Year: 2014

Water Pump Grease – Dave’s Garage

A lot of our antique cars have, or had a grease fitting or a grease cup on the water pump. Without the proper grease, the water pump bearings will quickly fail. In some cars, particularly Model A Fords, the grease may pass through the water pump in to the cooling system. Ford specified a special water soluble grease. Using a conventional grease can cause a blockage in the radiator. Chrysler specified a special grease for use on their water pumps too.

water pumpSo, what makes water pump grease different than conventional chassis grease? Depending on the grease, it is either a grease that won’t be washed away by water, or a water soluble grease that will wash away and dissolve in water preventing a blockage in the cooling system.

Many replacement or rebuilt water pumps have modern, sealed bearings. Most of these pumps use the original casting and either have a grease fitting, or grease cup, or a spot for the grease fitting to be fitted. Many concourse restoration pumps actually have dummy grease fittings or grease cups to “look the part” of the factory pump.

The question is, what grease to use? If you need a water soluble grease, such as for a Model A, most Model A parts- houses stock the water soluble water pump grease.

There are several options for non water soluble grease. Most auto parts stores stopped stocking water pump grease decades ago. The most popular modern replacement is marine grease, or the wheel bearing grease for boat trailers. Many people use Lubriplate 115 for water pump grease. Marine shops carry outboard motor grease. Another option is your local fire department. The pumps in fire trucks requires a special, water pump grease. This grease is sitting right on the shelf at the fire house. If you are lucky, they may give you a few pumps from their grease gun, or several ounces from the tub they are using.

Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

If it were not for Bob and Duane…

Bob Chase and Duane Leach spends the year planning “The Antique and Classic Car Meet” in Stowe….then in 8 days the magic happens.

Many others are involved but Bob and Duane are the sparks that ignite the largest car meet in Vermont and some say in New England. If you go to our website (vtauto.org) to the member only page and read the monthly minutes from their planning meetings , you will see the work involved to make the transition that you see at Nichols field for the three day car meet in August. You will also meet a few of the many people who work with these two gentlemen.

Bob is a long time resident of Stowe owning a service station at the corner of RT 100 and the Mountain Road for many years. He and Wendy are presently key in making Mac’s Market a success on Rt. 100.

Duane and Marnita move their RV onto Nichols field a week before the show, living there the entire time. Duane takes 2 weeks vacation from his job as a supervisor at Offset House, a printing company in Essex. Some of us think of our vacations differently but Bob and Duane have other ideas.

The front page shows in a nut shell the dynamics of the two weeks at Nichols field. If you need to talk to Bob or Duane you will most likely have to wait your turn. This time it is Bob’s turn to wait…… he understands.

Changes

On a recent drizzly day, we were coming home from running errands and I noticed something that struck me as unusual and I pointed it out to Wendell. “Look at that. There are two little kids out playing in their yard.” There was no adult supervision. They were just playing around in their raincoats and boots doing whatever their creative little minds led them to do. Isn’t it kind of sad that something like that catches my attention because it is so unusual? Today we would expect them to be in-side in the captivity of their video games, oblivious to the weather outside.

Whatever happened to making mud pies, pushing match box cars around, swinging on a swing or from an old tire, badminton, reading un-der a tree, etc.? Then I try to remember that trends are just that, trends, and they change, hopefully for the better.

I sure hope this one happens soon! Speaking of change, we have become a working farm again with huge gardens of vegetables growing in our hayfield, pigs in the former pigpen and cows in the pasture. All this through the efforts of one man who believes in hard work being a good thing, and getting paid for it should be even better. However, he has discovered that finding young people to work even for money is not easy these days, as they like money, but not work. Two exceptions are our grandsons who are very happy to work for money – one helped plant tomatoes (there are about 500 plants!). Our Colorado grandson has bonded with the piglets, rubbing their bellies and holding them as well as feeding them. Initially, they were surprised to be paid as they were just glad to be outside with growing plants and curious, but friendly pigs. A huge benefit of letting our land be used is that we have vegetables given to us and one of the pigs will be ours – we can make our own ham, bacon and sausage again – and I suspect we will also have some beef from one of those cows. Our vegetarian daughter is trying to remember that the reason for having pigs and cows was then sending them off to be eaten is a farming fact of life. However, she will be glad to be in Colorado when that day comes.

