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1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation

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07 May 2018 15:46 #34582 by DavidK
Replied by DavidK on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
I used a lip seal for mine. I used a National 471564 for a shaft diameter of 0.625 width 0.25 and od 1.499. Sorry I didn't take any pictures. Any machine shop can clean up or make a new shaft and install a lip seal.

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  • Curt Schulze
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07 May 2018 11:52 #34581 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Take it to a machine shop and get a modern lip seal installed. It is a small one, smaller than a quarter.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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  • WinAuBurn
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07 May 2018 11:27 #34580 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
After getting our water pump back, it leaks worse than before. We need a quick (3-4 day) turnaround on a proper repair or replacement if somebody has one?

Despite our request the pump was not repaired with modern seals, just repacked. After taking the car for a test drive we had a pool of water and dripping pump. It’s a shame as the test went well otherwise – 15 miles our longest distance yet, good power, strong & even braking, responsive steering, good oil pressure and cooling (despite the leaking pump), 59mph top speed (GPS verified) with a little more to come if we needed it.

There’s certainly more tuning work to be done, but if we can’t get the water pump solved then it will all be for nought at least for the Joplin rally.

Checked our fan pulley and it’s already fitted with a sealed bearing. Phew.

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  • Curt Schulze
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05 May 2018 12:22 #34571 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Ya, that is the fix. Contact Dave K . for details.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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  • Brad Hoskins
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05 May 2018 02:41 #34570 by Brad Hoskins
Replied by Brad Hoskins on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation

Curt Schulze wrote: Also there is a fix for the fan bearing adjustment assembly. Many original 31-32 & maybe 33 had a tendency to come loose and hit the radiator.


Curt
Can you share the fix or point to a newsletter article? I've already converted the fan hub to sealed bearings if that is the fix.

Thx
Brad

31 8-98 cabriolet

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04 May 2018 03:52 - 04 May 2018 03:54 #34568 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
already posted

Mike Huffman
Last edit: 04 May 2018 03:54 by mikespeed35. Reason: already posted

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04 May 2018 00:37 #34566 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Mike, That was the request on the water pump. We don't currently have an operating gas gauge, in fact I was looking for some tips on how to service those telegauges, I did order the red and green fluids for them.

Curt, We'll look in to that - thank you. We are going through every single nut and bolt on the car. The radiator looks new, I would hate to damage it.

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03 May 2018 11:44 #34563 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Also there is a fix for the fan bearing adjustment assembly. Many original 31-32 & maybe 33 had a tendency to come loose and hit the radiator.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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03 May 2018 04:17 #34562 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Is the race you are going to enter have any altitudes involved? I have found if you travel above 4000 foot your gas gauge will take a couple days to acclimate itself. The same will happened when you ascend.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman

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03 May 2018 04:12 #34561 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Is the water pump rebuilder putting modern grease seals in your water pump?
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman

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  • WinAuBurn
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02 May 2018 11:18 #34554 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
After packing the water pump with waterproof grease and tightening the gland nut as much as we dare, the leak is down to a small drip. Not really acceptable for us so we removed the pump and it is off to be rebuilt, should be back on Friday.

While we were in the area, tested voltage from our generator and got a rather weak 6.85V idle, and 6.4V under load (headlights), battery reads about 6.2- 6.3V with everything off. Seems to be on the low side if we have all the electrics running and may drain the battery.

Since our purpose is to rally the car, we need better lighting. Anything we do has to be removeable so we can easily get the car back to original. The original headlights only offer 21 candle power, we can go up on the cp rating to 32/50 but these draw 3.9A/5.7A each, there are some 6V halogen bulb improvements available but they will also tax the generator with their current draw, even the 25W (4.2A) /35W (5.8A) bulbs are just too greedy for a hot 9A – 12A system. We don’t want to change out the water pump/ generator combo for an alternator and get in to all the wiring issues, besides it will spoil the look.

