My 1910 Mitchell "parts car" project

[JV Puleo 1,874]

With the inlet side of the pump in place I drilled a center hole.

 

 

Then went through with a 3/4" drill.

 

 

And set up the boring head.

 

 

Bored out to 1-1/4"

 

 

The last step was to mill a flat.

 

 

I've discovered I have a fitment problem I will have to give some thought to so I'll be making more drawings tonight. Tomorrow I may made the threading gauge I need and thread the outlet tube.

[JV Puleo 1,874]

Not much today... I made the threading gauge for 15/16-20 so tomorrow I'll probably be able to thread and install the water outlet tube. I may even mill the off-enter middle of the pump.

 

 

 

It's not very exciting but still an integral part of the job.

[JV Puleo 1,874]

I threaded the water outlet tube this morning.

 

 

 

I also threaded the other end where it will attach to the water tubes. All the threading has to be done before it's in place because there is no way to do it later. With that done, I pressed the mandrel out with my arbor press. I like this press, especially as the base is made from an old railroad switch.

 

 

Here's the finished piece... except that it didn't readily fit. I'd hardly have believed it if you told me yesterday but it took the rest of the day to fit it. A major part of the problem was that the tolerances are very close and the piece is very fragile. If I got it stuck half way in there is no good way to remove it so it was a long and fussy job.

 

 

But, it did go in. the knurled brass piece is there to hold it while screwing it in. It's so tight now that I have to wait for the thread locker to set up before I can get it off but overall I'm pleased with it. Tomorrow I'll bore the center and this part should be just about finished.

 

Edited September 2 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Mike Macartney 786]

12 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

I'd hardly have believed it if you told me yesterday but it tool the rest of the day to fit it.

 

I would! Also, it looks as if your spell checker has become dyslectic like mine!

 

Thanks for showing your Arbour press. I don't think I have seen it in your photos before.

[JV Puleo 1,874]

The center of the pump centered under the spindle of the mill. Once centered it was moved .125 off center. This will give me a 1/4" gap between the impeller and the output side.

 

 

I've bored about as far as I dare. I may have created a small leak because the bored hole extends up far enouth to catch the relief at the end of the threads. There's no way to tell if that is the case without testing it but if I did create a leak I'll clean out the slot from the inside and put some Devcon aluminum putty in it. It's not perfect but it should work just fine.

 

 

With the o-ring seal in place...

 

[JV Puleo 1,874]

This bar is going to be the water inlet tube. One of the problems I discovered with the first pump is that I failed to take into consideration the distance between the sub-frame and the inlet tube. As a result, the fittings I'd made didn't fit - or would only fit if I canted the pump. It is actually quite a problem because the inlet radiator hose should line up with the radiator and the pump. Never having seen the car assembled I don't know how it was originally done but I took some measurements and it looks as if the hose has to be about an inch below the sub-frame. That created a big problem if the tube from the pump has to project below the sub=frame. I think I've worked out a solution but it involved designing right-angle fittings. These pictures aren't going to make much sense until I'm further along an can show the entire thing.

 

 

The tube is about 5-1/2" long and the quill on my lathe doesn't extend that far. To get a hole through the entire piece I carefully indicated it and drilled it out 1/14 undersize from each end.

 

 

Then reamed it to 1". The reamer couldn't go all the way through but by indicating it carefully I was able to get the two hole to line up. I then turned one end down to 1-1/4" to fit into the pump and with a small flange separating the ends, turned the other end to the same dimension.

 

 

I'm putting another flange on the very end of the tube so I made that first our of another piece from my
used fixtures" pile.

 

 

Here it is threaded onto the holding fixture.

 

 

Now I need to thread the end of the tube, put the flange on and turn it down to 2".

 

 

As I said, none of this makes much sense yet but it will as I finish the other parts. When this threading is done I should be able to get the tube welded in place.

 

 

Edited September 5 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo 1,874]

I threaded the inlet tube and made the lower flange.

 

 

The long section in the middle lines up with the sub-frame. It doesn't touch but the space between the tube and the frame is too small to attach the nut I made the first time around. I should have anticipated that... but didn't and only discovered it after the pump was largely done.

