Saturday, September 18, 2021

Harvest Time

 


I went out for my bike ride yesterday morning and it looks like harvest season has officially started. Which means there'll be lots of trucks, tractors and combines on the roads along with lots of dirt, corn husks and corn cobs. Most of the combines take up both lanes when they are out on the road. Watch yourself out there - especially when on your cycles.


I got the broken water pump bolt out of the spare motor. It actually came out pretty easy. I've been spraying it with Blaster and tapping on it for a week, though. When I welded the handle on, I sprayed the bolt while it was hot to shrink it and then tapped the handle back and forth until it turned freely. Once you get them moving the penetrating oil can get down in the threads and out it comes. 

I made a spacer the same width as the alternator. I threaded the ends, bolted it to the bracket already mounted to the block and then cut out the piece for the second bracket. Everything was going well until I bolted the new bracket to the block and the spacer. I then saw that the first bracket was bent - probably from the previous owner taking it out of the car or by me during the ride home. After getting it straightened out the one hole in the new bracket no longer lined up with the spacer. The hole needed to come out closer to the end of the bracket, so I built up the edge and moved the hole. I need to make a couple of 1/2" long spacers to align the new bracket with the outside width of the alternator. Once I get that taken care of, I'll shorten up the spacer to fit in between the ears of the alternator. Time consuming but that's typical.


The shifter knob came yesterday. Bakelite with a 3/8 fine thread brass insert. I got the piece of stock for the shift lever cut and chucked up in the lathe. Maybe get a little done on it today - might have to pick more grapes after my bike ride. Maybe a midget race this afternoon/evening.


No comments: