1915 Overland Model 83

[MochetVelo]

The Smooth-On Onyx is rated to 200-degrees F. You can inquire about UV tolerance. https://www.smooth-on.com/spotlight/casting-finishing-smooth-cast-onyx-deep-black-resin/

 

I ended up making 3 or 4 of the knobs until I got it correctly centered on the brass part. I did not paint it, as looks like the original bakelite material. The only fault was tiny air bubbles on the surface. I understand these can be eliminated with a vacuum set-up. There are probably some YouTube videos.

 

Phil

[John_Mereness]

1 hour ago, MochetVelo said:

The only fault was tiny air bubbles on the surface. I understand these can be eliminated with a vacuum set-up. There are probably some YouTube videos.

Have you taken one of the seconds and filled the air bubbles with same material and then fine sanded and polished ?   

[MochetVelo]

I tried that, John, but the plastic solidified too quickly and produced a very rough surface. I tried polyester body filler on another and it worked pretty well. A coat of paint would have made it look perfect. However, I just decided to leave the final version alone, as it looks good enough and I bet no one notices the flaws (except people reading this, of course!).

 

Phil

[MochetVelo]

Balmy weather yesterday allowed some epoxy primer application; my first opportunity this year. 

Two body panels often missing on the Overland 83 are the Front and Rear Apron Assemblies. As far as I tell, these are decorative trim panels designed to mask chassis parts. They either rust off or get removed and never replaced. I found my rear panel under the back seat, its top portion rusted away. I welded a new section on and used some fiberglass to smooth it out. This panel is barely visible, so it should look fine. The Front Apron Assembly is a curvy sheet metal panel between the front springs. Not sure if I will attempt to fabricate that one.

 

Phil

 

 

[alsfarms]

Back to the radiator cap project.  What is the advertised work or set-up time on the "panel adhesive" used for this project?  What would you describe the consiistancy of for this material?  Do you think that it has the ability to flow into a pattern with a script in it?

Al

[MochetVelo]

I think you refer to John Meerness's post above. I've never tried that material, but I know some people have used polyester body putty for casting. The putty comes in different viscosities and can be tinted.

 

Phil 

[John_Mereness]

19 hours ago, alsfarms said:

Back to the radiator cap project.  What is the advertised work or set-up time on the "panel adhesive" used for this project?  What would you describe the consiistancy of for this material?  Do you think that it has the ability to flow into a pattern with a script in it?

Al

If you are making something of Black 3M panel adhesive for welding together metal and plastic panels - I would say your work time is 10 minutes tops with the slower setting formula and it probably would flow well enough using a calk gun, but depending on the size you probably need a few entry points and also a few vents.  it does sand and buff well.  I have seen the restoration shop I first saw using fill pitting with the material - they say pretty much strong as the piece of metal and I tend to agree with all that I have seen. 

[alsfarms]

Another question, How viscous is this material?  I am guessing, from your comment above, that it is administered VIA a caulking gun?

[MochetVelo]

Back to the Overland, I'm preparing the new running boards for paint. I'd thought the decorative end moldings were missing, but I found a former owner had made replacements in stainless steel. Only problem: there were only three of the four needed, so today, I made another. It's not stainless, but I think it may work as they will be painted black.

 

Phil

 

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[MochetVelo]

The Overland U-Joint, just behind the clutch, has two leather grease seals. Using the factory drawings, I made some with extra leather I had. It took a while for a good fit, but I think I got it. I web site I found provided a pattern to for the conical shape.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2020 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[MochetVelo]

I tested the repaired fuel tank for leaks. It had two soldered plugs. One covered the missing shut-off valve, the other covered another hole of unknown origin. I removed these to better clean out the tank which was full of junk. After cleaning and sealing, I replaced the plugs with soldered copper, then pressure-tested it with soap. Seems OK, but the threads around the fuel cap are hissing. Next step is to replace the tank under the front seat. Not sure how it was attached, however. It was just sitting there when I removed it.

 

Phil

 

 

 

 

 

A neoprene hose fit neatly into the fuel drain to allow for pressure testing.

Edited April 20, 2020 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[MochetVelo]

I got my repaired Auto-Lite generator shaft back yesterday. The end had broken off at the sprocket wheel, and a former "restorer" had repaired it using epoxy. This repair was fine so long as the engine was never started! Anyway, my machinist decided to do a weld repair and add a shaft key and set screws for the sprocket gear. This allows for axial adjustments, as opposed to the old taper pin attachment. I have a new drive chain from Ramsey Chain. I've done nothing yet electrically to the generator, so I have no idea if it works. The rear cover on this model is pot metal, and is often broken. Luckily, mine seems OK. 

 

Also, I'm cleaning the dashboard area and replacing the wiring, which is all armoured cable. I bought 70 feet of new wire from Rhode Island Wiring. Unfortunately, they don't sell the complete wiring harness for my car, so I must try to get an original-looking installation by myself.

 

Phil

 

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[MochetVelo]

Here's a challenge. The control box on the steering column has text for the various buttons (MAG ON, LIGHTS low & high, HORN). I repaired and painted the box, but now wondering how to paint on the letters, which must have been done originally. The box, by the way, is made of terne metal, a steel sheet coated with a lead/tin alloy. Hand lettering is beyond my skills, so I was thinking of getting a stencil made and doing the letters in gold or silver.

 

Phil

 

 

[Luv2Wrench]

I think stencils would look great.  For the raised letters, one method I've read about is to paint the lettered area with the color of the letters first, let that dry for a week, then paint the main color and while still wet, wipe it off the tops of the raised letters.  I can't tell from you pictures if the letters are sharp enough to do that, but I know that was one way it was done back then. 

 

[MochetVelo]

As you say, Jeff, I don't think the letters are distinct enough to wipe them. I wish they were impressed rather than embossed, as the other side is quite clearly defined!

 

Phil

[MochetVelo]

I've torn apart the speedometer now. It's a Stewart Model 102 which was also sold for the Ford T. The mechanism looks pretty good, though the main parts are pot metal. Someone's had it apart before, as the glass has a few chips and a gasket is gone. The bezel was nickel plated, and someone buffed it to the brass. I'd like to get it re-plated to match the other gauges. The MTFCA has a nice video and manual on these.

 

Phil

 

 

 

 

[John_Mereness]

2 hours ago, Luv2Wrench said:

I think stencils would look great.  For the raised letters, one method I've read about is to paint the lettered area with the color of the letters first, let that dry for a week, then paint the main color and while still wet, wipe it off the tops of the raised letters.  I can't tell from you pictures if the letters are sharp enough to do that, but I know that was one way it was done back then. 

 

A stencil, or you could see if at Art Supply store they have proper height transfer letters and then clearcoat.

Personally, I would just do with a fine hose hair or sable brush and one shot sign painters enamel or rustolium enamel and both easily wipe with goo-gone so not to damage your black paint. 

[MochetVelo]

I nickel plated the speedometer bezel using the Caswell "Brush Plating" system I bought about ten years ago. It still works. The brass is polished and cleaned, then the nickel solution is "brushed" onto the surface with positive current while the part is clipped to the negative. It produces a pretty nice result for small parts. 

 

Phil

 

 

[MochetVelo]

Correcting another error: After I finished painting it, I discovered the ring on the dashboard that holds the speedometer was originally nickeled, so I pried it off.  It was firmly attached with a gasket. Stripping the paint, I was reminded that the ring was rusted steel, so I decided to copy it in brass which is easier to plate. I borrowed my friend's scroll saw and slowly cut it out. Only one blade broke in the 1/16" brass sheet. Scroll sawing is not easy. I'm now trying to get the final shape with files and sandpaper.

 

The last photo shows the completed piece ready to be plated. 

