1:12 1932 Cadillac V-16 frame and engine

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks for the comments, Don! Maybe I should have done the drilling; I hope that the caps will have enough grip.
Indeed, I'm lazy lately and I'm reading various comments in Internet instead of DOING!

[Roger Zimmermann]

When I don't know how to do a part or no envy about it, I do continue with something else until either I don't know with what to continue or the desire to have an element finished is haunting me!
The brushes covering bands for the generator and starter motor is a perfect example. It seems easy to do, but indeed I pushed back their fabrication. It took me a while to do the first one because I was not at all motivated. Finally, the task was not so bad: a band of brass 0.01mm thick, with one rolled end, then a small attaching latch soft soldered at the right place and voilà! At first, I intended to rivet the latch like the original parts but opted for the soldering. Less chance for a disaster doing so!
The second band came not so well as the first one, but still usable. Those parts will be chromed.
By pulling at the latch, the band can be removed like the original one.

[MODEL A MODEL]

There is a movie, LONGITUDE, it tells a dramatized story of solving the creation of reliable watches, essential in safely and accurately circumnavigating the Earth.

It is in part, a father/son story, and other stories as well. In one scene the son is telling his father how he was sometimes amazed at how his father could labor over the making of a spring. -How he would feel, seeing such investment into this sliver of metal, and sometimes envy it, the attentions of his father.

Springs are vital to mechanical watches! The material chosen, its temper, its length of coil, its dimensions, . . . - a constellation of considerations!

I am so glad that you have met your demon, on the battlefield that is your workbench, and defeated him!!!!!

Not to be haunted anymore!

Score: Roger 1 Cover Clip 0

[MODEL A MODEL]

Joking aside, your little cover clipping into place, and looking pretty close to perfect, I can imagine was not easy to fabricate. Perhaps watching your father all those years ago, repairing your toys, the ones with the bent tabs, perhaps you learned something then, and still find the lesson useful today?

Perhaps?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Don't remember if I told you, my father was a carpenter. However, he had the ability to repair broken things which had nothing to to with his trade. I remember that toys at that time had movements like huge watches; from time to time, the strong spring broke. That is one of the thing he could repair with success.
It could be that I inherited this characteristic from him...
And yes, that little cover was not easy and it took an all afternoon to build the first one. I did something then quit, came back again, as I was not certain of success.

When the band for the generator was installed and the gen again on the engine, I realized that it was time to do the air intake duct. Therefore the generator was removed again, which requires the removal of the intake/exhaust manifolds and the water pump. As I still don't have water in the engine, there is no mess with the cooling fluid.
The original set up has provision to remove the water pump actuating shaft; my reproduction shaft does not have it.
That rather small part was not easy to do because nothing is flat to squeeze it in a vice; the fingers acted like a vice; some are still sore! The screen at the air intake is too coarse; I'm not sure if a finer mesh is available, I doubt it.
To really finish the generator and accessories, I milled the exhaust tube to shape the hexagon at the small end.

[MODEL A MODEL]

Very nice work on the air intake! A shape like that in any scale is quite a test.

I don't know if you use any magnifier while you work? -but the photographs do a pretty good job of showing how well you were at rendering the organic funnel shape.

Strange looking thing.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks for the comments! Yes, I have a magnifier used by the watch industry, ratio 2 1/2. There are more fancy systems, like weak microscopes, but I'm not comfortable with them.

[MODEL A MODEL]

Another day, another question, what color is the wire screen? If it goes silver or stainless, don't forget the liquid Tin solution. Painting such a fine mesh might fill with paint?

[Roger Zimmermann]

I don't remember. The original may be chromed like many other parts from the engine. I will not let chrome that grille because I cannot solder a wire to it. I will try to paint it. No problem if the mesh is full of paint, that way you cannot see what's behind!

[Roger Zimmermann]

The coarse screen issue will be solved thanks to a member from the AACA forum. He ordered a sample (that company is not shipping to Switzerland) and will send it to me. The pitch is 200 wires/inch and the material is stainless steel.

There are still element to be done to the engine. This time, I did the vacuum pump and the fitting for the oil lines. One is going to the oil filter and the other line to the oil pressure indicator.
The fake screws to the vacuum pump will be "installed" during the final assembly. The pump will be black, the crews will be painted silver. Indeed they should be chromed; I'm sure silver paint will be OK.
The studs at the fitting have not the same length on the picture. This will also be corrected during the final assembly.
Next step: the oil filter.

[Roger Zimmermann]

As stated in my previous post, I intended to do the oil filter. Fine, but it is attached at the intermediate engine support! Due to the tight space between the calculated diameter of the filter and the frame, I have to do the engine supports first. As usual, it's a casting element and not in line with the hole into the frame...

[MODEL A MODEL]

Odd location for the filter?

I do much enjoy watching your progress! Are you considering making a body for this lovely chassis? Or is your intent to stop before that?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Most probably I wrote already two or three times that I intend to complete the frame and engine and, if I'm still able to do something, to continue with the radiator grille, the cowl, front fenders etc. Don't ask what for a body I intend to replicate because it's too far away; a roadster would be interesting...

[Roger Zimmermann]

The rear engine supports are made with three element: the supports at the crankcase, another supports attached to the frame and a rubber bushing. I'm not sure why those engines (V8, V12 and V16) needed 3 sets of supports: at the front, at the rear of the engine and at the transmission's end. I see three possible reasons:
- the middle supports help reducing the torsion of the frame (on the V-16, the distance between the first cross member and the second one is huge)
- the second set avoid stress at the drivetrain by supporting it almost in the middle
- it was maybe a precious help when the transmission had to be removed for repair, the engine had not to be supported
In my case, I could do without that middle support set!
There were some difficulties to fabricate those tiny supports: from design, the hole in the frame is not aligned with the engine flange; I had to be creative to find the correct location of the support's end towards the frame. While doing that, I noticed that the RH support has more offset than the LH one. Why? Obviously, my simple equipment does not allow a great precision...
I don't know exactly how this intermediate supports are installed in real life. Most probably, the ones attached to the frame are installed; then the other support is going through the hole from the support to be attached finally to the engine. To complete the set-up, the bushing is pushed from the outside and is secured with a large nut.
In my case, I have to attach the parts differently: the middle supports are screwed to the engine (because I cannot torque the screws when the engine is on the frame); the external supports are pushed on the internal one like shown on one picture; then the engine is installed on the frame with some rotating movements. When the engine is secured at the front crossmember and the rear, the external middle supports can be attached to the frame and the rubber bushing pushed in place. I will have to remember this curious method, the sole which is practical!
For practical reasons both heads were removed for this task.
Now I really can begin the oil filter. The holes for its support can be seen on the last picture.

[MODEL A MODEL]

Interesting design. (Not very elegant?)