 

 

I then made a similar flange for the output side. Both of these are part of the right-angle water fittings I've designed and which I didn't come up with until after I'd made the original output tube.

 

 

I used the 1"-20 holding fixture I'd made earlier. Because the pressure from turning it tightens the thread, it can be a real bear to remove. But, based on something I saw on this forum with the fellow restoring a Chevrolet, I got this fabric strap wrench - something I'd never heard of until I saw it here. It works a charm... I've used it two or three times now and removed very tight pieces without any scratches.

 

 

Here is the flange installed. I have a lot more small parts to make and I'm waiting on some materials so the next batch of shop photos won't make much sense...at least until I have everything ready to assemble them.

 

Edited September 6 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo 1,874]

More small parts. I have several things on order...more brass rod and a tap so I can only make the parts that I have the materials and tooling for. Today I wanted to make two more brass nuts, one 1"-20 and the other 1-1/4-20. I thought of this trick - something I've done before but I'd completely forgotten about. You wouldn't want to turn anything too big or put too much stress on this setup but for making nuts it worked a charm.

 

 

The small nut...

 

 

And both of them finished. These are actually going to be plugs. I'll thread the center portion and solder it in place. The idea is to get threads that run right up to the face of the nut without the relief I have to put in to use the threading tool.

 

 

This is a flat belt pulley from my first horizontal mill. It must be "shop made" - in the ordinary course of events no one would make a pulley out of brass. I imagine whoever made it just had the material at hand - something I can identify with. It has been on the shelf in my pile of "I'll use it some day" stuff for at least 5 or 6 years so I', happy to have thought of something useful for it. It will be another part of the water inlet system.

 

 

 

[JV Puleo 1,874]

The old flat belt pulley turned down to 2.050. The .050 is for finishing after I've plugged the holes.

 

 

Then into the lathe to make the temporary ID.

 

 

I opened the hole up with two drills but drilling brass is a PIA. It's gummy and gets very hot and when it does it can literally clamp down on the drill. Drills for brass have a different point angle but I don't do enough of it to have special drills. In fact, I have no way to sharpen a drill bigger than 3/4". I got the hole out to 63/64 and decided to bore it the rest of the way. It takes longer but the end result is usually better.

 

 

I took it out to 1.365 and reamed it to 1-3/8.

 

 

This is the interim size. After the plugs and the water inlet tube are in place I will bore and ream to 1-1/2".

 

[JV Puleo 1,874]

I am still waiting on some materials so I'm making the pieces I have the stuff for. today it was the plug that will seal the water outlet connection. First I threaded a piece of 1" brass.

 

 

 

With it screwed into the nut, I soldered it in place. Now I have a plug with the threads running right up to the inside face.

 

 

 

 

Then the end was faced off to 3/8" thick and the chamfer added. By using such a fine thread the line between the two parts is invisible.

 

 

I then made the 1/4" thick aluminum piece that will press down on a gasket and threaded it on to the plug. It gets turned down to 1-3/4", just a tiny bit larger than the distance across the points of the brass hex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo 1,874]

 

I had some other things to do today but found time to make the aluminum washer for the input side of the pump. Believe it or not, these washers are more work than the brass plugs.

I used a piece of 1/2" flat stock, 2-1/2" square (because I didn't have anything round that was the right size) and turned it round.

 

 

Then turned a rebate on the front end. This is to make certain it goes in the chuck flat...something that is near impossible to do by eye.

 

 

Then faced off...

 

 

Bored to 1.2"...

 

 

And threaded.

 

 

It then went on the turning fixture with spacers behind it so that it overhangs the outside edge to allow for reducing the thickness. It's important to put the faced off side on the inside. That way both surfaces will be parallel and perpendicular to the threaded hole. The spacesr are from my 1-1/4: arbor for the milling machine.

 

 

With that done I turned it down to the finished diameter of 2"

 

 

It's a lot of work for a threaded washer but the end result will be very good.

