What are you working on right now?

[Laughing Coyote]

Today I finished up my new aluminum fuel tank for my tractor. The old steel one is rusting in the inside and I'm always having to replace fuel filter to keep the fine rusted fuel out of the injector pump. I also added a sender unit and fuel gauge since it didn't have one. Just the float on the cap that would tell you the fuel level. I had to move the hour meter from the dash and make a filler ring, but it's all good. I now have to put it in when I get a minute. 

 

 

 

[Terry Harper]

What am I working on? not a whole lot at the moment. We completed a few projects to help others along and with a bit of spare time I decided to create a new display sign for the museum.

 

Recently I ran across a Cotta Transmission advertisement that featured Lombard tractors. Since we have two Lombard tractors at the museum (and a third on the way) I attempted to illustrate how a small regional automobile  - or in this case tractor manufacturer's operation had a economic impact that extended far beyond state and regional boundaries and who's business helped to support a large national network of manufacturers and suppliers of components. In this case, on average, the factory employed less than 100 people yet provided jobs to an unknown number of people working for component suppliers. I think this is an area of automotive history that has been overlooked to a certain degree.

 

All the suppliers illustrated did in fact provide components to the Lombard factory. In fact, many of the ads listed Lombard as a customer. I really enjoy projects such as this just as much as the knuckle skinning greasy type.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

SNOW. lots and lots of snow.  Still shoveling and plowing.  2 feet yesterday on top of the 15 inches we got a week ago.  Maybe if I'm lucky later I can get the snowmobile out and get that stuck.  

 

I just took some photos to add for proof.  The picture of the front of the house shows the depth of snow on the wall which is pretty much exclusively from the last two storms with some compression. 

 

The snow bank is not on a hill.  That's usually flat lawn there. 

 

I had to carve the mail box out of the snow bank today. All that was visible was the front of the door,  and the top was under over a foot of snow.

Edited March 15, 2023 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[31nash880]

Sitting by the hotel's pool today

Leave on cruise tomorrow. Glad no snow in Florida. 

[lentjj]

Working on this 29 lasalle. Currently trying to piece together how the Light harness is ran and how to assemble the Lights.

[lentjj]

Working on this 29 lasalle. Currently trying to piece together how the Light harness is ran and how to assemble the Lights.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

On 3/15/2023 at 9:54 AM, auburnseeker said:

SNOW. lots and lots of snow.  Still shoveling and plowing.  2 feet yesterday on top of the 15 inches we got a week ago.  Maybe if I'm lucky later I can get the snowmobile out and get that stuck.  

 

I just took some photos to add for proof.  The picture of the front of the house shows the depth of snow on the wall which is pretty much exclusively from the last two storms with some compression. 

 

The snow bank is not on a hill.  That's usually flat lawn there. 

 

I had to carve the mail box out of the snow bank today. All that was visible was the front of the door,  and the top was under over a foot of snow.

 

 Thank God for TEXAS!    

 

  Ben

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Just got my Spring care package from Max Merrit.  So Saturday (after Lawn tractor prep duty) I hope to do some Spring prep on the Packard.  Oil change, lube, plug wires and brake light switch (Packards, I think, eat these..) are on the list.  Then onto the MB for same soon.

 

A ritual I love here in New England...

[Andy J]

I'm presently trying to put the waterfall molding on the hood of my'51 Pontiac Chieftain. With new paint and new chrome plating,the thing doesn't even come close to fitting. My chrome plater said that I would have to grind on the molding until it fits.I think I have finally ground off enough to get it to fit.Now I need 6 hands to get this thing on.I had to walk away for a while because it is really pissing me off.I'll get it because it must go on there.

[John Bloom]

An update on my Packard 733 and seeking some advice.  I took the gas tank down and drained it.  It was about what you'd expect.

 

Note: The car is running well off a nurse/auxillary tank gravity feed into the carb.  I want to go back to original.  With that background here is what's going on.

 

 

The sending unit had cracked and the previous owner had not seen that but had installed an electric fuel pump and put a five gallon red gas can in the trunk on the back rack and was running gas from that up into the carb.  I took all that off and dropped the tank.  Here is the sending unit.  

