Jowett Kestrel Rebuild & Restoration

[Tony Fearn]

I do love how these pre-war cars are so easy to work on!

Quite so, and to drive them is so relaxing.
Isn't it time you re-visited your 'fleet'? There's still time. A pre-war Jowett will take you from high-octane to sublime bliss - if you let it!
Perhaps 'down South' you don't have the wonderful B roads wandering through the green pastures that we have up here in the North West.
It's said that the Queen's favourite place to be in the whole UK is the Ribble Valley - not 3 miles from me!
Believe it or not, there aren't many mills, or their chimneys left, and I haven't seen a clog or a shawl for many a year!
Google my post code, turn left on to the A680 towards Whalley or Clitheroe, put the little orange man on the map and just see what you're missing within 2 miles of Scott Street.
It's even more spectacular around Buckden, north of Skipton and Grassington where Julian lives.
If you do come up and visit our part of the country, and perhaps visit Buckden, where all this work on a 1934 Jowett Kestrel is being done by Julian, you might also wish to have afternoon tea in his annexe. Mary bakes some wonderful cakes.
http://www.tanglewoodteas.co.uk/
Tony.

[Chris Spencer]

the wonderful B roads wandering through the green pastures that we have up here in the North West.
It's said that the Queen's favourite place to be in the whole UK is the Ribble Valley - not 3 miles from me!
Believe it or not, there aren't many mills, or their chimneys left, and I haven't seen a clog or a shawl for many a year!
Google my post code, turn left on to the A680 towards Whalley or Clitheroe, put the little orange man on the map and just see what you're missing within 2 miles of Scott Street.
It's even more spectacular around Buckden, north of Skipton and Grassington where Julian lives.
If you do come up and visit our part of the country, and perhaps visit Buckden,

Sounds like an excellent venue for a National Rally ???

Its few months since I passed through the area (apologies I did not have time to stop off) and Tony you are right I too did not see a clog or shawl - but the pidgins were flying backwards

[Forumadmin]

Hi Tony,
I worked in Skipton for a couple of years off and on, and enjoyed the roads immensely with my Subaru. I guess 'pottering' around in a pre-war also has its delights.
The closest I have come to two cylinder motoring is travelling with Brian Hehir in his Bradford in Tasmania. The hills were a little tedious going up (as some were a few miles long) and quite frightening on the way down. Bends were also a challenge, but then Brian tends not to potter if he can help it, getting the last micro BHP out of the two cylinders. Brian has travelled 13 times across AustraIia in his Braddie which, for those with limited geography, is a little bit farther than from the Ribble to Skipton. I also drove around the gymkanha track on a field in a Braddie in Tassie and NZ, wheel spin was not a problem.

I also spent a day with Vic Morrison in his 10, winding up the gorges and valleys in North Island. Now that is a car I could live with.

[julian]

All this talk of travelling around in a pre-war Jowett is making me impatient! I'm going as fast as I can with the refurbishment consistent with keeping the good lady happy

I have to agree working on the car has (so far) been a pleasure and mostly straightforward (with a little guidance from my newly acquired friends on the forum). The chassis is nearing completion and then I suspect the real work begins on the bodywork.

Recent work includes:
Dismantling, cleaning & painting rear brake components - brake shoes currently being re-lined
Second coat of paint on the chassis
Reassembling brake cross shaft and all rear brake linkages
Removing wheels & tires - wheels currently undergoing shot-blasting and powder coating

[julian]

A few more photos:

Brake shoes ready for re-lining - note polished rivet on top right shoe

Wheels ready for blasting & coating

Brake cross shaft cleaned-up painted & ready for re-fitting

[julian]

The brake cross shaft has now been re-fitted:

The wheels have been powder coated:

And the brake shoes re-lined:

[julian]

The rear brakes have been re-assembled:

All rear brake rods and linkage arms have been re-fitted and initial brake adjustment carried out.


Tyres and wheels fitted:

[Chris Spencer]

Julian - Great progress and to high standards which is always pleasing to see

[julian]

An update on progress is well overdue - so here it is!

