1953 Jowett Jupiter - Ho So Nearly Finished

I think JP is wondering about the footpeg mounted on the rear hub...

Now being married to the lovely Mrs GN -  (a Canadian) for a few decades I realise that you have different names for things on that side of the world but passenger peg for a torch is a new one on me - I thought it was a flashlight over there 

Yes that's precisely it - passenger peg is Canadianese for torch (flashlight) sheesh - now that you say it I see what it is - thanks for shedding light on this (see what I did there)

Stunning!

Checked weather forecast, cleared the garage and moved everything including my 52 Javelin over tight to the the other wall so I could get at the drivers side of the Jupiter out of the sleet and hail.  

Removed steering column to get at the dodgy horn slipring.

The actual slipring insulation under the brass ring looked fine (Bakelite sleeve), but the ring itself was distorted at the edges and the edge/shoulder parts of the sleeve worn flat - so it looks like some very slight slight bend on the column or outer tube was allowing the deformed part of the brass ring to just scrape the inside of the tube, thus shorting it to earth and operating the horn.
Column appears straight when turned on Vee blocks - it could just be the slight radial movement of the column with the single UJ and 'floating' bronze bush at the rack end.

Unfortunately the column proved just too big to fit through the headstock of my lathe so hand working from here on.


Slipring cleaned up with fine emery and broken edge parts cleaned up with file and dental pick.
The edge and shoulder insulation built up by winding very fine braided Kevlar string soaked and embedded in epoxy on the either edge.   Then sanded down using a wide band of fine emery until it fitted the tube without contact, yet holding the brass ring well clear to provide insulation.  The Kevlar will likely outwear me and everything else even if contact does occur with the tube.  Could have done it more neatly on the lathe but it should be fine for another 70 years?  Kevlar composites much used in the aerospace industry and with a good sharp tool can be cut in a lathe......

 
You can just see on the slipring the solder and copper area - this is where the wire inside the column to the horn button is soldered into the slipring and where most of the cracking and lifting of the brass had occurred at the edge.  The carbon brush which clips over it is soft so shouldn't be a problem - it doesn't rotate that much!

Ho so nearly there we thought............

....having moved the bench seat forward to do the rear trim I tried to slide it back to clear the dash area to re-assembel things. But it jammed solid - seat jammed with its runner wheels wedged in the inaccessible runners and me with my knees jammed under the dashboard.  Managed to extricate myself and it took all afternoon to remove the seat, dismantling the back and with wood blocks and heavy mallet/crowbar to ease it forward to remove it - millimetre by millimetre (inch is too big a word).

It appears the channel sections of the three floor runners has splayed in places - the leverage of a wide bench seat out of allignment too much for it!   Plus other general wear and stiffness on the seat parts - so some fettling and re-engineering needed.   More on this if I ever solve it!  And NO I'm not going to do what some others have and put bucket seats in!


Ho so nearly not finished yet......

Struggled with seat runners - the issue seems to be that the guide wheels are rounded/cone shaped and spring loaded - no doubt to give a firm fit in the runners to avoid rattle.

Over time as things wear the wheels tend to cam out into the runners gap.  I closed the gaps somewhat and it was better but not convincing.   Made up Nylon 66 blocks with spacers to fit into the runner next to the front guide wheels - these are a  good positive overlap fit under the lip of the runner to stop any tendency to lift out.  It has worked - seat still quite stiff to move but it doesn't jam and don't need to adjust it too often!

Side runners

Central lock runner - I think this is the key one needing this mod as it also holds the lock tab in line with the positioning holes in the side of the runner.

Bit of a frustrating diversion.

That dash facia is certainly looking the part now 

I called in to visit Garth today to advise on the sale of his Javelin - It was great to see the Jupiter tucked up in the garage