Not for the purists, but the answer is LED bulbs. However, you try finding a positive earth, 6V, double bayonet, 1930’s fit, hi/low beam LED headlight bulb. They don’t exist, not in the USA at least (or I couldn’t find them). But then I found this place in the UK, co-incidentally where my great uncle used to rebuild vintage motorcycles (no affiliation) www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/led-headlamp-bulbs-shop.php
The positive earth BA15D 6V double dipper bulbs only draw 0.5A/1.0A, Can’t wait to try them, fingers crossed they may even be a straight fit. Here is a video clip from a happy customer



After staring at the amperage gauge too long, I started to look at the other gauges – Speedo good, Oil pressure good, Temperature good, however, the Telegauges (King Seeley / Hobson) don’t look to have any fluids or if they do it’s gone clear over time. I’d very much like to get these working, on a vintage rally we can’t even back in to miles/gallon to get an estimate of fuel use, the odometer is disconnected and not allowed on the rally. So, have ordered the correct specific gravity green and red fluids and the plan is to disconnect and blow out the capillary tubes from the tank to the dashboard, reseal everything except the open end at the dash board and with empty tanks/pans along with a fine syringe (bird feeders are good) refill the tubes to the correct mark. Am I on the right track or do you have any in-situ pointers for this project?

We had a bit of a setback on the tires, the fitter tells us they were delivered with tubes that have offset stems but our wheels have center set valve stems. After a call to the supplier, was told these tubes don’t exist for 17” 700 tires so they sent what they had. I found center stem tubes from another supplier.

Lastly, you might think us crazy (we do too). We entered the VCRA vintage rally in Joplin Missouri May 16th – 20th, 2018. It’s for a good cause, even if we only get the car to the start line. Burning candle power to get ready.

Colin & Bob.

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27 Apr 2018 18:04 #34519 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
A very busy week. Both Bob and I were able to work on the car.

First up, compression testing found #6 cylinder with little to no pressure – not good, we removed the tappet plate covers and assessed we had a sticking valve. We mixed in 1 quart of ATF with the existing oil, turned it over and let it sit overnight. Voila! In the morning we had pressure back. One of our cylinders is a bit low at 56, a couple are at 74 but we are within 15% +/-. Certainly could be better but acceptable for now.

Next, a carburetor rebuild. After taking it apart I honestly wondered how the car ran at all. Every part was put through the ultrasonic cleaner at least 3 times with a 50:50 mix of Pine Sol and Water. A full service was completed and now the carburetor is pristine. After adjusting the basic settings, time for a trial start up.

Nope. Five seconds running at best. After a few frustrating moments, even checking through the carburetor again, we decided to check our fuel flow. We had previously seen 3.5-4 psi but not measured fuel quantity rate – oops, just a dribble. Hmmm.

The fuel runs through a 6V electric pump near the tank and then through the original mechanical pump. We decided to bypass the mechanical pump and suddenly we had tremendous flow filling a 64oz container in less than 1 minute. So, we directly hooked up the carburetor to the 6V pump. That was it, after making some tuning adjustments with a vacuum gauge connected we had the car running nicely, we’ll make some fine adjustments after going through everything else.

Time for the brakes. We removed all the wheels and hubs, greased the nipples, checked the condition of drums, shoes, assembly and all looks really good (almost new). Decided a road test would help identify any issues best.

So, yesterday we ran the car around Bob’s farm on some pavement and it brought a big smile to our faces. Clutch was smooth, brakes were straight and strong, the engine pulled well through all the gears. We only had the opportunity to run 30mph but this was a pleasing result.

Next week we’ll work on some leaks we need to address. The water pump has a small leak, there’s oil seepage under the car so we’ll get that cleaned up and identify what’s going on, for sure we need a new oil pan gasket set so will get that ordered.

There’s a ton still to do but that’s it for now.

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16 Apr 2018 13:47 #34473 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Jack, I like that idea – thanks.

Mike, makes sense. In fact Bob and I discussed that over the weekend and I ordered a compression adapter to work with our cars. If it helps others, the adapter is A-12405-ADP or 28-20987-1 and is commonly used with the Ford Model As of the same era. Hopefully we can get some compression figures later in the week.