 

 

I got some recommendations from some on the forum and sent the old one to KM Lifestyle and they fabricated a new one for me.  They were easy to work with and returned the work in a timely manner.  If you need a sending unit, consider them.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

While this was going on, I sent the gas tank to Mr Radiator in Mokena (recommended by some Classic Car friends who have used him for tanks and radiators for years with success.)  He cut it open, said it was filthy and through three openings took it down to metal and sealed it and welded it back up.  I primed and painted it.

 

I have the rebuild kit for my Stewart Vacuum Tank, which I hope to do tomorrow.  My question is as I install the new sending unit to the refreshed tank,  what gasket/interface would those with experience recommend?  I thought about just custom cutting a cork gasket, but wondered about any type of "sealant in a tube" type of product instead of cork or in addition to cork.  Anyone have strong convictions based on experience with gasket choices for a sending unit?

 

 

[keiser31]

Still working on cleaning my office/toy room and keep finding odd stuff like this upholstery swatch from a 1955 Dodge La Femme....

[31nash880]

John Bloom,

Did my tank last year and made gasket with the paper material. No leaks so far.

You seem to have a similar sending unit as my 31 nash. Can anyone explain how this unit works? What is the little cup doing half way up?

[Gary_Ash]

I finished the restoration of my 1948 Studebaker M5 pickup almost 20 years ago.  It has been reliable and a decent performer, if not really comfortable, over all this time.  However, it didn't get driven during the peaks of Covid and missed a couple of required Mass. inspections.  I was ready to get it inspected after starting it up but the left turn signals didn't work through the aftermarket Signal-Stat 800 switch on the column.  So, I found an NOS Signal-Stat 800 switch on Ebay and put it in. Still no left turn signal and the 14 Amp SFE fuse blew.  I spent days digging into the dash wiring, re-checked connections, eventually figured out that the wire from under the dash back to the rear turn signal light was shorted to ground somewhere.  No luck finding the short!  And, it's a rat's nest behind the dash.  So, I'm feeding in a new wire in parallel.  It's no fun for an old guy to lie on his back on the floor of the cab or under the car to debug the wires!  But, I will prevail! 

 

EDIT:  Lying on my back on the creeper, I was able to fish a new wire in place and cut out the old one.  Now it works!  There was one stretch of the old wire that I was unable to pull loose, was pinched by something up above the spare tire under the bed, probably where the short was.

 

The 1948 Studebaker M5 truck.

 

Inside the cab.  Not easy to lie on the floor of the cab and work under the dash.

 

Looking up at the wires behind the dash.  The blue, green, black, and red wires are for the turn signals.

 

  

Edited March 31, 2023 by Gary_Ash (see edit history)

[Fordy]

On 1/31/2023 at 10:05 AM, Terry Harper said:

Ok.... just got a quote to have the piece made using DMP (direct metal printing) in aluminum. I knew it would be expensive and mostly likely out of our budget range but this was an eye watering  $1,999.00. Mind you there is no design work on their end. I have taken care of that - just setup, machine time, materials and post processing. Understand that the cost of an industrial DMP printer is staggering and materials are not cheap. They cannot crank out hundreds of parts per hour to amortize the cost. Add the quote to the value of the time I have in the project to date (if it wasn't pro bono) and we are around $3,500.00 Then we still have machining to do with programming, setup and machine time to consider. 

 

Now to plan 'B'.... which is lost PLA.... this is nothing more than a type of investment casting similar to lost wax casting. Only we use a 3D printed PLA pattern. Once invested the PLA pattern is burned out leaving a cavity that replicates the pattern exactly. Once cast we breakaway the investment and we have a really nice casting for a very reasonable cost.

 

So... off we go on that adventure!

 

 

 

 

 

I had some Hupmobile spark and throttle levers done direct to metal in Aluminum and resorted to a Chinese company to do them as it was a lot cheaper than locally. I was quite happy with the price, quality and service. Check https://facfox.com/materials/dmls-aluminum and you can upload the stl file and it will provide a quote.

[Terry Harper]

On 3/31/2023 at 5:27 AM, Fordy said:

I had some Hupmobile spark and throttle levers done direct to metal in Aluminum and resorted to a Chinese company to do them as it was a lot cheaper than locally. I was quite happy with the price, quality and service. Check https://facfox.com/materials/dmls-aluminum and you can upload the stl file and it will provide a quote.

