Jump to content

Patrick Tipton

Administrators
  • Posts

    876
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    138

Patrick Tipton last won the day on March 17

Patrick Tipton had the most liked content!

1 Follower

Personal Information

  • Vehicles & Projects
    1943 Willys MB, 1968 M274A2 Military Mule, 1962 M274A1 Mule (Project),1943 Studebaker T24 (Project)
  • Location
    Beemerville, Republic of New Jersey/USA

Recent Profile Visitors

1,582 profile views

Patrick Tipton's Achievements

313

Reputation

  1. Cheers John! I have definitely been spending a lot of time with these engines and making friends with them.
  2. I saw a post that you are planning to do the 55 grouser tracks rather than the 56? What is the thinking there? Also, are you planning on making the post war style with 4 bands or the WW2 era with a band and an outer cable? Lots of choices to be made to try and hit the fat spot of the market so the bands will work with as many track varieties as possible. Patrick
  3. Looking good Mark! You are making great progress!
  4. I have a radiator for it. I did not hook it up in this video just because we were only trying to get it started to check the oil pressure. I will post pictures in the next couple of days of the complete setup with the radiator. Cheers!
  5. If the generator "motors" when hooked to a power supply, it is likely fine. These generators have variable output which is controlled by the amount of voltage being directed into the field coil. This is all controlled by the voltage regulator. If you hook the generator up to a power supply (or have it running in the machine) and take a lead from the positive terminal of your battery to the field terminal on the generator, and have a volt/ohm meter reading the output, you will watch the output increase well over the 12 volts that you need. Don't leave this setup on too long...just watch the output climb up to 13-14 volts....you have successfully proven that the generator is up to its designed task. If you aren't getting 13.8 volts at startup, and the generator has passed the above test, you have a voltage regulator issue. Report back and we can go from there. Patrick
  6. It seems that most of our Weasels really have not seen very much use. Those drums do indeed look nice. I don't really have a feel yet for how much that drum surface impacts steering. My M29 steers harder than I like, but the drums are probably worse than those. I am going to be resurfacing the M29 drums and replacing the brake linings in the next few weeks - will let you know how much of a difference it makes. Keep up the great work. Patrick
  7. A few years ago, I bought out a collector who owned a gaggle of Weasels and related parts. Most of the Weasels had been sitting unused in a field for decades, but all but one were salvageable. Happy to report that 3 of the 5 are well on their way to being restored machines. I kept one (an M29) that runs and drives and the other machine (early M29) is stored inside awaiting restoration. One T24 had a decent looking 1945-dated engine in it that was complete and free. That hull was sold to another collector but I pulled the engine to keep as a spare. As my M29 motor is starting to make noises that sound like a bad bearing, I decided to see if I could get this spare motor running to see what I had. We were disappointed when we pulled the head to find the valves pretty much gone. Our environment is too wet, plus too many hot and cold cycles cause condensation and rust. This engine sat too long without any oil etc. and the valves and seats were shot. Fortunately, the cylinders looked good as did the lower end. IMG_1818.mp4 I ended up freshening up the valve seats and installing all new valves. We also dropped the oil pan and cleaned everything out and added fresh oil. The beast fired right up! Oil pressure was 55 lbs at startup. I did not have a radiator hooked up so I didn't run it long, but I am liking it so far! I will get a radiator on it tomorrow and let the engine warm up properly and get it running right. If it continues to run well, I think I may have a keeper to put into the M29 and enjoy until we do a proper restoration at some point in the future. Champion6 Running.mp4
  8. I have NOS piston sets for the Studebaker Champion 6 installed in the Weasel. These are original USGI pistons, in original boxes. Each piston is housed in its own "tube" within the box and also includes a wrist pin. I have Standard and .20 over pistons. The major Studebaker parts guys sell new piston sets for $450-$500 a set. I have a limited number of these sets - $250 shipped CONUS, happy to ship internationally too at cost. I also have a few sets of NOS sleeves to bring your engine back to standard (3" bore). PM me for more information. Cheers
  9. Those look slick! I like the double up approach to ensure that you are close to 1" running around the drive wheels....they should run very smoothly like that. One thing on drilling the holes - I used a punch style cutter...forget the brand but it was cheap. It was made to be chucked up in a drill....we cut a full set of bands ...16 holes per grouser and it didn't seem to bother the cutter at all. We used WD40 as the lubricant. Look forward to seeing these tracks run!
  10. Could be the pilot bushing too..... As for the time....I keep telling myself I am gaining experience 😂 The other thing about these Weasel engines...they have a labyrinth rear main seal....which is a crazy design that baffles the imagination in my opinion. I don't totally understand why oil doesn't leak out when the engine is sitting....but once the engine is running the oil should stay away from the rear of the engine. Your PO may have siliconed up the area where the labyrinth runs....which would get chewed up pretty immediately....and might have something to do with all this oil.
  11. Sounds like progress! We already talked about how easy it is to get the firing order goofed...so sounds like you fix that and this engine runs. I don't like that brass/bronze either....the only bronze bushing I can think of is in the distributor drive and the starter (at the end of the bendix, but that should not be getting into the oil). Is that oil dripping directly into your bucket from the engine or is possibly being contaminated by junk in the hull on its way to your bucket? I too would be tempted to get it running to see what you are getting for oil pressure and learn whatever else you can. The biggest risk appears to me to be that something was put together incorrectly and that bronze/brass is bearing related and if a bearing spun, you can damage your crank. If there is a bearing problem, it seems likely that the crank might already be suffering though so...maybe worth the risk. Your fuel pump may be providing too much gas, but if the float is working correctly in the carburetor, it should not matter. I would do a quick and dirty disassemble on the carb and make sure the float doesn't have a hole in it/is set up correctly. Sounds like they really goofed up the oil pan sealing....so the engine will have to come out, but it sure would be nice to have it running so that all you are worried about is getting things cleaned and sealed. Keep up the good work - you are almost there!
  12. One of my all time favorite WW2 fighters! Claire Chennault was one of my first childhood heroes. Absolutely love that you get to continue using that stool in a fine legacy of craftsmanship. Congrats to you two for jumping in and getting after it. You are moving right along - outstanding. Regards, Patrick
  13. Sounds like good progress. I get grief for finding TDC this way, but it always works. Pull the #1 sparkplug, put your finger over the hole and crank the engine over. Release the crank when you feel the pressure start to build. By the time the engine stops spinning, you will be close enough to TDC to install the distributor. You will be close enough to get it to fire...then start adjusting the timing until the engine starts....once its warm, you can further refine the timing until she is running smoothly.
×
×
  • Create New...