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16 Apr 2018 03:59 #34469 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Before you get too far with this motor you might want to run a compression check. No need to get it running for this and will give you some indication of the motors condition.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman

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16 Apr 2018 00:45 #34468 by gnutting
Replied by gnutting on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
fire arrestor: I wound up fitting a piece of wire screen, as a temporary 'fix'. flame won't go thru a screen, I am assured by an engineer friend. meant fo post this, have gotten away from it. of course, you only need the arrestor if something goes wrong, but that's what it is for, when something goes wrong.

Jack Triplett
1931 Auburn 898A speedster

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15 Apr 2018 16:41 #34465 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Eureka! After nearly 5 days soaking, tapping, heating, & cooling we managed to free up the heat riser. We were about to remove the manifolds but a mix of ATF fluid, Acetone, along with a shot of PB Blaster for good measure finally freed the riser and we can move it freely. Hopefully this will open up the door to get our engine started.

John, I agree it would be good to have an original Schebler or possibly Stromberg carburetor for this engine. Short term, we’ll see if we can get the Carter BB1 (we think 289SD) running with the car so we can test other things. We do have a service kit on it’s way.

Jack, reading about the fire does point one towards an arrestor of some type just for extra security. I’m sure if everything was working correctly it might not be needed. Unfortunately there is little room to fit one it seems.

Curt, thank you, that’s excellent news. We’ll investigate this option for the 2-speed rear. That didn’t take long, I need to find you a bigger challenge!

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15 Apr 2018 14:03 #34463 by johnmereness
Replied by johnmereness on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Carter BB1 Carburetors come in a variety of sizes as to throats and jetting - my experience is they are great to get a car running that does not have a carb, but when it comes time to do anything other than idle in the garage it is best to find what the car originally came with as new equipment. I use to see people fooling with them in their late 20's and early 30's Frankins - just not enough carb for the cubic inches to get eny high end performance - and they lost a ton of potential out of their cars.

JMM

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  • Curt Schulze
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15 Apr 2018 11:55 #34462 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Mr. WinnAuburn I found a early two speed rear diff. for you. Send an email to [email protected]

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt
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15 Apr 2018 01:41 #34461 by gnutting
Replied by gnutting on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Your question about flame arrestor: Please read the thread "898 fire" a couple of months back. yes, you need something, and it's a bit of a problem.

Jack Triplett
1931 Auburn 898A speedster

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  • Curt Schulze
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11 Apr 2018 22:11 #34456 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
The PM is there, I forgot to include my phone number in the first one so I sent you a second.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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11 Apr 2018 19:18 #34455 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Thanks Curt. I was hoping we wouldn't have to get in to the manifold but we've tried everything else including heat so I guess that must be next. Have given Bob a heads up and will wait on your PM for advice.

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11 Apr 2018 18:51 #34454 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
In 1931, that car was delivered to the dealer with a Schebeler carburetor. In mid 1932 Auburn changed to a Stromberg URO2 .
The BB1 came along later and is basically a generic replacement . They run well on some cars. You will have remove the manifold to get the heat riser freed up. I'll send you a PM.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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11 Apr 2018 17:56 #34453 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Resized images to see if these attachments work
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11 Apr 2018 16:48 #34452 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Sage advice Mike. We have the extinguisher right next to the car just in case.

During PPI the car was reported as starting, idling, running and driving well. Something got upset along the way. We aborted our start up yesterday as we have a stuck/rusted heat flap which seems completely jammed closed in the exhaust manifold. Bob soaked it over night and estimates he applied close to 20 ft lbs to the pin but it won’t budge. Thoughts? Time for the torch? Bigger fire extinguisher?

We also have the carburetor removed and wonder if somebody can ID the model from these pictures. Clearly it is a Carter BB1 but the tag plate is missing for the model number. Seems to have a cast iron top and possibly the Zinc alloy lower with a 1 ½” flange so could we be looking at a 289SD perhaps? Did I read correctly that 289’s were used on the ’32 Auburn 8-100? We expect original equipment on the ’31 8-98A was Schebler but note many cars of this era were changed to the Carter setup for reliability and performance. We are good with that as long as we can get the correct service parts.

