Yes.
New project
- Thread starter jdcrawler
- Start date
Yes.
The exhaust system is finished and painted with header paint.
It is temporarily put back on the cart. I'll have to remove it again when I paint the cart.
The muffler is located in the center so there is plenty of clearance for the rear wheels that can rotate around 360 degrees.
It is temporarily put back on the cart. I'll have to remove it again when I paint the cart.
The muffler is located in the center so there is plenty of clearance for the rear wheels that can rotate around 360 degrees.
You may remember the brass swan radiator cap that I had on the model - T.
I had spent a lot of time effort making this cap and I just couldn't let it go with the Model - T when I sold it. So I took it off and replaced it with a regular model - T radiator cap.
I have decided to use this Swan radiator cap and make it a whimsical gas cap on this cart.
The fill neck on the gas tank is just a piece of 2 inch threaded pipe. So I went searching on ebay and found a brass pipe cap to fit it.
The tank was vented thru a small hole drilled into the old flip up cap so I need to make some sort of vent in this brass pipe cap.
Instead of drilling a hole for the vent, I decided to mill a slot that goes a little ways past the edge of the threads.
This will allow air to move past the threads for the vent.
Then I took the swan cap apart so I could work with it easier.
The bottom part is chucked in the lathe and the outside threads are cut off down to a smooth diameter.
The brass pipe cap is bored out so the bottom part of the swan cap will fit into it.
I also turned down the outer diameter of the cap to get ride of the letters and numbers that were on it and I drilled a hole thru it and threaded it for a set screw.
I also drilled a matching drill point into the threads on the fill neck of the tank. The set screw will screw down and tighten into this drill point to lock the cap onto the fill neck.
This way the set screw doesn't damage the threads on the fill neck and those damaged threads don't screw up the threads on the inside of the brass cap when I remove it later on.
As you can see here, the locking lever on the swan cap is pointed down and it hits the brass pipe cap now. I'll press both of the pins out and turn that lever around so it will be pointing up before in put the brass swan cap and the brass pipe cap together.
After all of the machining is done, the two caps are pressed together and then they are soldered on the inside.
Here is my new gas cap.
This is how it opens to fill the tank.
I had spent a lot of time effort making this cap and I just couldn't let it go with the Model - T when I sold it. So I took it off and replaced it with a regular model - T radiator cap.
I have decided to use this Swan radiator cap and make it a whimsical gas cap on this cart.
The fill neck on the gas tank is just a piece of 2 inch threaded pipe. So I went searching on ebay and found a brass pipe cap to fit it.
The tank was vented thru a small hole drilled into the old flip up cap so I need to make some sort of vent in this brass pipe cap.
Instead of drilling a hole for the vent, I decided to mill a slot that goes a little ways past the edge of the threads.
This will allow air to move past the threads for the vent.
Then I took the swan cap apart so I could work with it easier.
The bottom part is chucked in the lathe and the outside threads are cut off down to a smooth diameter.
The brass pipe cap is bored out so the bottom part of the swan cap will fit into it.
I also turned down the outer diameter of the cap to get ride of the letters and numbers that were on it and I drilled a hole thru it and threaded it for a set screw.
I also drilled a matching drill point into the threads on the fill neck of the tank. The set screw will screw down and tighten into this drill point to lock the cap onto the fill neck.
This way the set screw doesn't damage the threads on the fill neck and those damaged threads don't screw up the threads on the inside of the brass cap when I remove it later on.
As you can see here, the locking lever on the swan cap is pointed down and it hits the brass pipe cap now. I'll press both of the pins out and turn that lever around so it will be pointing up before in put the brass swan cap and the brass pipe cap together.
After all of the machining is done, the two caps are pressed together and then they are soldered on the inside.
Here is my new gas cap.
This is how it opens to fill the tank.
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My concern with using a led ball is that it would only be 3/16 inch diameter and it wouldn't have enough resistance to keep someone from turning the cap off the fill neck.
With the set screw tightened down into the drill point hole in the fill pipe, the cap can't be un-screwed unless the set screw is removed first.
The seat now has a limit strap on it so it will only open so far.
The hole is drilled down thru the frame for the positive battery cable to go thru and it has a plastic grommet in it.