 

[John S. 376]

Amazing work, just amazing! John

[JV Puleo 1,874]

Thanks. But its really more a matter of persistence than skill. You have to be prepared to keep doing things over until you get them right.

I had a magazine article to finish today but did get the time to work on the plug for the inlet side of the pump. It's drilled and reamed to 5/8". This hole will be tapped 3/8 NPT for the water drain plug. This is at the lowest place in the cooling system so it will be possible to drain the radiator, water pump and blocks from the same point.

 

 

 

Then threaded 1-1/4-20

 

 

 

And on to the camp stove to be soldered. I'll let it cool overnight and finish it tomorrow.

 

 

[JV Puleo 1,874]

Here is the other end of the plug. You can just see the solder in the threads.

 

 

I then put the female threading gauge in the lathe and indicated it by screwing the male gauge in. This is give me a way to hold the plug without damaging the threads.

 

 

Faced it off and put the chamfer on.

 

 

Then threaded it 3/8 NPT for the drain plug.

 

 

The last step was to screw the washer on. so as not to mark the aluminum up I wrapped it with an old piece of leather belt.

 

 

That part is done.

 

 

 

I also soldered two 5/16 screws into the holes in the piece I made out of an old pulley. The threads were not very good so I'm a little worried it may not be perfectly sealed. If not, I'll have to drill them out and put something in with a fine thread.

 

 

I then went on to the center of this (lacking a better term) "modified banjo fitting". Here it is reamed out to 7/8".

 

 

Then counterbored .950 ...

 

 

And threaded 1"-20...

 

 

I then had to take it out, turn it around and do the other side. It screws on to the outlet of the pump.

 

[JV Puleo 1,874]

Today was basically more of the same. I cut off the brass screws I'd soldered in and turned the OD of this piece to the finished dimension. I'm not completely happy with it. The threaded holes were loose and, as a result, the solder didn't fill the gaps as precisely as I'd like. I may revisit this but if it doesn't leak, and it doesn't show I'm not sure it is worth the effort.

 

 

I also made the internal part of the water inlet connection. The design is the same as the outlet connection but the dimensions are larger.

 

 

When finished, the internal piece (on the left) will have holes and a groove like a Banjo bolt. It will fit inside the larger piece which will have the actual water connection and everything will be held in place by the nut. This is going to allow me to adjust the angle of the connection to match the outlet from the radiator which, since I've never seen it assembled, I can only approximate. I'm building all sorts of adjustments into this project to compensate for the fact that I've never seen the engine assembled and am still missing some important parts.

 

[chistech 1,861]

So the old saying is “blind and flying by instruments”. I would have to say we’re all confident you’re going “land” this project without a hitch joe.

[alsfarms 406]

Joe, What are you using to take such good close-up pictures with?  I can get some but not all of my close pictures to turn out like yours.

Al

[JV Puleo 1,874]

It's just a cheap Cannon point & shoot camera. I've decided the trick to getting closeups is to stand back from the shot. I then crop all the photos to show just what I want but I have Photoshop for my real work so editing photos is relatively easy for me.

 

I could have had the inlet tube welded into the pump last week but I was worried that these parts might not fit...that was a good thing because I'd made the threads at the bottom of the inlet tube a little to long. This morning I trimmed them down so the central piece will thread on.

 

 

 

Then I went on to the outer sleeve of the outlet fitting.

 

 

I need an inside dimension of 1.125 and not having the appropriate drill I bored the hole and reamed it.

 

 

 

Then pressed it onto a mandrel and turned it down to 1-3/4".

 

 

Here are the four parts. I now have to make the actual connections that will screw into the outer sleeve and be soldered in place.

 

 

This will be the outlet connection...

 

 

Faced on both sides and reamed to 3/4". This is a fairly complicated piece so I'll do it tomorrow morning when I'm rested.

 

[JV Puleo 1,874]

The inexpensive cameras don't focus well close up. They are really intended for taking snapshots of girlfriends, pets and football games...

I have a much better camera I use in my work but don't want to take it into the shop...plus I don't want to change the settings.

