Introduction - 1928 Essex Super Six

blaine

Hello all!  Blaine in Stafford, VA here.  I recently purchased my first Essex from a gentleman in Massachusetts.  My first car was a '54 Hornet.  My Essex is almost entirely original (has electric fuel pump and a Model A carburetor).  You really have to search to find any rust.  I am currently doing a tune up and fixing some leaks.  My main problem at this point is the gas tank.  It is beautiful on the outside, but filled with mountains of rust on the inside.  I am building a new one from scratch.

If anyone knows how to remove the bonnet, please let me know.  That is the first step in the manual for replacing some of the gaskets, but I can't figure out how it is supposed to come off.

Also, I need to replace the gasket between the distributor support and the front motor plate.  But I wasn't sure if the timing chain has to come off to get the distributor support off. 

- Blaine

Jon B

Welcome aboard, Blaine!  I'm sure you'll get some good answers to your question (unfortunately, my car's a '37 so I can't offer advice).

Are you a member of the H-E-T club?  If not, you can learn more at their website,http://www.hetclub.org/ .

Also, our Chesapeake Bay Chapter offers more localized activities for those already in the H-E-T, and who live in Maryland, Northern Virginia, Delaware and D.C.   Our website's here http://www.cbc.hetclub.org/   and we'd be pleased to have you attend any of our local meets (of course, we'd also love to get you as a member).
 

ernie28

Hi Blaine

Well done on your acquisition. The '28 is a great car.

Not sure what gaskets you are looking to replace that requires the bonnet removal - are you doing the water jacket or head?
Anyway, to remove the bonnet, you first need to check the support rod that goes from the radiator surround to the firewall (just under the top bonnet hinge), loosen the locknuts on the firewall end (one in the engine compartment and one from under the dash) so there is pressure on the bonnet hinge. Once there is no tension, remove the bolt that is securing the small adjustable angle bonnet bracket on the firewall, then you should be able to lift that back end up, remove that bracket and then the bonnet should slide back - the hinge rod which is the main support should come out of the front retaining hole in the radiator surround. If you can have two of you, one on each side, when removing it makes it much easier to manage the bonnet removal in one piece.
If the bonnet has not been removed in many years, penetrating oil on the hinge pin anchor points prior would be beneficial.
Once removed if you can carefully remove the three hinge rods and clean them up and replace them lubricated is most beneficial.

Re the auxillary drive gasket - Geoff Clark has a simple method of replacing these and I am sure he will shime in soon.

Good luck

Geoff

To renew the accessory housing gasket without  removing the timing cover:   Remove generator and coupling hose.   Remove distributor and  undo oil pump connections.  Take out three bolts holding  housing to engine plate.   Wiggle housing rearward.   There is a deflector washer on the shaft that takes a bit of jiggling to get past the  flange.   Take housing off which leaves eccentric gears exposed.    You can move it slightly back to  cut out old gasket.   Cut new gaskets to fit between engine plate and  gear flange, and flange and housing.   Cut one gasket with a vertical cut, and wind it around the front flange, and bring cut ends together at the top.   Fit other gasket over the rear of flange and re-install housing.  
Geoff 

blaine

Thank you all for the warm welcome and feedback.

Geoff, I followed your directions. Worked like a charm. What material do you recommend for the gaskets? Paper gaskets seem like they would tear when adjusting the chain. Also, I'm assuming you don't put gasket sealer on since adjustments are necessary.

Ernie28, I adjusted the support arm, but I can't get enough clearance to remove the bonnet. Part of the problem is that the nut on the firewall side gets lucked and spins the support out of the far end. I guess I will try wd40. I'm not worried about it right now. I thought the gasket behind the front engine cover was leaking, but I'm sure it was the gasket in front of the distributor support now. There was a bolt missing too

Geoff

Good quality paper gaskets are fine, use a .030 minimum thickness, and do not over-tighten the bolts.   They must be even tension so the housing sits straight.  Be careful that you get the  adjusting plate sitting correctly in the notch..  Hold the rod with vice grips as you undo the nut to get the bonnet off.   good luck,
Geoff 

blaine

Hey Geoff, While refinishing the distributor support I noticed the gasket between the oil pump and distributor support was leaking. I removed the oil pump and there is a small pin between the distrutor support and oil pump. I removed the pin to scrape off the old gasket. When I tried to reassemble them the pin wouldn't go all the way back in. Any ideas how I can make that happen?

Geoff

Yes, the pin is located in  a hole in the shaft that the oil pump eccentric mounts on.   This pin is to stop the shaft from moving, and if left out the shaft could theoretically move endwise and  push the welch plug out of the housing.   To  get the pin back in you have to  turn the collar of the shaft  so that the  pin hole is lined up   You can do this with a scriber through the hole .   Just jiggle it round until lined up.  You may have to take the housing off again to do this more easily.   Sometimes quicker to do this than to try and do it in place. 

Geoff 

blaine

That makes sense. I'll give it a try. Thanks again!

blaine

Geoff, your suggestion worked perfectly. One last question. There is a spring and two ball bearings between the oil pump and distributor support. Does one of the balls go in the hole at the bottom just inside the oil pump and the other go inside the spring?

Geoff

Caution, Warning!   The  two ball bearings must go in the bottom of the oil pump.  The spring fits around the  oil pump plunger which is  activated by the cam in the housing.  You must not have a ball in here, or you will damage the housing.  Originally there was only one ball bearing each in top and bottom of pump body to act as one-way valves, but it was found they worked much more efficiently with two balls top and bottom.  The extra weight of the second ball helped  the pump work better.   What you need to do is feed the two balls into the main  cylinder and let them drop down into the bottom chamber.   Then you insert the spring, and then the main  plunger, the  smaller diameter of which fits inside the spring.   If you were to operate the car with the balls inside the spring it  would break the housing off when the plunger limited against them.  

Geoff 

blaine

Glad I asked. When I removed the oil pump one of the balls must have popped loose and dropped into the spring. I thought it was a strange place for a bearing.

blaine

Geoff,

I am considering replacing the generator coupling.  Do you know if there is anything to watch out for when doing this?  It seems like the parts underneath the coupling are somewhat flexible.  I can't seem to get it to slide off.  I was just going to cut it, but I want to make sure I'm not making a mistake first.

Thanks!

Geoff

The coupling is just re-inforced straight rubber hose held between the half-round  clamps with a 1/4" bolt through the collar and shaft.