Two pieces of wood are fit into the bottom of the battery box and the storage area.
The bottom lip of the panel that separates the two areas fits down into the slit between the two pieces of wood.
When I first fixed this engine up to where it would run, the voltage regulator and starter solenoid were mounted down under the transmission.
The electrical panel, choke and throttle controls were mounted up on top of the transmission and the battery was mounted in front of these.
Obviously, none of those can go back where they were first mounted.
I'm separating the electrical components so I can start mounting them back on the cart.
I took a piece of angle iron and cut a " V " in the center. Then I bent it to fit up under the rear framework and welded it in place.
The voltage regulator and starter solenoid bolt onto this piece of angle iron and the wires are run to the starter/generator.
The hole is drilled down thru the frame for the positive battery cable to go thru and it has a plastic grommet in it.
Two pieces of wood are fit into the bottom of the battery box and the storage area.
The bottom lip of the panel that separates the two areas fits down into the slit between the two pieces of wood.
When I first fixed this engine up to where it would run, the voltage regulator and starter solenoid were mounted down under the transmission.
The electrical panel, choke and throttle controls were mounted up on top of the transmission and the battery was mounted in front of these.
Obviously, none of those can go back where they were first mounted.
I'm separating the electrical components so I can start mounting them back on the cart.
I took a piece of angle iron and cut a " V " in the center. Then I bent it to fit up under the rear framework and welded it in place.
The voltage regulator and starter solenoid bolt onto this piece of angle iron and the wires are run to the starter/generator.
I trust you completely! I certainly don't have the build expertise you do. Plus I know it takes an awful lot of heat to harm good grade paint. Usually it takes turbo grade heat to do damage to paint unless you literally are touching or near touching the painted metal. Cheap paint however is a different story all together.
Getting ready to run the positive electrical cable up from the battery.
A block of wood is placed along each side of the battery to keep it from moving sideways.
As you can see, the shallow trays under the seat are already coming in handy.
The battery is set in place and the cables are attached to it. The negative cable is a little long so I bent it around some.
There is a piece of wood in front of the battery between it and the divider panel to keep the battery from sliding forward.
The positive terminal is located under the seat so the only thing above it is the wood bottom of the seat.
The positive cable runs forward on top of the angle iron frame that supports the floor.
From there it has to go up to the starter solenoid up under the hood and I want to run it up inside something instead of having it left out in the open.
I'm going to use a piece of hard copper tube for that and here I'm bending one end a little.
This is the finished tube.
This tube bolts onto the axle housing.
The positive cable goes into the bottom of the tube that has a plastic sleeve in it.
The cable comes out of the top of the tube and is connected to the starter solenoid.
There is a plastic cap fit over the tube to keep water out of it.
As you can see here, when the solenoid is energized, the starter/generator is engaged.
Looking back over the photos .. I have decided that I'm going to make up another tube for the positive cable to go thru where it runs forward along the frame under the floor.
A block of wood is placed along each side of the battery to keep it from moving sideways.
As you can see, the shallow trays under the seat are already coming in handy.
The battery is set in place and the cables are attached to it. The negative cable is a little long so I bent it around some.
There is a piece of wood in front of the battery between it and the divider panel to keep the battery from sliding forward.
The positive terminal is located under the seat so the only thing above it is the wood bottom of the seat.
The positive cable runs forward on top of the angle iron frame that supports the floor.
From there it has to go up to the starter solenoid up under the hood and I want to run it up inside something instead of having it left out in the open.
I'm going to use a piece of hard copper tube for that and here I'm bending one end a little.
This is the finished tube.
This tube bolts onto the axle housing.
The positive cable goes into the bottom of the tube that has a plastic sleeve in it.
The cable comes out of the top of the tube and is connected to the starter solenoid.
There is a plastic cap fit over the tube to keep water out of it.
As you can see here, when the solenoid is energized, the starter/generator is engaged.
Looking back over the photos .. I have decided that I'm going to make up another tube for the positive cable to go thru where it runs forward along the frame under the floor.
I made up another tube for the positive cable to run thru under the floor.
It is painted before it is installed because it would be hard to get complete paint coverage thru the expanded metal of the floor.
