Projects '23 Model T Gow Job - AKA: Sand Creek Special

Is there another shaft coming with the rockers you are waiting on? If so, couldn't you rig it up with two short shafts, one for cylinders 1&2, one for 3&4? If you have 4 towers, seems like you could make it work.

 

I could, and that is exactly how the stock Frontenac head is setup. However, to try and stabilize the valve-train further, one shaft would be far better, especially given the limited bolting capabilities.

 

I'm Sorry, but it's just getting ridiculous out there.

 

https://www.mcmaster.com/precision-shafts
I hope that link works. Lots of choices there.
Edit:

Well, the link kind of works. You have to enter 15mm into the diameter search box on the left hand side, and it will call up the page I tried to link.

 

I'm not sure on the specs either but you might also look into the Triumph 6 cylinders. They're more common.

 

Triumph shaft is .5607 inches.

 

MGC 6 was the same BMC 6 used accross the BMC range including the Austin Healey and Westminsters as far as I remember

 

No, the MGC used a variant of the Austin 3-Liter. Pretty obscure engine, especially now. Neither model was a success, each selling fewer than 10,000. Although the MGC engine shared bore & stroke with the Healey 3000, it was shorter and had 7 main bearings instead of 4.

 

Ahh right I stand corrected

 

As far as the rocker shafting goes, I have a couple choices picked out at McMaster Carr, I'm just waiting to see if anyone else chimes in before I hit the purchase button. It's not terribly expensive, looking at some 12L14 rod , 1045 rod , or 1055 liner shaft. Obviously I don't really want to buy them all just to experiment....drilling through them is my biggest concern.

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12L14 is leaded steel. It is way too soft, and can't be heat treated. . The 10 series steel is a little better, but not much. Look in the tool steel section. I used non hardened tool steel on my Fronty, and last I heard, it was still holding up just fine.

 

@Dean Lowe How about O1 tool steel? It's non hardened at B90 rating?

 

"B" is the Brinell hardness scale, 90 is the hardness rating on the Brinell scale. I think that would be fine.

 

Screw stock as Dean well knows.

 

Actually, this was rated at B90 on a Rockwell scale. Here is the chart I copied from the catalog

 

OK, well not much more response on the rocker shaft material as I hoped.

So for now, on to the next thing. I had cracked open the bottom pan of the engine I slid in the chassis. Despite how awful it looked on the exterior, to my surprise, it was really clean inside. Now keep in mind farther back I showed the engine with the head off. It was ugly---still is. I also found #3 cylinder at bottom dead center and some water intrusion and the cylinder pretty rusty. For the past year, I have been keeping the cylinder topped off on ATF/Acetone. No use, it was stuck solid. I ended up trying to hit it from the bottom, missed the pin boss and blew the top of the piston out and took an ATF bath on my arm.

So a week later, back at it. Son of a gun if it didn't move. I worked at it, and got it to go up some, and hit it back down. I had to get some of the heavy corrosion off the cylinder, and got it to go up a little farther. Finally I decided maybe I can get it out the bottom. Well, that may have worked except that the rod hit the oil pan and not being able to move the crank, I was stuck. And to my surprise, the piston ring sprung loose once it got below the bore. So I did the easy thing and broke the ring. After that and some more cylinder cleaning, it got it free from the engine.





Today I fiddled with it some more. In short order, I had the other pistons out. The good news is the rod journals look decent...pretty good actually. Of course #1 is the worst of the bunch as it starves the most. I know it looks really bad, but All but one valve moves surprisingly and I'm pretty sure I can get the one unstuck. I am not worried about anything concering the valve, If I can build a shortblock on the cheap, that's my goal to get me going while I build the stroker hot rod shortblock.

If I've confused you, the engine in the chassis will hopefully run on the cheap. I'll spend some good money and build another engine with high compression, a Model A crank and a big cam---see below.



And speaking of hot motors, I gained a piece. This is a Stipe Machine copy of the Larual-Roof race cam, lobe lift is .310" (a stock T is .250"). This cam has been discontinued and one came up for sale and I missed it. I was bummed and two days later the seller gave me a lead on another one that was going up for sale. Sometimes car guys do look out for each other!

 

The engine block itself is a lost cause, still should be decent to bore out if you want max cubic inch. I have looked around for a decent standard bore 26-7 block and not found one, so I'll just have to settle on a earlier block. The crank and rods are still good, so I'll transfer those to a different block.

So on to something else. If you remember back a little, I bought these 21" Model A wheels for not alot of money. I just wanted a set of rollers, and the price was right.





Well, I just couldn't leave well enough alone. So I dismounted the tires in preparation for a literal quick makeover. All I did was power wash them with industrial soap and rinse (using the industrial power washer at work). Then I gave them a quick prime with some rattle can self etch primer. I wanted a quick makeover, so no sanding or scuffing here. Quick and dirty....isn't that a Southeast Gasser here?




To keep it cheap still, I bought some more rattle cans, in a color similar to what the good wheels will be. It took two cans of primer and 3 cans of paint to do all 4 wheels.




Finally tonight, I mounted a couple up. I used the two best tires from the four (the other two were truly toast), and two other somewhat good roller tires I had sitting on the shelf. Amazing that a little paint can make even some piece of junk, should have been thrown out wheels, look good....well from ten feet anyhow. Good enough for rollers.

 

Don't know how my post got lost, but I added that you chose a good color too.

 

I don't know about you, I don't think it's to bad for a no prep, quickie redo. Sure rolls around alot easier without the big tires on it.

I also took all of the valves out of the mock up engine so I can set the Fronty on to start mocking up more things.

 

Looks mighty good to me.

 

What a great build! keep up the good work. The world needs more T gow jobs!!

 

Lookin good. Super jealous of the fact that you have wheel studs to work with.

 

So I had an issue with my front hubs. Basically, before I knew better at the beginning of this project, I removed the drums from the Model A hubs, by cutting the swedges of the wheel studs out. That did two things, I lost the support for the center of the wire wheels that I later found out I needed, and it also made the wheels studs loose, if not able to stay in on there own. Yeah, there are ways around all that I know. So what to do....

I decided that instead of tripping over some '35 drums that I had, I'd whittle them down a little bit. Well, that seemed like a good idea. The first set, I got all done chopping up and then found that someone chiseled the little support nubs off, more than likely to fit later steel wheels. Poop. Well, I had yet another set, those looked better. So back to chopping. I whittled them down as far as I could. They just need to hit the parts washer, some wire wheel action and some paint. The downfall is the grease cap will not allow me to use wheel center caps as it sticks a ways out. The good news is, those cost money, so I won't have to buy a set.

 

I love thread in grease caps so much that I’m against hiding mine behind ugly wheel covers.
Keep up the good work!


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Damn - I'm always looking for '35 drums so just tell me they been skimmed too much just to make me feel better...

 

The four drums I cut up were beyond use on the braking surface. OK, one may have been negligible. But honest to god there was no saving the surface of the other 3.

I don't think I could get them to you now because of all the virus crap going on, but I have two pretty nice ones I'd be willing to let go for what I have into them. But I got a feeling the shipping would hurt coming from this side of the pond. Message me if you want to discuss it.

 

I'd like to discuss the cut ones - am very well aware the shipping costs, but since parts like that are very sparse over here, it's basicly the only option.
PM sendt.

 

OPf course, if Phil wants them, he has first dips! :-D

 

Alot of these parts I'm bolting on are just barely good enough for mock-up use, but it really makes the car show where it's going....heck, it almost looks like it could drive!