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RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1333
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2006 - 10:34 am: | 
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This old 1946 Palmer ZR showed up in the driveway just recently, have taken it apart and cleaning it up for reassembly and noticed that the intake cam shaft says NR 1 IN Palmer Bros, Palmer stopped making NR's years earlier ??
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Keith Billet
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 165
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2006 - 03:40 pm: |
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Richard,
Now that's what I call a sharp cam. |
Richard A. Day Jr.
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 428
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2006 - 05:52 pm: |
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Don't worry Richard why change a die when the same cam shaft works just great with the ZR design. The real change from the NR to ZR in 1925 was the detachable head, 5 to 5-1/2" bore, counterbalanced crankshaft and the All disk reverse gear. The R reverse gear of 1912 could not handle the higher torque of the ZR-2, ZR-3 and ZR-4 at 800 RPM. The ZR-1 was rated at 7HSP at 700 RPM because at 800 it shook the hull so bad that it was not prudent to operate at that higher rate according to Raynal Bolling. Do you have the serial number? When you say 1946 by chance if you have the serial number does it indicate month and day? The ZR-1 at Calvert does and that is the only serial number tag that I have ever run acrose that gives month day and year. I wonder if it was their first post WWII ZR produced. When you get to reassemble don't sock down the flywheel or oil/ water pump ecentric until you time the valves as you cannot simply slide the intermediate gear aft and reach in and rotate the camshafts as you can in the NR series. You have to pull the valve cam shaft forward and rotate them then slide them back into position.The counter weights on the ZR crankshat get in the way. My experience it runs best with exhaust just closed at TDC and intake starts to open one tooth later. check the timer miter gear to make sure it cannot ride up on a tooth when you pull up on the timer drive shaft. You will need to put shim washers on top of the miter gear to control the up travel.You need to check the aft end of the intake cam for a small what amounts to a shim washer on the inside aft end were it keeps the cam shaft from drifting aft and in turn keeps the camshaft miter gear from rubbing to agressivly on the timer drive shaft miter gear. If there is too much forward clearance on the camshaft the miter gears can ride up on a tooth. Better check it. Not a pleasant thought.
If the breather valves are stuck just use compressed air to blow the valve up off the bottom seat. Works great and they should slide easily in their bores.
The 7/8" 18 thread in the center of the cylinder it to permit measurement of the piston travel for checking valve setting. It is not a sparkplug position. Watermen would lose the hex plug and so they would simply stick in an old spark plug. Have fun they are a great engine. Must have been they made them from 1925 to 1962. |
RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1335
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2006 - 07:01 pm: |
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Caught in the act ! I was shimming the up clearance on the bevel gear when i took the photo above, That is a rather sharp cam lobe , used my old set of taper reamers and replaced the taper pin with a new number #2.
No tag on this eng but there is a number cast in the lower front of the cylinder
Dick I have your palmer ZR book and have read it several times, the info on the flywheel removal was right on - I followed procedure and put a bronze punch on end of shaft one good lick with hammer it was loose.
I appreciate your first hand advice- nothing like hearing it direct from The Man! Thanks |
Richard A. Day Jr.
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 429
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2006 - 07:36 pm: |
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I thought you had a copy but having rescued one timer miter gear from the jaws of death just before a too anxious chap wanted to get his new toy running figured I better hit you up side of the head with two by four and get your attention. Good move on the taper pin replacement. With the casting date you might look on the head for example for the FMCO in a triangle as Manufactures Foundry Co. did Palmers foundry work after 1937. I noticed some of the Lathrops in the Mystic Seaport collection also had MFCO logos on their later engines. Were the flywheel puller threads 1/2", 12 or 13 THD?? Looks like you will have a nice runing machine. Do you need a NOS head gasket?? I am trying to have the three bolt exhaust manifold compressible copper gasket made by John Baker. |
RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1336
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2006 - 07:59 pm: |
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ZR cylinder head from engine in above post!
13 threads on puller !
I'll need both side crankcase plates and a few other Misc pieces - Will email you directly when I get a little further along with the project!
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RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1388
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2007 - 08:16 pm: |
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Palmer ZR-I earlier posting |
Ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 538
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 05:40 pm: |
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I have a ZR cylinder dated 2 15 46
The head I have is older and has no date or foundry mark
I also have an NOS ZR cylinder that has no date or foundry mark. |