Do folk run these with spark arrestors / air cleaners perhaps of type 90-15S or 14S? Or just leave them open to the elements?
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11 Apr 2018 15:50 #34451 by 1748 S
Replied by 1748 S on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation

mikespeed35 wrote: Have a friend with a fire extinguisher ready just in case on a new car to you. Oil diluted with gas?? Might want to change it.
CORDiallyMike



Two great ideas Mike. for sure have an extinguisher ready and at least test the engine oil for gas contamination before starting the engine.

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11 Apr 2018 03:41 #34449 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Have a friend with a fire extinguisher ready just in case on a new car to you. Oil diluted with gas?? Might want to change it.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman

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10 Apr 2018 19:56 #34446 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
The GAS is is ok if you want to set the idle up a little when it is cold. Use the heat if you want, I wouldn't use it unless the weather is cold.
You really won't like it if you forget it. Pull the choke out all the way , as soon as it fires push it in all the way.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt
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10 Apr 2018 18:56 #34445 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Thanks, we’ll add the backfire possibilities to the list. During transit we believe somebody repeatedly pumped the gas pedal to start the car which is not a good idea with these updraft carburetors. Hopefully, we will get every thing cleaned up tonight for a restart – max “Choke”, “Heat”, “Start” is the plan with no “Gas” (what is that for anyway, looks like it modulates the throttle linkage and overrides our foot pedal). Once she is running we can get her on to the lift and start going through everything.

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10 Apr 2018 12:16 #34443 by 1748 S
Replied by 1748 S on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
A possible reason for the oil cap to blow off is a backfire. Might be too much blowby into the crankcase of gas passing the rings. I have read about this happening a few times in the past

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09 Apr 2018 22:03 #34442 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Just a quick update as today we picked the car up (at last). On the face of things, it is pretty much as described. There are a couple of mechanical issues we need to look in to straight away 1) The car starts fine but idles very high and we have fuel coming out of the air intake which is not good – we suspect a stuck float valve, somebody changed the carburetor to a Carter at some point and it behaved correctly during the PPI and 2) we see suspect evidence of the oil filler cap being jettisoned in to space (hit the hood) at some point – assume high crankcase pressure, blow-by issues or possibly the oil pressure regulator stuck or not set correctly. Anyway, these are the immediate priorities.

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26 Mar 2018 15:39 #34384 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Will do Curt. While the car is expected today it will go in to storage for a couple of weeks before we get to evaluate things. Hopefully it matches up to the detailed pre purchase inspection report but even that won't tell us everything. Expect many questions from us.

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  • Curt Schulze
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25 Mar 2018 17:49 #34378 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
I imagine that you are excited about receiving your cabriolet tomorrow. After you have you have had some time to evaluate it I would be interested in your assessment. I entertained buying that car from Peter myself.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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25 Mar 2018 17:00 #34377 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Thank you so much John and all. We are hoping to receive the Auburn tomorrow and evaluate what our options are. One thing for sure is we expect to swap out the tires, while they haven't been used they are still 20+ years old. This does give us some gearing options depending on choices from 600 - 750 17s (about 15% across that range).

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24 Mar 2018 19:01 #34370 by johnmereness
Replied by johnmereness on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Mike: When using a very short drive shaft the angle changes very quickly with small suspension travel. The yokes can hit the drive shaft making a loud banging sound, and I'm sure not good for anything. With the small space you have to fit the GV in it seems like you would have that problem. Something to consider.
CORDiallyMike

Friends installed an overdrive on their 1938 Packard Convertible Sedan and experienced same/similar problems (in their case ate u-joints and had grinding/vibration) - they spent considerable time/money tracking down the issues and I took one look at car on lift and said by shortening the shaft via overdrive they changed the angles and if they put a small taper wedge in under the axle to spring mounts they may solve their problem (aka change angle) - it was a $25.00 issue and an afternoon of labor and they have a couple thousand miles CCCA touring since with no more issues. Sidenote: by changing angle too much you could then cause an oil starvation issue to pinion bearing.

JMM

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  • 1748 S
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12 Mar 2018 03:48 #34294 by 1748 S
Replied by 1748 S on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
might try looking into the Ranger or US Gear overdrives. They are very small units.

