My Durant is a 1930 Model 4-07. It is a 4 door sedan (the rear doors
are suicide doors) powered by a Continental W8 4 cylinder L-head engine which produces 52 H.P. at 2800 r.p.m. with a 3 speed
manual transmission, shifter on the floor. When I say manual, I mean
manual, the sliding gears are straight cut with no synchromesh. Have
you ever heard of double clutching? If you haven't, well, you'll hear
about it ...LOL!!!!!
The four wheel brakes on the car are the mechanical type,
shoes inside a drum, operated by linkage and cables using a system known as "Steeldraulic".
The car was made in Leaside, Ontario, Canada, which has now
been swallowed up by Toronto. The factory that it was made in was just
demolished to make way for a new Home Depot etc..
To see pictures of my car,
CLICK HERE!!!
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An Entirely New Line
The Durant Four Cylinder "4-07"
By Harvey Frid
(This article first appeared in the February 1980 issue of The Registry)
In August 1929, Durant Motors announced the line-up for the
1930 model year. It was no surprise that the existing models, the 4 cylinder
model 40, and the six cylinder models 60, 63, 66 and 70 would be continued
for another year. It was also not unusual for Durant executives to change
their mind.
Automotive Industries announced on January 4, 1930; "Instead
of five chassis models which were offered by Durant Motors in the past, only
two will be built in 1930. Both are sixes."
The Complete Encyclopedia of Motor Cars echoed this
statement; "Another new line was brought out in 1930, and the 4 cylinder car
was dropped."
With the Great Depression taking a stronger hold on the
nation, and Durant Motors suffering from financial problems already, it
seems hard to believe that the 4 cylinder car that carried the company
through lean years would be dropped. It apparently was not the intention of
Durant Motors to build a 4 cylinder car in 1930. No one knows the reasoning
behind this, but by April 1930, these plans had changed, and Durant
announced a 4 cylinder car to be built utilizing the 614 chassis and body
but equipped with a 4 cylinder Continental W8 engine.
The W8 engine was borrowed from the commercial Rugby truck
line and installed in the standard 6-14 model car. The new engine developed
49 H.P. at 2350 R.P.M. Two new holes in the frame for the front engine
mounts, and a longer fan hub were all that was needed. The engine bolted to
the standard three speed transmission and everything else was the same. The
4.40 gear ratio in the 6-14 was changed to a 3.90 in the new model-407. The
2800 lb standard sedan cruised effortlessly at 50-60 mph.
The 407 was available in several body styles with wood
wheels as standard equipment. Wire wheels were optional and will be
discussed later. The model can easily be distinguished by the louvered hood,
the one styling change from the 6-14 model with the "spear" hood.
The model 407 was not a regular production car but rather
built only on order. Most of the 407's were built at Leaside, but a few are
known to have been built in the Oakland plant.
No announcement was made of the model change as was usually
the case in August of each year. Frederick Hayes had announced at the
beginning of 1930 that Durant Motors would no longer announce new models,
requiring expensive retooling for each new model year, but would instead,
make necessary changes to the existing line to update it as needed. Hayes
resigned as President of Durant Motors on August 8, 1930.
With no fanfare, the 407 was carried into 1931 production.
In the US operation, the California plant offered the model 610 which was
the same as the model 407. This model was announced on September 23, 1930.
In late November, Durant Motors announced the addition of the "pullman"
attachment which would be available on the US model 610 and the 6 cylinder
model 612 which had been introduced a month earlier. With this addition, the
407 and 610 were no longer the same car, but the only change was the front
seat, which would lower into a bed on the model 610.
Production continued unchanged until approximately April
1931, when the model 407 was dropped for good from the Durant line. This was
one of the changes made by Canadian management which had recently taken over
the Durant factory at Leaside after Durant Motors of Michigan defaulted on a
loan which had the Canadian factory at Leaside as collateral. In the US, the
model 610 was also dropped about the same time.
THE 407 DELUXE SEDAN
The 407 deluxe sedan was a special order model built by Durant Motors of
Canada Ltd., and does not appear in any 407 sales literature. It was
produced to meet the demand of a limited number of clients who were not
convinced that engines other than four cylinders, would withstand rugged
service. The principle customers were well to-do farmers who wanted a four
cylinder prestige car. Ford, Plymouth and Whippet, the only other four
cylinder cars, were smaller and lighter, and could not meet the demands of
these well-to-do farmers.
Since the 407 and 6-14 Durant's for 1930-31 used the same
body shell, frame and running gear, it was a relatively simple matter to
install the Continental W8 engine in the 6-14 deluxe sedan.
Every Durant deluxe feature was included: stone guard, front
and rear carpeting, dual tail lights, chrome plated Klaxon horn mounted
under the left headlight, fender mounted parking lamps and trunk rack. These
deluxe items increased the curb weight by 400 lbs to approximately 3200-lbs.
