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HELP ! - I have just installed a 1935 engine in 'Arabella' - bought it from a former club member who had it 'professionally reconditioned' around 2003 but had never used it.
The oil leak, which I at first thought was coming from the pressure relief valve, is in fact appears to be coming from the rear of the crankshaft and is running down the rear (engine) face of the flywheel and thence out of the bellhousing via the oblong hole in the it's base. It is obviously also 'throwing' from the flywheel in all directions when the engine is running!
IP suggested I check it was not coming from the camshaft endcap - I have checked this and it's dry as a bone.
Is it only leaking from the rear main or other places as well. If so it may be worth checking the crankcase depression with a manometer (if you havn't already done so)
Hi George.
It is actually also weeping from the base of the oil pump - I assumed that might by a faulty gasket and was going to remove it to check now that I have drained the oil.
Don't have a manometer - are you thinking there may be excessive pressure in the crankcase ?
Ian
Ian, You can make a very simple manometer from a length of clear plastic tubing with a bore of about 6 mm. just form it into a " U " and put a small ammount of water in the U. leave one end open to the atmosphere and connect the other end to the crankcase. It will give you a reading + or -. You will then have to calculate values,
the factory recommendation was 12" of lift using redex in a manometer. I dont have any info on diameter of manometer tube ( & am not sure if thi makes any real difference - but think it probably does) The suggestion is that it is coupled using a rubber tube from the glass manometer ( plastic tube will do just the same) the other end of rubber tube going onto a stub soldered into a spare oil filler cap or oil level cap.
The lift will be different using water & another possibility would be to ouple a cavuum guage to the crankcase but again I have no idea of the correct reading.
the oil return hole in breather valve chamber should be checked aas clear and the breather valve vanes should cover their respective holes & be well supported by the centre star plate.
I have taken off the breather valve cover and the vane and supporting star are intact but seem very weak with signs of rusting at some time in the past.
I will order a new set from JCS this evening and fit them before proceeding further. The breather valve cover and downpipe were full of 'goo', although not blocked - should have been cleaned when the engine was recon'd !
I have started removing the clutch, flywheel, and crankcase rear cover off of Arabella's original engine to understand what is involved and what is there in case I have to do the same with the recon engine. Have come to a halt 'cause the flywheel won't budge - have a puller but not the two bolts that screw into the flywheel - the thread in the holes don't match any bolts I have so it will be over to JCS/IP for help this evening !
much safer to use wooden wedges to pull flywheel off crankshaft taper as using a pullr can result in cracked flywheel. 2 large hardwood wedges each about 18"long by 2" wide tapewring from about 2" to zero.
These are hammered between the flywheen & engine back plate using a sledge hammer with engine standing on timing case end one wedge goes in from east to west & t'othr from west to east, one either side of crankshaft.
Sorry George I don't like your last statement as quoted below
"much safer to use wooden wedges to pull flywheel off crankshaft taper as using a pullr can result in cracked flywheel. 2 large hardwood wedges each about 18"long by 2" wide tapewring from about 2" to zero.
These are hammered between the flywheen & engine back plate using a sledge hammer with engine standing on timing case end one wedge goes in from east to west & t'othr from west to east, one either side of crankshaft."
My view is by forcing wedges between the crankcse and the flywheel you are putting pressure against the aluminium casting which is probably weeker than the cast flywheel and if it is that tight your are more likely to damage tha aluminium casting that the flywheel
By using the puller you are pushing the two items you wish to seperate against each other and not putting any preasure against a third element
I agree it can be a sod to come off. I have found by putting the puller on and tensioning the screw onto the end of the crankshaft and leave it and go and put kettle on. Come back in a few minutes and tighted again. Go and make cup of tea. go back and tighten again. eventually i've found the flywheel will come off.
You need to use the same method for removing the gearbox output flange on javelins and jupiters - they normally release with a bang and fly about 2 feet
We've been through this before with Alan (Bartlett) and I've copied my post about this below:-
Alan.
Ian Priestly and I used the 'Braddock' technique George mentions to remove the much smaller crankshaft sprocket at the front of the engine of my 1927 Long two, and I was surprised that it worked. Shouldn't have been really because I.P. is a whizz at all things vintage and pre-war.
I haven't used the technique for flywheel removal though, only the 'puller method'. The large nut on the rear of the crankshaft is a 7/8 Whitworth size, the same size as the crankshaft sprocket retaining nut at the other end.
