Blasted a rearend housing and found this repair of a miss drilled hole. It's hard to tell in the photo but the hole that is braze welded is almost a full rivet off.
Would seem to be a factory repair made to salvage a rivet failure.
See the 2nd paragraph to the right of the photo, in this page from 'Ford Industries'. While the topic is welding, would seem brazing repairs were done to reduce "the high cost of scraping a part".
This is a good point to make and your rear end housing proves it.
These days Restored Model T's probably are better in some ways than they came from the factory.
Some guys would find a better housing but not me. I would use it and put things back together.
A good case study to be sure.
When I did a body off restoration of my Grandfathers 24 Coupe I found some frame rivets that were poorly braded and 'mashed in' and not done neatly. But they worked so I left well enough alone.
Bob,
Is that a patch on the belled part of the housing in the first photo? Or maybe a patch on the mold that made the housing??
Jim
Jim, if you look at that "patch" it's symmetrical in shape and has 2 indentations located in such away as to seem like something for mounting.
Thanks for all replies. I didn't have a clue about the "Patch". It is cast into the housing, and as you said, probably a repair to the mold?
A while back I acquired a bunch of rear end housings. I think the people I got them from were glad to get rid of them. But I have room to stash them. As I sorted them out, along with what I had before, I noticed a couple with similar "patches". Mine did not have what looks like screws cast into it , however. I also wondered what it was for. I just figured a repair to a casting mold. I can't think of anything else.
I, too, would use that housing as long as other more critical issues look good.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
I have a '23 block with what appears to be two factory repairs on it, both have spatter beside them, indicating that they were arc welded and the weld material looks like stainless.
Both the repairs are at the bottom flange where the crankcase bolts on.