Patrick Tipton

Welcome Ronny +! Those tracks look familiar! Enjoy.

Fred - that is exactly what I have been thinking of doing - using a "hard facing" rod on the teeth to build them back up and then filing them smooth. The one thing though....sprockets are relatively cheap...tracks not so much...so maybe we just live with the wear and save the tracks. I am also quite sure that tracks that don't skip will be easier on the sprockets than ones that do..... Keep us posted.

Appreciate it @F-D Zerniaand @OZM29C. I am picking them up tomorrow! I am going to work on the bogie alignment - the machine is pretty good but there are one or two bogies that need replacing too. I can't wait to run them. I have installed a new set of sprockets on this machine - from a machine shop on the West Coast...they have some wear even from the little use they have and I don't think they are going to last well, but will stick with that for now. If need be, I will build up an original set of sprockets with weld and run those.... Pictures soon! Patrick

So.......I broke down. Sold my M274A2 Mule and invested the proceeds in a lightly used set of LAR tracks. These are going on the yellow M29. Picking them up this weekend and I can't wait. I hated to spend so much money on tracks, but I want to enjoy this Weasel without concern. Everything else (other than the hull) is rebuilt and it runs and drives like a new machine. With these tracks, I can just enjoy it. I also bought some neoprene strips to modify the french tracks to make them run better. One more item on my to do list, but I will post a separate update soon.

Awesome! Congratulations on the tanks. Like @OZM29C says, one little repair at a time and you will be swimming in no time. Enjoy!

Last time I spoke with him, he was low or out.....Yamulla may have some parts?

There are always folks looking for floater stuff. You did get some great parts including that capstan and the rudders and more. All super valuable. Did you reach out to Dave for that clutch cable? He had them recently as I bought one. Enjoy

Nicely done Brad. You know what you need to recover those parts don't ya? A Weasel!🤣 Good luck!

Thanks Fred - excited to be working on it too. I thought I had a line on NOS babbited connecting rods....20 over, but no joy. I ordered the replacements like you and new .20 over inserts so that is what I will be installing. As for the gear, one of the big suppliers recommended against it - who knows! I am still on the fence. I was supposed to pick the engine up today but got tied up. Pics next week when I pick it up!! I am excited to start building it. Cheers Patrick

Ha! I do have a good excuse - got stuck editing the new GPW Restoration Standards and got all excited about the G503.....🤣 As for the fiber/aluminum timing gear, I have heard mixed reviews from the suppliers here in the states. One told me that there was a possibility that the gears were incorrectly cut and they have heard of failures. It gives me pause because while the fiber failure is a PITA, it is not catastrophic. The aluminum failure - very destructive. So.....still sitting on the fence.....but leaning towards original fiber knowing that I might have to go back in. Where did you source the aluminum gear? I do plan to run this engine several hours on the test stand before installation - usually these types of problems show up quickly so I will keep my fingers crossed if that is the route I end up choosing. Interesting about the full balance. That type of engine work has gotten so expensive here in the States (and my machine shop is so slow) that I am not going to do it. I am sure it would make for a nicer running engine, although the motor is very smooth running period. My M29 motor starts and runs beautifully. I am going to save those pennies for the wildly expensive track repairs that I face. Thanks for the support John! Cheers, Patrick

I am a bit behind here! I can't believe I haven't posted on this thread since March!!! The machine shop finally called yesterday and my engine work is finished. This engine was rebuilt by the Norwegians - 60 over pistons and standard otherwise. It had original babbited rod bearings. The cylinders cleaned up within spec. One cylinder has a little mark on it from sitting, but the machinist felt like it wasn't enough of an issue to sleeve it. The block got new valve guides and we recut all of the seats. I have NOS valves so the top end should be beautiful when reassembled. One of the rod bearings had failed (can't really "spin" a babbit!) and it did some damage to the crank. Both the mains and the rods cleaned up to .20 undersized. I have a call into one of the Studebaker engine parts suppliers and I may end up with NOS babbit connecting rods. I am kinda on the fence about reinstalling the early connecting rods (in lieu of the later shell style) but that is just lack of experience with babbit style connecting rods. Babbit technology worked just fine....but different than what I am used to doing. One plus is originality, although no one but me (and you guys) will ever know. I am on the fence about replacing the fiber timing gear with the aluminum style. I know it makes sense but the purist in me grumbles a little. The only "down" side to the aluminum is supposedly noise, but I am pretty sure no Weasel driver ever heard the difference! So, I need to get the remaining parts ordered this week and I have a couple of projects to finish this month (plus a show) and then it will be full tilt on the T24 until it is running and driving! Cheers.

