project 1951 Pontiac Chieftain

[PhilA]

I took the lower oil pan off the gearbox again.

 

The brake bands require an initial adjustment in order to function correctly.  The rear band is set by measuring the distance from the rear of the servo to the end of the pin. It's meant to be 5 7/16". Slack, it's quite a bit more than that. 

 

I wound the adjustment bolt in.

 

Accounting for parallax, that's now set correctly.

 

Adjustment locknut tightened up and that called done.

 

The front band is a little more difficult to set- this plug needs to come out, a 7/16" insert needs to go in with a stud or bolt down the center that can be used to accurately wind the piston down by 300 thou'. Once that's preloaded the band adjuster is tightened up until the band is snug. I need to go to the hardware store to get a brass fitting (easy to tap a thread in) to do this, then I can put the oil pan back on and think about the fluid torus.

 

Phil

[hairnet]

Witchcraft

[PhilA]

Hardware store this morning.

 

Bought a brass fitting and a bolt.

 

Got busy with a tap.

 

Put a thread through the center of the fitting.

 

The hole the plug in the servo sits in is blind threaded so it seals; this allows something to be screwed through all the way and push the piston in.

 

I put a rounded end on the bolt as it has to push and turn against the piston face.

 

The brass fitting screws into the plug hole.

 

The bolt then screwed down to meet the piston. A bit of math later and 5¾ turns brings it in 0.3" and then the band adjustment is tightened up and locked off. Tool removed, plug reinstalled and everything else put back together.

 

Cleaned it up and gave it a coat of paint. Need to get some green to do the data plate.

 

Phil

[busmansholiday]

Fuck me, back here in Blighty somebody would be nominating you for a gong, probably MBE (my bloody effort).

After the phenonimel work on this,  do you intend to stand for President next?.

[PhilA]

19 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

Fuck me, back here in Blighty somebody would be nominating you for a gong, probably MBE (my bloody effort).

After the phenonimel work on this,  do you intend to stand for President next?.

No, just reassemble and drive. If it works, that's good enough for now!

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Ok, that's the flywheel cover painted and bolted on...

Well, might as well get the torus housing located on the rings.

Psh, the primary torus can go in too.

We got this far so the secondary can go on and get bolted in.

Hell, might as well get it hooked up to the crane, too.

Currently trying to remove really old sealant from the flywheel.

 

Phil

 

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, PhilA said:

 

 

 

Hell, might as well get it hooked up to the crane, too.

Currently trying to remove really old sealant from the flywheel.

 

Phil

 

 

[PhilA]

Cleaned the flywheel, applied sealant as per book then put gasket on.

 

Did a progressive 10-25-30 lb/ft torque on the flywheel bolts. Need to torque the housing correctly but that's pretty much done. Need to pull the manifolds off again and redo the valve clearances while it's out and access is the best it can be.

Then, need to finish the wiring loom in the engine bay (just needs wrapped), clean and paint the passenger side inner wing and then it can all go back in.

 

Phil

[LightBulbFun]

7 hours ago, PhilA said:

Cleaned the flywheel, applied sealant as per book then put gasket on.

 

Did a progressive 10-25-30 lb/ft torque on the flywheel bolts. Need to torque the housing correctly but that's pretty much done. Need to pull the manifolds off again and redo the valve clearances while it's out and access is the best it can be.

Then, need to finish the wiring loom in the engine bay (just needs wrapped), clean and paint the passenger side inner wing and then it can all go back in.

 

Phil

being able to attach the gearbox to the engine must be a big achievement in all of this!

I well and truly doff my cap to you sir! (well my hubnut beanie  )

I love how big the gearbox looked and now how small it looks again back on the engine LOL

Just whatever you do don't forget to put fluid in the gearbox!

[tooSavvy]

Saw this = Thought of you....

[hairnet]

im sure youve said

why are they different colors?

not all painted engine color?

[PhilA]

52 minutes ago, hairnet said:

im sure youve said

why are they different colors?

not all painted engine color?

