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Bill, it certainly is. It is a fairly heavy piece of metal. I have never hand cranked a Pierce, but I would think it would take a pretty good heave to get all that mass turning enough to start it.
Art,
Below are some photos of the crank from my Series 36. I do NOT know if this is the same as a Series 80. The length is 10″ from the center of the square hole to the end of the crank arm. The square hole is 3/4″ between the flats. The 10″ arm gives about 1 1/2″ of clearance to the slash apron covering the frame. The offset is 3″. I would think some measuring would tell you if this would work on your Series 80.
Greg should know better if the S 80 crank is different.
Dave
Sorry, I worded that poorly. How about; Looking from above, turn the main jet screw clockwise to lean.
Larry,
George brought up a really good point about running your car slightly rich. The dual valve sixes have a tendency to crack around the exhaust valves when hot so running them lean (hot) is not a good thing. I set my base mixture on a level road near sea level at part throttle. Anytime I am going up a hill or pulling hard, I run the mixture richer. Check your spark plugs under different conditions to see if you are running it OK. Don’t let the car idle for any time before pulling the plugs or you will be seeing the idle mixture. Ideally, having an exhaust gas analyzer that you can use on the road would be the best way to check.
It sounds like you have experience with non synchro boxes, so practice is a good thing. Every car shifts differently with different gear ratios and different gear spacing. Every time I change cars, I have to readjust my pause time and engine revs for that car. My two Series 36 cars shift differently because the Runabout has a higher geared rear end than the touring car.
I will add to George’s comments about oil that you can change the shift characteristics by changing the viscosity of the oil. Heavier oil = quicker shift action needed. I like to pause my shifts a little longer (not good for uphill up shifts) than George so I run a slightly thinner oil. Gear oils are an entire subject on their own. 250 weight gear oil is getting harder to find in any quantity less than 55 gal. I have been looking for several years for a 5 gallon pail.
You make a comment about slow going up hills. Your car should do well going up hill compared most cars of the era. Perhaps the RR you are used to was a more powerful car. It might be a good idea to check all the ignition settings to make sure that they are correct. Also check your valve clearances. I run the exhaust valves .001″ loose from factory setting. I have not found that I am holding up other cars going uphill (except for George in his 48hp Dual Valve, it will run just below lift off speed). Are both ignitions working? My Runabout was running on only one ignition when I got it. A huge difference when I got both sides working. When you check the ignitions individually, you should get a noticeable RPM drop at idle compared to both on.
Dave
Mark,
The 1931 Sales Data Book lists the ’31 Model 43, 5 ps. Sedan at 4868 lbs road ready. With the extra stuff we all carry, I would figure 5000lb.
I purchased a new enclosed trailer last year and did a lot of research on trailers. At an absolute minimum, you need a 9990 lb GVW rated trailer. Many of the enclosed trailers weigh 4000-5000 lbs empty, so add a 5000 lb car to that plus tools, spare tire (s) and whatever else you carry and you can be at the gross rating of the trailer very quickly. Some states require a Class A license to tow a trailer of 10,000 lb GVRW or more, so be aware of that. I got around that problem by having the factory build me a trailer to 12,000 lb (6000 lb axles) specs and rating it at 9990 GVWR. Some companies will do this, some won’t. My all aluminum trailer weighs 4300 lb empty. Mine is 12″ over height for taller cars and 24′ long, so a little extra weight there. An equivalent steel trailer will be 3-500 pounds more. Open trailers are 1500-2500 lbs less depending on construction.
Don’t skimp on tires, if possible, get one with at least 16″ wheels and step up a size from standard if possible. Some people want 3 axles, I have never had problems with two axles. The big thing with tires is to make sure they are in good condition and that they are properly inflated. I check my tires with a gauge (and check lug nut tightness) every time I use the trailer and give the tires a “fist bump” every time I stop on the road.
If you are looking at used, you are kind of stuck with however it was built. Don’t get a 7000 lb GVWR trailer, you will be way overloaded. Make sure it is high enough and long enough for the car and any extra stuff you want to carry.
There are a lot of opinions out there on trailers, so I am sure some others will give their thoughts.
Dave
Larry,
Clean up shifting on an uphill is a challenge. Depending on the steepness of the hill, as you found, sometimes a straight shift works better. When double clutching on an uphill/up shift, the shift has to be made slower, as the car is slowing down. Often times the car slows down as much or more than the engine/gears and it is not possible to make a clean shift by double clutching. Speed, steepness of the hill and engine RPM all play into it. Find some hills of varying steepness and practice on them to see what works best. Sometimes it just isn’t possible to make a clean uphill up shift. You should be able to make clean down shifts going uphill with a little practice. How much you rev the engine while the clutch is out/trans in neutral makes the difference along with the steepness of the hill and the speed of the car. Practice, practice……
Perhaps someone that has found a technique that works on uphill shifts will chime in.
There are a number of articles in the service bulletin on adjusting the Series 33 carb. Use the technical search tool and put “33” in the model box and “carburetor adjustment” in the title box. I know that issues 1988-6 and 1976-3 have good instructions on adjusting these carbs. It’s not too difficult. There are good diagrams in these articles.
You asked for easy, so first I would suggest trying to adjust the Main Jet on the bottom of the carb before going through the whole adjustment process. First center the dashboard mixture knob. Then make a note of the location of the rod that goes through the main jet screw so you can start over if need be. Loosen the clamp on the main jet screw that connects to the mixture control cable. Turn the main jet screw in a small amount. Tighten the clamp. Take it out and drive it and see if it improves. Keep adjusting until it is not running rich anymore. Vary the mixture control on the dash while driving and once you can get the mixture where you are happy using the mixture knob, pull over, note the position of the through rod, loosen the clamp, center the mixture knob without turning the main jet screw, tighten the clamp and you should be good.