Awesome stuff! I hope you get to salvage it all. Lots of great parts. Keep us posted.

Nice Kevin! Rick is a great guy. Sorry I missed the weekend - was intending to make it down but a couple of unplanned projects cropped up.....

Be careful! I started out with 1 Weasel....and one parts Weasel. Then, the next thing I knew, they had mated and there were 8 of them! The hunt sure is fun. I would be surprised if a screw was enough to break the gears in the adapter, but I can't visualize how it would stop the distributor from turning without something breaking either. You should be able to take it off with the engine still installed in the Weasel. The worst part is dropping things into the greasy mess that is most Weasel engine compartments.....I have found all kind of interesting things down there with the engine removed. Keep us posted. Cheers

Cool Brad! Welcome aboard! That looks like a cool machine. Very interesting track setup too. As for your distributor....appears something broke - either the distributor shaft itself or the small gears underneath in the adapter housing. Pull the instrument panel because you will otherwise curse a lot and it will take even more time. Pull the distributor and you will find out quickly if anything is wrong with it. Otherwise, there is an adapter underneath....with gears and if something happened in there you will need to go deeper. As much as it sucks, if the problem is deeper, I highly recommend pulling the engine. Weasel engines are really hard to work on inside of the machine and you are better off getting it out, fixing it and running it on a makeshift stand so you can get it all tuned up. As you know, awesome machines once you get them up and running. Cheers, Patrick

My rough estimate: Stripped hull 2,000 lbs Undercarriage 800lbs Engine, transmission & final drive 800 lbs Covers, seats, etc. 200 lbs

All we need - X is 1944, 4/17 - so April 17, 1944 is when that block was cast. Cheers!

Stock up on shielding gas. Onward!

@OZM29CIndeed but....given the fun of working on a Weasel motor inside of the Weasel and the general frustration of engine troubles....I think it was worth it.

Don't you hate that🤣 All of that money and beautiful work and no one else gets to enjoy it!

Pulling a Weasel engine is loads of fun! All Weasel engines should have the T24xxx numbers and they were sequential, although we don't see a lot of "matching" numbers. That should be a late '44/early '45 M29C engine. There are casting codes on the block too....we can dial in the casting date if you will grab a picture. Most of the late rebuild engines didn't see that much use.....depending on your budget and your desires, you might get a little lucky. Cheers!

The vibration is happening because the base of the track guides is rubbing on the bogeys and the idler/drive wheels. The tracks, even a little loose, are super hard to make skip so I think the timing is OK. The largest conveyor belt I could get is about 5/8" thick....the original French connector sections are a solid 1"......and kept the track guide base/flange away from the bogeys etc. From speaking with the conveyor belt company, they want a 24" diameter wheel (drive) on the next sized (7/8") belt....and are concerned that the 12'D wheels on our Weasels would cause the belts to fail prematurely...so they sold me the 5/8" material. I thought the bases would just clear...they don't. So I am mulling this over....I regard all of this as a success - I have learned a great deal about Weasel track function. These tracks run and there are several approaches that could make them run better....so I just received quotes for raw materials to make my own.....I may just jump of the cliff here John and try to build a lighter and hopefully better system. I am contemplating 6061 AL....a single wide 5/8" band and using the track guides as a connection point for a doubled set of "teeth"...so they will function as both the centering guide and also the engagement point for drives. I am working on my drawings....will send you pictures soon.

First tests....the tracks are working...but not quite correctly. More to follow after more tests. TracksSmall.mov

Greetings - which one are you looking for? The T24/M29 or the M29C - I don't have an extra, but they are out there....