This tube is fastened in place with a clamp that is bolted to the floor.
A piece of gas line hose is pushed into the back end of the tube to insulate the positive cable from the rough edges of the expanded metal floor.
Here is a view of the cable coming down from the battery and going into the tube.
This tube extends the full length of the floor.
The front edge of the tube is notched to fit under the edge of the angle iron.
It is forced into this space so the front of the tube will not move.
I found a shorter negative cable and put that on also.
It is painted before it is installed because it would be hard to get complete paint coverage thru the expanded metal of the floor.
This tube is fastened in place with a clamp that is bolted to the floor.
A piece of gas line hose is pushed into the back end of the tube to insulate the positive cable from the rough edges of the expanded metal floor.
Here is a view of the cable coming down from the battery and going into the tube.
This tube extends the full length of the floor.
The front edge of the tube is notched to fit under the edge of the angle iron.
It is forced into this space so the front of the tube will not move.
I found a shorter negative cable and put that on also.
Making the mounting bracket for the throttle and choke out of 1/16 inch thick steel.
It is formed to the shape that I want and test fitted on the transmission.
I made mounting tabs for the side panel out of pieces of angle iron and welded them in place.
The two side panels are cut out.
The one side panel is welded on and the other side panel bolts on.
Here is how it looks so far.
I'm going to use this same switch and gauge panel that I had made up when I first got this running while I was still living up in Buckley, Michigan.
This box is riveted to the flat arm that is sticking up on the one side.
Then the assembly is bolted onto the top of the transmission.
The choke and throttle cables are installed and the side cover is fastened back on.
Here is the finished control panel.
The switch and amp gauge are mounted in a metal box that was made for storing 3x5 file cards.
It can be swung open to work on the electrics.
The two blue wires with the open connectors on them are from the light switch and they will be hooked up once I get the headlights mounted.
I drew up a wiring diagram and for the time being, I'm keeping it inside this box so it doesn't get lost.
It is formed to the shape that I want and test fitted on the transmission.
I made mounting tabs for the side panel out of pieces of angle iron and welded them in place.
The two side panels are cut out.
The one side panel is welded on and the other side panel bolts on.
Here is how it looks so far.
I'm going to use this same switch and gauge panel that I had made up when I first got this running while I was still living up in Buckley, Michigan.
This box is riveted to the flat arm that is sticking up on the one side.
Then the assembly is bolted onto the top of the transmission.
The choke and throttle cables are installed and the side cover is fastened back on.
Here is the finished control panel.
The switch and amp gauge are mounted in a metal box that was made for storing 3x5 file cards.
It can be swung open to work on the electrics.
The two blue wires with the open connectors on them are from the light switch and they will be hooked up once I get the headlights mounted.
I drew up a wiring diagram and for the time being, I'm keeping it inside this box so it doesn't get lost.
I have a safety item to work on today.
The seat doesn't have armrest on the sides so it would be possible for someone to slide off the end of the seat when I'm making a sharp turn.
I went down to the Restore at Habitat for Humanity and picked up this old walker for $5.00.
The top portion is cut off and I cut four 18 inch long pieces of galvanized pipe.
Each piece of galvanized pipe is going to be bent at 90 degrees so I mark where the center of the radius will be on each piece of pipe.
Then I use the hydraulic tube bender to form them and I measure how high the ram is pushing up on each of them so they will all have the same amount of bend.
Then I flatten one end a little bit.
I set four square head nuts along side the pipe so the flat steel bar will be pressed down on top of them to make a uniform thickness along the pipe.
This gives me four pieces of pipe that all have the same bend and the same thickness along the flat side.
Mounting holes are drilled into the flat side of two of these and they are bolted the underside of the seat base along the front edge.
One end of the armrest are slid down onto each upright piece of pipe.
Then the other piece of pipe is slid up into the back tube of each armrest and they are bolted to the underside of the seat base.
The rear pipe mounts are fastened to the underside of the seat base at an a angle to help prevent the armrest from moving forward or backward as well as side to side.
Here is how they look with the bottom seat in place. The front of the armrests sit out a little farther than the back of the armrest to make it a little easier to get in and out of the cart seat.
