Recommissioning 1929 long two

[BarryCambs]

Hi Tony

That was my thought, but it seems to be in the wrong position, being a lot lower that the carb. I wonder if it made more sense when the original engine was in it?

Barry

[BarryCambs]

I now have a working fuel gauge ........... even if I shouldn't have one. A gauge from an Austin 7 works perfectly, so I think the sender probably is from the same car. Bit of a false start as it worked perfectly, but in reverse, so I assume the Austins were positive earth. Luckily, the resistance in the sender just slots in and is obviously designed to be reversed for negative earth.

Barry

[BarryCambs]

I'm afraid the Jowett (and everything else) had to go on hold for a while, as 5 years of broken sleep finally took it's toll. However, our youngest is now sleeping through, so I am back to it and very close to a test firing!

I have finally solved the mystery of the seating position too which have given me a renewed enthusiasm as I will actually be able to drive it once running. I noticed the moment I got in to move it from the old garage there was no way I could get my feet on the pedals. Someone had cut slots in the floor, allowing the pedals to come back a good 6 inches and I assumed this was the problem. I replaced what was left of the floor and while this made a big difference, there was still no way I could get my legs under the steering wheel. This means my knees are touching the wheel at about 25 past 7 leaving the gear lever under my left thigh making it impossible to engage 3rd or 4th.

Very fortunately another 1929 Jowett (long saloon) has recently arrived in Cambridge and I have been to visit Danial Banham with my tape measure. It was immediately obvious I could sit in his quite comfortably. The pedal position is identical, measurement from the bulkhead to seat front and seat height is also the same as the long two. The steering wheel is also the same diameter. Just as I was starting to question my own sanity ( and wondering if I wasn't quite over the sleep deprivation) , I realised the distance between the steering wheel and windsreen is a good 6 inches greater on Daniels car. I looked at the pictures in Noel Stokoe Jowetts of the 1920s and sure enough, all the pictures show the wheel way back from where mine is. Given the angle of the column, even pulling it back a couple of inches would have a dramatic effect in height!

As pointed out on here, the car is fitted with a 1934 steering wheel with central horn push and dip switch. I can only assume the 1934 steering column is fitted and causing the problem. Was the 1934 chassis completely different from the 1929? I'm unsure what the steering box is off, though the set up looks identical to Daniel's saloon.

While I don't like taking a hacksaw to original parts, it should be simple enough to cut and extent the column under the dash. I know from the photos I have the previous owner was short, but even so, I don't know how anyone managed to drive it.

[BarryCambs]

After just 40 years talking about it, I took the day off to get the Jowett running. This afternoon, it was finally ready for a test firing. It didn't! After some head scratching, it turns out my shiny new coil isn't working and is open circuit across the primary side. I put a new one on as experience tells me the old ones normally fail the first time they get hot, and having tried the old one, the spark is bearly discernable, so it's now frustrating wait for the new coil

Luckily, I didn't waste too much time looking for the problem, as I have had a faulty coil before, along with 2 condensors and a couple of spark plugs that introduced misfires into newly serviced engines, so I don't tend to assume new components are right. Still a little dissapointing though

[ian Howell]

Barry: -

Nil Desperandum!

I don't know how much patience you have (or used to have before all this!) but it is POSSIBLE to rebuild ignition coils with modern innerds but preserving the outer casing with the unusual 'saddle' type mounting bracket to fit the contours of the dynamo.

I know, because I did it. It is pretty tedious and time consuming but I think the effort is worthwhile if it retains the appearance of the engine compartment.

Likewise, I have rebuilt a condenser! The 'fat' brass ones are quite difficult to find these days, even moreso in working condition.

If you, or anyone else, would like details of my efforts, let me know in a PM or even here.

[BarryCambs]

Hi Ian

New coil arrived and it fired up instantly! It actually runs quite nicely and let it get hot so I could change the oil again. Didn't look great for oil that had been in an engine for only 15 mins, so I'll give it another couple of changes. It was showing 30 psi oil pressure at a high tickover and that didn't drop at all when it warmed up. No sign of any blue smoke and seems mechanically very quiet, so it looks hopeful. The only real problem I can see is it looks like there's a hairline crack in one cylinder head and it seemed to be weeping water. It dissapeared when it got hot, but I suspect it was just the water evaporating as fast as it leaked.

The coil is black classic style: http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/p ... ategory/19

It looks ok, but is slightly larger diameter than the original, so I will have to modify the mounting clamp on the dynamo. I still have the original, so I'd be facinated to see how you changed the internals!

[BarryCambs]

Thinking about it, do the heads have waterways in them anyway?

[Tony Fearn]

The only real problem I can see is it looks like there's a hairline crack in one cylinder head and it seemed to be weeping water. It disappeared when it got hot, but I suspect it was just the water evaporating as fast as it leaked.

Roy Braddock suggested that after removing cylinder heads, or the manifold, for whatever reason, it was best to add something like 'Barsleak' to the radiator to stop-up any slight water weep.

This might just do the trick, and yes, the heads have waterways in them. Just look at a cylinder head gasket.

Tony.

[BarryCambs]

I keep forgetting the system's not pressurised, so not such a problem as modern systems to keep tight. The book talks of taking the heads off without mention of moving the engine, but with mine, the heads are wedged between the chassis rails, with probably only 1/4 inch clearance, so it could be an engine out job to get it off to grind the crack and seal it.

