So... @RMONTY came by... and it runs. It runs really really good. Here's the first noise and smoke it made... on starting fluid just to see if it would fire before we rolled it out. Here's the first run on gas... And here's the longest run we got out of it. It sounds great. Still coming down from that high. Next weekend we're going to set up the control panel and give it a proper fuel source, but I have some work to do between now and then now that I know I'm not just polishing a turd. It will be a while before it's practical for me to get a radiator for it. In the meantime, could I rig up a garden hose with a Y-splitter to force water through it the same way you'd run a boat engine out of water? By the way... 50 psi of oil pressure!
Looks like you are getting a handle on it. Did I see some arcing on the # 1 plug wire at one of the head bolts ? A gravity feed fuel tank is what you need, one backfire at the carb, and it will catch the bottle on fire. Ask me how I know !
The arcing was a spark plug tester. Yes, we have plans for a gravity feed tank. And I have to say it didn't once try to backfire. We had to clean the points up before it would fire. Used a striker off a book of matches to clean them. The distributor cap is cracked and I had my doubts, but it ran surprisingly well! If you look between my right arm and my body in the last video, you can see the fire extinguisher at the ready. I familiarized myself with the way the pin pulled out before we started the whole process. Ain't my first rodeo.
Why don't you fill the block with water through each head, and seal the inlets and outlets with a piece of inner tube and a hose clamp. You could run it longer. Also, flatheads have a split water system, so you need to fill both sides.
^^^ good idea. It was getting late and we wanted to get an iv gas tank rigged up so we called it a night and will do some more running of the engine next weekend. We need to figure out all the linkages on the carb. Maybe trevor can post some pics of both sides of the carb that winduptoy donated.
Here’s the best I can do in that regard right now. Can get better pictures when I get home this evening if needed.
Can someone explain what the linkage in the first picture does, and how is it supposed to be tied into the linkage in the second picture? The ball connection (dont know what else to call it) at the top in the second picture is obviously the choke, and the one below it is for the butterfly and to operate the accelerator pump via the angled rod, I am just not sure what the ball connector on the other side of the carb does. Can anyone help explain?
The stock left side arm is usually sh!tcanned and not used by hotrodders. Most old Ford linkages from the pedal attach to the ball on the right side. If you use multiple carbs you can install the proper aftermarket connecting linkage on the left sides.
What purpose does that linkage serve? I wasn't there to see the carburetor before trevor installed it, but it seems to have some sort of butterfly in the plate below the carburetor. If it is removed entirely, wouldn't the holes need to be sealed off?
The left arm will open the throttle plate a little via the stock dash "throttle" knob in the old Ford. It's attached to the same throttle shaft as the right side arm, except the left side has a slide feature that is useless to hot rodders. Drive the little pin out and remove it from the shaft. No holes to plug. Or you can leave the thing alone until you are ready to install the carb on a dual intake.
Found out after the 30 minute drive to mineral wells for college that my class has been delayed for another week... guess I didn't make the call list... good news is I have plenty of time for this thing now. Working on a shopping list, going to scrape some shit together today. Any feedback on hooking up a garden hose to the water inlets in lieu of running a radiator?
I don't think a constant supply of really cold water would be good for a hot block. I'd just fill it full with the outlets capped (no belt on the pumps), and wait til you get a radiator to run it more than a minute or so.
Making progress on the clean up, but boy is it ever slow! Idle thought: it looks like the 8RT and FoMoCo casting marks on the passenger side head have been milled off deliberately. Any idea why that might be?
I won an ebay auction for a vintage aftermarket fuel pump with a built in vacuum pump. Not my pics - hasn't shipped yet. Does anyone know if I can use that to operate the vacuum advance on the distributor? I am assuming that's exactly what it's for since the vacuum pressure would correspond directly to engine RPMs but I don't really know.
Those vacuum pumps are to run wipers etc. Does your carb have a vacuum port? That's what ideally youd like. I dont actually know if it won't run the vacuum advance but I dont think it will either. But I do know thats not its intended purpose.
Your right in the time where it's real easy to buy stuff you'll end up not using. Depending on future plans for this engine you need different things. You know it runs. Thats a very positive step. Now you need to start roughing out a plan What will it go in? Am I going to keep the loadmaster distributor or upgrade? Am I going to run dual carbs and if so run 94s, 97s or..... You can save yourself some money by holding off a minute and planning things a bit. If you want some speed equipment see what finds you. Deals come along that sway your plans sometimes. I have an 8rt in my car. I grab vacuum off one of my carbs. The other carb has no port. So since you have one carb already now you just need to find a brother for it that has a port. Of course you need a manifold then but they come up used and are good bang for the buck if only aesthetically haha. Then run a stock fuel pump.
OK. Dang! Thought I got lucky there. I'll contact the seller and see if I can cancel the order - if not I'll just pass it along to someone who needs it. I was planning to replace the distributor but only as necessary. I was thinking that if I could get vacuum to it some other way I wouldn't be worried about replacing it, at least not for a while, but as it sits either the carb or dist is going to have to go before it can go in a car. I think the Stromberg carb is the better of the two parts, so the distributor is on the chopping block if I can't get vacuum to it any other way. I am not overly concerned about putting a bunch of speed parts on this thing right now. I'm the kind of guy that likes to experience something in its base form before I start building on it so I know exactly what it is I'm making changes to. Keep in mind I have never even sat in a car this old let alone driven one. I like the sound of Isky cam and dual carbs and Offy heads and so on eventually but I want to know where it came from when it's all said and done and I think I will appreciate the experience more if I work my way up after getting it to move under its own power. I do have an idea of what I want to put it in but all of this stuff is "while supplies last" so if I can't find my first choice at a price I can manage then I'm happy to work with what's around.
The dude has the sickness already. You should have seen his face after that old engine ran for 20-30 seconds. It was priceless! Mine was probably just as bad though to be honest, and it isn't even my engine!
Haha weve all got the sickness. And its great to see someone with a fresh case. I'm just saying if your on a budget and you plan a little, even if you have to wait on some parts it'll be cheaper in the end. Time to find a project car for that engine to live in!!!!!
I've got a radiator out of a '49 V-8 car that I'm not using. It's probably not good enough to run on the street but it might make a suitable one for the engine stand. I don't want to sell it but you can use it as long as you need as long as I get it back. I live on the west side of Crowley so I'm only 15-20 miles from you. PM if you are interested.
The Jalopy Journal