The armrests are secured in place with two pop rivets holding each tube to the pipe.
The seat doesn't have armrest on the sides so it would be possible for someone to slide off the end of the seat when I'm making a sharp turn.
I went down to the Restore at Habitat for Humanity and picked up this old walker for $5.00.
The top portion is cut off and I cut four 18 inch long pieces of galvanized pipe.
Each piece of galvanized pipe is going to be bent at 90 degrees so I mark where the center of the radius will be on each piece of pipe.
Then I use the hydraulic tube bender to form them and I measure how high the ram is pushing up on each of them so they will all have the same amount of bend.
Then I flatten one end a little bit.
I set four square head nuts along side the pipe so the flat steel bar will be pressed down on top of them to make a uniform thickness along the pipe.
This gives me four pieces of pipe that all have the same bend and the same thickness along the flat side.
Mounting holes are drilled into the flat side of two of these and they are bolted the underside of the seat base along the front edge.
One end of the armrest are slid down onto each upright piece of pipe.
Then the other piece of pipe is slid up into the back tube of each armrest and they are bolted to the underside of the seat base.
The rear pipe mounts are fastened to the underside of the seat base at an a angle to help prevent the armrest from moving forward or backward as well as side to side.
Here is how they look with the bottom seat in place. The front of the armrests sit out a little farther than the back of the armrest to make it a little easier to get in and out of the cart seat.
The armrests are secured in place with two pop rivets holding each tube to the pipe.
Never thought of parting out a walker. Great use if stuff.
The engine now has new spark plug wires and a new coil wire going from the mag down to the the distributor cap.
There is a black button on the side of the mag that you push to ground out the points and shut the engine off.
The starter switch that I'm using has a terminal that is grounded when the switch is turned off.
On the Wisconsin engines, you can connect a wire to the grounding button and run the wire to a remote switch to shut the engine off.
However, there is no way to connect a wire to the grounding button on this mag.
So .. I took the distributor cap off and cut a notch in the lower part of the distributor housing.
The wire coming from the grounding terminal on the starter switch is run thru a piece of rubber hose.
The end of this rubber hose fits into the notch and the wire is connected to the condenser wire.
There is a notch cut into the side of the rubber hose so when the distributor cap is put back on, it keeps the rubber hose held in place.
Usually when I mount a starter/generator on an engine that didn't have one originally, I have to make a special belt guard for it.
I lucked out this time because I have a guard the will fit it.
It already has several holes in the face and one mounting bracket on the top side.
The existing top mounting bracket is in the wrong place so I have to make new mounting brackets that will make use of the existing holes.
The mounting holes in the new brackets have to be out far enough so they clear the fan cover that is directly behind the grille.
The new mounting brackets are all made up.
Threaded nuts are welded to the inside of the grille so the belt guard can be easily fastened on from the outside.
Here is how it looks so far with the belt guard fastened in place.
There is a black button on the side of the mag that you push to ground out the points and shut the engine off.
The starter switch that I'm using has a terminal that is grounded when the switch is turned off.
On the Wisconsin engines, you can connect a wire to the grounding button and run the wire to a remote switch to shut the engine off.
However, there is no way to connect a wire to the grounding button on this mag.
So .. I took the distributor cap off and cut a notch in the lower part of the distributor housing.
The wire coming from the grounding terminal on the starter switch is run thru a piece of rubber hose.
The end of this rubber hose fits into the notch and the wire is connected to the condenser wire.
There is a notch cut into the side of the rubber hose so when the distributor cap is put back on, it keeps the rubber hose held in place.
Usually when I mount a starter/generator on an engine that didn't have one originally, I have to make a special belt guard for it.
I lucked out this time because I have a guard the will fit it.
It already has several holes in the face and one mounting bracket on the top side.
The existing top mounting bracket is in the wrong place so I have to make new mounting brackets that will make use of the existing holes.
The mounting holes in the new brackets have to be out far enough so they clear the fan cover that is directly behind the grille.
The new mounting brackets are all made up.
Threaded nuts are welded to the inside of the grille so the belt guard can be easily fastened on from the outside.
Here is how it looks so far with the belt guard fastened in place.
