Replacing Pistons and Such 1935 era

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello All,

Can different manufacturer's pistons be adapted to fit? Or is it a case of taking a relatively intact sample to an engineer with a request to make six of these please?

Lionel

Hi Lionel,

When the time comes, one source of pistons is JP Pistons in Adelaide. If not in their catalogue they can do one-off small production runs. They may also be able to match pistons based on your dimensions if not listed as REO pistons. See their website.

As mentioned however there is a good possibility you can find NOS ones from one of the many people engaged in vintage parts here or overseas. Just requires a bit of detective work to find what is out there and what is used in other engines if there is any commonality.

Good luck with your project.

Cheers,

[Lionelgee]

Hello David, Terry and Jacques,

Thank you for the information The benefits of a large shed is that projects can sit inside and not be exposed to the elements while their owner concentrates on other tasks. I hope to have a rather time consuming long term project have all its boxes ticked and squared away by April 2017. Working on the REO Speed Wagon will be my reward.

I am a member of the REO Club of America and I frequently scan the wider internet for parts. Gold Comet parts from the era do not come up on the radar very often. I am going to take some photographs of places where items are missing off my truck. I will send them to a club member who has the same truck in the US so they can take photographs of what should be on my truck. Hopefully they will also have some hints as where to get some goodies from. I am just waiting for the current club magazine to arrive so I can source their contact details as person with the same truck as mine is the designated Technical Consultant for the era. I think the magazine has arrived in Australia. Upon its arrival it was probably tied to a snail and courtesy of Australia Post's new slooooow mail service may wend its way towards me before April!

I also have a copy of the Hollander Interchange book 1920's to 1948

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Mike K]

seen this Lionel

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ar...ry=Advertising


http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ar...ry=Advertising

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

seen this Lionel

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ar...ry=Advertising


http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ar...ry=Advertising

G'day Mike,

No I had not seen the two advertisements on Trove. Thank you for posting up the links.

The top link features two lots of "1935" the straight vertical grille is from the financial year 1934-1935. The more slant back tip truck style is from the financial year 1935-1936. Mine is the nice one - oops the 1935-36. I did find that they were referring to the "Gold Crown" engines in the heavier capacity trucks. I dug out my collection of REO advertising folders I have been collecting over the years and they too say "Gold Crown" for the heavier truck like mine. The Gold Comet engines came out around World War II.

So my truck has a Gold Crown motor. It will help me use the right name for the engine when I go looking for parts The light weight trucks came with the Silver Crown engines..

So that is good news about getting the name of the engine right

I had a win today - I found a radiator cap online - cross fingers that it fits as the truck did not have one when I bought it. It seems a common theme in photographs of 1935 REO Speed Wagon trucks that are on the internet. I have tried to find an accurate photograph to make sure what one looks like. Some real flash ones were available with wings as optional extras. The advertising brochures show a mix of fancy to plain dome tops.

The second link has the 1936-1937 model that has the curve in the centre of the front bumper.

Thanks again for the links Mike.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Mike K]

Lionel

There are many more REO truck adverts on the Trove website . I even spotted a REO car advert in the 30's , never knew about them .

The Trove site allows you to browse newspaper adverts by newspaper eg the Sydney Morning Herald or the Melbourne Argus . It also selects adverts with illustrations . Mike

[maple_leaf_eh]

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=23935 scroll partway down for the M5 before and after images

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=23935 scroll partway down for the M5 before and after images

G'day Terry,

Thanks for the link about molasses - it is great stuff. I am not sure of what state or country your "on the river flats in a poor part of town" is? Your description from your signature line. If you look at mine it says Bundaberg - Queensland Bundaberg is one of the main sugar cane growing areas. I have sugar cane across the road in front of my house and about 50 metres from my back fence

There are some alloys that get eaten by the mix though. I have to dig around and re familiarise myself with which ones.

P.S. With the magic of the Interwebby ... Accessed November 13, 2016 from, http://www.mtfca.com/cgi-bin/discus/...slowpoke-users Molasses will start "moon crater" pitting cast iron if left in too long. Not a problem really on brackets, but engine blocks will pit on the machined surfaces.

From the same forum/thread - http://www.mtfca.com/cgi-bin/discus/...=matthew-users Be warned I let a Cylinder Head set in this solution for over 2 weeks and it started to eat the Cast Iron. I should have pulled this no more than 3 days.

From another forum...The Australian Land Rover Owner's Accessed November 13, 2016 from, http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-t...ml#post1356303 DON'T place Any non-Ferris metals in molasses as you wont get it back. It converts alloy and brass to a horrible sandy mess in the bottom of the tub.

Got it - this was the old post I was looking for ... Accessed November 13, 2016 from, http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-t...ml#post1418961 A 1:4 (molasses:water) will eat white metals like aluminium, lead and zinc. Put a seized block into a bath and in a couple of weeks you'll have a clean block with the rings sitting in the hollow bores. The author of the message used the properties of molasses to their favour ... Accessed November 13, 2016 from, http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-t...ml#post1420119 However if you have a seized block where you have tried all the regular methods to get the pistons out, the fact that it eats white metals, is a benefit! New pistons are easier to find than a 1948 side plate Landy block.

Hello Diana


Kind Regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Lionel

There are many more REO truck adverts on the Trove website . I even spotted a REO car advert in the 30's , never knew about them .

The Trove site allows you to browse newspaper adverts by newspaper eg the Sydney Morning Herald or the Melbourne Argus . It also selects adverts with illustrations . Mike

Hello Mike,

REO was developed by Ransom Eli Olds as a new company after he had a big falling out with the board of an automotive company he previously established .... Oldsmobile. He had to leave the name behind so he set up REO.

Kind Regards
Lionel