New Project

For now, I lumped all the pre-war cars together, I would LOVE for there to be enough demand to split it into groups (hint...hint, post here about your pre-war Singer)
Danish
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2017 10:29 pm
First Name: David

Re: New Project

Post by Danish »

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ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

Thanks David. I had seen this interesting item. From the louvres running along the bonnet I think the model may be a Super Six as the Light Six has horizontal ones. Very similar cars but the Super was finished to a higher spec so far as I understand and had an OHC engine rather than a side valve.
robroan
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:06 pm
First Name: Rob

Re: New Project

Post by robroan »

Hello Colin,
Your progress astounds me yet again ! I can certainly understand you wanting to get this stabilised..
It's a lovely coincidence we have these great projects on within 20 miles of each other, its a great motivator.
As I said will do all we can to help, thanks for showing us around.
ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

Thanks Rob - yes I agree it is a real bonus to have two such similar cars being restored very near to each other. You are very generous with your offer of help: I am hoping that Jim can help me out with his machining skills as I need eight spring bolts. He has made a magnificent job of yours.

I have reassembled the front springs with graphite grease between the leaves and I'm pretty confident that they will be very serviceable. One bronze bush looks OK but one will definitely need to be replaced.

I am taking the rears to Midland Motor Springs in Nottingham next week as one has a broken leaf. I think I will go for two new ones to ensure they balance up. I spoke to Tom there who was very enthusiastic about the job having just completed the springs for a late 19th century electric car. This involved grinding the steel to the correct width and thickness and he obviously took a great deal of trouble to get things right. I think the cost will be about £250 a spring which will be good value.

To round off my thoughts on the wedges I found between the front springs and the axle: the cheesehead bolts through the centre of each spring are quite tapered and fit very snugly into the recesses on the axle to align everything correctly. The wedges have the effect of raising the spring to the point where the bolt no longer fits snugly and leaves a very vague connection. So you could conceivably have the front axle 3 or 4 mm out of alignment across the chassis in the worst case. I suspect this would be far more significant to the steering than a slight change to the castor angle, so the wedges are going in the scrap bin!
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ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

I attacked the front axle today and had a really nice surprise: there are new roller bearings and brake shoes on each side, so it appears that Wayne Kerr who owned the car in 1979/80 did more than just fettle the engine. This is a real bonus which I hope will be repeated when I approach the rear one. So I have painted the front axle and will put it to one side until I have the spring hangers, bushes and U bolts sorted out.
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ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

I just dropped off the rear springs at Midland Motor Springs near Nottingham. Lovely traditional two man band run by Tom (left in the photo). We agreed that new springs were necessary and subject to non-stock steel delivery they should be done sometime next week. The other picture shows my old springs next to the new ones Tom has made for an 1895 electric car. I'm really happy to have gone to a small self-managed workshop as I believe that in general you get a better service than you do from larger outfits.
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ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

I'm very fortunate that although I am officially employed one day a week the lovely women who own the firm very rarely ask me to do anything! So I am able to indulge my obsessive fascination with the light six with few interruptions.

I opened up the differential yesterday and found it to be in very good order with no sign of wear on the teeth. Someone had tried to prise the cover off at some time (why when you just undo the nuts?) so that was slightly distorted. I have lightly hammered it back near to shape and made a cork gasket which should hold oil being slightly thicker than a card one.

I have been soaking the spring hangers in Bilt Hammer's Deox. This is a great way to gently free up seized components as it dissolves the rust in a thin water-based solution and is far better than WD40 for small items. After 2 days the pins just slid out of the hangers with a gentle tap. Only one needs a longer soak. With the one Bill sent me I have the luxury of a spare hanger set plus two good pins as patterns.
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ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

Rear axle cleaned and painted plus spring hangers. I wanted to clean it before opening up the hubs to avoid getting muck into the seals which I expect to replace unless I'm really lucky again.
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ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

We have visitors for the weekend so I had to get a Light Six Fix before they arrive. I took one of the shock absorbers/dampers apart as they were doing nothing and had no signs of oil in them. They are very nicely made and even have a little piston ring on the piston. They obviously work by oil passing through holes in the piston to damp the suspension on both the up- and down-stroke. There is a crude valve in the larger brass fitting that will close on the up-stroke and allow air or oil (I'm not sure which) to follow the piston on the down stroke. My two questions are 1) what oil do I use and 2) how full should it be? On the second question my current thinking is that the piston should be in the oil for the entire up-stroke but I'm open to correction.
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tvdwerf
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2017 9:59 pm
First Name: Teake
Location: Een, NL

Re: New Project

Post by tvdwerf »

For the original oil I am not sure, but at my company we make our own shock absorbers for weigh scales
.
Maybe another user knows exact what te original oil was, but I have spend some time by self building and modification from shock absorbers.
My '51 Morris Minor needs mineral oil grade 20, except for cold conditions.

At the company, we are using hydraulic oil, and because of the food, it is the Shell Cassida food-grade type.
But standard hydraulic oil can be used when no food is there ;)
The working temperature is important, when it is a hot or cold country where the machine has to run, we are using between grade 15 and grade 45.
Default grade 30., this has to do with the small movement from a few mm, and the construction.

So the gap between piston and cylinder is important, together with the movement from the piston.
When it is only a few cm, thicker oil can be used, when it is a longer stroke, use thinner oil.
If there is a rubber O-ring inside, a standard ring from a hydraulic company can be used, with only metal parts inside, the type of oil is not very important.
Gear box oil, or standard engine oil can do the job also.

To check if the grade is correct, just fill it and check if the movement is normal.
The height of the level should be enough for a few cm higher as the top position for the piston.
Singer 4A 1950
ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

Thanks Teake that is really helpful! :D
ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

I have been painting all the rear suspension components in anticipation of getting the new springs and just idly checked the rear hanger pins against the front ones, to discover that the front ones are slightly shorter. I suppose this should not be a surprise as old cars are full of non-standard items, but I'm glad I checked as Rob Roan is arranging to have new ones made for me so I can get 4 of each made when I might have taken one good sample along (from the rear) and asked for 8 just like it. :D
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telco.2
Posts: 293
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2016 10:00 pm
First Name: Bill
Location: Kendal UK

Re: New Project

Post by telco.2 »

Hi Colin,
Interesting shock absorbers; my '31 Junior was fitted with same type...Newton Hydraulic..methinks. I used a fairly thick oil SAE90 from memory but they never worked very well as there's no articulation to allow for angle change in the axle on cornering etc so as I was on a VERY tight budget I changed to Hartfords.
kind regards
Bill
ColinB
Posts: 1332
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:37 am
First Name: Colin
Location: Parson Drove UK

Re: New Project

Post by ColinB »

Yes I suspect they are more effective Bill. I tend to go for originality so I plan to re-install the Newtons though. As one of the joys of receiving a kit of parts without any instructions I'm trying to puzzle out how the front ones were fixed, as they arrived in a cardboard box along with other mysterious bits and pieces!
telco.2
Posts: 293
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2016 10:00 pm
First Name: Bill
Location: Kendal UK

Re: New Project

Post by telco.2 »

Agreed on originality, but I was using the Junior as everyday transport at the time - '60s -and I needed shocks that worked!!! :shock: Bill
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