing. That type of drill bit only has a cutting depth of about 1/2" so it fits tightly in the guide hole without egg-shaping it. As I drilled the new holes I checked them with a 5/16"  cap screw.

 

 

I had intended to drill 5 holes and use the bottom hole in the housing. To do that, I would have to add a hole to the flange on the torque tube. When I looked, the torque tube has a rib in that place...

 

 

Fortunately, the holes in the fixture showed me that they are not in perfect alignment with the two additional ribs on the housing...they are close but they do not hit. So, I elected to drill all 7 of the holes.

 

 

 

You can see that here...

 

 

To thread the holes I reworked the drilling fixture I made for the backing plates. No matter how hard you try, its virtually impossible to drill a perfectly straight hole by hand so using this fixture allows you to correct a small amount of angle with the thread...especially a course thread like this one.

 

 

When that was done I had to see if it went together and, to my relief, it did.

 

 

From the other side...

 

 

I'm going to get some grub screws to plug the original holes. These bolts are, of course, too long but they are what I had at hand. Tomorrow I'll put the ring gear back and see what further adjustments I need to make there. It may be ok now but it's best to be certain.

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[edinmass]

I call that job….well done! 👍

[JV Puleo]

More fussing with the rear end today. I started by dropping in the ring gear to see if I could get a reasonable adjustment.

 

 

 

I was able to move the pinion forward enough to get full contact on the ring gear but, as you can see, there is very little (or no) room between the face of the bushing holder and the retaining nut on the pinion. To address this P took the bushing holder off and put it back in the lathe. I don't have much room to work with as I would prefer not to hit the counterbores for the attaching screws. To deepen the hole I used this 1-1/2" counterbore.

 

 

I'm not sure what these were originally used for but it cuts quite slowly. In this case, that was an advantage because I was able to pull it back and check how close I was coming to the screw holes. This took quite a while but was worth the effort. Ultimately I went another .050 deeper.

 

 

Then I returned the bushing holder to the housing. You can see how much I've reduced the thickness...at this point, .150.

 

 

There are a few threads showing above the retaining nut on the pinion and those were hitting the bushing and not allowing to go in to the full depth so I put a deep chamfer on the leading edge.

 

 

Then flipped it around and took off another .050.

 

 

I then put the torque tube back in but without the bushing. There are now about .040 between the face of the retaining nut and the face of the bushing holder.

 

 

To check the bushing, I slipped it in from the back. It went in but it binds slightly depending on how it's rotated. That is not surprising as getting this many separate parts to line up perfectly is probably impossible. The fact that it went in at all tells me that it is VERY close.

 

 

Last up today, I wanted to see how the torque tube cover with it's lock to keep the pinion adjuster from moving fit. I had thought that I might have to make this over if it was too far out. In fact, it fit just about perfectly.

 

 

Tomorrow I'll put the ring gear back in and see if I can get an even finer adjustment. I also called Frank Casey about the crack in the housing and he'll get back to me next week when a few of the jobs in his ship have left and he has room.

[mikewest]

Joe, The torque tub on your car is entirely different then on my model S.  Or maybe it just looks different because I didn't have the Sheetmetal cover over the top to keep the road crap out??  Mine has a spool that adjusts in or out and a lock that retains it.

[JV Puleo]

I'm not surprised. It also doesn't look anything like the one illustrated in the owner's manual. I am pretty sure that the manual was created before the design had been finalized...for instance, the illustration of the engine doesn't even have the intake manifold or carburetor in it and the specs it lists for the valves are just wrong. I don't think it is far fetched to say they must have had big problems with this car. The design was only used for two years, '10 and '11, before it was completely redone.

 

I started today by putting the ring gear back with the bushing in place.

 

 

 

This was entirely satisfactory. The gears rotate without any binding. The bushing is a slip fit in its holder so if it was binding it would rotate. That didn't happen so it appears this part, at least, is done.

 

I then went on to the caps that hold the bearings in place. I don't have the caps from this housing so I'm using those from the original housing. Nominally they should be the same as, as you'll see, they aren't. These have to be clamped down so that they press the bearing in place and hold it tight. For this to work properly, the important feature is the arc of the cap being centered perfectly over the bearing. That, at least, is fine. When I clamped one down with c-clamps, it held the bearing just as planned. The problem is the with of the cap...which in both cases is short...

 

 

 

And the holes for the attaching bolts, which don't come anywhere near lining up with the threaded holes in the housing.

