Re: Gear Start Ultramatic Question

Posted by Ross On 2012/1/5 22:35:18

I knew two 54 Patties and a convertible with Gear start.

As the cases and machining were so different, I would not be surprrised if the GS units were made at the Utica plant instead of East Grand explaining part of their late introduction. All of the Twins were made in Utica.

Somewhere at home I have a fascinating internal memo bemoaning two quality issues they had with the older units. The first was minute machining debris left in the cases getting stuck in the governor--my experience also is that those governors have no tolerance for dirt at all. The second is that the aluminum convertor half would split open under pressure. That I have only seen once when a 52 Patty that drove OK on Monday afternoon dropped all 11 quarts in the driveway on startup on Tuesday morning. OOg.

Anyway, if I recall the memo mentioned having 10,000 Ultras in stock in early 54--enough as it turned out to get them quite a ways through that horrible sales year. Will post it when I get home in March.