[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Robert,

Have you ever tried to run a Hot  Radiator Flush with your radiator?

In my early days of owning Chauncey, my Series 80, I had cooling problems that I could not solve.

I ran Radiator Flush through it, idled for an hour or so, drained it and refilled with water.

It was better, but not superb.

Before the next driving season, I removed the radiator (not a really big job) and bought 6-gallons of 10-Mol Acetic Acid (vinegar), laid the radiator across two sawhorses, boiled a large pot of water, poured some of it into the bottom radiator pipe (with the top pipe plugged with a rubber bung), added one or two gallons of the Vinegar and let it sit for 30-minutes.

I then bunged the bottom pipe, stood it in end (top up) and pulled the bottom bung and flushed it with warm water.

I repeated the process two more times.

Finally, I flushed it with Cold hose water.

Of course, I was wearing expendable clothes and industrial grade rubber gloves.

That did the trick.

Over the years, the radiator apparently accumulated serious globs of water pump grease at the bottom that wouldn’t completely dissolve through normal running.

Normal hot flushing of the radiator while on the car wouldn’t even touch the grease, let alone dissolve it.

After that intervention,  Chauncey ran very Cool and then I acquired a Greaseless Bering water pump, so no more grease accumulation at the bottom of the radiator.

Now, that water pump is out for a rebuild (after 8-years of run time) because it was weeping ever so slightly, and I have a Grease Bearing type holding the water in place. I haven’t driven the car much since I removed the other pump, but I will in the next few weeks.

Just a few thoughts on the matter, even if when you drain your radiator the water “appears” to be clean, you may have accumulated grease in the bottom of your radiator.

Keep us posted!

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Hello Robert,

Have you pulled your thermostat and tested it in boiling water?

Perhaps that is the cause.

I had an overheating problem in my Series 80 (non-pressurized system) and I recall that pulling and testing the thermostat was one of the routines through which I cycled before attaining success.

Perhaps if the thermostat functions properly,  you need a Lower Temperature thermostat, or a Higher Temperature thermostat.

If you use the Stovetop testing method, be sure that you have a kitchen thermometer in the water with the P-A thermostat to determine the temperature at which it opens.

If you test it in the car, the thermometer will still provide useful data, and more data are helpful.

Again, I believe that if your water-pump runs well and not leaking, your radiator is not leaking and everything else (that you can see) seems fine, then you need to test your thermostat to see if it is either Not-Opening, or Not-Closing.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Peter

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Robert and David,

As you both likely know, the reason to NOT use regular Ethyl Glycol coolant, at least in unpressurized cooling systems, is because it FOAMS UP and gets sucked out of the radiator, thereby causing both overheating and a series mess.

Perhaps, the newer Pierce-Arrow cars can handle the Ethyl Glycol mixture because you Gents have pressurized systems.

I offer this information for the Greenhorns and not for the Old Hands.

I used both the Pencool and the Napa products with good cooling results and without boil-overs.

I also do a radiator flush every year or so and everything comes out looking clean, mostly clear and without rust.

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Gents and Ladies,

I will appreciate it if everyone who takes advantage of The Optima Battery Deal posts a blurb like; “I GOT ONE TOO!” on this Message Board.

By doing so, the posting will stay at the TOP of the Message Board Listing and provide better visibility for members.

Further, I will not have to come back here every three days to get it back up to the top.

Cheers,

Peter

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David,

That is great information and I would only add that I believe one uses a High Quality, Very Fine, Natural Bristle Brush.

Most paint brushes these days are polyester bristle and that is NOT what one wants to use when using Spar Varnish, or any other sort of varnish.

I too varnished a good amount of mahogany on my 30-foot sloop.

The varnish needs to be redone / touched-up each year, but it is THE thing to use if you love your sailing or power craft.

Apropos of wheels, those on my Series 80 have been painted for at least 50-years, and likely much longer.

Peter

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Craig,

I believe that the headlamp Lenes on the Series 80 &  81 are different sizes.

The Series 80 runs Bausch & Lomb, 8-⅜” lenses (not the B&L STAR lenses).

I DK the size of those on the Series 81, but I believe that they are smaller.

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Gents & Ladies,

The OPTIMA DEAL IS ON STARTING TODAY!

Get them while they are available (Until Friday, 2 April @ 12:00 midnight).

See the Emporium for Details!

