water jacket plate

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If some one can be so kind and direct me where can i buy a water jacket plate for my 1932 pierce model 54 I will appreciate.

thanks !

Eric H.

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Eric,

You should contact John Cislak.

He makes a ton of things for 30s Pierce-Arrow cars.

You can find him on the PAS Roster for phone and email.

Peter

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John had one at Hershey, not sure if he sold it. Give him a call.

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Eric, post a photos of your water jacket plate.. Both sides. There is a different spacing or location for the water pump elbow that is bolted to the outside of the water jacket plate.

For 1932, the location of the water pump is unique. For 1929-1931, the location of the water elbow inlet is the same. Then for 1933 and later, the location is the same.

But for 1932, I have seen a 1929-1931 water jacket used, as well as a 1933-later jacket used.. The difference being that the water pump elbow has a different offset. So this will determine which water jacket you need. If your jacket is not rusted through from the outside, and therefore leaking, but only needs a new water-flow director box on the inside, I can have a new water director box made and spot welded to your jacket..

If you have not yet removed the old water jacket; BEWARE !! The short 5/16″ bolts are open to the water inside, and therefore corrode quickly and often will not come out, regardless of what you try to do..

Example: I had a 1933 engine with a horrible water jacket, it is shown in the photo here. I drained the coolant and filled it with a mix of diesel and ATF.. right up to the water temperature port in the side of the head. I then, over a period of a month.. every night would heat the heads of the bolts cherry red, and this of course caused the diesel/ATF mix to bubble and ‘steam’. After two weeks, i used a 1/4″ drive shorty-ratchet and 1/2″ socket to loosen the bolts.. only about 1/2 of them would break free. Those i left slightly loose, but not leaking, I marked their heads so i knew which ones had broken free. I then continued the practice of heating each bolt head to cherry red each night.. after another week, I found only 4 more fasteners would break free. I continued with heating the heads. and then added a quick-quench or cooling of the heads, thinking that maybe the shock might pull in the diesel-ATF mix better than the slow-cool-down had been doing.. At the end of another week, i still had about 16 or so fasteners that refused to break free. The cast iron under the gasket surface for the water jacket is quite thin, so using an air chisel is dangerous, it might crack or break a chunk out of the block.. So, I ended up breaking off 14 of the bolts. Two did break loose just before I was sure the bolt would break..

I made a drilling jig to align the drill bit and the threading-tap, so only the broken bolt was drilled out.. this was very successful.. I did get the old broken bolt out of 12 of the 14 locations with the original threads intact.. only on two locations did I have to put a thread-insert in to repair the threads.. So all the fasteners are still 516″-18, NC..

You can buy Stainless Steel bolts to replace the original bolts. The markings on the heads of the bolts can be ground off, and the smooth surface polished to look very nice, and look almost original.. The original bolts have a taller hex head than modern bolts/fasteners.. I’m sure that either Restoration Supply or other restoration parts companies have or can have made SS ‘Tall-Head’ 5/16″ short bolts, if you want the original look.. I’m thinking that the SS tall head bolts are over $5 each.. And there are 41 of them per water jacket..

So, post a photo of the outside of your water jacket, [at the very least]. I’ll be able to identify which jacket you need. Leave the water pump elbow in place.

I believe that I might have encountered one or two engines with a unique water jacket for the ’32 water-pump spacing. But I can’t find a photo of it..

Greg Long

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Please find a photograph of the jacket plate of my 32 model 54, thanks.

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That is the 1929-’31 water jacket, The same as this one in the image. A ’33 and later has the water inlet toward the middle by another 3″ or so, another perimeter bolt space further back..

When I encounter a water jacket at a swap meet or sale, i count 5 perimeter bolts from the top front one to the last one ahead of the front bolt of the water new. A ’33 and later is 6 bolts.

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Hi Eric, did you have any luck getting that leak in your water jacket plate repairs on Friday ??

Greg Long

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Greg, I think your post about the process of breaking bolts free would be really good for the mailing. It sure captures how big a job it can be to break loose a water jacket.

If a member took it on themselves, they would understand the potential challenges.

Thanks for the input on this string.

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