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Another source of leakage from adjustable-main-jet carburetors is from the stem of the jet as retained by the gland nut. There should be fine packing around the stem, compressed by the gland nut. I use one strand of a length of old 4-strand-twisted plumbing packing. Wrap tightly around stem, compress by screwing in gland nut, back off gland nut and add more packing. You can try a viton o-ring as well.
Larry, my 1918 has a cone clutch so adjusting the exposed fingers of the clutch brake is very easy. I have no experience with S33 disc clutch and couldn’t find anything in the Owners Manual online. I hope some S33 owner chimes in, or you might try the search function on our full collection of service bulletins. -George
From your description it sounds like the clutch brake is engaging too soon and too long. My experience is that a clutch brake should only engage at the last inch or so above the toeboard. Use clutch brake only when car is at rest and for shifting into 1st or reverse. If clutch brake is engaging while you’re underway, you’ll have a lot of gear clashing.
I’d put the intakes at least at a loose .004 and the exhausts and a loose .005 or .006. We drive these cars faster today than they were driven when new. If you’re setting them on cold engine, add .002 to be safe. Loose valves don’t burn.
Deborah is correct about updraft carbs dripping right after engine shutdown. The gasoline vapor in the intake manifold condenses and gravity does its thing, allowing more gas into an already-full carb bowl. If you have dripping beyond the first five minutes after shutdown:
1. Shut off the vacuum tank which is the continuing supply of gas to the carb via gravity. As a safety matter, I’m in the habit of shutting mine off if I will be away from the car for more than 30 minutes.
2. There is a gasket between the adjustable main jet and the carb body. Originally it was a round die-cut gasket of two concentric circles in the same plane, separated by four arcs cut in, a real pain to exacto-knife yourself. I don’t know of any suppliers of repro gaskets. Greg Long found some NORS gaskets at Hershey a few years ago and his require (for me, at least) TWO stacked together to work effectively. To replace, you’ll need to either remove left splash pan and work from underneath OR remove carb and do it on the bench. A dab of wheel bearing grease will hold them in place if you’re working from underneath.
Fun fact: The adjustable main jet on the Pierce-Stromberg 1925-27 carbs is exactly the same unit as on my 1918 48-B-5 and presumably on others of the period, although the carbs themselves are quite different.
Another thing to check is the float control arms which may be binding on their hinges (small-diameter brass rods). You want free up and (especially DOWN) movement by gravity while holding the bowl cover upright–out of the carb, of course.
Deborah apparently has an O-3 carb from a Series 81 on her Series 80. I responded to her post on AACA forums with a rather lengthy post with a number of suggestions, including that she find the carb adjustment portion of the Series *81* Operation and Care Manual on our PAS website.
I’ll add here to those suggestions based on VERY hot weather experience at our annual meet in Minden NV last week that she try substituting a known-good 6V coil.
George
Andy, I don’t think you will find any NORS replacements. Your best bet is to find industrial felt and cut it to fit in the space available in the metal carrier. I don’t immediately have access to the felt grade number suitable, but perhaps another commenter can elucidate. Measure the desired ID of the felt from the OD of its mating surface on the spindle, and calculate the OD from the depth of the cavity in the carrier after the old felt is removed.
Do you really NEED to replace felts as would be indicated by missing chunks or grease that has migrated where it shouldn’t? I’m usually able to add a coat of grease or heavy gear oil to the felt’s mating surface unless there are gaps.
George
IMHO *every* updraft carb will leak immediately after engine shutdown because fuel/air vapor in the intake manifold condenses to liquid–and the fuel bowl is likely full so leaks occur.
It is much more important to check for leaks from the main jet while the car is idling. If so, follow Greg’s instructions.
George
@Kevin Miller, the club sedans are on 139″ wb while the Silver Arrows are on 144″ wb, so it’s NOT shorter than yours. 🙂
Full disclosure: I own a 1934 Silver Arrow.
WHAT image?
C’mon MacGyver (as you are known to many, and also as “Itinerant Pierce-Arrow Mechanician”), there is no rod sticking out of the block, so a little more sorting of this Barn Find will have it back on the Pierce-Arrow road in due time.