To compensate for the added weight, the larger wire wheels from the model
6-17 were installed. Of a production of approximately 20 cars with the
deluxe equipment, this is believed to be the only one existing. Several
standard 407's were converted after delivery, most using the smaller wheels
from the model 6-14. This is one way of telling if the car is truly a
deluxe.
SPECIFICATIONS Engine-4-cylinder, mountings cushioned in
rubber, "L" head. Bore 3 7/8, stroke 4 ¼" , 24.03 horsepower, N.A.C.C.
rating, 49 brake horsepower at 2300 r.p.m. Interchangeable main bearings,
bronze-backed, babbit lined. PYRODYNE non-detonating cylinder head.
ISOMETRIC aluminum alloy invar strut pistons. Force feed lubrication
Camshaft driven by silent chain.
Cooling-Tubular radiator, capacity 11 2/3 quarts. Large
centrifugal water pump near rear of block. Thermostat controls engine
temperature.
Fuel System-10-gallon gasoline tank at rear of chassis.
Electric gasoline gauge on dash. Fuel pump to plain tube, high-power
carburetor. Manifold hot spot. Gasoline filter.
Electric System-6-volt, 2-unit electric system. Distributor
has manual and- automatic Spark control mounted above engine. Depressible
beam headlights.
Clutch- Mounted with engine and transmission to form unit
power plant. Multiple spring, single dry plate type with rubber insulated
center, adjustable.
Transmission-Selective, sliding gear type. Three speeds
forward, one reverse.
Drive- Hotchkiss drive. Power plant, propeller shaft and
pinion Shaft in straight line when car is loaded. Two all-metal universal
joints.
Rear Axle- Semi-floating 8-bearing type. All tapered roller
bearings. Special 2-bearing arrangement receives wheel thrust at axle ends.
Front Axle- Reverse Elliot type. Drop-forged, heat-treated
I-beam. Tapered roller bearings for wheels. Steering pivots have ball-thrust
bearings. Ball joints for all steering linkage. Worm and sector steering
gear with tapered roller thrust bearings.
Brakes-"Steeldraulic" 4-wheel, internal expanding type.
Standard Equipment-Includes electric temperature indicator
and gasoline gauge, speedometer, ammeter, oil gauge, pull controls for
Spark, throttle and choke. Coincidental ignition and coil lock, foot pedal
headlight control, rear view mirror, automatic windshield wiper, chromium
plating on bright finished exterior hardware.
Equipment on Standard models does not include bumpers and
bumperettes.
De Luxe Equipment -Sedan and Coupe models are available with
De Luxe equipment at additional cost.
The above article was downloaded from
the DMAC web site
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There are many little items that
I would like to find to make my 4-07 more complete. This picture shows
a set of dash spears that I am missing, plus, my steering wheel is badly
broken up. If you have either of these two items which I could
purchase, let me know through the Feedback Page!!!!
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Differential Pinion Seal – 1930 Durant 4-07
Figure 1
shows the problem. Advantage? Undercoats your fuel tank.
Disadvantage? Eats holes in your neighbour’s asphalt. Cure?
Replace the old felt seal with a modern neoprene seal!!!!!
Before removing the drive shaft, mark the pinion
flange and the drive shaft for original re-assembly. The seal
could be replaced with the pinion in the differential carrier, but it is
much easier to work with the pinion carrier up on the workbench.
It’s as simple as removing the four bolts holding the carrier onto the
differential carrier. Use a criss-cross pattern to loosen and
remove the bolts. No problem with oil leaking out once the bolts
are loose, but have a catch can handy just in case the oil level is
high. If you see a gasket that wants to hang up as you remove the
pinion carrier, be careful and try to keep the gasket intact.
Figure 2 shows the ease of getting at the bolts.
With the carrier up on the bench, remove the cotter
pin from the pinion nut and discard the cotter pin. The pinion nut
may be very tight. Clamping the flange across the edges in a vise
is a good way of holding the pinion from turning. That is a ¾”
drive socket being used to loosen the nut as shown in Figure 3.
Once the nut is loose, turn the nut off until it is
flush with the top of the pinion. Leave the nut on to protect the
top of the threaded pinion shaft when you use the puller to remove the
flange in the next step. See Figure 4 below. The flange
maybe fairly tight and will require a good two jaw or even better, a
three jaw puller. As the flange is drawn up the shaft, turn the
nut up and off as required until you can tap the flange off with a soft
hammer.
With the flange removed, examine the sealing
surface for any wear that the felt seal has caused. If any amount
of wear is evident, consider having a good machine shop weld the worn
section up and then turn the welded area down to the original diameter.
Set the flange aside; replace the nut back on the pinion so it is flush
with the top. Support the assembly in such a way that the entire
pinion gear can be removed from the bottom of the carrier. The
outer cone will be snug on the drive pinion. Using a decent
hammer, 3 pound isn’t too big; tap the pinion gear out of the upper
(outer) bearing so the pinion gear can be removed from the assembly.