Polyurethane Bushings – Dave’s Garage

I am a believer in keeping things original, to a point. Sometimes I have an opportunity to take advantage of an improved technology, and I use it. One such example is the substitution of polyurethane bushings in place of rubber bushings in suspension systems.

I replaced the sway bar bushings several times in my Chrysler minivan. Sway bar bushing failure was a known problem. I was reading about this problem on line, and I read a suggestion of replacing the bushings with urethane bushings in place of the OEM rubber bushings. I reluctantly did the substitution, and was very surprised to see that not only did the urethane perform much better, but they also held up better. I have not had to replace them since. By the way, even Chrysler acknowledged this problem, and have since substituted urethane bushings as replacement parts in this application.

I am not talking about the cobalt blue or bright orange bushings people use to dress up a chassis, I am talking about black urethane bushings, that look just like OEM rubber bushings.

I have recently replaced all the suspension bushings in three English cars. Two of these cars are cars that I rebuilt the suspension on years ago. In all three cases, the rubber had deteriorated and failed. I ended up replacing the bushings in the lower A arms of the front suspension, sway bar and the bushings on all the leaf springs and spring shackles with the new, and much improved urethane bushings.

After dis-assembly and cleaning, I put a thin film of grease on the new bushings before I assembled them, to prevent squeaks. In all three cases, the cars drove better, the suspension was tighter, quieter, and suspension travel was smoother. I was astonished at the improvement in performance over the rubber bushings.

These bushings not only perform better, they will also look “new” indefinitely. Check your favorite parts supplier or look on line.

Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

1922 Durant Touring Car

1922 DurantYou are looking at the lonely life of Pierre Pepin’s beautiful Blue 1922 Durant touring car. Pierre purchased the car a few years ago at the Stowe Car Show in the car corral. He traded a model A, or was that two, plus a little too-boot. He is a little sad that he has never had it on the road even though it appears to be ready to roll down the highway any time you ask. Pierre’s Durant made it’s way from New Jersey in 1997 to East Chelmsford, Massachusetts. From there to Stowe and then it’s present very quiet life in Colchester.

The Durant was a make of automobile assembled by Durant Motors Corporation of New York City, from 1921 to 1926 and again from 1928 to 1932. Durant Motors was founded by William “Billy” Durant after he was terminated as the head of General Motors. Billy Durant’s intent was to build an automotive empire that could one day challenge General Motors. The Durant automobile is considered to be an example of an “assembled” automobile because so many of its components were obtained from outside suppliers. Pierre’s 1922 vehicle is powered by a four cylinder Continental engine. It is an overhead-valve type, fully encased. Bore: 3-7/8″, stroke: 4¼”; S.A.E. rating 24 horsepower; brake horsepower at 1800 r.p.m. 35.

Durant vehicle production was suspended for the 1926 and 1927 model years. When the Durant was reintroduced, the car was redesigned and powered by a six cylinder Continental engine; some of the early vehicles were marketed as the “Durant-Star”. Bodies for the vehicle were supplied by Budd Company. In 1930, some Durants were built with all steel bodies, also supplied by Budd. Durant Motors was found insolvent and automobile production ended early in 1932.

Wheel Tracks can not find a Durant that has been for sale in Hemmings Motor News in the past 6 months and when going on the internet none can be found for sale there either. The “Durant Motors Automobile Club” website offers a lot of information but again, Wheel Tracks found none for sale. Does that mean Durant Cars are hard to find if you would like to own one?

Brake Fluid – Dave’s Garage

This month we have a question about  brake fluid from Ed Hilbert.

Hello David,

I am redoing all of my Mercedes brake components except for the steel brake lines which appear to be in good shape. What are the different types of brake fluid and when to use each type? Would I do well to change over to the newer silicone brake fluid or stick with the standard DOT type 3?

What are the advantages of the silicone over DOT 3 – perhaps silicone won’t absorb moisture and thus lessens the chance of rust? If I do change over, must I completely flush out the old fluid and if so with what – alcohol? How incompatible are the two types of brake fluid?

What is brake fluid made of? Why is it used instead of standard motor oil?

