Author Topic: Austin Tractor 1922  (Read 13898 times)

Rob Templin

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #45 on: 24 June, 2020, 01:45:33 pm »
Having ordered 42 metres of 3/8 straight copper tube at $31.50 per metre I was informed that the quote was wrong and it was double that. So I have contacted the site in UK posted by Franco. But I think soft copper rolls will do the job just need to make a device to straighten coiled copper. I am sure the cost of the pommie stuff will be more frightening than the straight pipe.

cobbadog

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #46 on: 24 June, 2020, 04:01:16 pm »
Maybe running the flexible tube between 3 rollers might bring it back to shape but would be better with a small groove in the rollers to keep it inline.
Cheers, John & Dee. Coopernook. NSW.

famous fitter

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #47 on: 24 June, 2020, 04:08:44 pm »
Hi Rob,

Maybe ask a plumber to buy the Tube wholesale on your behalf ,they may get the tube at a trade or wholesale price that the company cannot give direct to a non account holder. If I go into the local electrical wholesaler outlet the price is retail , if I get my sparky mate to buy it on his account it?s a fair whack cheaper.

It would be better to use hard drawn tube than coil but ya gotta do what ya gotta do !!

Cheers Justin

Rob Templin

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #48 on: 25 June, 2020, 06:09:49 am »
Cabadog I think the best would be 5 rollers with a 3/8 groove. I think cheap rope pulleys from ships chandeler would work. Soft copper is $91 for a 18 m roll. Hard straight copper is for refridgeration. Even with trade discount still expensive. Waiting for a reply from the radiator place in UK. Ain't restoration slow.

cobbadog

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #49 on: 25 June, 2020, 04:01:14 pm »
The more the better for the rollers, the less the better for the copper. Yes, restoration work is and can be fun and is why we do it, to challenge ourselves.
Cheers, John & Dee. Coopernook. NSW.

Rob Templin

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #50 on: 25 June, 2020, 07:42:09 pm »
Exactly. The challenge that keeps you thinking as we get older and older and even older.

Rob Templin

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #51 on: 09 July, 2020, 04:01:49 pm »
The copper radiator pipes have the remains of steel "gills" as they are called. I call them washers but anyway I was looking at acids that will remove the rusty steel but leave the copper untouched. I understand that phosphoric acid does remove the steel but not the copper. If that was the case then I could reuse the copper pipes. I think I'll try one and see. I'll block the tube to limit any internal damage. I am not all that hopeful. At the moment there is a delay as I wait to get stitches out of my back after a melonoma was removed. Another old mate at the museum is restoring a Self Propelled header. A Massey 585. But he has been stuck on the engine for months. Freeing rusted in valves and now two pistons that are rusted in place. He turned up a round block of wood to fit the bore and has been alternatively soaking in various liquids and belting the wood with a sledge hammer. Some success, they have moved and believe it or not the bore is fine. The pistons are ???able though. The other job I have tackled is setting up an old lathe. It is over 60 years since I did any lathe work or training but the internet bought a lot back. It is in fine shape really except for a belled chuck. I'll build a tool post grinder to take 8 thou out of the back of the jaws. We are also looking at restoring several very old ceiling fans to mount above our workshop area. We have an old electrician that will do the electrical stuff. So far we haven't been able to undo the main bolt holding the motor to the shaft. Currently the milling machine I am building is on the verge of being finished. I just took too much metal off a shaft for a gear box drive pulley and now I'll have to build it up with weld and turn it down again. Next comes a 100 year old pedestal drill. Variety is the spice of life.

cobbadog

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #52 on: 09 July, 2020, 09:31:38 pm »
You certainly have a bit on the go. I have used phosphoric acid a lot to clean up metal but not had it on copper. I know it is ok on brass if that helps. I bought a 1ltr bottle at Bunnings some time back and was not badly priced and they sell it in larger quantities but if memory serves me right the price appeared to have jumped up a lot. It was a Bondall product and was in the paint section.
Cheers, John & Dee. Coopernook. NSW.