 

Phil

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2020 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[MochetVelo]

The Overland 83 used the Splitdorf "Dixie" Model 40 magneto. The car came with three Dixies in various states of disassembly (actually, one was a Model 46, made for the Ford T). I then found two more Model 40's, only one of which has adjustable timing. I've learned that the model number does not indicate a particular design. All the mags are sightly different. The Dixies often have pot metal issues, but these look OK. I'm wondering if I should bother fixing one, however. The car had a Bosch DU4 installed when I got it.

 

Phil

 

 

[John_Mereness]

3 minutes ago, MochetVelo said:

The Overland 83 used the Splitdorf "Dixie" Model 40 magneto. The car came with three Dixies in various states of disassembly (actually, one was a Model 46, made for the Ford T). I then found two more Model 40's, only one of which has adjustable timing. I've learned that the model number does not indicate a particular design. All the mags are sightly different. The Dixies often have pot metal issues, but these look OK. I'm wondering if I should bother fixing one, however. The car had a Bosch DU4 installed when I got it.

 

Phil

 

 

I would prefer - that "works well" verses that is problematic or will prove problematic down the road (especially via die cast issues)

[Luv2Wrench]

The brushed nickel plating really looks good.  Can you show us a few more pictures and describe the process a bit more?   I looked at the Caswell system a while back and decided against it because it seemed too good to be true... but you've gotten some great results.  I'm interested to hear more.

[MochetVelo]

The "brush plating" process is pretty simple. The part to be plated it connected to the negative and the plating "brush" the positive terminals of a low-voltage transformer. The liquid contains the plating metal in suspension. In this case, it is nickel, but the system also works for silver, brass, gold plus other metals. You slowly brush the part until the plating occurs. It can take a while, depending on the metal. Nickel takes about 15-20 minutes for a part like my bezel. I also plated some brass screws for the bezel another way: The screw to be plated is suspended in the plating liquid from the negative clip while the plating brush is lowered into the liquid. You now have a cathode and anode system. The screw immediately starts bubbling. After around 5 minutes, the screw is plated. The main caveat: the part must be completely clean; all oils removed to expose only bare metal. Of course, there can be complications, but is works quite nicely.

 

Phil

 

 

[MochetVelo]

Speaking of plating, I removed the brake/gear shift levers today. These were originally nickel plated. As you can see, they come out as a unit. Since this is trans-axle car, the transmission is in the rear. Not sure if I should get them plated or not. It's not something I can do myself, that's for sure.

 

 

Phil

 

 

[John_Mereness]

16 hours ago, MochetVelo said:

Speaking of plating, I removed the brake/gear shift levers today. These were originally nickel plated. As you can see, they come out as a unit. Since this is trans-axle car, the transmission is in the rear. Not sure if I should get them plated or not. It's not something I can do myself, that's for sure.

 

 

Phil

 

 

Friends made a home plating tank out of a plastic gutter parts to allow getting longer parts into a tank - not perfect, but pretty good nevertheless.   Otherwise, they work with 5 gallon pickle barrels to restore their motorcycle parts.  

[MochetVelo]

I wouldn't mind plating this without disassembly!

 

Phil

[John_Mereness]

19 hours ago, MochetVelo said:

I wouldn't mind plating this without disassembly!

 

Phil

I think you could engineer how to drop it down into some sort of bucket and do plating without much extra space around parts to save money on chemicals and ....  I am thinking rods can be plated together and you can paint the parts you cannot get to in box and ....  

 

On the flip side of the coin, I am betting while not a "piece of cake" that you can  figure out the secret to getting it apart in a couple of hours -  and you have taken on far more serious challenges without too  much issue. 

[MochetVelo]

Here are the shift and brake levers almost completed.

 

Phil

 

 

[Luv2Wrench]

Fantastic transformation!!  How did you do it?

