Still burning the midnight oil, aren't you Herr Battle?
Hi Jon, hi Keneth,
as I can see on the tracker, Heidi is moving in the moment, so I assume these Chinese mechanics must have found any kind of solution.
She is now close to the Laos border and we have to wait if that is a temporary fix or a lasting solution...
BUT I'am absolutely STUNNED how you guys help each other and find parts that even your Ford dealer round the corner could not deliver for an 10 year old Mondeo...
A+++++
Thank you
Patrik
Thank you for the compliment, Patrik. (Hudson people cannot easily find parts, so they need a network. Ford and Chevrolet people can easily find parts...so they don't need a network.)
I am worried that all these "fixes" added by mechanics in Uzbekistan and China (and elsewhere!) may be making the engine weirder and weirder! (It's a Hudson engine so it's already weird!) It might be advantageous to review your situation and possibly remove some of these "remedies", and return the engine to its original configuration. For example, if the "accessory drive" (the mechanism into which the distributor fits) is broken, you can have a good one shipped to you. And the alternator should (in my opinion) be replaced with a generator, which is much smaller and will not cause the long shaft (from the accessory drive) to twist. The generator can be a "modern" 12-volt generator, but at least it will fit reasonably well in the cradle which holds it.
People like Geoff Clark (in New Zealand) and Carl Weber (in the United States) have parts like this, and also have the knowledge of how to repair the problems. Don't hesitate to see their advice (and parts!).
We all wish Heidi well on the remainder of her trip, and hope that her journey brings her to the United States, where fellow Hudson owners may greet her as she passes!
The saga continues...
I've just heard (as of Jan. 19 in the afternoon) that:
1. The Hudson has developed more engine problems on the border to Laos. Two "pleuel" are gone (I'm getting this from another German fellow, not Patrick and I'm not sure what part he is talking about) plus only one ring in another cylinder.
2. There has been a minor accident with a Toyota.
3. A spare engine in Germany is not yet overhauled so will be of no use yet.
4. One brake has a problem after only 100 kilometers. Not sure what that problem is.
All of this info is from a third party, not Patrik, so is NOT corroborated yet. So we will hope to hear some clarifying information soon. Then perhaps we can find some parts to ship them, so that Heidi may get back on her way!
I read and write German, can you post his message so I can read it? The "pleuer lager" would be rod bearing. So naturally the car has developed the usual rod bearing problems. Kenneth
Ken, many thanks for your offer. However, the letter I got was written in English. Possibly the writer used one of those on-line translation websites. At any rate, I only have the English version to go from.
My thought is that Patrik will jump in here and give us the latest on Heidi's adventures.
Rumors are:
2 conrod bearings dead
piston ring(s) broken
water ingress in 1 cylinder
drum brake not working and wodden spokes loose...
Patrik, are you (or anyone else) coordinating the repair of the car?
If one can determine the parts needed, these parts can possibly be found and shipped to Heidi.
Does Heidi have a repair manual that shows how to make these repairs when the parts have been found?
[quote="Kenneth Ufheil" post=8220]... naturally the car has developed the usual rod bearing problems. Kenneth
Hi Kenneth,
is this a common problem??
On the first time in Usbekistan, one of the oil scoops was broken, so it was clear why the rod bearing went south, but now ? Is there a problem with the straight eight that is some kind of "normal" and is there any chance to heal it?
P.
Patgrik:
The straight eight should be a good, reliable engine but remember, it is now over 80 years old.
Were the connecting rod bearings checked for correct clearance, at the start of the trip? At the same time, one could examine the condition of the babbitt metal in the poured rod bearing.
Also: has the Hudson been driven at excessive speeds? All of the pre-1948 Hudson engines like to be driven at lower speeds. I would think that 45 MPH (72 KM/H) would be a safe maximum speed in 3rd gear.
In lower gears, of course, the RPM should be proportionate to that. On some hills, perhaps Heidi has been driving in 2nd gear at higher RPM's. This could bcomee a problem after many km of driving.
I assume that you cleaned the oil pan and the dipper tray when you replaced the previous connecting rod. If not, then some dirt or other material may have gotten into the bearing and worn it.
Examine the faulty connecting rods carefully. Is there any obstruction in the dipper scoop? Sometimes dirt or solidified oil and carbon, will plug the hole partially, reducing the amount of oil which reaches the bearing.
Was the connecting rod that you just replaced, one of the rods that failed? Sometimes the babbitt material can be faulty, when the rod bearing is poured. Also, if the connecting rod bearings were poured in recent years, the babbitt may be bad because of recent government regulations regarding hazardous materials.
Hello Jon,
probably the high revs and speeds where the problem, as Heidi was allways a bit in the "speedy" mode.
In Bosnia she hit triple numbers km/h and typical she was driving 80-90 on the highway as long as I was in the right seat.
The oilpan was of course cleaned pedanticly when changing rod #7 in Buchara, but I have no clew what happened afterward, when the heads came of in Tashkent and where weldet and reassembled.
Also there where some serious missfirers when the distributor connection broke, that even blasted the exhaust appart, so probably also a cause for ruined rod bearings.
And overheating was also an issue in the last few hundred miles, and engines are like elephants, they never forget...
P.
All of these things (misfiring on a steady basis, an unclean oil pan with some dirt in it, revving the engine too fast) could have cause the connecting rod bearings to wear prematurely. Heidi probably drives the same way she would drive any European car, which likes the fast rev's. But Hudson is definitely a slow-revving car!
Heidi should carry several extra connecting rods (in new condition) as "spares", should she encounter damaged rod bearings again. Assuming that no wear has occurred to the journals, these may all be the "standard" size (not over-sized or undersized).
Because of her present location, Heidi will probably find that the closest places to find Hudson parts are not the United States, but Australia and New Zealand.
Can you tell us the exact problems you are having?
Have you contacted any Hudson experts in Australia or New Zealand? They may have the parts you need, and they are much closer than America.
Have you carefully inspected the "dipper tray" to make sure there are no holes in it, allowing the oil to drain to the oil pan below? If the oil has leaked from one of the six reservoirs, the bearing will fail.
Rod bearings failed. No holes in dipper tray. Looks like long duration high speed driving and lots of grades did them in .
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