Re: [HSS] A cautionary tale
Oh dear! I can't remember bolting that particular
flange up Lew, but it looks like I omitted the lock washer. May the
fleas of a thousand camel infest my underpants if ever I perform such an
oversight again. As as an addendum to this, I have had similar
problems in this area on my own '29 Hudsons, but in this case it is of an
extremely hot foot, and also scorched underfelt. In my case of course,
being right-hand-drive, the clutch and brake pedals go through the floor
right by the exhaust manifold, and you get a continual blast of superheated air
through these apertures. On a long journey things get decidedely
heated in this area. I have made up a shield to go between
the footplate and the manifold flange, so it acts as a heat deflector, and
this works pretty good. It extends across the manifold flange
and down the outside of the floor panel about 6 inches. Also I have made
up an auxilary plate to go around the steering column and the clutch and brake
pedals, so there is minimal clearance, and hence the felt padding can sit
tighter and keep the hot air out. There is a convenient threaded hole
on the bulkhead of the Biddle & Smart body - I don't know if this
is available on Briggs or Hudson Bodies, but it would only involve
drilling a hole if it isn't there. The heat deflector sits against the
flared portion of the floorboard, so there is an air gap between the floor and
the shield. It is bent so it goes straight down, and then angles the same
as the floor.
flange up Lew, but it looks like I omitted the lock washer. May the
fleas of a thousand camel infest my underpants if ever I perform such an
oversight again. As as an addendum to this, I have had similar
problems in this area on my own '29 Hudsons, but in this case it is of an
extremely hot foot, and also scorched underfelt. In my case of course,
being right-hand-drive, the clutch and brake pedals go through the floor
right by the exhaust manifold, and you get a continual blast of superheated air
through these apertures. On a long journey things get decidedely
heated in this area. I have made up a shield to go between
the footplate and the manifold flange, so it acts as a heat deflector, and
this works pretty good. It extends across the manifold flange
and down the outside of the floor panel about 6 inches. Also I have made
up an auxilary plate to go around the steering column and the clutch and brake
pedals, so there is minimal clearance, and hence the felt padding can sit
tighter and keep the hot air out. There is a convenient threaded hole
on the bulkhead of the Biddle & Smart body - I don't know if this
is available on Briggs or Hudson Bodies, but it would only involve
drilling a hole if it isn't there. The heat deflector sits against the
flared portion of the floorboard, so there is an air gap between the floor and
the shield. It is bent so it goes straight down, and then angles the same
as the floor.
A happy New Year to you all, and
my your Hudsoning be heat-free and pleasurable!
my your Hudsoning be heat-free and pleasurable!
Geoff.
----- Original Message -----
From:
Lew Phelps
Lew Phelps
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 2:38
PM
PM
Subject: [HSS] A cautionary tale
structured? They identify a Primary Cause and a lot of Contributing
Causes.
I just had an event with my '29 Town Sedan that featured such a
combination of circumstances, and ALMOST resulted in a serious problem.
combination of circumstances, and ALMOST resulted in a serious problem.
Yesterday, I drove the Hudson to work on the other side of town.
Coming home, up about a 2% grade on the Pasadena Freeway, the engine started
missing, backfiring, and generally acting like it didn't want to go any
further. I knew right away what the problem was -- the spark retard gear
had slipped -- again -- and the engine was running at about 1/3 spark retard,
which among other things makes it run quite hot. I should have
just pulled off and brought the gear teeth back into line, but I was in a
hurry, so I didn't. That is Contributing Cause Number
1.
Coming home, up about a 2% grade on the Pasadena Freeway, the engine started
missing, backfiring, and generally acting like it didn't want to go any
further. I knew right away what the problem was -- the spark retard gear
had slipped -- again -- and the engine was running at about 1/3 spark retard,
which among other things makes it run quite hot. I should have
just pulled off and brought the gear teeth back into line, but I was in a
hurry, so I didn't. That is Contributing Cause Number
1.
When I got to my destination, I was
beginning to smell something that smelled an awfully lot like something
burning. So I took a moment to sniff around, and found that the
horsehair batting that sits on the passenger side of the floorboard/firewall
had started to burn... more like smoldering, actually, but definitely
combusting at a slow rate. I yanked it away from the firewall and found
that the metal was too hot to touch. I doused the glowing embers with the
remains of a cup of coffee. A quick inspection confirmed that the
center point of the hot area was directly behind the point where a
flange joins the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold.
beginning to smell something that smelled an awfully lot like something
burning. So I took a moment to sniff around, and found that the
horsehair batting that sits on the passenger side of the floorboard/firewall
had started to burn... more like smoldering, actually, but definitely
combusting at a slow rate. I yanked it away from the firewall and found
that the metal was too hot to touch. I doused the glowing embers with the
remains of a cup of coffee. A quick inspection confirmed that the
center point of the hot area was directly behind the point where a
flange joins the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold.
