1935 Jowett Weasel

Having spent the week going through the engine to try and find an explanation for the lack of speed. I found the problem lurking in the distributor. As you turn the distributor by hand on the starting handle, very slowly you would see it rise up, causing movement and contact of the rotor arm where it shouldn't. The distributor is dynamo driven from the back via two skew gears. One is pinned to the distributor and the other is on a key-way attached to the dynamo. Well pulling out the distributor the teeth were very worn, almost like razors! Which would cause issues with timing movement and slackness of the movement of the rotor arm.

To see the dynamo drive gear properly you have to remove the back over of the dynamo, held in by two long cheese head screws which usually strip as soon as you look at them. Luckily they cracked off fairly easily. Off with those, to then disconnect the dynamo wiring from the brush holders, you can then move the back cover off to reveal the dynamo gear. Well off it came, along with it the dynamo drive gear which should be attached via the key way and bolted on its shaft. The castle nut was still in place, but no retaining washer so it would press against the gear to hold it in place.

So replacing the gears on both the distributor & dynamo has been the task this week. Replacing the gear back on the dynamo with an appropriate sized washer and making sure it hits home in the right place. Along with pinning a replacement gear on the distributor, re assembly was fairly straight forward. Re timing of the distributor, resetting the points, and making sure everything is in motion correctly.


Which is how I spent a wet Saturday morning re assembling it and getting running again. Mr Weasel is now on the button! I managed to get out again this afternoon for a short run, and I can only say what a difference two little gears make! Now reaching around the 40/45 mph on the flats and the ability to climb hills with confidence! The next thing to do is have trace of all the squeaks and rattles that I can hear from the new ability to drive with confidence. The list is getting smaller!

Nice little thing, it's crying out for an engine conversion just to make it a Diesel Weasel!

Not the V8 brigade    "Stick a V8 in it"  and the like!   You may as well watch it zoom off while the rest of the car has fallen apart around you while sat in the drivers seat  

How about the "easel weasel" , as its pretty as a picture!

Managed to find some sunshine yesterday for another road test. Going on a marginally longer run around the lanes of Somerset.

Mr Weasel is still suffering from a bit of vibration higher up the speed range, which I put down to a layrub coupling which has worn bushes. I have been trying to trace one at a sensible price, though the club spares have been great having one there on the shelf.

Also a few noises which I'm trying to trace. The exhaust manifold is seemingly rather close to the pedal assembly so I can only assume when the engine is moving its making a bit of racket from contact, another problem to solve. But other than that it is seemingly going well and I am pleased with its new running performance.

A bit more of an update. Having got the car back from the trimmer back in September. The hood on the car now is now looking great, complete with the oval rear window which I think makes the whole thing! Makes a hell of a difference to cutting down draughts.



I hope the car will go back in November to have some other trim work done as well as a hood bag and tonneau cover made up to tidy it up when the hood is down.

I've been continuing with sorting out the seats, I've still yet to fit them as trying to track down a suitable runner for the bottom of the seat. They hinge forward so will need to make up a separate base for the runners to fit.


In that time I've had the wheels powdercoated a darker shade of red, ready for its eventual respray to a dark maroon red as to what it should have been. Well I say eventually when time and pockets match!



Other than workshop tinkerings I've been enjoying some more motoring around the countryside.  Which in the sunshine has been pretty good! Makes it all worth it when there is smile on your face motoring down the road!   

I use my bead roller alot, i thought the same about its down time, If you do get one also invest in tipping dies and louver dies they both come in very handy.

Well a lucky local spot on marketplace resulted in the acquisition of a bead roller! It looked far easier on Youtube! Hopefully I can have a good old practice with it now to get those step lines right for the runners, it will also help a lot with the lorry project!

Good score! its amazing what you can do with them even the smallest pieces can be made with them.