How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Bob Carriere]

When thinking of wheels they are never too big. Unless you have the luxury of a hand troweled concrete floor small rubber tired wheels from Princess are preferable and easier on you. A somewhat wide stance when you do the wheels will also improve movement and balance.

Time to start looking for a quick disconnect old Johnson outboard tank from your favorite flea market.

If you are considering running your engine a generic sound radiator will do with a house electric fan. Removing the fan blade from the engine will greatly reduce noise and dust....and safer for knuckles......but keep the belt from the water pump.

If you install the tranny and clutch pack you can use one of Phil's old trick. Once you have established Top Dead Center for timing......open the little door on the bellhousing and mark your clutch pack with yellow pain stick..... use a bailing wire wrapped across the opening screw to screw...... so when you install the engine you can actually use the new timing mark....until you floor is installed....... I also marked my flywheel from below so I can hand turn the engine and find TDC easier.

Remember to have fun!!!!!!

[Jordan Baker]

Bob, im confused by your wheel comments? So i should get the rubber coated ones or go for larger cast steel only ones?

[Bob Carriere]

If the engine stand loaded is moved about in a garage with a rough floor or a dirt floor or even outside by the front of your garage, the larger wheels of any kind are best to overcome surface bumps..... in MHO the small 8 in to 10 inch inflated rubber tires as far superior to any type of steel or hard rubber coated caster system...... besides the small rubber tires are also available in caster format. the down side is they will require inflation maintenance.

The casters I used are fine in the attic of the barn on hard plywood floors but a real pain on dirt or the rough floor of my barn.

Cheers

[rob love]

I tried to overcome the flat tire situation by using the run-flat tires, available from princess auto etc on some shop carts I have here at the museum. The problem is that if you leave a load on them, they develop flatspots for the first while when you go to move them. But on the plus side, they are truly worth the extra $$ as opposed to dealing with the constant flats you get on the Chinese tires these days.

Another option if you have the room, is to grab a bunch of the smaller hide-a spares from your local junkyard. They are cheap, you can buy the appropriate (knock-off) hubs sealed for life for around $30, and are of good quality. They are perfect for oxy-acetylene carts as you can then go cross country, over airlines and extension cords without impediment.

[Jordan Baker]

I bought these last night at Princess Auto. They should work fine in the shop

[Jordan Baker]

Picked up some nice NOS and slightly used CMP parts todaywhile at a steam show. Even found two of the larger no2 clips. That takes. Are of the three I needed for the truck.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Jordan

That is quite the score of CMP parts at the steam show, I am always amazed at the stuff that shows up at odd flea markets. You would think after 70+ years that it would all have been found, used, or scrapped by now. Glad that somebody thought enough of it to take it to a show to move it along to somebody else, thats recycling.

Glad you found the engine stand idea of use. Agree with the use of hard steel wheels. I have a 337 Flathead Lincoln engine on one of mine right now engine and transmission weight is something north of 900lbs. Rolling it around on the smooth shop floor still takes some effort. Particularly if you roll it through the kitty litter / aka speed dry turns it to dust.

Cheers Phil