Thank you Fordy, I will look into it. The spark and throttle levers you had done look excellent!

[AURktman]

I put a new heater/AC fan motor in this one.  I discovered that it takes a 4’ 10” female gymnast to effectively get into place to make the swap under the passenger side dash.  I am a 6’ 1” 285 pound male.   My neighbors were terrified of the words coming from my mouth and the things I called the car, the engineers, and what they could do with their design.  I’m sore, have concrete rash, and there are footprints on the inside of my roof.  
 

 

[31nash880]

Crying in my beer. Still. Yesterday's bearing failure.

[John Bloom]

Vacuum tank shenanigans:

 

[John Bloom]

After rebuilding the vacuum tank, cleaning the carb, cleaned and restored gas tank, and new sending unit fabricated......Maiden voyage.  Now the fun begins, I'm looking forward to sorting every little detail and getting a strategy together for paint.

[alsancle]

The black wire pulls the shift lever to the right where 1st and Reverse are, the yellow wire pulls the shift lever to the left were 4th is.  They both can't be powered at once since they will be competing with each other.   Welcome to Cord sorting hell.

 

 

[John Bloom]

11 minutes ago, alsancle said:

The black wire pulls the shift lever to the right where 1st and Reverse are, the yellow wire pulls the shift lever to the left were 4th is.  They both can't be powered at once since they will be competing with each other.   Welcome to Cord sorting hell.

 

 

Watching that video gave me the same feeling I had 38 years ago when I took the second semester of organic chemistry condensed down in eight weeks of summer. There was a particularly bad week where I had been doing a lot of partying and goofing off right before the midterm. I remember sitting down and having the test thrown in front of me and starting to read the questions and the feeling that provoked. Your video gives me the same feeling.

[alsancle]

17 minutes ago, John Bloom said:

Watching that video gave me the same feeling I had 38 years ago when I took the second semester of organic chemistry condensed down in eight weeks of summer. There was a particularly bad week where I had been doing a lot of partying and goofing off right before the midterm. I remember sitting down and having the test thrown in front of me and starting to read the questions and the feeling that provoked. Your video gives me the same feeling.

I just said to one of my Cord friends over the phone: “what really stinks about this is when we are done I will understand all of this perfectly, and then I will never do it again”.

[John Bloom]

3 minutes ago, alsancle said:

I just said to one of my Cord friends over the phone: “what really stinks about this is when we are done I will understand all of this perfectly, and then I will never do it again”.

My only suggestion about the video, is it would be even better if you had a stethoscope around your neck and put it up somewhere near the tachometer as you checked your multi meter. 

[edinmass]

Using a Chinese piece of sxxt meter is problem number one. Pry your wallet open with a crowbar, let all the moths fly out, and spend some money on a Fluke 88. 
 

As to your problem, it’s an easy fix. Send it to me. You engineers and the fix it till it’s broke method just bums me out. Just watching your video I think I know what’s wrong. And I have a diagnostic routine that you haven’t done yet.  

Edited April 27, 2023 by edinmass (see edit history)

[alsancle]

On 4/27/2023 at 3:51 PM, edinmass said:

Using a Chinese piece of sxxt meter is problem number one. Pry your wallet open with a crowbar, let all the moths fly out, and spend some money on a Fluke 88. 
 

As to your problem, it’s an easy fix. Send it to me. You engineers and the fix it till it’s broke method just bums me out. Just watching your video I think I know what’s wrong. And I have a diagnostic routine that you haven’t done yet.  

So we made a wooden dowel the size of the pencil and inserted that and reproduced the problem.  It seems that the rivet on the tab for the green wire is slightly loose and causes the short when the pencil travels over it.   I will get pictures and perhaps a video next week to share.  I'm fairly sure we have identified the issue but won't be able to get back to it until Tuesday.

[alsancle]

2 good things happened today.  I helped a friend with a 6 volt car that would barely turnover the starter.  We made up a new correct cable and took the paint off the ground contact and it spins like a champ.   I'll be sure to mention this next time someone starts talking 12V conversion.

 

But the better news was we finally got the Cord back on the ground and shifting like a champ.   Everything in the shifting system is brand new but the stumble block was a tiny piece of solder in the selection switch that was causing an intermittent short.   Got to drive it for the first time in 2 years today.

