1947 D24 reassembly wins and woes

[LeRoy]

Hi All

I've been lurking here a few years learning and researching as I tear down and rebuild a 1947 2 door sedan 3 speed w/fluid drive. I recently got the engine put back together and started and all the engine work seems to be working out well. Lots of oil pressure, no leaking and doesn't run hot.

 

Challenges:

• U Joint balls didn't fit after several tries back and forth with supplier, I seem to have a strange size trunnion. I just pieced it back together and may switch to modern u joints.
• Rubber tie rod cups failed, the new joints came with rubber as they typically do and there were 4 spares in the bag as well. The ones on the new ends failed as soon as I tightened them up so off they came and the 4 spares were installed. Yesterday while under the car I see 2 of the spares have split. Ugh.
• The accelerator pump seems puny, works ok when engine is off and I give linkage a full stroke but while running and trying to increase rpm it stumbles (no sign of a shot of fuel in the throat). Have a carb kit on the way.
• I found a pic of a Stromberg BXVD-3 and it shows a dashpot rod sticking up through the lid of the float bowl and a linkage running to the bottom of the carb. I don't have the rod sticking through or the linkage, just the hole. I'll attach pics of the mine and the one with the linkage, any advice or opinions would be welcome.
• I've got a drive line shutter under heavy load, I'm thinking its the pressure plate, all I did was clean it up and reinstall (with new clutch plate). I dont know where else in the drive line it would be coming from. this was present before disassembly and remains. its got new trans fluid, new FD fluid, new clutch plate, new motor mounts front and rear, new diff fluid and pinion seal. 
• I lost one set of the torque rod bearings in the clutch linkage so I made a set, all good except I think I've got the torque rod 'spring' installed upside down. its a piece of trapezoid shaped piece of flat steel that holds the inboard end of the torque rod ball in place, got to crawl under and flip that over pretty soon. The over center sprint is a treat....
• I see a drip of oil coming from the front of the trans area, I need to investigate that and I hope its the front seal in the trans and not the FD or rear main seal. rear main seal is new but the others are old ones.
• The new gas tank leaked at all 3 potential places, the solder used during manufacture must have been junk or was installed by an incompetent. I blew the solder off and braized each of the fittings in place and we're all good to go now.

 

One happy accident I made was the using the wrong paint color. I used the correct silver for the engine and planned to use satin 'black' spray cans for everything else. I got the all the engine accessories, linkages, trans, drive shaft, bell housing, and engine bay prepped and painted black. When I opened the garage door to admire my work in the sunlight I found the black had a strange hue to it, it was actually dark brown. after cussing myself for a few days I've decided the brown actually looks very nice, kinda retro............

 

I'm sure I'll have several questions as I get to the finer points of reassembly. Up next - rebuild carb, investigate drive line shutter, oil drip, rebuild wheel cylinders, rear axel seals replace window rubber, reupholster interior/headliner. 

 

Thanks for any advice, guidance and good natured critical feedback.

Andy

 

[Doug&Deb]

Do you need the dashpot itself or the rod shown in the bottom picture? 

[LeRoy]

I need the rod that goes through the float cover and the linkage, I've the dashpot.

Edited July 7, 2022 by LeRoy
Dumb

[kencombs]

Drive line shudder under load sounds like driveshaft/ujoint issues to me.  If the trunnion isn't centered that could occur and I know you've had issues with those parts,  but I'd suspect it would vibrate at higher speeds also.

[LeRoy]

33 minutes ago, kencombs said:

Drive line shudder under load sounds like driveshaft/ujoint issues to me.  If the trunnion isn't centered that could occur and I know you've had issues with those parts,  but I'd suspect it would vibrate at higher speeds also.

Ken

I suspect(ed) the drive shaft/u joints but I flipped the shaft end for end and got the same result. I can also run at 55mph under light load and no shutter, come to a hill and it shakes pretty bad as soon as the load hits the drive line. It just feels like a jumpy clutch to me but this is the first time I've ever driven a 3 speed with a torque converter so I'm in new territory. While I had the drive shaft apart I measured the pins for center and got them to within 1 thousandth diff on each end. Modern Spicer type u joints would make me feel better and I think its about a $500 swap at a local drive line joint. I guess I could take the shaft to them to spin to see if its way out of balance?

