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Patrick Tipton

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Everything posted by Patrick Tipton

  1. Patrick Tipton
    Beautiful @OZM29C John! I was super fortunate to get three of the four of those brackets and the hardware...which includes 4 cast pieces...the circle "spacer" you see in the 2nd to last picture. I need to make one bracket....which should be pretty easy...I will probably have my local metal supplier cut the plate and I will drill and weld the circle up at the top. Fun stuff and thank you for posting! Patrick
  2. Patrick Tipton
    I have started working on the parachute brackets and related hardware. I was incredibly lucky to get them. I am missing one bracket out of 8...not a difficult fab project. I will get good pictures and dimensions for everyone who needs these shortly, but here is a little teaser.
  3. Patrick Tipton
    Greetings! So there is a section in TM 9-772 that describes how to activate and blow up the Weasel. It has quite a few pictures and diagrams - very cool system, although I have almost no hope of ever seeing any original bits! The detonator itself is stored behind the driver in that little compartment (cover almost always gone) on the bulkhead. If you don't have the manuals, you can download them (links above) or we sell a set of everything for a little over $100.... I believe the charge was C3.....plastic explosive but an earlier and less stable version of C4.... There is a polish gentleman making very nice repros too....about $300.
  4. Patrick Tipton
    Dan - if you are going to replace the whole side, I would try and install all of the hat channels and the 45 degree gussets before installing the side. It is a little extra work, but sure give you a lot of control and is a much more comfortable way to work. The other reason I plug welded is because I wanted to try and give some corrosion protection inside of the hat channels. I really don't think you can spot weld with any type of primer - even the so called "weldable" primers. It is a mess with a MIG welder. One option that I considered was using a cavity spray (some type of wax I believe) after spot welding. Like all engineering problems/solutions....there are always compromises... Patrick
  5. Patrick Tipton
    Following Dan. I have a Lenco too...but I plug welded my hull. I think spot welders are great for new metal - the Lenco would likely do the trick, but once you get any age/corrosion etc....they just don't work for me...even when I feel like I have things super clean. Patrick
  6. Patrick Tipton
    John - that is a beautiful repair - my machining skills are not there at this point. 😍 Both of the water pumps I have opened up so far have had very nice seal surfaces that cleaned up with just a little 3M pad. Given that Weasel water pumps are pretty hard to find these days, your solution is fantastic to salvage an otherwise unusable water pump! Cheers! Patrick
  7. Patrick Tipton
    Ha! You busted me! YEP 🙂 Had to push it off and redo. Good eyes my friend!😅 By the way, I took a flyer on a coupe of NOS Studebaker water pump rebuild kits for a 40's truck....same as our Weasel. I paid far less than what is currently being charged for the NOS Weasel impellers...and it came with the impeller, shaft and seals 🙂
  8. Patrick Tipton
    I took a little vacation last week but I am back on the grind. Restoring water pumps, adding insulation tabs, fixing details. I am hoping to paint next week but I have a lot of little things yet to fix. I also found a second set of 15" tracks....the grousers are in great shape overall...the bands...not so much. These are going to be more work than my other set (repaired with chains) but will come out nicer. Tracks are still a bit away, but I am starting to think about it.
  9. Patrick Tipton
    Contact Dave Yamulla....he has NOS kits for about $95 if I remember correctly.
  10. Patrick Tipton
    @Price USMC ...that is the M28/T15 steering lever...so those are the grips!😃
  11. Patrick Tipton
    You are welcome! Thanks for sharing!!
  12. Patrick Tipton
    @Rob W had a couple left.....