 

 

I have to give this more thought before I act but I will probably plug the threaded holes and drill new ones. I'm not sure how I'll deal with the width of the cap but I think if I make a flat ring, 1/8" thick and solder it to the cap I should be fine. I'll also add a thin paper gasket to keep it from spewing heavy oil...It's making the ring that poses a problem. I have to think of how to do that.

 

In any case, at about this point Frank Casey called to say that a space had opened up in his shop and could I deliver the housing tomorrow?  Of course, I agreed so I loaded the housing in my truck so I could just leave from home. I won't do anything with the caps until I have the housing back. But, since it was only about 3pm I had to do something so I made the four 1/2-12 lock nuts I'll need for the attaching bolts.

 

 

 

1/2-12 is not a thread you can find any more but I want to use the original thick-head bolts. I do have both taps and dies for this size. It does seem like a lot of time for something so simple but that is part-and-parcel with this sort of work.

Edited December 10, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I had a thoroughly enjoyable visit with Frank Casey, the metal stitching man. He magnafulxed the housing and discovered that the crack went further than we could see with the naked eye as well as finding another crack. It pays to go to the right person...even if I could master the technique there is no way to compensate for long experience.

[edinmass]

2 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

I had a thoroughly enjoyable visit with Frank Casey, the metal stitching man. He magnafulxed the housing and discovered that the crack went further than we could see with the naked eye as well as finding another crack. It pays to go to the right person...even if I could master the technique there is no way to compensate for long experience.

Franks place is always like that……..you have more crack than you expected! That giant Magna flux machine is something out of science fiction. The whole neighborhood browns out when he turns it on. 

[JV Puleo]

While I am waiting for the crack repair I'll have to keep busy. I'm reluctant to work on the caps that retain the bearings in the differential until I have it back...I could but it's prudent to have it at hand so I can check measurements. I lucked out though in that I found an ebay seller of steel rings...I ordered three and they will save my hours of machining time...for $27. In the meantime, I'm making a stand I dreamed up to hold the wheels while I paint them. It's very simple...two rollers set about 20" apart that the rim can sit on and allow me to access all the portions I want to paint without touching anything. I started by cutting two more pieces of my rusty bar. It would be easier to use aluminum but I have quite a lot of this bar and it didn't cost anything.

 

 

Drilled and reamed to 5/8"

 

 

And turned down to 2".

 

 

I'll go on with this tomorrow.

[JV Puleo]

Today I finished up the rollers for the wheel fixture...

 

 

The wheels are the type with two reversible rings so they can accommodate both clincher and straight-side tires. The roller is designed so that the 1/4" section on the left fits in the groove and the projection on the rear side of the wheel falls into the reduced portion at the right. That way, the wheel will rotate on it's rim. I should be able to paint the entire wheel without touching the edges at all...at least that's the plan!

 

 

I won't need this for some time, which is just as good because I realized there is a some material I need that I thought I had...but didn't.

But, Frank called. The cracks are repaired and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow morning so I'll be back on the rear end caps tomorrow.

[Gary_Ash]

I had to drive the 36 miles to Woonsocket, RI today to deliver a casting pattern to the foundry next door to Joe's shop, so I stopped in for a visit with Joe.  He's always an accommodating host.  I got to see all the Mitchell parts which are in progress and his collection of large machines.  I got a photo of Joe, must have missed his smile by milliseconds as he is usually smiling, but here he is in his natural environment, just pensive.

 

  

[JV Puleo]

An interesting and productive day...

Gary's visit was a treat. It's always nice to have friends drop in, especially when its someone who actually understands what I'm doing! Before Gary arrived, I turned about .040 off the faces of these grub screws. These will plug the extra holes in the front of the differential housing. I asked Frank Casey what he'd use to hold them tight so tomorrow I'll mix up some Devcon plastic steel and glue them in.

 

 

After Gary left, I went up to Frank's place to retrieve the housing. This is a really brilliant repair, something I could not have done. In fact, I would never have found the second crack. Generally I've had poor luck with "done out" work but this is a sterling exception. If that isn't enough, the price, $90, was a lot cheaper than furnace welding would have been and there is no chance of anything warping. I'm entirely pleased with this...thanks for the introduction Ed!

 

 

It was still only 3PM when I got back (Frank is only about 40 minutes from me) so I tried the grub screws in the holes. The aluminum plate is to ensure they will not go in too far.

 

 

I also took a pile of measurements of the caps and the saddles where the bearings go. I can already see that this part of the job will require more careful thought but with the cracks out of the way, I'm relaxed enough to take it on. I'll do all the measurements again tomorrow just to make sure I've got them right but, so far, things are looking good.

