Exposed gubbins

[crankedup]

well pushrods and wotnot, all nicely displayed to the exterior of the block.

So whats that all about, cash saving, easy to maintain,or just to be different. How on earth do these things keep lubricated ?

Its a strange but wonderful world this prewar motoring

[Pigeon]

I'd guess it's a hangover from steam days when all the moving bits were exposed. Steam engines generally had various forms of total-loss lubrication, often with little oil pots sitting on top of every bearing. Not having seen these on the internal-combustion machines, the lubrication has always puzzled me too - both in terms of how the oil gets there and where it goes afterwards, as these cars seem to be able to drive to rallies without arriving covered in oil.

[ARH]

Not sure about the exposed bits, but most prewar stuff is lubricated by luck rather than science as far as I can tell.

The austin seven relies on a pump creating 5 psi (ish) which goes to the valve gear and spary jets for the crank bearings.

have a look at cooling, no water pumps just thermo syphon, it suprises me evry time i drive the seven that it doesn't just die in a mess of seized bearings and steam.

[tvrgaas]

I think by the 20s most things were behind a cover - usually of cast ally. Pre War (Kaiser, not Hitler) then yes push rods are more exposed - or there's the T head. The exceptions in the 20s would be JAP style twins as fitted to GNs and Morgans, but doing weddings in a GN would be interesting..... I wouldn't go there unless you're barking mad.


Although some people have fitted V8's


PS I see the domestic authorities are saying keep the Griff.
PPSOh in case the Chain Gang are watching, I bounced in Peter's GN top on the Light Car Welsh and my brother has an Anzani Nash - see it at Westcott

[crankedup]

Nice pic's, thats some lurid slide on there, could'nt have saved that one

Comes to something when the lady of the home feels I'm safer in the Griff' than a pre war jobbie but I am going for it, just a question of right car right money and selling 'grimbo'

Going back to exposed pushrods, thinking about it the tolerances in the engines must have been well slack and the racket on engine start up a whole new world awaits
Have to admit I'm a bit concerned about a test drive, having never driven something pre war, could be embarrasing.

[ARH]

crankedup said:

Have to admit I'm a bit concerned about a test drive, having never driven something pre war, could be embarrasing.

You should have seen me test drive my seven round dartford within site of the tunnel. It didn't look too professional at all, then I had it delivered on a truck. The driver asked if I wanted to drive iot off the truck, I said yes, but i couldn't find reverse so we ended up pushing it off. Then later on my first drive as owner I made it look very painfull, her indoors was in fits of laughter as we kangerood up the road crunched gears on every change, stalled it a few times and only drove 5 miles. Now its no problem, and really no more difficult to drive than our Morris Minor.

test drive one somewhere quite is the best advice I can give, if they suggest a test drive on the M25 of monday morning SAY NO.

[crankedup]

Reading your account of 1st drive and coupled with my own reservations about this, me thinks I will need lots of practice before I take on my 1st pro' wedding drive otherwise I can just imagine it crunch, boing boing crunch

[ARH]

crankedup said:

Reading your account of 1st drive and coupled with my own reservations about this, me thinks I will need lots of practice before I take on my 1st pro' wedding drive otherwise I can just imagine it crunch, boing boing crunch

No one will know they think that is the way old cars work.