Thank you very much for this detailed account. I think it is very healthy for you to be asking the big questions in the wake of a life-threatening experience. Some of us in the military, law enforcement, and fire services have had similar moments of reflection, so please reach out if you need to talk it through.
As much as I hate to correct my friend Peter, the 8-3/8″ B&L “STAR” lenses are correct for 1926-27 S80s. The 1928 81s take **8-1/8** STAR lenses.
However, in late 1931-early 1932, PAMCC offered a factory-subsidized transmission replacement for 1929-31 automobiles, including the 1932 synchro. I know of one 1932 trans installed years ago in a 1930 Model B. The full details (as I recall, the text of the offer) are in a Service Bulletin issued within the last 20 years 🙂 but I can’t tell you which one. One could also get the 1930-only Clark 4-speed or the 1931-only freewheeling unit with the button in the knob.
Thanks for letting us know, Ed. Bob was indeed a legend and knew every nut and bolt and generously shared his knowledge and his reproductions of very obscure parts such as tiny vent window trim for 1934s. Does anyone have a link to an obituary to share? When one is published, please post here.
Perhaps he’s the reincarnation of John Stuart Mill, the British economist/philosopher and advocate of “utilitarianism”–all I remember from my college days 🙂
It has been well documented in the past that Pierce-Arrow aged their raw block castings for about one year before machining them. So the casting date of Michael’s block, Dec 2, 1928, is proper for a 1930.
Herb, no apology necessary; we’re all exchanging ideas here. Marine stores such as West Marine have pre-made magnesium and zinc anodes in various sizes and shapes. My 1918 came with a probably-zinc anode in place in the top tank: a cylinder about 3/4″ diameter and now about 2.5″ long, drilled axially with stainless wire through it, the end of which is formed into a hook similar to that on a Christmas tree ornament, slipped into the overflow tube and gently compressed against the tube to keep it in place. The anode rests on top of the radiator core.
Suggestion for your rad hose installation: In my experience, authentic clamps never seal new hoses properly, especially on cast iron. I’ve learned to put a pair of authentic clamps in the middle of each run of new hose, tightened just enough to prevent them from flopping around, then use modern worm gear type clamps for the initial installation–and leave them on for 20-30 heating-cooling cycles until the hose has had an opportunity to “bond” with the cast iron. If you have a lot of pitting on the cast iron mating surfaces, JB Weld smoothed and sanded will help. After a number of heating-cooling cycles, remove one modern clamp at a time, “breaking its circle,” and slide the corresponding authentic clamp into position. I’ve rarely been able to refit an authentic clamp once I’ve “broken its circle.”
For the radiator outlet to water pump hose run, I prefer have short lengths of straight hose (about 4″ of unsupported length) on each side of tubing to which a drain valve has been affixed.
What anti-corrosion fluid are you using? I’ve been using Pencool (formerly Nalcool) for years but have found on my 1918 that a too-rich mixture causes seepage and Pencool’s purple stain–which may mean that it’s attacking the solder. A leaner mixture for topoffs seems to reduce this effect.
Herb, a friend who has operated a boat repair facility for years insists on magnesium anodes for boats to be operated in fresh water, and zinc anodes for those operated in salt water. West Marine’s website provides the same guidance. Can you clarify why zinc, rather than aluminum, should be used in automotive cooling systems?
By the way, pre-1921 Pierce cooling systems have quite the mix of dissimilar metals: iron blocks, copper radiators, bronze water pumps, brass distribution tubes, and cast aluminum water manifolds carrying hot coolant to the radiator. From experience, the cast aluminum becomes the sacrificial metal in these cars.
George
Al Abrahamson put out a brief email this evening that Paul passed away at 5:25pm PDT today, April 5. RIP, Paul, the PAS greatly appreciates your sustained efforts, including four years as President, for about 60 years.
Rear lights: I use a #1133 (32 cp) spotlight bulb (mushroom head) for stoplight and reversing light, and #1129 (21 cp) for taillight. The original #63 (3 cp) for tail is impossibly dim for today’s driving.
Auxiliary/parking lights: As long as you are using them for turn signals rather than as parking lights, I’d use #1129 (21 cp) rather than #81 (6 cp). Another option is #87 (15 cp).
I have no info on LEDs.