Edited December 15, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[chistech]

When Frank stitched a 35 chevy block for me, the “one” crack we thought it had ended up being two also. When he was done, you had to look really hard to see the repair. Nice when a outside repair is done the way it should be. 

[JV Puleo]

And I expect your past experience sending things out isn't much different from mine...yes, it's really a comfort to e able to take something to a real pro.

 

I was at loose ends today after all the progress I made yesterday. I'm reasonably confident that I can clamp the new bearing in place with the caps but something is niggling me that I should not be relying on friction to hole them. With that in mind, I put the ring gear back in. It is pushed up against the pinion so there is no clearance.

 

 

The pinion adjuster is 16 TPI and there are 10 holes in the radius. That means that by moving it 1 hole I should be able to advance or retract the pinion .00625...6-1/4 thousandths. The location of the ring gear has to be very close to correct because it mates with the pinion so if I can secure everything in this position it should be within easy adjustment range.

 

However, on the left there is 1/2" of space between the face of the casting and the back edge of the bearing.

 

 

Ideally, I would like to modify the cap so that this space it taken up and the bearing can't slide outward. This is further complicated by the seal...there is plenty of room for it but the diameter is slightly less than 3.1". The diameter of the bearings is 3.25 which only allows a lip of .075. That may be enough to accomplish what I want but I want to be absolutely certain before I modify the caps. I only get one bite at this apple because I only have one set of caps. Tonight I'll make a drawings to check the measurements...I am not going to rush this despite the fact that I'd like to see it done.

 

While I was thinking about it, I painted the ends of the axle housing. All I'm really in need of is painting the inside surfaces, which don't show when it's assembled, but they weren't painted originally and this space was full of rust. It's clear the chassis was painted after it was fully assembled...in fact, I'm pretty sure the whole car was painted after it was assembled because the chassis wasn't painted where sheet metal covered it.

 

 

I also reamed out the bolt holes in the caps to 5/8". They were .540 to give clearance for a 1/2" bolt. I will need to use these to hold the drill guide when I redrill the attachment holes. When done, I will bush them down to 1/2" and perhaps ream them a little to get the clearance back but if it comes out as accurate as I hope, that won't be needed.

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I've ordered several more bit, most of which won't arrive until Monday so I started the day with very little to work on. I did make this nut...actually, it the head of the plug for the rear axle. I'll make that in two pieces because I'm incorporating a magnet and it will be much easier to attach that if the head isn't on the bolt.

 

 

Then I went back to the rear axle. A problem I have is calculating the exact width of the projections I'll incorporate into the caps to position the new bearings. The arrangement of the parts makes it difficult to use the measuring tools I have. So, I tried doing it empirically...and that worked surprisingly well. I used two lathe tools...one 1/2" square and the other 5/16" square. I have quite a few of these and like them because they are ground to size and thus very accurate. As you can see, the distance between the face of the axle housing and the back end of the bearing on the driver's side is 1/2", On the passenger side, it's 5/16". With these in place the adjustment of the ring & pinion is just about perfect.

 

 

Then I went to check the mail and thankfully, something did come in. This is one of the rings I bought on ebay. It has a nominal ID of 3.25" and is 1/4" thick. I need it to slip down on the bearing. The rings are water jet cut so the inside and outside surfaces are fairly rough.

 

 

Something this size would be very difficult to make without also making a bunch of special fixtures but I was able to center it in the 4-jaw chuck...not too precisely but good enough for this purpose.

 

 

I then polished the inside surface using little bits of sand paper and emery. That probably took two hours. You can't remove very much metal with emery paper but at least you also can't go too far. By the time I got the inside surface polished, it fit.

 

 

It goes on the driver's side and is intended to keep the aluminum sleeve centered on the bearing.

 

 

It's actually very slightly too thick...about .250 when it needs to be about .225. Tomorrow I'll surface grind it which will also give it a very smooth surface so that if it rotates it won't gall the ring gear housing.

 

I'm now down to the final, fussy fitting of the parts and, so far, they seem to be going together well. As much as I try to plan these things in advance it often happens that new issues crop up and/or I get a new idea for an improvement so I can't say I planned this part...I didn't. It is all finding solutions on the fly.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I surface ground the spacer ring, both to decrease the thickness and to give it a smooth surface.

 

 

Then tried it. I may have to reduce it another .010 but I think it would be best to test fit it first and I can't do that until I finish the modification to the cap. It's frustrating waiting for materials but I'm resolved not to get ahead of myself.