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  • WinAuBurn
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12 Mar 2018 01:28 #34293 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Yes, that's a good point Mike. Thanks for raising it. More things to think about. C.

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11 Mar 2018 23:04 - 11 Mar 2018 23:04 #34292 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
When using a very short drive shaft the angle changes very quickly with small suspension travel. The yokes can hit the drive shaft making a loud banging sound, and I'm sure not good for anything. With the small space you have to fit the GV in it seems like you would have that problem. Something to consider.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman
Last edit: 11 Mar 2018 23:04 by mikespeed35.

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11 Mar 2018 18:15 #34291 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Thanks Brad. Helpful to see the scale on these pictures. We probably don't have room to go in the X-frame but that would have been a great solution.

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11 Mar 2018 17:47 - 11 Mar 2018 18:21 #34288 by Brad Hoskins
Replied by Brad Hoskins on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Colin and Bob

I was thinking it might be 'cleaner' to put the unit inside the cross member but that would be tough given the width of the cross member.
Some photos from my static display.

The free wheel unit can be unbolted and that would save you about 5" . I would still leave it in place if at all possible .

I did email the ACD Company as per Randy's suggestion to see what they had in the way of NOS gear sets and I think the lowest they have is the 49:11

Anyway you do it, please post some details and photos of your overdrive conversion adventure here !

Thanks
Brad

31 8-98 cabriolet
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11 Mar 2018 17:16 #34287 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Thanks Curt. Looks like the O/D should work well and without the need to remove the freewheeling device.

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  • Curt Schulze
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11 Mar 2018 16:28 #34286 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Free wheeling is useless, in fact many consider them dangerous. when engaged there is no engine braking. I am sure with a bit of ingenuity the unit can be removed and run with out it. I build my Auburns with authenticity as a priority , so I have them in three of my Auburns.
After 1934 they were not used in Auburns. The dimension from the back of the 'X' member to the companion flange is 25"

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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11 Mar 2018 15:29 #34285 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Brad,

I think you are right. Since Bob and I will not get to see and work on the car until the 2nd week of April, I’m wondering if somebody has time to kindly measure the area from the rear of the X-frame to the rear axle including the freewheel – do we have at least 22” length (O/D is 20”), do we have 4” clearance from the driveshaft centerline to underbody? (O/D diameter is 6.5”).

I don’t see any reason why we could not connect the O/D directly to the rear axle. Also, what is the forum’s thought on the freewheel device? Is it needed, useful? We were not planning on using it.

Thanks, Colin & Bob
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  • Brad Hoskins
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11 Mar 2018 01:21 #34282 by Brad Hoskins
Replied by Brad Hoskins on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
ColinBob

I don't think that the GV overdrive is going to be a problem from a HP perspective. If my read of the literature is correct, The GV at 1:.778 is still a higher (???? I always get confused on which way to call it!) final drive than factory two speed rear end at 1: .666 ( if my math is correct)

The bigger problem might be trying to get the overdrive in there! The free wheel unit already adds considerable length to the transmission and makes for a short driveshaft to start with . Getting drive shaft angles correct could be fun. Did GV say if you could save adding a second driveshaft by bolting up to the tranny or is that just too much hanging off the back?

Feel free to double check my 'speed' math as I was winging it. I used 2300 RPM as that is what Mike suggested and it seemed a pretty reasonable target for these long stroke engines.

BTW Just so you know, I don't think the drive shaft in your car is original to start with so don't get hung up on making changes My understanding is that the originals were a ball and trunnion design. They did not fair well if not perfectly maintained and there are no more parts available , which is why most are now converted to a Spicer joint like yours.


Brad

31 8-98 cabriolet

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  • WinAuBurn
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09 Mar 2018 20:58 #34280 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
I thought I would summarize my conversation with Mike and also a follow up call I had with Gear Vendors. Mike has accomplished some trouble free impressive distances with these cars, 8,600 miles for one tour is amazing. We are trying for 2,200 miles and seek 60 mph+ (unfortunately, we don’t have Mike’s Speedster Schwitzer Cummins supercharger – unless, somebody would like to donate one to us for the cause?)