I adjust the timing gear to get it back to "normal" and drove the mile or
so home, and then began to look more seriously for the reason things were
getting so unseemly hot.
so home, and then began to look more seriously for the reason things were
getting so unseemly hot.
What I found was that one of the two bolts that connects the exhaust to
the header (this is not an OEM configuration....) had worked loose, and it had
worked loose because it didn't have a lock washer. So because of the
lack of a lock washer, my engine was jetting hot exhaust gas onto the
firewall, right at a seam in the metal that let it come into the
passenger compartment. This was Contributing Cause Number 2. The exhaust
gas was no doubt hotter than normal because of running with the spark retard
inadvertently advanced.
the header (this is not an OEM configuration....) had worked loose, and it had
worked loose because it didn't have a lock washer. So because of the
lack of a lock washer, my engine was jetting hot exhaust gas onto the
firewall, right at a seam in the metal that let it come into the
passenger compartment. This was Contributing Cause Number 2. The exhaust
gas was no doubt hotter than normal because of running with the spark retard
inadvertently advanced.
When I disassembled the joint, I found that the gasket was more or less
intact, but badly scorched from having hot gasses pass over it. So I thought
it prudent to replace it. Fortunately, Pep Boys had an exact replacement in
stock.
intact, but badly scorched from having hot gasses pass over it. So I thought
it prudent to replace it. Fortunately, Pep Boys had an exact replacement in
stock.
Having completed the gasket installation (with lock washers), I turned my
attention to a small chore that I should have done months ago, which is to fix
the problem that allows the spark retard gears to become
de-synchronized. The cure was described in an email to me by Geoff
Clark. I will paraphase it here for anyone else who has a '29 or other
Hudson with the same gear setup to control spark retard:
attention to a small chore that I should have done months ago, which is to fix
the problem that allows the spark retard gears to become
de-synchronized. The cure was described in an email to me by Geoff
Clark. I will paraphase it here for anyone else who has a '29 or other
Hudson with the same gear setup to control spark retard:
You need to mesh the spark retard gear so that it will not
dis-engage at full retard or advance. Remove the split pin (cotter pin to
us Yanks) and take the spring out from under the split pin on the
post. Check that the post is tight on the bracket, (it is a threaded
stud). Replace the spring with a stack of washers, of a total
thickness so that there is no possibility of the gear sector moving out of
mesh. Reinsert a new cotter pin, and check that you have enough washers in the
stack to ensure that there is NO movement of the gear along its pivot shaft
(the "post" referred to above).
dis-engage at full retard or advance. Remove the split pin (cotter pin to
us Yanks) and take the spring out from under the split pin on the
post. Check that the post is tight on the bracket, (it is a threaded
stud). Replace the spring with a stack of washers, of a total
thickness so that there is no possibility of the gear sector moving out of
mesh. Reinsert a new cotter pin, and check that you have enough washers in the
stack to ensure that there is NO movement of the gear along its pivot shaft
(the "post" referred to above).
To re-time, you should be able to just get it back in the proper mesh
between the gear sectors, and to refine the timing, loosen the clamp screw on
the distributor base, and turn the distributor anti-clockwise to advance. Have
the advance lever at the home position when you do this, against the stop.
Advance the timing until the engine runs free-est with no "fluffing"
out the exhaust. Also check that the clamp screw on the sector attached
to the column shaft is tight.
between the gear sectors, and to refine the timing, loosen the clamp screw on
the distributor base, and turn the distributor anti-clockwise to advance. Have
the advance lever at the home position when you do this, against the stop.
Advance the timing until the engine runs free-est with no "fluffing"
out the exhaust. Also check that the clamp screw on the sector attached
to the column shaft is tight.
If I had done this when Geoff first wrote to me with the above
description, in answer to a query how to fix the slipping spark retard gear, I
would have saved myself a small incipient fire inside my Hudson. But, on
the other hand, this event did allow me to discover that I had exhaust gas
pouring out of the joint at the manifold, and into the car, and it is a Very
Good Thing that I found that before I or someone else died of carbon monoxide
poisoning or something like that.
description, in answer to a query how to fix the slipping spark retard gear, I
would have saved myself a small incipient fire inside my Hudson. But, on
the other hand, this event did allow me to discover that I had exhaust gas
pouring out of the joint at the manifold, and into the car, and it is a Very
Good Thing that I found that before I or someone else died of carbon monoxide
poisoning or something like that.
Anyway, Happy New Year to all.
Lew Phelps
0
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