 

 

And just because I like things to look finished, I polished the OD of the ring. It has nothing to do with function but it looks better.

 

[JV Puleo]

There are times when I wish I could stop thinking about this project...

I came in today thinking I'd make more of the domed bolts I made for the engine to attach the torque tube and the cover but discovered I didn't have enough of the 9/16" hex stock I need. Then I got to thinking about the caps that hold the bearings in the rear end. The modification I'd planned was to make a piece that has in inside diameter of 3.1" so it would fit over the lip on the seals and stop the bearing from moving back. The problem with that is that I'd only have about .075 bearing on the back end of the bearing. If I could make it 3", to match the tube without the lip. it would be a lot better. So I took one of the seals apart and slipped it into the tube.

 

 

Although you can't really see it here, the tube is counterbored. If I could fit a new top to the seal that fit tight inside the counterbore I could dispense with the pressed steel cover I made. So, I turned a piece (actually, one of the fixtures I'd made when I made the wheel bearing sleeves) to fit the counterbore.

 

 

So far, so good. The bigger problem is drilling holes in it to match the seal. I do not want to do these over a 4th time but if I can make a cover that fits I can use the pieces I have. This took quite a while to set up because, try as I may, nothing is absolutely perfect.

 

 

The piece of aluminum is a little more than 1/2" thick while finished it should be about 3/8". I set a stop on the drill press spindle so I could only go in 1/2" and drilled it.

 

 

Then put it back in the lathe to reduce the thickness from the other side...theoretically exposing the holes. I don't know if it will fit but it will be close.

 

 

If this works it should actually be better than the original design because the seal is perfectly centered on the tube.

Edited December 18, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

This has worked quite well...I trimmed it to size and tried the screws in the holes, all of which fit without any problem.

 

 

Then counterbored for the heads of the socket head cap screws.

 

 

 

And tried it in the axle. I'm not going to seat them yet. They are a press fit and it would be pointless to push them in and out more than needed.

 

 

The second one took a little longer because I had a lot more metal to remove to get the piece down to size but this is a good example of reusing one of my "one time only" fixtures as a part.

 

 

That one fit even better...

 

[Walt G]

Joe, thank you for the on going education. You explain things so well that it is not totally complicated to comprehend. The photography is excellent and makes things clear as to what you are trying to ( and do) accomplish.

Walt

[JV Puleo]

I got nearly nothing done on the car yesterday. I was sidetracked by helping a friend with a problem at his house...one that I had real reservations about being able to do. In fact, we did the entire job in about 4 or 5 hours. Sometimes it works out like that...the things you think are a problem aren't and the things that should be easy aren't either.

 

Today I worked on odds and ends starting with the drain plug for the differential. I counterbored a piece of 1/2-20 threaded rod to take a rare earth magnet 3/8" in diameter.

 

 

 

Then I glued it in with Locktite. I had wanted to put a bolt through the center as well but had some problems with that. In any case, I doubt it can come loose but I may revisit this at some point in the future. I also attached the head with Locktite and turned it down to size.

 

 

The magnet sits well below the surface so is it does pick up any metal filings they will be held out of reach of the ring gear.

 

 

Then I made 3 guides for the holes I'll have to redrill and tap to hold the caps down. they are all 9/16" OD, one at 5/16 (for the center drill and the pilot hole) one at letter size Z (the tap size of 1/2-12) and one at 1/2" for the tap.

 

 

The one for the tap was the most interesting because a 1/2" tap will not pass easily through a 1/2" hole. I drilled the piece of rod and then took it out with an adjustable reamer.

 

 

Until the tap slipped in. This way the holes should be both straight and on center.

 

[Luv2Wrench]

Love the guides, that's a super tip I'm sure I'll be using soon!

[JV Puleo]

Today I was still partly hung up waiting for materials so I spent the morning making this tool to insert 2" pipe plugs for a friend. I'm sure there is a real tool for this but I don't have one and don't know where to get one.

 

 

Then back to the ear axle...these will be 1/2-12 threaded plugs that fill the holes I'll have to redrill. I'll put them coated with Devcon plastic steel...very good stuff similar to JB Weld but about 10 times more expensive. In theory, I could just use it to fill the holes but I'll never overcome my skepticism of holes threaded in what is, essentially, plastic. I might mix some powered iron with the Devcon as well.

 

 

The long end gets threaded. The short end is just there to hold it in the collet and will be cut off after the threading.