Again, be very watchful for the shims that belong between the upper
bearing and the bearing spacer. The original shims must go back in
their original position. They are used to control the pinion
bearing pre-load and are very important!!!!! Make sure none are
stuck to the spacer or the bottom of the outer bearing. See Figure
5 below.
By using a long punch on the inner race of the
outer bearing, the bearing and seal can be driven out the front of the
carrier. Or, use a pry bar and try to lever the old seal out.
It will be tight and difficult to pry. Now is the time to wash all
the components to check for any problems with them. Examine
bearings, cups and cones. If the cups show signs of bad wear or if
time has broken through the hard cup surface, the bearing should be
replaced. Now is the time to do it!!!
You should be able to get the seal at any
automotive jobber. The seal is a current item. This one is a
National Seal from Federal-Mogul, # 473446. The dimensions are
1.687” ID, 2.875” OD and .375” thick as shown on the box in Figure 6.
Before installing the seal, place the clean,
lubricated outer bearing cone on its race. Use grease such as
wheel bearing grease and pack the grease into the neoprene lip of the
seal. This helps provide initial seal lubrication and will keep
the “garter” spring in place while the seal is being driven in.
Coat the outside of the seal casing with a non-drying gasket
sealer/shellac to prevent oil from seeping past the outside of the seal.
To drive the seal into place, use a round piece of pipe; a socket works
well, instead of tapping on the seal itself with a hammer. Tap the
seal in evenly and squarely until it is just below the outer surface of
the pinion housing. See Figure 7.
With the seal in place, be sure that the small
pinion pre-load shims are on top of the bearing spacer, see Figure 5,
lubricate the inner bearing cone and insert the pinion assembly up
through the outer bearing, which is already in place. Coat the
splines in the flange lightly with a sealer to prevent leakage and lube
the sealing surface on the flange. With the bottom of the pinion
gear on the bench, using a suitable pipe/socket as a driver, tap the
pinion flange down against the outer bearing. Place the flat
washer over the pinion threads and then start the nut. You may have to
hold the flange in a vise to keep it from turning. See Figure 8
below. This nut must be tight. It is not used to set the
pre-load on the bearings, the shims determine the pre-load. If the
pinion becomes very hard to turn as you tighten the flange, you may have
lost a shim!!!!! The pinion should be snug to turn, but not spin
free or bind. It should be snug. Place a new cotter pin
through the castle nut to lock the nut. If need be, advance the
nut to expose a hole. The shaft is cross-drilled to provide two
possibilities. The assembly is now complete and ready to place
back in the differential carrier!!!!!!!
When replacing the assembly, clean the mating
surfaces and be sure you replace the original two gaskets and shim.
See Figure 9 below. They determine the depth of the pinion to the
ring gear an must be correct!!! Coat the threads on the housing
capscrews with sealer and tighten them gradually using a criss-cross
pattern. Replace the drive shaft using your original marks as a
guide. Check the oil level in the differential, top up if
necessary.
You are now ready for thousands of miles of drip
free motoring. Not a bad way to put in an afternoon, eh?
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page
Modern Air Filter
I scratched my head about this for
awhile. The carburetor is an updraft carb with the throat facing
the rear, very close to the fuel pump. When new, air filters were
an option and not near as efficient as to-days pleated paper elements.
I started with an ABS 2" plastic waste
pipe 60 ° elbow which I opened up slightly to go over the carb throat.
Two cuts across the elbow allows a clamp to hold the elbow snuggly on
the carb. The other end of the elbow was wrapped with black
electrical tape so the flexible piping fit nicely.
The 2" "piping" between the carb and
the air filter is made to conduct hot air from a hot stove to the air
cleaner on some modern applications. It is the correct diameter,
is flexible yet will not collapse under suction, is light and can be
stretched to accommodate various lengths, within reason.
The element itself is a Kralinator
LA918 with some extra flexible gasket material on the bottom.
The filter base itself is made using
16 gauge steel bent to a 90° angle as shown in the picture below.
Two small gussets help to keep the angle correct. Four holes were
drilled in the 16 gauge and the firewall to allow the filter to be
mounted rigidly to the firewall. A short length, about
3", of steel tubing was used to connect the piping to the air filter.
A suitable hole was made in the 16 gauge steel and then the steel tubing
was welded in place.
The screw assembly that holds the
element down consists of a "U" shaped piece over the tubing with a long
1/4" bolt welded on top of it and then cut to the correct length.
I was fortunate in having an old air
filter housing from a Harley Davidson golf cart, because I modified the
upper housing to use here. A flat plate on the top of the air
filter element would work just as well.
With everything in place, a few clamps
to hold the piping in place and it's done. I am amazed at the
difference in the sound of the engine with the air filter connected.
I can really see why the term air filter and air silencer are
inter-changeable!!!!
Forgive the looks of the engine,
maybe it will get painted next winter ... <G>
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