Projects RainierHooker's '28 A - Wartime Tub Build

Well, I got the manifold back from Harry last night. Marshal at Thun Field Rod & Custom wanted a swing at it, and since it couldn't get any worse, I said sure. He fired up the TIG and low and behold, got some weld to stick...



Due to the recent repairs, the unknown work done long ago, all the gas and oil run on and around the thing, and the fact that ol' Ed apparently cast these things out of his mom's cookware, there was a lot of shit in the casting. By the end, there gonna be more weld in the flanges than cast, but it just may be savable.

I'll be spending my free time over the next few days filling and blending before I take it back for the next round of TIG. Then more blending, and off to a milling machine before it even thinks about going back on a motor.

Wish us luck...


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Great news! You got this!!

 

I know this is a little late, but here goes.
My brother used to repair ships, mostly engines, gear and control hydraulics.

He tells me when they had an broke exhaust manifold, the would go and get stainless welding rods for the stick welder. De grease that poppy and weld it up, leave it un the furnice and let it slowly cool down.
They had special welding rods for cast/pot metal, but he claims that the amount of old Toyotas/reused junk and years of being submerged In Oil and crud, would make it a pain to weld with TIG or the correct rods.

Did the first welders use MIG? Chemical metal/2k epoxy like stuff?
Is it a pain to weld or just time consuming?

 

@volvobrynk

There was a very old repair in the flange where it cracked. Based on the known history of the part, it was done at least 60 years ago, and the method and materials used is anyone's guess.

After it cracked, the first shop I took it to looks like they used mig without any pre-heat. Presentable from the outside, but when the second shop dug into it, it was very porous and had little penetration. The second shop attempted TIG after preheating but the combination of previous repairs, and inconsistent original cast proved too difficult to them. They kept hitting voids and contamination that blew through.

Last night, Marshal seems to have found a sweet-spot with his TIG, running on really high frequency to preheat and clean the material before nailing it with the rod. Lots of material and weld to clean up, but it looks like a solution.



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I want to flip you a lot of shit for letting the amateurs touch the winfield. But I I know you've probably been sick to your stomach over this anyways....

Glad Thunfield is able to help you out. Why the hell didn't you let him do it in the first place?

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After you get her all welded up, I'd polish the crap out of it! Methinks you'll have a hard time duplicating an as-cast finish (unless you bead blast it)...would be interesting to see a fully-polished Winfield manifold!

 

Have you not seen mine? I have a old full polished one and the as cast one I am running.

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Haha, guess I need to pay more attention....where are the pics?

 

Tagged you on insta

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My Burns broke just like your Winfield when I went to first bolt it on. But it welded easier then yours.

 

Damn Chris thats pretty.

 

I really like the as-cast look, and since the effected area should be concealed by the exhaust manifold, I hope to keep it.

However, if the repairs start to creep up the runner and become visible, the polishing option is definitely on the table.


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They make a tool that is a bunch of needle like objects and is used for knocking scale off of things. It is air powered. My friend byuilt a 6x2 intake, and used that tool to make it look "cast" again. Just hammer on it with the tool then bead blast the whole thing. Magic

 

I have said tool if you need it.. you know where to find me.

Also didn't mean to sound like an ass in my last post. Just relieved it's getting fixed.

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No ass taken, Matt.

I took the thing to Aluminum Head Welders in Auburn because I thought them more than capable. CGKidd's recommendation wasn't the first time I'd heard good things about them. While I am very displeased with their work, I have no intention to make a thread bashing them as I find that sort of thing classless. It will be a cold day in hell, however, before they get my recommendation.

I'm just glad that it looks like this intake can be saved.


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Again sorry about that. I have never had a problem with Dave's work. Sorry he didn't treat you right on this.

 

Progress:



...that's a day's worth of work brakes, lunch brakes, and refuel stops. Just a little more file work before it goes back to Thun Field for another TIG session.


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You may have already heard this but....before you attempt to bolt it up again, put it on a flat surface and be sure it is absolutely flat. The least little bit of difference and it will crack again. With the stock banger stuff, we bolt it all together (intake & exhaust) and have it all surfaced together. No problems then. Oh BTW, love this build.

 

That's the plan, we are going to build up both flanges with way more material than needed. It'll get bolted to my best exhaust manifold and go for a trip to the mill for a proper surfacing. Not chancing this one anymore...

Thanks for the kind words.


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Sooo glad to see this coming along!

Ever find more info on the RayDay head?

 

CHRIS: will the stock B fuel pump work with those headers?
Thanks, Steve

 

Thanks. As for the head, no new info. I need to scour my old area phone books and hit the Seattle library archives. Brings me back to my college days studying history. Love it, but shit is it time consuming.


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@gwhite I did some digging around for the Ray Day Brand. There's not much info out there but I did find a few dots to connect...

The company is on a list of companies in Washington state, on a state ledger published in 1918. Ray Day Pistons Inc. was Headquartered in Tacoma (Where I live, which is cool).
In 1922 the Ray Day Co. of Tacoma placed an ad for performance Motorcycle Parts in the May issue of Popular Mechanics.
Polk's Detroit city Directory then states that the Ray Day Piston Co. of Seattle moved to Detroit in 1928
I have found multiple references to them being the OEM supplier of pistons to Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg and have located an NOS box of Ray Day pistons for 1928-30 Huppmobiles.
There are a few murky references to a "Ray Day Piston Special" front-wheel-drive racecar campaigned around 1932 or 1934.
There is the photo of their factory in Seattle that I posted a while back, dated c.1935.
A trade journal describes them making Aluminum pistons and other cast parts for defense purposes in 1941.
Then there are a few blurbs in a few newspapers regarding labor disputes in 1941 and a strike in conjunction with the union at Chrysler in 1943.
After 1943, I can find no information on the company.

So, we know that they started, ostensibly, in Tacoma in the late teens and had moved to Seattle between 1922 and 1928 when they moved their main operations to Detroit. However, they at least continued operation of their Seattle factory for some time after moving to the Motor City. They were successful and reknown well enough to supply some big brands and sponsor a racecar during the darkest days of the depression, but by the time WWII rolled around they became mired in labor issues and appear to have faltered, or were absorbed by another company (Chrysler maybe?) during the war.

If anyone out there has any other pics, info, or parts on the Ray Day marque, let me know!

 

Man, great car.

 

Holy smoke. That stance is PERFECT.

 

No update, except to say that there is no update. Work has kept me pretty ragged lately. And this guy takes up plenty of time...



...not that I'm complaining about the last bit.


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What a great pic. You can tell that little tyke is gonna be a future rodder, he's already got that "Tire smoke? What tire smoke, Mom?" look goin' on!

 

Awww. Good work!

 

Progress!

It's been a while but I'm finally back in the swing of things on the tub.

After lots of filing, welding, filing, and welding, the winfield manifold looks like a save...





And finally...




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And on to body work. A while back I got two good rear doors, and while i was in California over Thanksgiving I picked up a Brookville driver's side front to make a full set of usable doors.

I knew it was going to be a few steps back, but having good steel is going to be better than a bondo bucket. Even if I have to re-shim and beat everything into shape...



In the end, they decided to play nice with each other, but will require lots of adjustment in body shims and hinge adjustments...



So, the splash aprons got thrown back on for shimming...




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