Messages

Very cool, just found your YT page.

This documentation of your build is a super useful reference for other people. I have looked at it a lot for my restoration of BE 475.

Take care,
James Eastwood

Hi there AC team,

I wanted to make up a crank socket to help bar my 100D2 over. I have the steering conversion, space is limited, so I couldn't offer trial sockets up or measure into the pulley. I looked something up which gave me a size of 1 & 5/16".

I cut the end off a 1 & 5/16" box socket, and offered this up but it was significantly too small. I then turned back to the internet, but couldn't get a reliable answer to the size for a thick nosed crank. I'd guess it's more in the region of 1 & 1/2".

If some one can help with the correct size, that would be incredibly helpful.

James Eastwood
BE475

Very cool, and welcome to the Forum. Your car looks to be in very good shape. Do post some more pictures, including the engine installation. Is it an auto btw? I'm interested to know what the button on the gear shifter is.

You can try searching the the internet using the Chassis number and also with the Registration. It looks like the registration may not be the original, would the DMV be able to offer any history, inlcuing the engine number change, perhaps a colour change too?

Someone has done quite a bit of work on it including the replacement wooden instrument panel, these were often damaged in period in accidents if seats belts were not fitted.

Get it driving, use it for the summer then decide what to do with it.

Regards
James

Hi AC'ers. I realise I'm a couple of years late to this discussion but like me if anyone else is searching for float setting answers, I thought I might add;

If you are checking the set up of a perfect carburettor then the valve height measurement should be all you need. But if you're problem solving it might be worth adding that a worn float, lever or pin could give you the wrong level even with the right valve height.

Similarly another failure mode would be a float leak, i.e. fuel in the float which would reduce the bouyancy and upset the level again, even with correct needle valve height. It would be worth shaking each float whilst listening for fluid inside and comparing the float weights as a check.

When looking for alternative engines, don't forget the Ford Zephyr MK2 was also used by AC, with the Mays 12 port head (you can run triple DCOE 40s). It's also a 2.6L. The zephyr MK3 is almost identical but with bigger crank journals.

Andy, a well made wheel, unfortunately it isn't going to look quite original because it's a smaller wheel. If you have space to store it, I'd put it on eBay for a couple of hundred pounds, and wait. Make sure to select international shipping. There weren't many Aces made so the market is fairly smaller. Good luck.

I noticed your question has gone unanswered so thought I'd give my opinion! If you want to use a modern oil with it's detergents and friction modifiers etc.. I would have thought a 40 weight would be fine. In which case no reason not to go to a 10W40, to benifit from easier starting from cold, and maybe even go down a battery size.

If you're planning on summer motoring +2hrs at a time, when the oil will get much hotter, then I might be tempted to remain with the '50'. Also if you're planning on competition or high rev use I'd also stick with the 50 for added protection. (With the exception being sprint/hill-climb as the oil never warms up).

In general modern oils 5W20 or 30 are great in modern engines with more accurately machined bearing surfaces, with cranks that are machined with barrel on the pins and with 4 valve style heads with tiny valves, using tiny lifts, and then having all that controlled by hydraulic lash adjusters and roller followers. Also most modern engines use a water style oil heat exchanger which helps prevent oil getting 10-15C hotter than the coolant.

There are a host of Zephyr forums out there with a lot of expertise in Australia and New Zealand, but I'm sure there are other resources closer to home.

I'll add to Robin's weight note, that aluminim alloys also having better heat transfer and with a manufacturing hat on, they are faster to machine.

Email sent to Tony, thanks again.

1" Whitworth socket found.

Then here's a pic of our car still sulking at the painters. We knew the car had many bumps in it's racing lifetime including retiring after a heavy crash in the '61 Goodwood TT, but once the paint came off we were faced with a bigger task than expected, so the car has taken a lot longer to get right.

Happy Christmas folks!

Nick,

Also thanks to you for taking the accross flats measurement, I have cross referenced this and it's 1 inch Whitworth, so I'll see if I can order a socket. Thanks again you have saved me a 2 & 1/2 hour round trip to the car.

James Eastwood

Tony, apologies for slow reply, that would be incredibly helpful if you could list your spare on eBay.

Thank you very much indeed.

James

Nick - if you can give me an accross flats measurement that would be great, I'll then try and work out what the type and size of socket is required !

Keith - nice to hear from you, many thanks for the recommendation.

On disconnecting my temp gauge capillary tube to the aluminium core plug, on my 2L Bristol engine, the thread boss has broken off. It has corroded internally.

My car is about ninety minutes away at a painter, would anyone know the socket size I need to unscrew the core plug please?

Are there any repair techniques or do I need a new core plug, and where might I find one?

Many thanks indeed, if someone can help.

Regards James Eastwood

Just my two penny worth, but I thought most of the Ford engines run 40 DCOEs.

JE

Hi Bert,

I can't answer the question but can confirm your shoe layout and common springs are identical to mine.

I wonder if the answer might be driven by any differences of front to rear, if the front used twin leading shoes (I have disks).

JE