I have a Thirty that has a couple of neat holes in the middle of the core. I have taken the radiator off the machine and disassembled the tanks and side supports with only two broken bolts!

After I repair the core, what is the recommended gasket material for reassembly of the tanks to cores and for the top and bottom connections?

The material in there appears to be rubber. It would seem that paper gasket material wouldn't hold up to the water as well, or seal well enough for the large, fairly rough, surfaces. I would think that rubberized cork would not be the best choice, either.

I wondered about cutting up a truck inner tube or something like that. Are there sheets of rubber material for gaskets like this?

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I will get some this weekend and post next week. This Thirty has what appears to be a factory propane or butane setup. It has the regulator attached to the top radiator tank with hot water connection and heat exchanger inside the top tank.

We have not been able to locate a serial number, but did find some stamped numbers on the bell housing area of the block, but they do not appear to be serial numbers. Perhaps you all can help with identification based upon the pictures I will post next week.

Thanks for any thoughts you might have about this.

Pete.

Hi Pete,

Typically, the serial number for the Thirty was located on a brass plate on the rear left fender. Many of the Thirtys have two brass plates mounted on this fender with the larger plate (operating poop etc) located above, and the smaller plate (patent numbers, Holt/Best info, and the serial number loacted in the upper right corner of the plate).

This plate is riveted to the fender and due to its location is not long for this world with normal wear and tear.

Good luck with your restoration. I'm looking forward to your pictures.

I'm about 90% finished with my Thirty and enjoying the process. My Hahn seats just arrived so I can set now in comfort.

Tom

Thanks for your reply, tomseabee.

Mine, like most others, suffers from the torch to the fender treatment. It has several layers of yellow paint and what appears to be green primer. I am wondering if it is a post December 7, 1931 tractor.

We have looked and scraped in about six different places that people have told us that they may have stamped the serial numbers, but only came up with some stamped numbers near the bell housing on the top of the block.

I have looked on the larger castings for the numeral code to find casting dates, but haven't had luck finding those either. I know they are there, I just need to look a little closer to find them.

I will post pictures next week. I would like to see some pictures of yours, too. Seeing ones close to completion always gives me a burst of energy to work on mine, especially when I'm just starting out as I am with this one.

Pete.

Hi Pete,
I usually use what we know here in Oz as Insertion Rubber Sheeting, I use 1/16" and if you smear talcum powder or graphite powder on one side of it, it will seperate easier at some later date. I find it will adhere after a long exposure to heat and is difficult to seperate. This sheeting has a layer of cotton fabric inserted between two layers of rubbr to give it strength, this helps resist it being extruded out of the joint like plain inner tube and the like can.
Didn't find any casting dates on the Bosses Thirty when I restored it, the location on top rear of the cyl. block is one of several places that we were told the S/No can be---I did't find any numbers on the Bosses unit and someone got the Dealers Ledger of S/Nos during a company take over, a check back with the original owner's family did not help either, so we do not know its S/No. We only know it came to the Dealer in 1926 and was sold in 1928.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

Do not use inner tube material. In Sacramento there is Capital Rubber which has a large assortment of suitable materials in large sheets or rolls. They could probably refer you to someone in Bakersfield. RT

Pete,

The radiator shop that got me the new core for my TEN gave me a small roll of adhesive, thick, soft tape. It is about .75" wide and at least .125" thick. He promised it would not leak, even if you overlapped the tape, (at corners) which I did, and he was right. It was incredibly easy to use and it trimmed up nicely after assembly. This tape has cotton fiber in it for extra strength. Now I did use an epoxy to smooth out all the mounting surfaces on the tanks. They were pitted pretty bad. He did tell me that you can double up the tape if needed. But only in a non-pressurized system...like these old gas Cats.

I have a very good radiator shop that I use here in Bakersfield. I think I will go by there and ask them as you suggested, Pat. By the way, I much admire your High Ten. We have one, but in original condition for the moment.

Mechanically, its in top shape, I only need to repack the water pump. I have repacked it about ten times, but apparently don't quite have the knack yet. I will keep practicing until I get it right.

I thought I had pics of the serial number here, but at least I will post some of the tractor.

If the radiator shop doesn't pan out, with your descriptions edb and r turner I am sure that I can go to our local California Industrial Rubber outlet and get what I need.

Pete.