Sam's 30 Tudor

[Tom Endy]

Follow up to Sam Thompson USMC 30 Tudor acquisition:

Thanks to Sue Mitchell a Mitchell overdrive was expedited and delivered Wednesday, March 14th. On the follwing weekend the entire drive train was removed from the car by members of the Orange County Model A Ford Club (Southern California). During the following week the rear axle assembly, bell housing, and transmission were completely rebuilt. On Saturday March 24th everything was ready to go back into the car. By Sunday the 25th the Tudor was back on the road sporting a Mitchell overdrive and a rebuilt drive train.

The next project for the Tudor is to address the massive oil leak from the rear main. The rear main cap was seriously molested when the previous owner took it to a "place" for repair that did not speak Model A. The photos of the cap show serious deterioration of the bearing material, epoxy repair, welding repair, and the cap machined for a modern seal of which there is none.

Bill Barlow of Bend Oregon, who does babbitt repouring, thinks a repair can be facilitated by pouring a new bearing in an unmolested bearing cap to match the bearing dimensions of the old cap. The engine runs very good with no knocks and its life may be prolonged by installing a repaired cap.

The search is on for an unmolested cap to be used as a core. If anyone has one and would like to donate (or sell) one, please contact me.

Tom Endy