Can it be used as a paint stripper? If so, how would one clean it off the surface so paint would stick again?

Anything else we should know about brake fluid?

Thanks for your expertise!
Ed

Dear Ed,

The types of brake fluid are DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 5 and DOT 5.1. DOT 5.1, like DOT 3 and DOT 4, is a polyethylene glycol-based fluid (contrasted with DOT 5 which is silicone-based). Polyethylene glycol fluids are hygroscopic and will absorb water from the atmosphere, necessitating a flush/replace every couple of years. Polyethylene glycol fluid WILL absorb moisture. Failure to replace contaminated brake fluid will lower the boiling point of the brake fluid, and the moisture will cause rust and corrosion of the brake system. Silicone, DOT 5 fluid will absorb just a minuscule amount of water.
Brake fluid is classified by its boiling point. The “dry” boiling point is with no moisture in the fluid. The “wet” boiling point is brake fluid with moisture in it. “Wet” brake fluid is defined as having 3.7% water by volume.

Dry boiling point Wet boiling point

  • DOT 3 205 °C (401 °F) 140 °C (284 °F)
  • DOT 4 230 °C (446 °F) 155 °C (311 °F)
  • DOT 5 260 °C (500 °F) 180 °C (356 °F)
  • DOT 5.1 260 °C (500 °F) 180 °C (356 °F)

I would highly recommend changing over to the DOT 5 Silicone fluid. Cars that I switched over to Silicone in the early 1980s have no issues, and the fluid continues to function well.

DOT 4 brake fluid has a higher boiling point than DOT 3, and is specified by many manufacturers for better braking performance.DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 brake fluid will remove paint, but there are much better paint removers. DOT 5 fluid, Silicone, will not harm paint. If it is accidentally spilled on the paintwork, it will not damage the paint, and can easily be wiped off.

I would imagine surfaces contaminated with brake fluid could be cleaned up successfully before painting.

DOT 5 Silicone brake fluid does have some drawbacks. It is very expensive, much more expensive than DOT 3 and 4. DOT 5 fluid can absorb air bubbles, and these air bubbles take some time to settle out. It can be difficult to bleed the air out when bleeding the brakes. Silicone fluid can not be used on vehicles with anti lock brakes.

I have been wrenching for years, and I have fixed countless cars with damage caused by moisture in contaminated brake fluid. I have had to free frozen pistons, and replace wheel cylinders, calipers and master cylinders due to rust and corrosion. I have also had my brakes fail due to the boiling point of the brake fluid being so low, that the fluid boiled resulting in the total failure of the brake system. Old brake fluid is extremely dangerous, as it can and will cause the brakes to fail without warning.

The ideal time to switch to Silicone fluid is when the rubber parts are all being replaced. Blow the metal lines out with compressed air, assemble the brake system and then flush with Silicone fluid until clean fluid comes out of the bleeder screws.

While somewhat expensive up front, if your car is a long term investment Silicone brake fluid will pay for itself many times over, saving you the cost of perpetual fluid replacement, the cost of repairs due to corrosion of brake components, and the cost of paint repair due to spilled brake fluid.

Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

1932 Plymouth PB

1932 Plymouth PB Project PartsKen Squier’s Plymouth came to him in parts and had spent many years in the garage of former owner Stewart Raydell of Williamstown, VT. Ken is very fast to say that he has had very little to do with working on the project. His step son-in-law, Sandy Thompson, has taken on all the wood related work between his obligations at his business building staircases and handrails at his company in Stowe. Most of the wood is ash and it appears Sandy has done a better job than the 1932 factory workers. The mechanical work is being done by Gary Scott of East Barre. 1932 Plymouth PBGary has his own garage business and has a long history of working on Ken’s projects. Mr. Raydell’s neighbor, Steve Stephenson, remembers the car and told Wheel Tracks that he was the person who rebuilt the engine some 15 years age. At one time not too long ago there was a plan to have the car completed for the 2014 Stowe Car Meet this August but they all agree it might now be the 2015 meet instead. They have a ways to go yet.