  13. Patrick Tipton
    @Conner BushAs John @OZM29C points outs...it gets expensive quick if you have to find all the little parts. I know of an unrestored M29C in Michigan..not close, but not terribly far. The guy is trying to sell a semi-restored one without tanks plus the unrestored one for $13k. I haven't seen them, but I do have pictures. PM me if you are interested and I will send you pictures and can put you in touch. Patrick
  14. Patrick Tipton
    @Conner BushYes it sold. Are you in the market? If so, project vs running machine and where are you located. I know of several for sale. Patrick
  15. Patrick Tipton
    I worked a little more on this engine. Super happy with how it is coming out. After about 20 minutes of running, the compression ranges from a low of 95 to 104 lbs...from the TM we are looking for 105 lbs so those are good numbers in my book. This engine was in a flood and sat for 20 plus years - first in Arizona and then upstate NY. The bottom end was very clean but I replaced the rod bearings because while still in spec, they only had about one thou left in them. The mains were nearly new and looked great. I did a valve job on it, replaced one exhaust valve and just cleaned up the cylinder walls with 3M pads. Pretty inexpensive overhaul! IMG_8208small.mov The valve covers are leaking so I need to do a little work on them and the carburetor needs a proper rebuild, but this engine will be ready for final cleanup, paint and install soon. I also worked a fair bit on the back panel. I welded up the last few pinholes and used a little "non-lead" lead on it where the inner gussets block access to repair old accident damage completely. A little more rust removal and I think it is pretty much ready for paint...... finally.
  16. Patrick Tipton
    Appreciate it John @OZM29C! The Studebaker crankshafts were forged so it is pretty interesting that they were cracked - something extreme must have happened! The crank in this motor was in excellent condition - there was still a little over a thou on the rod bearings but I replaced them as I was in there. The mains were within new spec and all journals showed almost no wear... I have two other cranks...the one with the bad babbitts and one that came from a junk Champion 6 but the crank still looks decent. Surprisingly the bad babbitt crank journals don't look terrible...I will have them magnafluxed and ground..... I did clean out the spark plug holes...have noted the NGK plug number and will give them a shot. Thanks again for sharing your experience John!
  17. Patrick Tipton
    Got the last major welding done on the hull and am just cleaning up plug welds and details. I had to make a cut along the lower edge of the bulkhead behind the driver because I got the new side about 1/16 too high in the middle. I need to do a little more welding on the corner but it is getting close. I have a couple of buddies coming over Tuesday and we are going to inspect the hull and mark everything that is left...I am about a month behind, but I think I am still in pretty good shape to have this ready by August for the MVPA convention.
  18. Patrick Tipton
    I got the engine stand built and the '45 dated engine mounted. Will be testing soon although I still haven't decided whether I am going to put this in the T24 or find a correctly dated '43 Champion 6. I am going out to the shop for a long work day. The goal is to finish the hull other than for paint prep. I will report back later.
  19. Patrick Tipton
    @M29 Dan - that is a slick! Nice to know that option exists...
  20. Patrick Tipton
    It is interesting how other people respond, but for me more interesting to see my own responses to these situations. I am technically a lawyer and still maintain a license, although I have not practiced law in over 20 years. I have a classmate who loves to call me and ask corporate law questions - my former area of expertise. He is charging clients several hundred dollars an hour and relying on my expertise to keep him out of the ditches. It used to really irritate me but he is not holding a gun to my head. I can share what I feel like sharing...at this point that generally means nothing. He isn't a bad person for asking, even if I would never behave that way. My choice what I share. So, if you want to be in the bogie resto business, price it and see what happens! If you don't, then share or don't, but I would expect that you are going to get people asking lots of questions if you do share because that is the nature of sharing on these sites and no one expects to have to pay for the information. Regards, Patrick
  21. Patrick Tipton
    You don't owe me an apology Dave - your behavior stands on its own for better or for worse. Patrick
  22. Patrick Tipton
    Got some missing footman loops made and installed. I think I have removed all of the Norwegian mods to this hull. Paint soon...but I do keep saying that don't I?
  23. Patrick Tipton
    Well done @Byron! Thank you for taking the time to write this up and post these pictures. Very helpful!
  24. Patrick Tipton
    I need to do a little bracket adjusting and then a little leading to repair a couple of prior repairs, but...the back panel is very close to finished. I am going to run out of things to repair pretty soon.
  25. Patrick Tipton
    Many thanks John. As you know all too well - labor of love. It is truly strange that they were cut off like this....a restorer would presumably have cut the tabs too....who knows! 😀 I got the axe brackets almost finished last night...couple more welds and the footman's and it will be finished.
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