[BarryCambs]

Well the project has taken a quantum leap forward! After a year abandonment due to chronic sleep deprivation, my youngest has not only been sleeping through, but has started preschool meaning I can actually find time to start again, without trying to cope with looking after the kids

As a result, we are now moments away from a test drive ............. I hope. The main thing has been sorting the steering column, which now means I can sit with my legs straight out and get my feet on the pedals. The wheel was so low before, even if you could get your foot on the clutch, your thigh was over the gear lever, meaning it was physically impossible to engage 3rd or 4th gear.

I cut the column and machined a sleeve to extend it by 5 inches, with enough material to give the option of another inch if needed. As the shaft is near 45 degrees, this has also raised it about 5 inches too. The gap between the wheel and steering wheel now looks similar to the 1929 brochure and photos in books, etc.

[BarryCambs]

Excited by the thought I can now actually drive the car, I thought I'd see if any of the 6 inches of play could be adjusted out of the steering. The box and all joints are perfect, with all the play being in the ball joint where the drag link connects to the steering box. Wiping away all the grease however revealed a slight problem. The adjustable end cap has been secured in place by brazing it to the rod, rather than the more traditional split pin. I'm assuming the threads have gone.

There really is a good 6 inches of slack on the wheel, so I'd like to sort it. I'm not going to be able to get this off without ruining what is left of the joint, so if anyone has a spare rod I could either buy, or at least borrow while I fabricate a new end, I would be very grateful!

I'll also try Jowett Spares on Monday, but I would be grateful for some help identifying what I'm actually looking for. I have a 1935 parts list which shows this type of steering box, but I'm not sure if the 1929 car had the same? Could it be the box was swapped from the 1934 car that donated the engine, gearbox and steering column?

[george garside]

The steering box on your car is definitely the third type which was introduced ?1931 and was used throughout the thirties. The drag link to box joint was the same to 1939 but the shape of the drag link will be different . I have a feeling that the drag link socket may have been the same on the Braadfords as Jowetts tended to not change things that didn't need changing even though the Bradford steering box is different.

Options could possibly be to weld on end from later drag link or use later drag ling rebent/lengthened /shortened as required.

The vintage steering box was bolted rigidly to the chassis ross member but the later silentblock mounted ( as yours appears to be had a threaded rod from the bottom of the box to ?? to limit side movement. When this broke you immediately got 6'' of play at the steering wheel before anything happened. It may be worth checking for movement of the box on its mounting when turning the steering wheel if you have not already done so

george

[BarryCambs]

Thanks George, that's very useful. I think grafting a joint from another link will be the most straightforward if finding the correct shape and length of rod is going to be difficult. If someone has one with a damaged joint one end, it will be the perfect solution! If the Bradford joints are the same, it will at least widen the search.

You are correct to say the box is held steady with an adjustable rod which in this case is bolted through the chassis rail the other end. It's all very ridged and I can find no play at all anywhere apart from the brazed joint.

I missed the last two national rallies as they fell the same weekend as two of my children birthdays. It does look like I can make it to Tewsksbury next year though, and draw on some of the expertise there to tell me which bits are from which year. A couple of parts have obviously been adapted from both cars, the throttle linkage in particular being the stuff of nightmares.

The only other immediate concern is the adjustment on one exhaust valve. I couldn't find any gap at all originally, and now I can only get 1 thou at most. The adjuster is free, but feels as though it's come to the end of the thread. Is it possible the valves and seats are worn enough to have run out of adjustment? There are some new valves in a box in the boot, so possibly someone else came to this conclusion. As the engine needs to come out to fix the hairline crack on one head, I'll get it on the bench over the winter and have a proper investigation. If it needs valves and seats, at least I'll have peace of mind knowing they have been done before it's used for longer runs.

[george garside]

You may not need to remove the engine to take a cylinder head off. On the 'proper' vintage engine with fixed heads the whole engine was sort of rotated using the starting handle extension of the timing case as a pivot to bring the barrel to be removed clear of the chassis. on the 1930's engines the head and or barrels can be removed without disturbing the engine.

Now it may be that the '34 engine in the vintage chassis does not leave enough room between the chassis side members and the heads in which case it may be possible to simply jack up one side of the engine sufficiently to clear the head ????.

For what its worth I have used holts wonderweld to fix cracks in heads and barrels first packing large cracks with wire wool. These repairs have lasted many years!

I have never come across valve wear causing lack of adjustment but did once come across a Bradford valve fitted to a pre war engine which left no clearance. this was simply cured by sawing a bit of the end of the valve stem! I don't know the correct length of a pre war valve but somebody on here should be able to measure one
(?Tony!) so you can check that your spares are correct.

the throttle linkage on 34' models was simple in the extreme being merely a rod from the arm on the throttle butterfly shaft which went directly through a hole in the toeboard between clutch and brake aand terminated in a screwed on small circular 'pedal'. As far as I am aware the vintage models used the same arrangement. What the nightmare arrangement you have is hard to imaginge

Perhaps a photo of your throttle linkage and also of the cylinder /chassis rail would enable more hopefully constructive comments to be made

george

[BarryCambs]

My feeling is, the engine is probably sitting lower and further back than the original. The crank handle is below the cut out in the radiator cowl
and the radiator hoses Jowett Spares had were a few inches shorter than needed. I don't think there is enough clearance between the chassis rail and head to clear the studs but it might be possible to drop the engine and rotate it? That said, by the time the mounts are undone, its presumably only a bit more effort to lift the engine out anyway.