Ken SquierKen Squier has a ‘bit’ of a history of being around cars and got started when he was 12 announcing sport events on his dad’s Waterbury radio station, WDEV. He was well known for his skill announcing live play-by-play dirt track races in Vermont during his younger years. His early Vermont announcing booth was an old logging truck. In fact he became so involved that he was able to convince NASCAR and CBS to get together and then basically created an announcing job for himself with CBS for many years.

He announced every Daytona 500 race from 1979 to 1997 using his ’special style’. He often described NASCAR drivers in his era as “common men doing uncommon things” and describing wrecks as “side over side, end over end” for flips and for calling wrecked racecars with the phrase “all torn up”. A battle for position involving a large pack of cars would periodically be referred to as “an Oklahoma land rush.” Ken is still very active in the sport today.

My Dad and Cars

My husband suggested that I should devote the “Softer Side” to my Dad’s interest in old cars. I have to admit that as a teenager, I didn’t think much about cars, except as a means to get to a dance, a ballgame, or a friend’s house. In my earlier years, Dad was always busy farming (milking, making and selling butter, haying, plowing, sugaring, selling insurance, being a Selectman and banker. He was also a Grange member and a Mason. Restoring and/or working on an old car I don’t remember. Yes, he had a 1935 Packard, a 1936 and a 1937 Chevrolet, as well as that 1928 Dodge coupe I wouldn’t drive, preferring the family 1955 Chevy station wagon! I know, shame on me. Sorry, Dad, —and Wendell. Guys of my teenage years were always fixing up a “clunker” car and then driving it around town to impress the girls, and each other. Cars now seem to be more of a status symbol, not a tribute to the authentic restoration of a car. But back to my Dad. Growing up on a farm certainly builds character and gives one an appreciation for work being a good thing. (Of course, for some it means to get away from all that work as soon as possible.) We learned that when the hay was dry, it had to be raked, put into windrows, and pitched onto the hay truck to the person “treading” the hay to get as much as possible on at once. When the beans, peas, tomatoes, etc., etc., were ripe, they needed to be picked, made ready for canning or freezing right then. Cows need to be milked twice a day. Basically, my brother and I learned the valuable lesson of not putting off what needs to be done. Our reward usually was a trip to the “dairy bar” for ice cream cones or frappes (I’ve learned to call them milkshakes, but in New Hampshire, a milkshake had no ice cream in it).

Presently, I do appreciate classic cars (I know, I still have only driven the Dodge twice) and truly enjoy riding in them, plus being impressed over and over again by the patience and tenacity of classic car restorers. So, kudos to you all!

E-15 Ethanol – Dave’s Garage

By now you have probably been made aware of Ethanol, and the associated problems with it. We have been forced to buy E-10 for a few years now. E-10 is 10% corn based alcohol. E-10 is about 15-20% less efficient than conventional gasoline, resulting in a significant decrease in the miles per gallon. The alcohol in Ethanol is hydroscopic, it absorbs moisture. Once the alcohol absorbs all the moisture it can from the air, it becomes saturated, and the water falls out of suspension. This is called “phase separation.” When this happens, the fuel is useless and must be removed and discarded. This is of particular concern with older cars that have gas tanks vented to the atmosphere. The “shelf life” of Ethanol exposed to the atmosphere is only 3-6 months.

Although Ethanol has less energy in it than conventional gasoline, it actually burns hotter. This is a problem. Modern cars are now burning valves. This problem virtually disappeared with unleaded gas and hardened valves in the 1970s. Imagine my shock when my 2000 Chrysler minivan burned an exhaust valve.

This nasty brew is also very corrosive. Ethanol is a strong solvent. It will rot and destroy rubber components. Many fuel lines, carburetor gaskets, fuel pump diaphragms and gas tank sealers are not comparable with Ethanol. Remember that fuel tank sealer you used when you restored your car? That sealer is probably not Ethanol compatible. Rubber components will rot and be destroyed from the inside out (note picture to right). This damage will not be visible, until the part fails and begins to leak. A fuel line may look fine on the outside, but be rotted on the inside. Ethanol will combine with the dissolved rubber components, forming a gelatinous gunk and gum up the carburetor. Ethanol will also remove paint. Remember the moisture that is being held in suspension in Ethanol? Another nasty consequence of Ethanol is that water being held in suspension will rust metal components very quickly.