I need something to fit over the pulley shaft that is sticking out of the hole in the center of the belt guard and I found an old chrome cap for the oil fill tubes on the Chevy V-8 engines back in the 60's and 70's that is just the right size.
The cap is chucked up in the lathe and I cut the center out of it.
I sand blasted the chrome so it has a finish that paint will stick to now.
Then I welded it to the front of the belt guard to cover the hole in the center of the screen.
The cap is chucked up in the lathe and I cut the center out of it.
I sand blasted the chrome so it has a finish that paint will stick to now.
Then I welded it to the front of the belt guard to cover the hole in the center of the screen.
Another safety issue to contend with. ...
I need to make fenders and panels to cover the inside of the wheels and tires so no one will get their clothing or shoes caught in them.
This is an old continental spare tire cover from the 50's and I'm going to use it to make the tire and wheel guards.
First thing is to cut two pieces from the outer ring to the length that I want.
Both of them are sand blasted and a mounting tab is welded to the back bottom edge on both of them.
This mounting tab is screwed down to the angle iron of the floor frame.
I added extra length to the bottom under the mounting tab so the back edge of the fenders extend down below the floor.
Now I'm ready to start on the inside guard panels.
The face plate of the continental cover has a groove formed around the outer edge and a strip of rubber is gripped into it.
I pulled the rubber strip out and I'm using a short piece of metal bar to hammer that formed edge out a little.
Then I use a power roller to run around the the face plate and flatten that outer edge.
Here is the finished flattened edge.
Part of the front plate is cut to the size needed to fit the fender and holes are punched into it for pocket welding it to the edge of the fender.
The side guard is welded to the inner edge of the fender.
The finished fender so far.
I need to make fenders and panels to cover the inside of the wheels and tires so no one will get their clothing or shoes caught in them.
This is an old continental spare tire cover from the 50's and I'm going to use it to make the tire and wheel guards.
First thing is to cut two pieces from the outer ring to the length that I want.
Both of them are sand blasted and a mounting tab is welded to the back bottom edge on both of them.
This mounting tab is screwed down to the angle iron of the floor frame.
I added extra length to the bottom under the mounting tab so the back edge of the fenders extend down below the floor.
Now I'm ready to start on the inside guard panels.
The face plate of the continental cover has a groove formed around the outer edge and a strip of rubber is gripped into it.
I pulled the rubber strip out and I'm using a short piece of metal bar to hammer that formed edge out a little.
Then I use a power roller to run around the the face plate and flatten that outer edge.
Here is the finished flattened edge.
Part of the front plate is cut to the size needed to fit the fender and holes are punched into it for pocket welding it to the edge of the fender.
The side guard is welded to the inner edge of the fender.
The finished fender so far.
Test fitting the fender and taking measurements for the piece that I need to make to cover the original wheel hub.
A strip of metal is cut to size. The edge is bent up along one side and holes are punched in along the other side for welding.
Using the metal shrinker to curve it to fit the inside radius on the side panel of the fender.
The curved piece is welded to the fender and set back in place.
The last piece that I need to make is a side piece to fit down to the axle housing.
These two side pieces are marked out on a piece of 1/16 inch thick sheet metal.
A center hole is cut out between them where they will fit around the axle housing.
The two panels are cut to size.
The edges are smoothed down and the holes are drilled into it for welding.
The side panel is welded to the inside flange on the fender.
This completes the fabrication of the sheet metal part of the fender.
It is put back in place so I can take the measurements to make the fender mounts.
A strip of metal is cut to size. The edge is bent up along one side and holes are punched in along the other side for welding.
Using the metal shrinker to curve it to fit the inside radius on the side panel of the fender.
The curved piece is welded to the fender and set back in place.
The last piece that I need to make is a side piece to fit down to the axle housing.
These two side pieces are marked out on a piece of 1/16 inch thick sheet metal.
A center hole is cut out between them where they will fit around the axle housing.
The two panels are cut to size.
The edges are smoothed down and the holes are drilled into it for welding.
The side panel is welded to the inside flange on the fender.
This completes the fabrication of the sheet metal part of the fender.
It is put back in place so I can take the measurements to make the fender mounts.