 

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by alsancle (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

15 minutes ago, alsancle said:

2 good things happened today.  I helped a friend with a 6 volt car that would barely turnover the starter.  We made up a new correct cable and took the paint off the ground contact and it spins like a champ.   I'll be sure to mention this next time someone starts talking 12V conversion.

 

But the better news was we finally got the Cord back on the ground and shifting like a champ.   Everything in the shifting system is brand new but the stumble block was a tiny piece of solder in the selection switch that was causing an intermittent short.   Got to drive it for the first time in 2 years today.

 

 

That is fantastic news! 

[alsancle]

Brought it home today.   I need to get the transmission cover back on and the front bumper.  These are exceptionally nice cars to drive.   45 mph at 1600 RPM in 4th gear.  Drove a 20% incline in traffic at 35 mph in 3rd gear without hesitation.

 

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by alsancle (see edit history)

[alsancle]

This is what I'm going to be working on next week.    I have a nice 4 mile loop going right at the end of my driveway and coming back on the left.   Neighborhoods and backroads with 3/4 mile on a two lane divided road.    My plan is to gradually increase the miles I go on each trip.  Did a loop Thursday and then took my wife for a loop yesterday.  Got within 100 feet of the driveway and all of sudden started running on 4 cylinders.   My first though was ignition and my second thought was to get it in the garage before it died.     Pulled in and killed it,  got out of the car and saw a stream of anti-freeze on the driveway.

 

Looking under the hood there was coolant everywhere.   Checking the radiator which was 2 inches below the cap Thursday I could see no coolant.    I'm hoping the problem is the two hoses with the arrows pointed at them in the picture.   It  is possible it is coming from the blower which would really stink.

My two smartest friends both said the same thing yesterday so I'm either buying a cheap radiator tester at Harbor Freight or borrowing a buddies Snap On next week and will try to identify the problem.

[John Bloom]

Was there any sign of antifreeze in the garage floor when you first took it out yesterday? Or did something happen during those 4 miles to cause it to be dumping out quickly as you returned home? I’m hoping it’s just a cracked hose.  Other than the coolant problem, how was she running before things abruptly changed?  Share updates. 

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, John Bloom said:

Was there any sign of antifreeze in the garage floor when you first took it out yesterday? Or did something happen during those 4 miles to cause it to be dumping out quickly as you returned home? I’m hoping it’s just a cracked hose.  Other than the coolant problem, how was she running before things abruptly changed?  Share updates. 

 

Nothing on the garage floor.  However, there has been the faint smell of coolant when the car starts since I got it back.   I went looking for it before but couldn't see anything. 

 

It runs great.  Knock on wood.  My dad always complained it was hard to start but for some reason he refused to choke it when cold.    So, when cold, run the electric pump until you hear it tick down,  then choke,  a couple of pumps on the pedal (there should be an accelerator pump in that carb)  and it starts fairly easily.   Shifting is great.   Preselector is very easy to use.   I just have a few rules:

 

1.  Put it in neutral when turning the car off.

2.  Put it in neutral when approaching a stop.

3. Never preselect first or reverse.

4. Be at a complete stop before selecting first or reverse.

 

Here are a couple of photos from Buck Hill Falls winter of 1971.

 

 

[John Bloom]

2 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

Nothing on the garage floor.  However, there has been the faint smell of coolant when the car starts since I got it back.   I went looking for it before but couldn't see anything. 

 

It runs great.  Knock on wood.  My dad always complained it was hard to start but for some reason he refused to choke it when cold.    So, when cold, run the electric pump until you hear it tick down,  then choke,  a couple of pumps on the pedal (there should be an accelerator pump in that carb)  and it starts fairly easily.   Shifting is great.   Preselector is very easy to use.   I just have a few rules:

 

1.  Put it in neutral when turning the car off.

2.  Put it in neutral when approaching a stop.

3. Never preselect first or reverse.

4. Be at a complete stop before selecting first or reverse.

 

Here are a couple of photos from Buck Hill Falls winter of 1971.

 

 

Thanks for sharing those great pictures. Those are certainly very valuable expensive cars, but they have the ability to be sitting next to a car at 10 times their price and  have the quiet confidence of knowing that they are just as good if not even better looking! Your dad knew how to pick em.
 