 

 

And at the end of the day some of the bits I've been waiting for arrived so I won't be held up much longer. Most importantly, this piece 1-3/8" 4140PH steel to make an axle. I only have one of the axles. The one I have to make is shorter so I'll have to calculate its actual length. This is a full floating rear axle so these carry none of the weight of the car and, as such, are quite a bit simpler than the live axle Dandy Dave is making for an EMF. I have to put 1" square ends on it but even that is demanding because they have to be quite accurate or they will cause excessive wear in the part they mate with.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

This morning I set the lathe up for threading and put the 1/2-12 thread on the plugs. The threading fixture I use is not suitable for coarse threads so I went in about 4/5 of the way with a threading tool and finished the piece with a die. In fact, the rod I used threaded poorly. I did order the right stuff but when it came it was .014 oversize and wouldn't fit in the collet. I used a piece of mystery metal I had on hand since as long as the threads are good these will never come out.

 

 

The die gave me a reasonably smooth thread.

 

 

I then tried it in the housing. They are a little loose, something I attribute to either the original tap being slightly big or wear and corrosion in the hole. In this case it may be a blessing because it will leave room for the Devcon I'll coat the threads with.

 

 

Then, of course, I had three more to make.

 

 

Then I sawed off the stub ends.

 

 

And put them back in the lathe to face off.

 

 

It's a lot of work for 4 threaded plugs but it's important that these threaded holes be accurate and tight.

 

Edited December 23, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

Next, I'm going to fit the caps that hold the ring gear bearings in place. To do this, I'll have to trim them down and replace one end with a modified piece that conforms to the OD of the cap but protrudes in about 1/4" to keep the bearings from moving. For this I bought two steel rings, 4-1/2" OD and 2" ID, 1/2" thick. The first step was turning the OD just enough to true them up and eliminate the water cutting marks. The actual dimension is not all that important as long as it's within .050. The real problem was holding them but in this case, with the jaws on the chuck reversed, I was able to center the piece and have enough "free space" on the OD to turn them without hitting the chuck. Another problem is the material. This is A36 steel, usually used in construction. It welds very well but it's a bear to machine. I ended up turning the OD in back gears to get a relatively smooth surface.

 

 

 

That worked well...here are the two finished pieces.

 

 

In order to bore these out to 3" I have to be able to put them in the chuck with space behind them since the hole in the chuck is only 2". To do this I made some "spacer rings". These are actually pieces I bought as I was developing this piece. They are a mistake as they are only 1/4" thick and I eventually decided I needed a much thicker piece. It's lucky I had them though because they are perfect for this job. In this case, I had to position them in the chuck so that I had free space behind them. I did that with two pieces of 1/8" aluminum.

 

 

 

These need to be turned down to something slightly less than the OD of the first pieces because we want the chuck to hold the work piece and not be bearing on the spacers. I used three of them so that the work piece would protrude 1/4" and allow me to indicate it.

 

 

It was then bored out to 3". In this case, I found that I got a better surface by running the lathe fast, something I rarely do but it worked well here.

 

 

The two cap ends...one of these will be used at about this thickness. The other will have to be reduced to about 5/16" but all of this is a "fitting" job so I will have to complete one side before I start on the other.

 

 

 

 

 

[JV Puleo]

The next step was to cut one of the rings in half...actually not quite because you have to compensate for the width of the saw to the top piece is larger than the bottom piece...which isn't needed in any case.

 

 

Trying it on the housing. It seems just right. The ID here is exactly 1/2" less than the OD of the saddle. The aluminum sleeve around the bearings is 1/8". It will fit behind the bearings so that they can't move IF, for some reason, the cap (clamped down on them) failed to hold them tight enough.

 

 

I tried the cap...you can see how it is now much too long.

 

 

Then removed the cap and tried the ring gear. Pushed up against the stop created by the ring it fits just about perfectly.

 

 

To mill the cap down I used a fly cutter. This is slow but does a superior job, especially on cast iron. You can see how much out of square the original cap is.

 

 

I had to remove more than .100 in order to get it flat.

 

 

In order to get it short enough for the new ring to fit I removed all of the enlarged end.

 

 

And again tried it in the housing. It fit just about perfectly. You can also see that the holes for the bolts, while they are off, aren't off by much. Next I will make a fixture so I can solder the new ring to the cap. Solder should be fine for this. It isn't under any stress and will never get hot.

 

 

I'm doing these one at the time because it's impossible for me to calculate all of the dimensions ahead of time. In this case, with the ring and ring gear in place I checked the other side...and found it is actually a bit bigger than I'd originally thought. The piece of ground stock inserted between the bearing and the housing is .360 thick.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)