If I remember correctly, the 7/8" box or ring spanner won't fit over the clutch centering bearing on the back of the crankshaft. If it did, you would be able to prise it off whilst undoing the nut. If not then take care removing the bearing. It is a tight press fit on the shaft end, easily smashed and rather expensive to replace. (N.B. When rebuilding, make sure there are no burrs on the shaft end and offer the bearing to the shaft at 90 degrees before gently persuading it back into place using the inner ring of the ball race and a hollow drift.)
The flywheel itself can't be turned as Keith suggests because there is a keyway machined into the inside of the central boss which fits over a Woodruff key on the crankshaft end.
The starter ring will be heat-shrunk onto the flywheel rim, so if all else fails, it can be removed by an expert, turned though 180 and re-fitted.
Some pre-war fly wheels had 80 teeth and others 79 teeth I think, so if you are swapping one for the other make sure the tooth count matches or you might get the starter jamming in the future.
Another thing to watch for is that although most flywheels have the little arrow stamped on the rim to show Top Dead Centre (TDC), we have come across the odd one that when the arrow is visible at the top, the pistons are actually at Bottom Dead Centre (BDC)!
Back to the puller: - As well as the 6 clutch spring recesses on the inside of the flywheel, there are a couple of smaller holes drilled right through, one at either side of the central boss. These are drilled to take 1/2" Whitworth threads. To make a puller you will need a piece of 3/4" steel plate 6" x 3" and drill two holes 3 1/2" apart at their centres. The pair of holes should be equidistant from the short ends, and on the centre line of the long axis. They need to be about 9/16 ths each.
Two 3 1/2" long pieces of 1/2" Whitworth screwed bar and nuts are also needed.
After removing the flywheel nut and washer, screw the screwed-bars into the 1/2" draw holes so that they just show through on the back side. Put the heavy iron plate over the bars and allow to rest on the crankshaft end. Put the nuts on and tighten up each side a bit at a time. If you are lucky the flywheel might come off. If not, and making sure that there is a fair bit of tension on the puller, clout the centre of the puller with a lump hammer. If it doesn't come off at this stage, perhaps you'll be able to turn the nuts a bit more and clout it again. Heat from a blowlamp onto the central boss might also help as a last resort, but do this outside with a bucket of water or fire extinguisher handy.
When the flywheel finally comes off so will the puller with it, and together they will be very heavy so watch your toes.
Hope the above is of help.
Tony.
Perhaps it will be of help to you also.
Regards,
Tony.
P.S. See the posts by Alan on tappet leakage which perhaps was due to too much pressure inside the engine casing, (the U-Tube movie is quite educational), and also:-
1. Is the gasket on the rear circular plate that holds the rear bearing leak-proof?
2. Does the flywheel when it's in-situ move up and down when pulled/pushed - ? very worn rear bearing even though it's been 'reconditioned'.
Roy Braddock showed me the wedge system of flywheel removal many years ago on an engine of mine that I haad been struggling with a puller to no effect. The flywheel popped off the taper without any problem with the wedges. Roy used to have the wedges hung on a hook in his immaculate workshop along with various othr special tools ready for instant use.
I have subsequently used it on several engines & its worked well. however I suppose i'd better say that using this technique is entirely at your own risk & that I am merely passing on 'historical' information for whatever anybody considers its value to be.
Fitted new breather vane and 'star' received from JCS this morning. Refilled the engine with oil and started her - after a few moments, oil began running from the rear again. Fitted a hastily modified oil filler cap with tube and at tickover had about 12" of Redex supported so the problem is not excessive pressure in the crankcase !
Have drained the oil again in preparation for the removal of the engine which I will do over the next few days
I have peered/squinted through the elongated 'cut-out' in the casing under the flywheel and can see the bottom of the domed crankshaft end-cover. There is no gasket evident but there is blue gasket-goo and oil around it's bottom edge so that may well be the source of the leak - we will know in the next few days !
The leak from the oil pump has been stopped - I removed the pump cap - no gasket or gasket-goo there and one of the countersunk screws had no thread left !
The engines previous owner had it 'professionally rebuilt' back in 2003 at a cost of £1800 and had never used it - I bought it 'as seen'
There's a moral here somewhere !
Thanks again for everybody's input - I'll update on the issue once I get to the source of the problem
'Professional' means you pay, not that you get a good job done. Although we do not want to be sued, it is useful for the network to know about such jobs. Even more beneficial would be to communicate good workmanship.
I will try to find out who did the reconditioning - need to get hold of ex-member Gary Rooke since it was he who had it done. I won't post the info but will pass it to you 'for the record'
