1923 Jordan

[jpistorius]

1923 Jordan original unrestored car, Continental Special Vertical L-Head, 245.6 cu inch,  leak at rear seal on Continental engine crankshaft
 I learned some Continental 6-cylinder engines of the 1922 - 1924 era do not have a rear oil seal, but have a flanged crankshaft that throws oil forward into the oil pan. I think my engine is a Continental Special Vertical L-Head, 245.6 cu inch. I read that on these engines, the cap is not slotted, and there no way to attach an "O", a gasket, or rope seal. How can we fix the rear main seal leak? Were there any updates to this system?

[JRA]

Jordan Playboy?

[TerryKott]

I have a book I can send you for your car if you want it...(?) I am in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

[TerryKott]

15 hours ago, Tondo said:

How long have you had this ?

About 2 months. I got this one, and a couple others from an antique dealer friend of mine. I have two others: 1941 Chevy, and a New Plymouth December 1931.

[TerryKott]

JRA,

 

The pictures he posted on another thread show it is a 5 Passenger Sedan.

[Jack Bennett]

The 1927 Willys Knight has a predictable water pump leak. It also has a number of minor oil leaks from below.

The 1923 Dodge Brothers Roadster is another story altogether, and in the absence of a better start point I will reiterate that it is a 1923 Dodge, and not a 1927 Willys.

Both cars leave oil traces of their presence, and, were they computer designed and assembled cars, I would have cause for some great worries.

But, they aren’t, and when I had some folding green in my pocket and had decided to embark on a “old car” journey, I selected a couple of pre-war “old cars” rather than use the same money to buy a “old” Mustang or Charger.

Consequently, I acquired a set of circumstances, which may be a boon to a old car buff, but a curse to a classic car buff.

The Dodge hemorrhages oil from the rear of the transmission and the differential prop shaft. It needs only to spend a few hours on the pristine floor of my garage and a oil spot appears, and begs for the Mustang or Charger owner to begin a immediate investigation of the reason for the leak, a probable fix of the problem, and, of course cleanup of the messy oil spot.

I say again…….I have old cars because I am infatuated with the evolution of technology available during the time they were made, as well as the demographics related to their lives as stepping stones which led the world into its present level of mechanical mayhem.

The difference between a person who admires and covets a 1923 Jordan, rather than a 1967 Ford Mustang is the number of drip pans we own, and have strategically placed under our passions, with complete knowledge that our old cars wil leak oil, and, as a Doctor finding a pulse and blood pressure during the physical exam of a human, seeing a oil spot form beneath my 1923, 1927 or 1929 old  cars, I am reassured that they have lubricants in the engine, transmission and differential, and, as a curator, short of failure to buy more drip pans, am doing a good job as their daddy.

My suggestion is to put a floor jack under the rear end and raise the rear of the cars above to lowest point of the transmission and rear end, or buy more, or relocate the number of drip pans you have to add a time correct ambience to your garage floor.

Jack

[JV Puleo]

Most early cars don't have a rear oil seal. An "oil slinger" system was usually used. This would be a spiral groove that turns opposite to the crank rotation. They usually drained back into the pan through a hole at the bottom. It may be that the hole is simply plugged with old, hardened, oil in which case you'd have to pull the pan to see if the drain is clear. That said, I don't know anything about Jordans or their engines but if there is no seal this is about the only way it could work. All of these cars leaked a bit...but they shouldn't "hemorage" oil.

[Jack Bennett]

On 6/1/2024 at 8:19 AM, JV Puleo said:

Most early cars don't have a rear oil seal. An "oil slinger" system was usually used. This would be a spiral groove that turns opposite to the crank rotation. They usually drained back into the pan through a hole at the bottom. It may be that the hole is simply plugged with old, hardened, oil in which case you'd have to pull the pan to see if the drain is clear. That said, I don't know anything about Jordans or their engines but if there is no seal this is about the only way it could work. All of these cars leaked a bit...but they shouldn't "hemorage" oil.

My bad. You are 100% correct and I admit that I am guilty of using sensationalism to add glitz and glamor to a otherwise mundane, and normally occurring event.

if you forgive me for my exploitation of a opportunity to appear intelligent, I will reimburse you with the information that the transmission of my 1923 Dodge Roadster has neither a felt seal or a oil “slinger”.

I only know that overfilling it will result in a leak until the oil level returns to its proper fill level (below the main shaft) or someone has snuck in a pit some lube in it of a viscosity less than 600W.

That said, although I wish I had one, and envy anyone who does, I wouldn’t even know it was a Jordan if it was the car which had just ran over me 🤪.