Thank you for your thoughts

Andy

[Plymouthy Adams]

glad you made peace with the spray paint....I learned long ago that folks will often remove a cap and put it on the wrong can...don't ask me why, I will say it is the devil in them.  Maybe they have issues with eye sight and colors.   I learned to always read the color label on the can.  Saved me a couple times...I could return the paint and swap it out yes, but the aggravation entailed there would disrupt the universe for a brief period of time.  

[LeRoy]

22 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

glad you made peace with the spray paint....I learned long ago that folks will often remove a cap and put it on the wrong can...don't ask me why, I will say it is the devil in them.  Maybe they have issues with eye sight and colors.   I learned to always read the color label on the can.  Saved me a couple times...I could return the paint and swap it out yes, but the aggravation entailed there would disrupt the universe for a brief period of time.  

I have to admit I made up a few new words when I finally read the side of a spray can and it said dark walnut. I may have even lost a little sleep that night but in the following weeks I really have come to like it ?

[kencombs]

2 hours ago, LeRoy said:

Ken

I suspect(ed) the drive shaft/u joints but I flipped the shaft end for end and got the same result. I can also run at 55mph under light load and no shutter, come to a hill and it shakes pretty bad as soon as the load hits the drive line. It just feels like a jumpy clutch to me but this is the first time I've ever driven a 3 speed with a torque converter so I'm in new territory. While I had the drive shaft apart I measured the pins for center and got them to within 1 thousandth diff on each end. Modern Spicer type u joints would make me feel better and I think its about a $500 swap at a local drive line joint. I guess I could take the shaft to them to spin to see if its way out of balance?

Thank you for your thoughts

Andy.

usually, A clutch that starts to slip continues to slip and the engine rpm flares.   That description almost sound like a cylinder misfiring under load.

[tom'sB2B]

Andy 

Welcome. You will find plenty of help and info on this forum. Post some pics of your ride when you get a chance.

 

 

[LeRoy]

On 7/7/2022 at 10:36 PM, tom'sB2B said:

Andy 

Welcome. You will find plenty of help and info on this forum. Post some pics of your ride when you get a chance.

 

 

I hope I can get my car looking like yours in time. I'm thinking about tires right now. I like the old look tubeless radials with wide white walls from Coker but those are about 400 each. I'm also considering some modern radials I think I read where someone used 195r85 16s and they were close in size to the 6.00x16. I see you went with black walls and painted the wheels white, my wheels are body color with wide white walls currently. My dad had one of these in the early 50s and he said they ran black walls but had some covers that mimic wide white walls

Edited August 26, 2022 by LeRoy
formatting and speeling

[LeRoy]

I finally tracked down the shake, it was the parking brake drum. It had several larger pieces broken out of it. I cut off the jagged edges with a cut off wheel and reinstalled... Good as new.

 

Certainly not ideal but it's working until I find a replacement.

[LeRoy]

I found my transmission leak today. As I mentioned earlier I assumed it was the front seal but after I got it apart the oil was coming from the end of the countrshaft where it extends through the case.

 

I cut a new gasket and installed and all is good. I also replaced the orings on the shifter shafts as they were a little wet too. A few more leaks plugged up, woot.

 

The fluid drive and output seal looked good. I also reinstalled the heat shield over the exhaust pipe next to the bell housing, that was a pia.

 

Shocks and tie rod end boots are on the way. (It seems like every rubber part I've bought from Andy Burnbaum is failing, 3 full sets of tie rod boots, u joint boots and now 1 of the motor mounts. All only a few months old).

 

Looking at tires next. I think I'll try the Bridgestone Ecopia EP02 in 195/80R16 if I can find them. A set costs approximately $550, much cheaper than Coker.