Once you get the carb adjusted where you are happy, I would suggest warming it up and driving it several miles at moderate throttle. Shut the engine off and pull over and pull a spark plug. The insulator should be a tan color if the mixture is correct.
When you go to altitude (unless your are going really high) you should be able to lean enough using the mixture knob.
If this doesn’t solve your problem it is possible your carb needs a more complete adjustment, or there is a problem such as reeds not opening properly or the float level is too high. You can check the float level through the glass window on the float bowl. One other possibility is the fuel pressure is too high. The gauge in the car should not show more than 3-4 lbs. The air pump pressure is adjustable.
The majority of the intake air comes through the block into the back of the carb. It enters through a hole behind the water pump and through the oil filler cap. At high speeds the reeds under the round intake screen open to give the carb additional air. If they are not opening, the car will run rich at high speeds.
I hope this helps you.
Dave
Fernando,
Here is a website that has a few photos from the movie as well as some other information. https://www.imcdb.org/v054753.html
Additional info listing the car as the movie car; https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21153/lot/328/?category=list
The car is identified on this site as a 1917 Model 66, which I believe is incorrect.
Fernando, owner history information has been e-mailed to you. Sorry, no mention of movies.
Dave
Does anybody know where Tom Sparks 1935 845 Club Sedan mentioned above ended up? He is deceased but the car is still listed in his record and I would like to correct it. Sorry to hijack your thread Jim.
Thanks, Dave
Randy,
I updated your cars’ records with the information from the Weis files. If you have any further information please add it.
Chasing a car’s history can be a lot of fun although at times frustrating. I am still trying to find documentation that my ’28 Touring was originally owned by Al Jolson as I have been told by prior owners. New York DMV told me they had registration records on my car but refused to give them to me due to privacy issues. Grrrrr.
Randy,
Have you looked at the Weis files under the “Publications” tab? Currently, there is more information there than in the PAS vehicle records. Although Dalton is the earliest owner listed on the ’31. I believe that Bernie went through old Rosters when he created his records. He mentions Dalton had the car in the ’66 PAS Roster as well as a ’64 CCCA Roster. I will update your records while I am thinking about it. Dave
Hi Randy,
Are you guys feeling the effects of that little blow you just had?
It sounds like the car has sat a while. I’d first disconnect the fuel line at the carb to see if you are getting good fuel flow when cranking. Another thing might be the float valve stuck to the seat although this usually results in no fuel at all and it sounds like you are getting some.
Dave
Randy,
There are a couple of PASB articles on adjusting that carb. Do a search for 1931 and Carburetor adjustment in the Technical Search tool in Publications.
Are you sure the carb is getting adequate fuel?
Jim,
In the early years the newsletters/magazines kind of bounced around. That article is in an issue of the Arrow. The Arrows are not currently on line. While looking into this I noticed there are duplicate issues of the PASB for 1964, there were actually only two I believe.
Dave
Jim,
What issue was referenced when you did the PASB search? I’ll see if I have it for you and also get it uploaded.
Dave
Glad it helped.
Dave
Curtis,
The first thing you should check are the bolt tightness on the drive couplings shown in the picture. The lockwasher on the foreground bolt on the left disk is not compressed indicating that that bolt is not tight. Also make sure the bolt holes aren’t wallowed out. If the coupling disks are deteriorated, they may need replacing. I am not aware of anywhere that sells then, but they can be made. I believe the material is available from supply companies like McMaster-Carr. Someone else may know of a source of pre-made ones.
As far as the brushes are concerned, I don’t know why worn brushes would cause a wobble. I have not changed brushes on a 12 cyl generator, but on most generators it is not too difficult. I’ll let someone else with more experience speak to that.
Dave
I didn’t know it got that cold in your neck of the woods. Cold weather is a really good reason to run anti-freeze instead of plain water. In my part of California, below 32 degree days are uncommon and if we have a cold snap (29-30 degrees) putting an old fashioned style trouble light on the floor under the engine provides plenty of heat to keep things from freezing.
The only downside to the old style anti freeze that I can see is it should be changed more often.
Hi Randy,
I have been researching coolants for a PASB article and as yet have NOT found anything definitive that says any long life coolant (like Prestone All Vehicles) is safe in older cars. The newer long life coolants (OAT technology) have a tendency to dissolve older gasket sealants and solder used in brass radiators. I use water with Pencool 3000 (anti corrosive/ pump lubricant) in my Pierces. Plain water actually transfers heat better than anti-freeze. Also, in non-pressurized systems anti-freeze tends to foam and go out the overflow. Anti-freeze does raise the boiling point some.
If you really want to use an anti-freeze, I would suggest going with the old style (IAT technology) anti-freeze. Most auto parts stores still carry it and it is specifically label “Old Style” or something similar.
Dave
Curtis,
The proposal for a different Message Board was brought about by a recurring problem on the current Message Board. Every so often some of the recent posts just disappear. A month or so ago a number of posts disappeared and some have not yet been fully recovered. The web folks have gotten good at recovering the current posts when they disappear, so the problem is not very visible to members, unless you frequently visit the Message Board.
The web committee has attempted to find and fix the problem for months, so far without success. The software vendor has also not been able to resolve the issue. I am familiar with the issue because I have been letting the web committee know every time I see a post(s) disappear. I think the preferred solution is to fix what we have if that can be done. Much time has been spent on it, so far unsuccessfully.
Going to the AACA Forum is one possible solution. It has some advantages and some disadvantages. I am going to watch the presentation about the AACA site before I make up my mind on how I feel about it. If you are interested in seeing the presentation, see Rich Lange’s post above.
Dave