Edited September 13 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo 1,874]

Here's the outlet fitting turned. The red section will be threaded 1-3/8-16 for a knurled cap to match the others on the water system. The smaller end will be threaded 1"-20 to screw into the outer sleeve of the fitting.

 

 

The first part went easily but, of course, I've now done this half a dozen times.

 

 

The second thread was much more a challenge because I'm severely limited by the thickness of the pieces and don't have enough to put the relief in that I usually do at the end of a thread. It calls for threading up to a stop, something this lathe doesn't do automatically. You could use a die but it would be nearly impossible to start it straight and, I don't have one. Last night I came up with a possible technique. I put a radial mark on the piece at the desired depth and a horizontal mark crossing it using the point of the threading tool. Then I threaded it as usual but watched it very carefully and pulled the tool back at the moment it hit the intersection of the two marks. Unfortunately, this photo is out of focus but...

 

 

it worked better, and was a lot easier than I'd anticipated. I'm quite pleased with this piece.

 

Edited September 14 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo 1,874]

The tube for the inlet fitting...a piece of 1-1/4 bar bored to 1"

 

 

Then counterbored to accept the 1" tubing.

 

 

I then turned it around to thread the other end. I did get this reasonably goo photograph of how I mark the piece so I can withdraw the threading tool at exactly the right moment. I dn't think I'd try this with a coarse thread but for fine threads like this it seemed to work just fine.

 

 

The piece threaded... except that I made an error with the threading gauge. It's actually a tiny bit too big so I got a false reading and the thread on the piece is a bit too big. It just so happens that I have a 1-1/4-20 die on the way so rather than do it over I'll just run this through the die when it arrives.

 

 

The finished pieces. Tomorrow I'll bor and thread the holes for them.

 

[JV Puleo 1,874]

This will be the nut to attach the water lines to the pump. I want it to match the other nuts and I thought I'd made an extra threaded insert for the partly closed end so this was supposed to be an easy job.

 

 

Since I have a tap in this size I decided to use it. That was probably a mistake. Either the tap is slightly dull or maybe tapping a 1-3/8" hole is never easy. In any case, I probably should have single pointed it. It did go through and the threads are good but I had to use my biggest tap wrench and the 3-jaw chuck bolted down to the mill table.

 

 

It turns out I did make an extra insert but it was just a few thousandths too big to screw in easily so what I though would be the work of an hour or two took all day. I found this lump of brass in my "brass scrap" drawer. I've no idea what it was or where I got it but there was just enough metal to make the needed piece. The worst problem was getting the hole in the middle. The hole you see here is very off center so I had to bore it to get it concentric.

 

 

I reamed it 1" and threaded it to fit the cap. Then soldered it together. I also got a small amount of solder in the threads which, in other cases would have been a disaster but there is another piece that goes in here, soldered to the water pipe that saves the situation.

 

 

Here's the 3 pieces together...the threaded end goes to the water pump.

 

 

The setup to mill the notches for a hook spanner is the same as I needed to drill the water passages in the inner sleeves.

 

 

The four holes are calculated to have a larger area the the inside of the water line at that point. After drilling a pilot hole, I used an end mill to get a nice hole.

 

 

The knurl on the nut is probably the best I've ever done...though it's hard to see because the flash obscures it. This is the result of two days work. Tomorrow I have to put a groove in each of the inner sleeves, connecting the holes, so that the water can flow around the center of the fitting. That will be exciting because it occurred to me that I can use the grooving/cut off tool for fear of it catching on the holes. I have an idea of how to do it that I'll try that tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 17 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[chistech 1,861]

Really looking great Joe.

[Mike Macartney 786]

I agree. Yet another of Joe's 'Work of Art' that I would be happy to have on my coffee table as a conversation piece.

[chistech 1,861]

13 hours ago, Mike Macartney said:

I agree. Yet another of Joe's 'Work of Art' that I would be happy to have on my coffee table as a conversation piece.

I’ve got a friend who kept a runnable model 9 cylinder radial engine on his coffee table. He passed a few years ago and and his wife still keeps it there. It is about 14” in diameter. It’s a technical work of art and is just amazing to look at. Company that made it is Technopower. Not sure if they’re still in business.