 

[MochetVelo]

I was wondering if anyone would ask. I used palladium leaf. Palladium is a soft metal related to platinum and resembles silver and nickel, but will not oxidize. I happened to have some left over from another non-automotive restoration project. Metal leaf comes in two forms: "patent" and "loose" leaf. The patent leaf works best for me as it is adhered to a tissue and you press it onto the "size" ( a sticky varnish). It also cuts easily with scissors to reduce waste (see photos). The leaf is so thin that it will float away if you breath on it. After application, I patted it with a soft brush and then a cotton ball. For automotive use, I will have to use a clear-coat to protect it.

 

Phil

 

 

[Luv2Wrench]

Very ingenious solution, thanks for sharing!

[MochetVelo]

Back to the Overland: sidetracked by a few other cars! I cleared the space enough to set up my engine lift and prepared things to replace the engine. I'm hoping to try it tomorrow.

 

Phil

 

 

[MochetVelo]

A couple hours got the engine back in place. I then found I'd forgotten to install the clutch spring assembly. Hopefully, it won't have to come out completely again!

 

Phil

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

The engine looks great!

[MochetVelo]

Thanks; I hope it works as nicely as it looks!

 

With advice from my UK Overland friend, I assembled the clutch today. Of course, I had forgotten how it worked, so I had to stare at it for a few hours. It was not difficult to pull the engine up enough to work on it.

 

 

 

 

[MochetVelo]

I noticed the clutch pedal has a lot of lost motion. It's attachment to the shaft had a protruding pin as well as a set screw. I pulled on the pin and discovered it was broken in half. I loosened the set screw, but haven't yet been able to get the darn shaft out yet.

 

Phil

 

To left we see the rollers that pull out the clutch. On the right is the clutch pedal attachment to the pedal shaft with set screw protruding.

 

The clutch pedal attachment to the shaft with set screw plus an unknown hole.

Edited December 29, 2020 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[MochetVelo]

I decided to remove the pedal rod today. The clutch pedal was attached to it three ways: a taper pin (missing), a straight pin, and a set screw. The pedal was still wobbly! After finally tapping out this rod, the end piece dropped off. The only thing holding it in place was the guide. Plus, there are a few small "mystery" holes drilled through the middle on the rod. My plan is to make a new rod.

 

Phil

 

[MochetVelo]

I got back my new pedal shaft from the machine shop. Here is a comparison.

 

Phil

 

 

[MochetVelo]

I'm having trouble now with the clutch assembly; specifically the throw-out bearing retainer clip. This clip fits in the "flywheel bushing", a short tube press-fitted in the middle of the flywheel. With the engine in place for the third time, a press on the clutch pedal produced a "boing" sound. The retaining clip had popped out of its slot and the clutch connection failed. Thinking thought about how to fix this, I decided to remove the flywheel and bring it to my machinist. His suggestion was to make a new flywheel bushing so a new retaining clip would fit correctly. 

 

It took me a while to figure out how the clutch works. Three coil springs pull the "clutch adjusting spider" backward against the throw-out bearing. The bearing is held in place by the retainer clip. This pushes the leather cone clutch surface forward against the flywheel taper. All of this depends upon the retainer clip not falling off! Pushing down the clutch pedal pulls the leather clutch wheel out of the flywheel. The clutch linkage moves two steel wheels, pushing back a "driveshaft extension stub," a sturdy steel insert the slides in and out of the driveshaft. In short, the clutch pedal pulls back (shortens) the driveshaft to pull out the clutch. Remember, the Overland is a trans-axle design, the transmission located at the rear end. 

 

Phil

 

 

First photo shows the retainer clip that holds the throw-out bearing assembly. It wasn't in good shape, and pops out.

 

 

 

Here we see the flywheel with the crankshaft emerging from the "flywheel bushing." The retaining clip snaps into the groove near the end.

 

Third photo shows the two wheels that pull back the clutch via the pedal. The steel ball on the left contains the driveshafy U-joint. I made a new leather cover for this to retain the grease. 

Edited January 12, 2021 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[John S.]

Very nice work