Rob Templin

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #53 on: 10 July, 2020, 07:51:25 am »
Yes I have used it for rusty steel. I have a 40 litre bath of it. I get it from my local produce where it is sold as a Dairy Cleaner for milking machine pipe lines. Not cheap perhaps $60 for 20 litres. When I had the farm in a horticultural area the local co-op sold it as phosphric acid for cleaning calcium out of small irrigation pipes. My bath has lasted for quite a few years and gets fairly regular use. Eventually it forms a heavy crust inside the bath walls and bottom and needs to be replaced. I strain it off and keep the good stuff and buy a new container for the bath. This is only the second time in 10 years I have had to do it.

cobbadog

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #54 on: 10 July, 2020, 10:36:45 pm »
Thats not a bad price for the quantity.
Cheers, John & Dee. Coopernook. NSW.

Rob Templin

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #55 on: 30 August, 2020, 01:01:49 pm »
Well I finally spent some more time on the radiator. Removed about 10 tubes and put them in the phosphoric acid. What is left of the steel gills eventually disappear and the copper pipe is covered in solder so that has to be melted off. But I can reuse the original pipes. The radiator will be 5 mm shorter as the pipes are flared and have to be partly drilled. I have tried, a hole saw to cut washers (gills), not sucessful. A wad punch wouldn't cut through the copper very easily and as over 8000 are required I didn't think this was practical. Next I tried a punch in a hole with the hydraulic press. It worked but the edges of both the hole and the punch had a slight chamfer and this meant there was a ragged edge. I'll have to make a punch and hole with sharp edges and try that. It is amazing how time consuming just small advances take. My press was only a cheap one and had so much slop I needed to tighten it up as well as make a new heavier anvil for it as the original was bent removing the king pins from the axle. This has taken some time.

cobbadog

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #56 on: 30 August, 2020, 02:27:05 pm »
Look at it this way, as you progress with the radiator you get to repair your press. With a punch set up Dad used to have one years ago and it is long gone now bu it had a squared off ends but had a slight chamfer from one side to the other to help breaking through the metal. This was being used on 22 gauge sheet metal.
Cheers, John & Dee. Coopernook. NSW.

Rob Templin

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #57 on: 30 November, 2020, 04:42:00 pm »
Well I have finally put a few hours into the Austin. It took 12 hours to remove the crankshaft and cam shaft which then allowed the cylinder block with head still attached to come off. I am going to cut the head off with an angle grinder. I can reach all bar 3 of the head studs with my 5 inch grinder and hope that I can force those 3 with a wedge. The main tools for this work have been angle grinder for rusted nuts, crowbar as a lever, engine hoist as every thing is heavy, a sledge hammer and plenty of WD40. This is actually a pretty sophisticated engine for over 100 years old. It has slipper bearings for the conrods made of steel set into a brass bed about 2 inches wide. The main bearings are also 2 inches wide except for the end main which is 4 inches wide. These are also slipper white metal bearings, not poured. The cam is rather rusted but I hope that the roller cam followers will allow for the roughness. The crank bearings are currently being soaked in phos acid and will have to be good enough I hope. A bit of grinding of the caps will allow them to be tightened down a bit as the bearings are held by the conrod and main bolts. All these are very thick possibly 1/4 inches, or more in the case of the big ends. The pistons are well rusted into the bores again I hope phos acid will release them but I think I will need to bore out the bores and re-sleeve and replace the pistons.

Also the front axle has had the bi pivot casing cut off so as the rust can be cleaned off the fore and aft pin and the right and left pivot pin will have to be drilled out. One new king pin will need to be made as the original is bent. Once the crank case is cleaned and de-rusted I will assemble the tractor, finish the radiator, and build the bonnets. At least then it can be displayed and so long as the bonnet isn't lifted no one will know the top half of the engine is still missing. Well at least until I can finish the repair.

Note the finished Mill in the background. I should follow that up in the other thread.

oldgoat

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #58 on: 30 November, 2020, 09:22:47 pm »
I assume the head is cast iron so an arc gouger or oxy might be useful for inaccessible nuts and studs

cobbadog

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Re: Austin Tractor 1922
« Reply #59 on: 01 December, 2020, 02:53:11 pm »
I was only thinking about this project while I was suffering with the McDonald Measles and then forgot about it again. Sounds like your making progress so that is a good thing.
Can a nut splitter get to those pesky nuts? That would be kinder on the procedure if they can. Keep on plugging away at it and you will win. You have everyones support to help.
Cheers, John & Dee. Coopernook. NSW.