Ethanol is ok to use in Flex-Fuel vehicles. If your vehicle is a Flex-Fuel vehicle, you have nothing to worry about. How do you know if you have a Flex-Fuel vehicle? Your vehicle will say “Flex-Fuel on the side, have a yellow gas cap, or will have such identifying information in the owners manual.

How can this situation get any worse? Wait! It does get much worse! The government has decided to up the alcohol in Ethanol another 50%. What’s worse than E-10? E-15!

The government will flat out tell you not to use the mandated E-15 in vehicles manufactured before 2001; but that it is ok to use in Vehicles manufactured AFTER 2001.

However, (according to snopes.com) “several automakers and the American Automobile Association (AAA) have disputed the EPA’s claims, maintaining that E15 could damage fuel lines and void vehicle owners’ warranties in many cars, particularly vehicles manufactured prior to 2012:

Only 12 million of the more than 240 million light-duty vehicles in the United States are approved by manufacturers to use the gasoline, according to AAA. Automotive engineering experts believe that sustained use of the gas, both in newer and older vehicles, could cause accelerated engine wear and failure, fuel-system damage and false “check engine” lights for vehicles not approved by manufacturers to use E15, according to AAA.

The EPA recommends the use of E15 only in flexible-fuel vehicles and those built in 2001 or later, but critics maintain that even if E15 is safe for most or all cars in that class, many vehicles still on the road (up to 45% in some areas) do not fall within that class, and the newness of E15 means that many drivers could end up filling their tanks with the gasoline, not knowing it’s not approved for all vehicles.

“It is clear that millions of Americans are unfamiliar with E15, which means there is a strong possibility that many may improperly fill up using this gasoline and damage their vehicle,” AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet said. “Bringing E15 to the market without adequate safeguards does not responsibly meet the needs of consumers.”

BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and VW have said their warranties will not cover fuel-related claims caused by E15. Ford, Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have said E15 use will void warranties, citing potential corrosive damage to fuel lines, gaskets and other engine components.

The AAA says the sale and use of E15 should be stopped until there is more extensive testing, better pump labels to safeguard consumers and more consumer education about potential hazards.”

Fortunately, Vermont’s congressional delegation are on the right side of this issue. Peter Welch is a vocal opponent of Ethanol; senators Sanders and Leahy have voiced opposition to Ethanol. The Obama administration, however, is actively pushing for E-15.

The only Silver lining in this mess is that the overall demand for gasoline is down, so there is less of a push to go to E-15.

Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

Modern Timing Lights and Six Volt Electrical Systems – Dave’s Garage

This month we have a question from Wendell Noble. It seems his trusty timing light has given its last flash, and he wants to know what modern replacements will work with older six volt electrical systems.

There is no simple answer. Most modern timing lights designed to work with 12 volt systems will actually work on six volts. Some, how-ever, will not. For the ones that won’t, a 12 volt battery or a battery charger will have to be used. Timing lights take power from a battery, but the trip wire feeds from the number one spark plug wire.

I have several timing lights, from a 30 year old Sears timing light, a cheap Harbor Freight timing light and an Actron advance timing light. These timing lights will work on six volts.

My advise would be to take a chance and buy a new timing light and try it. If the battery is near the front of the engine, I would hook up the light with the positive lead going to the positive lead on the battery, and the negative lead going to the negative lead on the battery, and the inductive trip wire hooked up to the number one spark plug wire. Chances are, it will work on six volts. If it does not, then the positive and negative cables will have to be hooked up to a 12V power source, (either an extra battery, a battery charger or a 12 volt booster pack).

I have been impressed with the advance Actron timing light I bought through Amazon. It was inexpensive, and it works well. With this light, you only need to find TDC on the engine. The light has a knob on it to advance or retard the flash. If, for example, the timing specification is 8′ advanced at 2,000 RPM, the knob on the light can be set at 8′ advance, and then when the engine is at 2,000 rpm the timing will be correct when the light flash shows the timing pointer at TDC.

Of course, there is the occasional car that runs worse when timed according to the specifications. I have had to manually advance the timing a little bit at a time until I can hear engine knock, then slightly retard the timing until the engine knock stops.

As they say, timing is everything.

Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477