Mike, please feel free to correct or comment on my summary.

So, the big concern with the GV and probably many overdrive solutions is the longer gearing can be a big step up for the engine to pull. In the GV case it is a ratio of 1:.778, Mike’s practical experience is this was too much for a 45HP car he ran. In addition, Mike had issues with the O/D kicking out downhill. Noted the O/D also does not operate in reverse. Mike’s older unit was 12V only.

We talked again about the Auburn 2-speed axle but it seems finding a ’32-’33 with controls, never mind ensuring it’s integrity is almost impossible. The ‘34+ 2-speed axles are out, too many complications with brakes etc.

On to my call with GV. They now provide a 6V setup for vintage cars like ours, the unit is inline about 20” long and 6 ½” diameter. They do come with standard 8” brackets but those would need to be modified for the X-frame. Also provided is a 2-wire switch for the unit but this could be changed as needed. Losses from the unit while engaged are claimed at 2HP and negligible to zero when disengaged – not too bad, but of course that is nearly 5% on a 45HP car. The O/D stays locked in during uphill or downhill (wonder if Mike’s unit was faulty). Does not operate in reverse gear and should not be operated below 15mph. Price as of writing is $2,995, delivery 3-7 days. Obviously we would need to fabricate new shafts (keep original) and the brackets for the install.

So is 98HP enough to pull the GV O/D in 3rd. Maybe? One thought here is that Auburn introduced the 2-speed axle as an optional upgrade for the ’32-’33 model years but this was still the same 98HP engine on the base car. That’s longer gearing. Also, the steeldraulic brakes remained on the car.

All options considered, we are willing to try the GV solution. Once we have delivery of the car we’ll check all the dimensions before proceeding with the plan. Will keep you informed.

Sorry for the long response, hope it was helpful. Thanks all. And thanks Mike.

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09 Mar 2018 05:48 #34279 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Phone number is 1-616-669-0046.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman

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  • WinAuBurn
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07 Mar 2018 21:39 #34275 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Mike, I don't know how to contact you. Sent a PM for a telephone number request. Could not find a membership directory on the site either. Thanks for any tips on the GV solution in advance, I did send an enquiry to them but have not heard back yet.

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  • Jonathan Richards
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06 Mar 2018 23:32 #34273 by Jonathan Richards
Replied by Jonathan Richards on topic Quick Reply Timeout Frustration
Hello, Mike, I can identify with your frustration at the Quick Reply feature "timing out". This is apparently not designed for windbags like you and me who want to write essays. When they say "Quick" they mean it. Oh, Well. Best Wishes, Jack Richards.

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06 Mar 2018 06:55 #34269 by Brad Hoskins
Replied by Brad Hoskins on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
Mike

Don't get me started on this 'new' forum format and functionality ; it is terrible.!!!

I've had the same thing happen to me (timing out) several times.
I find if you log back in, go the the post you were replying to and , from the 'Action ' menu select 'Reply' again , you will find that you post is still there . As usual, you have to expand the dialog box to see anything.
I never use 'quick reply 'as the functionality is horrible. so I do not know if that works with 'quick reply' or not.

I'd love to see your post!!!!

Brad

31 8-98 cabriolet
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06 Mar 2018 05:34 #34268 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
If you think you might want to use a Gear Venders call me. I just put a big explanation about it and the damned session timed out on me and I'm NOT going to write it again.
CORDiallyMIke

Mike Huffman

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  • WinAuBurn
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05 Mar 2018 14:41 #34266 by WinAuBurn
Replied by WinAuBurn on topic 1931 Auburn 898A vintage rally preparation
So much great information. I think we would like to stay with the '31-'33 era and not change the brakes out, research tells me the steeldraulic brakes are well up to the task as long as they are serviced and setup correctly. We are still waiting on the car to verify the ratios installed but if I assume for the moment most folk go for the middle ground 52:11 (or higher speed) saving the low ratio choice if they live in the Rockies perhaps, then I'm at 59mph with the Gear Vendor solution which should work well. Of course the '32-'33 2 speed would be great if we could find one along with the controls. What has been your experience with the steeldraulic brakes?

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