1951 Pontiac Chieftain

As a youth, we once had a bonfire which we started with fuel, as you do.
Jerry can was removed to a safe distance and forgotten about.
Couple of hours and few beers later, someone set off a bunch of small fireworks, that shot up in to the sky.
One wizzed back down again, bounced off the handle of the Jerry can, narrowly missing the open neck, as someone had forgotten to put the lid back on..

Bracket almost complete. Just needs another bolt putting through the alternator rear bracket and the lockwashers putting on.


Tightens up ok. I'm going to try get it running and see if it squeaks and if it still charges okay.

Phil

Assembled and running. Alternator appears to be putting out.

Phil

Funny, you're not the first person to ask that.

I think I'll paint it engine turquoise with the fan and pulley black.

Phil

Sounds an excellent choice.

Fair enough to them, he said the pump was jammed solid. The anti corrosion stuff applied to it had made it all stuck together, including the screws that hold the case together. He said it took an impact screwdriver to undo the screws. I don't have one so it would have been a right fight otherwise.

Phil

Cleaned up and painted the timing markers on the pulley and the pointer.


TDC in red, then 3 and 6 degrees BTDC.




Runs much better now, really smooth set to 6° BTDC.

Re the oil pump: my simpleton mind always struggles to grasp epicyclic gears; is the crescent shaped bit stationary or does it move round with everything else?

Re a vice: question of the obvious, I realize, but are you watching Craigslist for a nice used example? I've scored all kinds of cool tools from my local CList...up here in Connecticut.

Best, John

Well, found the problem. It's of my own doing.

The old oil pump bearing didn't sit fully in. It's about 15 thou' proud but I didn't notice because it sits in a concave indention. The manual diagram does NOT show that as a bearing edge, which is odd.

New pump, new washer and I'm at 35 thou' clearance. Limits 4 to 15 thou'.



Nuts.

Only saving grace is that washers are available in ± 0.002":

#1 0.057
#2 0.065 (fitted)
#3 0.073
#4 0.081
#5 0.089
#6 0.097
#7 0.105
#8 0.113

So, middling of the tolerance range is about 0.009 clearance.

What I have now minus what needs to clear
0.035 - 0.009 = 0.026

Current width washer minus difference
0.065 + 0.026 = 0.091

To the nearest size washer
=> 0.089 == 11 thou'

Next thickness up is 8 thou' more, which would leave 3 thou' so that's no good

I need a #5 washer

Double nuts. Gonna order that tomorrow. Should be here Monday, Tuesday hopefully and that then will be good.

Chalk it up to experience


Phil