 I hope it is a minor issue with the coolant. Keep dialing it in and sharing with us. 

[edinmass]

Most likely the coolant leak is a cracked engine block. 🥸

 

Now, when you finally figure it out it will seem not so bad because you’re thinking pull the engine. 

[mike brady]

Cord uses 1", 1 1\8", 1 1\2" & 2" I.D. straight hoses which you can order from Rock Auto and cut to length.  Only the upper rad hoses are easy to change.  The hoses between the blower and the thermostat housings aren't hard either but do take some time.  The remaining hoses require the water pump to be removed which required most of a day and ample patience.

   

[John Bloom]

9 hours ago, alsancle said:

 

Nothing on the garage floor.  However, there has been the faint smell of coolant when the car starts since I got it back.   I went looking for it before but couldn't see anything. 

 

It runs great.  Knock on wood.  My dad always complained it was hard to start but for some reason he refused to choke it when cold.    So, when cold, run the electric pump until you hear it tick down,  then choke,  a couple of pumps on the pedal (there should be an accelerator pump in that carb)  and it starts fairly easily.   Shifting is great.   Preselector is very easy to use.   I just have a few rules:

 

1.  Put it in neutral when turning the car off.

2.  Put it in neutral when approaching a stop.

3. Never preselect first or reverse.

4. Be at a complete stop before selecting first or reverse.

 

Here are a couple of photos from Buck Hill Falls winter of 1971.

 

 

No pressure, but I believe the theme of this year’s festival is “the year of the supercharged cars”......

 

[32buick67]

I made a hard pivot away from wrenching for some indoor bench work...

My Buick clock wasn't keeping time and would stall after 12hrs, so I wanted to find out why and whether it could be repaired.

The clock has two mainspring drums, one had a broken spring inside.

Remarkably, the mainsprings are standardized for antiques and modern timekeepers, I got another spring and put it back together, now thankfully working swell!

 

[alsancle]

I was on a mission to pressure test the cooling system in the Cord to figure out where it was leaking.   This proved to be hard and then almost impossible.  The radiator cap is unique and no modern adapter looks like it will work.   The bigger issue is the overflow drain which would need to be plugged.  The end of it is buried down by the chassis and nearly impossible to get at.

 

So, I have a new plan.   I'm 90% sure the coolant was coming from the upper radiator hoses.   I'm going to replace them,  put the factory hose clamps in a box in the trunk and replace with modern ones and fill it with anti-freeze and try again.    I can get the hoses and clamps directly from NAPA.

[John Bloom]

2 hours ago, alsancle said:

I was on a mission to pressure test the cooling system in the Cord to figure out where it was leaking.   This proved to be hard and then almost impossible.  The radiator cap is unique and no modern adapter looks like it will work.   The bigger issue is the overflow drain which would need to be plugged.  The end of it is buried down by the chassis and nearly impossible to get at.

 

So, I have a new plan.   I'm 90% sure the coolant was coming from the upper radiator hoses.   I'm going to replace them,  put the factory hose clamps in a box in the trunk and replace with modern ones and fill it with anti-freeze and try again.    I can get the hoses and clamps directly from NAPA.

I Iike the plan. Good luck. Your post indicated it was coming out pretty quickly when you returned home on the last drive. Hopefully that volume coming out should be detectible enough for you to find the source, Let us know if new hoses do the trick.

[TTR]

Interesting to see there’s someone else “struggling”(?) with myriad of 812SC issues.

Here’s the one I’m (still) dealing with and what started as “Transmission just suddenly quit working while out driving the car. Can you take care of ?”.

Not only is it amazing how many contributing issues, each of which just by itself would’ve rendered the transmission inoperable and many having been caused by (far) less than ideal rebuild/repair efforts performed by alleged professional shops (I’ve seen copies of the invoices), but the amount of other, unrelated concerns and problems (mostly created by same, less than ideal efforts) I’ve discovered on a car most would consider being in (near) perfect collection/museum/show quality condition !?!

[keiser31]

Not auto related (again), but my honey keeps coming up with house stuff to do. Been adding an extension to our rear porch/deck and new steps. Gotta wait a while to paint the pressure treated stuff as it is still oozing out of the wood. The grate in the center was from the old church floor up the street.

Edited June 2, 2023 by keiser31 (see edit history)