Timing cover AND other questions. 1952 Gas Major

[52GasMajor]

I had the alternator removed already. With the 44" belt there was no way I could get the bolt holes to line up. I'll give it another attempt today I was just worried about the belt being so tight.

[Billy26F5]

It must only move a maximum of 1/2" between the water pump and dynamo, and not just deflect.

It is tight, and quite hard work to hold while tightening bolts, and that's with the narrow belt. less than that will cause the water pump to slip (especially with four blade fans, and even more the bigger they are).
Sandy

[52GasMajor]

Been a bit since my last post...

The old Major seems to run really well!

I have had it out for a few road trips (after the thermostat replacement mentioned below), two of which were 2+ hours to get there and back, and it seems to run really smoothly. Road speed at full throttle is 20-21kmh in top gear, exactly what it is supposed to be from what I have seen.

The old thermostat was indeed horribly faulty. Inside with no breeze, and also with the rad shutters closed, it took ~40 minutes to warm up. Once it was warmed up, if I opened the shutters at all, even a crack, the needle would instantly drop to the far left of the gauge (ice cold). Took it on a short run up the road after it warmed up inside and even with the shutters closed it would not stay warm...

Got a new 180° thermostat and the coolant now warms up much more quickly, 10-15 minutes in the winter at below freezing temperatures, and it maintains a constant temperature now, however, it seems to be maintaining a temperature of around 150° or so according to my old original? gauge...

It should be holding the temperature in the 170-190° range (as indicated on the gauge), no?

Next question would be is it likely to be that my, possibly almost 75 year old, gauge is off, is the new thermostat not functioning correctly, or...?

Thanks!

[Billy26F5]

Excellent. You'll need to check the real temp, otherwise it's impossible to know. the original thermostat (AC TC3 or equivalent, usually the Smiths version) was set at 176ºF, and the temp was initially set at 170-195ºF, later in 52 it was changed to 180-195ºF. finally, from 1420356 it became 160-190ºF from then till the end. I would probably suspect the thermostat, as these gauges are generally either very accurate or have a damaged tube leaking out the diethyl ether used to measure the pressure relating to the temperature under a liquid-gas equilibrium. The actual gauge is the same as the oil pressure gauge, and at 230ºF the pressure of the equilibrium is around 101.5 psi (read from the gauge, the actual vapour pressure is 116 psi) The gauge can be calibrated using a separate thermometer and holding the bulb and thermometer in warm water (better with boiling water, but always put everything in and out with the water at room temperature, and never allow either to touch the pan or pot), bending the pointer as required for the readings to match. Repairing one of these gauges is quite doable, but you will need a small supply of diethyl ether.
Sandy

[52GasMajor]

Has anyone successfully added the original proof meter/tachometer to one of these?

It looks as though the spot for the drive unit is there in front of the governor (capped by a bolt/plug?), however, it seems to be missing the two bolt holes to secure it...

Is it as simple as drilling and tapping the two holes or...?

Easier to go aftermarket?

[Billy26F5]

Yours is too early, that fixing came in from 1266167. You'd have to change the block, which I don't think is worth it. If you can find a suitable friend who has a Major with a tachometer you can get an idea of what revs sound like, then even with the tachometer you don't need to look at it. Tachometers were introduced from around September 54, but only as an option. Hour counters were available also as an option from 1266167 to 1481091. Both devices came from two manufacturers, Smiths and ENM for hour counters and Smiths and AC for tachometers (from both in mph and km/h). If you end up fitting a tachometer you'll also need the modified throttle lever (E1ADN-9805B).
Sandy