Personal preference. The engine was originally a dark green (Brunswick green) and the gearbox battleship gray. The car is custom all blues so I followed a theme. 

Phil

[PhilA]

I changed the engine oil.

It needed doing.

 

Then I filled the transmission up (10 quarts! - 9½ litres) and decided I should check see if it at least wanted to work...

 

Phil

 

[LightBulbFun]

4 minutes ago, PhilA said:

I changed the engine oil.

It needed doing.

 

Then I filled the transmission up (10 quarts! - 9½ litres) and decided I should check see if it at least wanted to work...

 

Phil

 

very awesome stuff!

I wonder, I know with rebuilt/new engines they have a running in period/procedure

do rebuilt gearboxes and the such like have one or not so much?

[PhilA]

Usually just a fluid flush a little earlier than regular interval.

 

Phil

[hairnet]

farkin ell

what does engine take if the (far smaller) box is 9.5 !!!!!! ?

 

[hairnet]

[PhilA]

14 minutes ago, hairnet said:

farkin ell

what does engine take if the (far smaller) box is 9.5 !!!!!! ?

 

Somewhere around 6 liters. Don't forget the fluid coupling takes a lot to fill up.

 

Phil

[paulplom]

Brilliant

[tooSavvy]

....... something for the weekend, sir?

 

[PhilA]

Last night I dug out my little hand pump vacuum and went to test the distributor advance mechanism. At first glance the diaphragm is good because it'll take and hold a decent vacuum. But, it didn't move.

 

Oh. That might be why. Let's unhook the vacuum arm from the condenser clip.

No bueno.

Took the vacuum unit off and tested it- moved nicely. Pulled the condenser off to get it out of the way...

 

Some cretin has used a screw there's about 1/2" too long and has bent the plate up and jammed it against the mechanism below.

Attacked the screw with a hacksaw and bent the plate back.

 

Free to move but the maximum vacuum advance makes the engine run like crap so that may need to be adjusted- someone's already been in there and has bent the stopper tab (that limits the amount of advance available) so that may need to be fettled a little. It was working well enough with no vacuum advance so limiting that should help it not be lumpy at light throttle.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Loomed up the wiring under the hood and made sure the clamp brackets fit.

Cleaned up and straightened out the hood pull, might be able to make that work. 

Adjusted the carburetor automatic choke mechanism.

Also uncovered the alternator part number:

Shows it's a 63A rebuilt Delco 10SI. I am not sure the diode pack is still good, but at least now I know which one it takes and it's not expensive.

 

Phil

[Sir Snipes]

Massive engine is still massive.

Have to say, rebuilding this old battlecruiser looks a lot more rewarding than having a bitter old Renault break itself every time you fixed something unrelated on the ungreatful old bastard.  

[PhilA]

Well, how it behaves once it's back on the road is yet to be seen... It may end up being as bitter and ungrateful as the Renault. No telling at this point!

 

Phil

[busmansholiday]

Look on the bright side Phil. You'll still have spent less on this than whoever bought that BMW for the same.money that was next to it in the car lot in your first post.

[hairnet]

3 hours ago, PhilA said:

Well, how it behaves once it's back on the road is yet to be seen... It may end up being as bitter and ungrateful as the Renault. No telling at this point!

 

Phil

go outside right now and give it a stroke

on the way flip the bird to the renault

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, busmansholiday said:

Look on the bright side Phil. You'll still have spent less on this than whoever bought that BMW for the same.money that was next to it in the car lot in your first post.

the beemer wouldnt be worth what the sticker said right now

 

[hairnet]

3 hours ago, PhilA said:

Well, how it behaves once it's back on the road is yet to be seen... 

 

Phil

broken, it putzed up and down the street

itll be roight

 

[wuvvum]

On 9/28/2019 at 1:33 PM, hairnet said:

Witchcraft

/\ WHS.

[PhilA]

Little bit of work tonight.

First, reset valves.

 

Second, get things ready.

 

Need some nuts and bolts for the rear cradle, gonna see about getting that tomorrow. Then it can go back in.

 

Phil