Just a point...If your cable is getting hot with short cranks, change it asap...fire can result...Ernie in Arizona

I didn't want to make a racket hammering on sunday or monday since it was a holiday, but today I mounted a tire on one side of the rear axle, and lowered the rear axle so one wheel was touching the ground. Then with the puller attached to the other side, a few good wacks with a BFH....Both rear drums came off with a pop. Good thing the nut was still on there! Gear oil started running out the axle ends when I pulled the drums, so those seals were really shot. The brake pads did not get contaminated, so I will check the condition of the bearings and races before I order, but I think I will most likely replace the bearings while I am here. Local prices on those bearings are about what Kanter gets for them, so I may just make a call and have them sent from NJ. Easier than trying to hunt them down in Germany.

Attach file:

---

  20240521_215507.jpg (2,377.19 KB)

Yeah, on my (12V) car the battery cable is a bit corroded on the negative side (and/or is undersized) so it actually heats up to the point of smoking if I crank for, oh, 5 seconds. That would never be acceptable on a 6V car but on 12V it fires right off.

Sounds like it had been running the 6v starter on 12v which is a very bad idea that can cause serious damage. However as long as your battery cables are 00 Awg you’ll be fine. That was something I didn’t know at first as a teenager in the ‘60s so always had slow cranking on my 1939, 1940 and 1941 Packards but what a difference the proper cables made!

Got it dropped and it was jammed over the stop…I tweeted it a little but the needle is pretty bowed…it works now and if it does get stuck I can tap the glass and it falls right back…I have no idea how it ever got over the stop tab! But thanks for all the help…took it for another decent ride and it ran and charged great….much different though starting it with a 6 volt compared to the 12 volt…it almost sounds like the battery is dying when pushing start button but it fires up in seconds

A leaking pump will also tend to wash oil out of the shaft bushings, which will speed up wear.

I would loosen the fan belt and check for any indication of loose bushings. The bushings may wear out of round due to the pull of the fan belt, so look for ANY wobble in any direction. If you can feel any slack in the bushings when working a fan blade forward and back by hand, the bushings are probably too loose to use. I tried several times to pack a pump with worn bushings, to no avail. After a few tens of miles, at most, it was leaking again. A pump with good bushings and a shaft in good condition will not leak if properly packed and adjusted. As noted, an adjustment or two may be needed immediately after re-packing, and it's a good idea to run the fan belt a little on the loose side for a hundred miles or so with with a new or rebuilt pump. The packing nut is not to be tightened, but only just snugged up. Tight packing can conceal loose bushings, so loosen the packing nut a little when checking for loose bushings. NEVER run the engine without water or other coolant in the system, unless you take the fan belt off. Doing so will burn out the packing.

Worn bushings will allow the fan to wobble slightly forward and back at the blade tips, and may allow the entire fan to move straight forward and back for a fraction of an inch. Test with the packing nut backed off a little and the fan belt slacked off.

Ok ..I. Going to pull it today..thanks!

My floor jack died entirely last year and after having to borrow my brother’s the last couple times I was at my shop (which meant lugging it over on a golf cart from a block away) I finally bought a new one. It was a cheapie but I like the dual action it has to get it raised quickly and it has a long range to go under the very low frame of my 1965 Cadillac or the very high one of my Henney-Packard.

On the steering wheel, I thought it was keyed to go on only one way or am I thinking of one of my other cars? In any event, I always specify to center the wheel when having an alignment done.

Quote:

I politely suggest you review what an ammeter even is and how it's wired into the car's electrical system, if the answer is not obvious.

Quote:

I wouldn't do this as you can damage your ammeter or the battery, though if you just tapped it briefly it's probably fine.

To me it just sounds like the needle is stuck. I would remove it an do a careful mechanical inspection.