The chassis re-build is nearing completion with the following jobs completed:

Brake linkages and levers cleaned up, built-up and new pins fitted where needed
Hand-brake cleaned up, painted & re-fitted.
Brakes set-up with all 4 wheels off the ground
Rear shock absorbers cleaned-up, painted & re-fitted

Petrol tank cleaned up, painted & re-installed
Petrol gauge tank unit removed cleaned, tested & re-installed.
Petrol pipe polished & re-installed
Last section of petrol pipe refashioned to fit mechanical fuel pump ( previously went to an electric pump).

Attention then turned to the exhaust system, which I previously mentioned was taken from all in one part from a Morris Minor. After much measuring and pondering I finally decided to cut the system into a silencer and tail-pipe section with the "hump" reversed in direction to suit the Jowett layout. This of course required the parts to be joined which I did by expanding the section of pipe at the end of the silencer and then inserting the tail section. I positioned the join in line with the cross member from which the supporting strap was mounted.

Photo below shows chassis from the rear.

[julian]

Here are a few more photos of the exhaust:

I expanded the section of pipe on the silencer by heating up to red-hot and working round with a bar to spread the end slightly. I was then able to hammer in a spare section of tube, a bit at a time, continuously re-heating, until I had a 2" long expanded section. Not something I'd like to do very often as it took over an hour to complete, but it worked out well in the end! There's probably a machine that would do the same job in a few seconds.

[julian]

I've now moved on to looking at the flywheel ring gear which is in a poor condition around TDC as can be seen below:

I had a look at the flywheel from the 1932 engine which is in good condition, but also quite different from the one on the 1934 engine. Note also the 1932 (left) TDC mark is on the opposite side to the keyway, and the 1934 (right) TDC marking is in line with the keyway.

The 1934 ring rear appears to be cut from the casting whereas the 1932 is a separate ring which is much narrower. I've decided therefore to try having the damaged teeth built up with weld and then filed back to shape - I post how I get on.

[richard turner]

New ring gear may be available. Vintage Restorations, Colwyn Bay. Regards Rich

[ian Howell]

I have been told (but have never done it!) that ring gears hay be removed by GENTLE heating and then refitted the other way round.

It occurs to me that perhaps there is / should be a sort of bevel or 'lead in' on the front edges of the gear teeth, or is that just a sign of wear on a used gear?

You will have to remove the existing gear ring anyway, so maybe worth a try?

[george garside]

on most flywheels the ring gear is shrunk on and can be removed by reversing the process i.e. heating the ring gear. However for some strange reason the flywheel ,as far as I am aware , on the twins up to and including the CB Bradfords had the teeth cut in directly in the flywheel itself and no ring gear was listed as a spare part, instead a factory reconditioned flywheel was available . The CC Bradford has a 'normal' flywheel with a replacement ring gear being available as a spare part.

I thought the 1932 flywheel as was of the same integral teeth as other twins ????and wonder if the one pictured had perhaps been machined to take a ring gear of some other engine????

I did know a bloke who successfully built up damaged teeth with weld and then filed to correct profile

george

[Tony Fearn]

I've decided therefore to try having the damaged teeth built up with weld and then filed back to shape - I (will) post how I get on.

Julian,
Perhaps Jowett car Spares has a reasonable flywheel with a good starter ring. It might be as well to ask, and then if it's 1/3 the price of the welding/grinding you'll be in pocket.

George, Roy Braddock sold me a NOS ring gear about 30 years ago, which I still have. He knew I only had 'Mary Ellen' the 1934 Short Saloon, so I thought at the time it would be a good buy, just in case I would ever need it in the future. How often did that happen!!

Talking of which, I also have a NOS Bradford Pinion and ring gear from Roy, inter alia, which I was led to believe could be fettled into the back axle of the early pre-wars...., and so it went on.

But ..... I also bought a new half-shaft around the same time, and a couple of years ago it came in handy. Good old Roy.
Tony.