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Tony & PAS Gents & Ladies,

It is always a good thing for me, through Optima Jim, to make you and other PAS members SMILE 😉  with this offering.

The Optima, RedTop  6V Battery Deal begins in THREE DAYS (Monday, 22 March) and runs through 12:00 Midnight on Friday, 2 April.

Don’t procrastinate, buy early and you can buy; ONE, TWO or THREE Optima, RedTop  6V Batteries at a Great Price with Free Shipping to your designated address.

See The Emporium listing for Details!

Cheers,

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Bob,

How does that puller attach to the wheel?

It looks like it screws on to the hub in place of the hub-cap.

Did you remove all of the washers and cotter-pins?

The photo shows what seems to be a Black washer in the opening.

Should that come out so that all you see is the end of the axle?

You also may need to move the car forward an back a bit, like 3-feet, back and forth, to “break” the wheel a bit loose.

On the front wheels, you. may need to turn the steering wheel left and right to break the seal / jam.

I did that a few years ago and found that I needed to put the wheel-puller on the wheel, torque it hard with a BIG WRENCH (or 1/2-inch socket with a pipe on it to increase the torque) and let it sit, on the wheel – torqued, for a day or so.

Even then, the wheel / wheels did not want to come off easily (50-year-old dried axle grease).

When you are doing this, I assume that you have the car on jack-stands so that the wheel is off of the ground.

If you do as I suggested about leaving it for a day or two torqued, you should also re-torque it once or twice a day (if it is possible) to increase the torque.

Good luck,

Peter

 

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Gents & Ladies,

I will keep you posted as the time comes.

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I bought one of those a few years ago and it cost nowhere near the current asking price.

I may have even bought it from Ernie at one of the PAS Meets.

Mine is done on heavy gauge steel and has a hard enamel paint finish.

It is very robust and very nice, just as I would expect from the current Follis offering.

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Robert,

Years ago, I had Coker MAKE me a Split Rim for my Series 80.

I sent them a detailed drawing of the rim, cross-section included, along with photos of it.

I also sent a photo of the locking mechanism.

The rim was a size that they did not make (width-wise), but they did create it for me.

It cost a few bucks, but they got a very nice one to me in relatively short order.

However, you may have already had this conversation with them.

Good luck and perhaps you need to scour eBay.

Peter

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Rick,

You do an Excellent Job running the PAS Emporium!

Thank You!

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I likewise recall that posting prices on the Emporium required posting an offering price.

I also have some recollection that one should not post items for sale on the Message Board, but that you can post the availability of an item and then direct people to the Emporium to view said item / items with pricing.

I believe this policy should continue and enforced, even if in the past I was guilty of various infractions in posting a price on a piece I was offering for sale.

Rick Morrison, are you the Gent to enforce this practice?

Could you contact PAS members who make an error and post without pricing?

It is not a Huge Deal, but an important detail that we should not overlook.

Peter

 

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Gents,

Greg’s reproduction handle is excellent, even if it does not have the outer sleeve that makes rotation easier when one is crank-starting a car.

That stated, you will not use it for crank-starting your car, but just to move the crankshaft to move the distributor points / valves, etc. for the purpose of adjusting the points and valve clearances.

For those purposes, it is perfect.

Peter

 

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

The crankshaft snout extends outside of the car below the radiator from a radiator skirt.

The snout accepts a square-holed crank handle and does not allow for a handle intended to go inside of the radiator skirt assembly.

See photo of snout cover.

 

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Art,

Check this out on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hit-Miss-engine-crank-handle-tractor-antique-automobile-collectible-tool-C9/383490653850?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

It should work, but the square hole might be a bit big, so ask the seller for the dimensions.

If it is too small, it can be cut out a bit, I think.

Also, I believe that Greg Long made one for me and although it is not so pretty, it is quite functional.

Good luck,

Peter

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Art,

Go to the Company Store section of this website.

There you will find a reproduction of the Series 80 Owner’s Manual and of the Tune Up & Wiring Manual, which covers the Series 80.

Peter

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

The only rational reason to use the hand crank is to rotate the engine to adjust the valves.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Charles,

They appear to be the same hood hold-downs as on the 1925 Series 80 cars through the 1928 Series 81 cars.

Perhaps, you might broaden your request to include those cars.

Also, although the pickings are not as good as they were 10-years ago, you may want to start running a search on eBay.

Peter

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