Always hated the stock 3-speed trans, myself. Couldn't wait to get rid of it. Got two bangers now; one with a T5 and one I adapted a mid-'60s Volvo trans to. Far better driving experience. I've started to piece the banger from my tudor back together. On strip down I discovered that during a previous build someone had fitted cam bearings. I'm fitting a different flywheel than is usually attached to this crank so I took it all to be balanced last week. What really struck my eye was how far out of balance the clutch cover was. It took this much lightening to sort out... While that was away I spent a little time cleaning up the block. Now its all back, I've started to pin it all back together. The crank is in, I've checked the end float and the Burtz seal appears to be okay. Still waiting for bits to arrive, but it should be back on the road well before xmas.
My knowledge of the AA trans is limited, but in general truck 4-speeds have very truck-like ratios: usually a creeper first gear, and second about like a 3-speed first. I guess you could run a Bonneville type rear to take advantage of that steep first, but because most guys with 4-speed trucks start out in second when not fully loaded, I think a person using an AA trans would find little or no occasion to use first. Make any sense? -Dave
does anyone else have excess slop in ther dizzy bug? crazzy i tracked it all the way to the cam. do the spiral cut distributor gear on the cams wear out? i know the gear on the pump/dizzy shaft wears out but my problem is mostly in the cam. i found a couple of NOS FORD pump/dizzy shafts withe the gear on it, rebuild it and the slop is in the cam. jim b....how many degrees of slop from the cam distributor gear is acceptable? i'm thinking a crank trigger sounds really good right now...hum...
Yes, I've seen the pump / distributor drive gear on the cam worn to a sharp point. I've been told that converting to pressure can cause wear on this gear. The increase is resistance of the higher pressure of the pump. .
Makes perfect sense. My Jeep Truck is the same way with the T-18. I just thought I'd ask becasuse I have access to an AA 4 speed. Somthing to think about if I want to pull stumps with the sedan. I was hoping to get a cheap period upgrade. Oh well, T-5 here I come. Crazydaddyo :::: Jeep 4x4 T-5 or S10 4x4 T-5? Jeff
For the stock Model A frame, the S-10 / S-15 4x4 trans is the way to go with the closed drive line set up. .
Some "A" parts houses have oversize pump/distributor drive or driven gears to compensate for cam gear wear.
Hey guys - happy November. I was at a little cruise night last Friday night (Fulton Ranch in Chandler for any AZ folks) and a guy was there with a nice camera taking pics. I asked him if he wouldn't mind emailing me a few of them. This is my favorite out of those he sent me (taken after dark). Here are a couple more I took before heading out earlier that evening. I was planning on making a few more changes to the car but the more I drive it the more I like it this way, except maybe for the gearing and brakes. I am wrestling with how I should tackle that, overdrive, T5, etc... I have a T5 bellhousing that I tripped across for the banger motor but I don't have any of the other parts needed to make the conversion. I have also obtained 46 Ford rear brakes and '53 F100 front brakes for a conversion sometime in the future. The Carter 6V fuel pump I swapped to is working great. It's nice to be able to go uphill and below 1/2 tank of fuel again ;-) I will likely have the car as seen here at Goodguys in AZ (Westworld) Nov 20-22.:
As little as possible. There are oversized driven gears available that will take up most of the slop. Trial and error will tell you which one to use. I think they come in +.004" and +.010" sizes? In theory, with the engine running there is little to no back-and-forth motion of the dizzy as frictin keeps it from oscillating. (in theory!)
REAR SEALS, My "A" engine was converted to a SBC 2 piece rear seal. So I went to my local Napa store and bought one made by Felpro carried as Napa brand. This is a Blue colored seal and appeared to be the same as the one in the engine. Well, there are 2 styles of blue SBC seals and you will, or anyway, I had an interference problem with the seals. They had the same number as far as I can tell but there is a difference in the configuration. One put less pressure on the slinger but still had some interference. So I did a little research at a shop called Pettis Performance in Hesperia Ca. These people are very patient with guys working on old engine's and let me measure the seals they carry which are a tan/light brown colored material and are marketed as High Performance. The ones I bought are .020 to .025 narrower than the blue ones and cost 2 times the Napa part but they fit with no interference. Life can be such a bitch sometimes!
I'm having some trouble with my gas pedal - it is hyper sensitive. Just a little push and its off to the races! I'm thinking the spring on the stock setup is really stiff at first? It doesn't have a second spring on it. I'm at the point where I'm thinking of disengaging the stock setup and going to a double spring on the carb/intake somehow. Any thoughts?
does anyone know what small oil pump was used in the early 30's on the front of a motor? running off the front of the cam i guess? I'm trying to figure out what to use for a period oil pump... i have a really neat ball bearing type that has its own little driveshaft with a cam type lobe on it... but its rather bulky any thoughts... also where one might be found? my goal is arond 1933 for a cutoff on parts so something older then that started seeing how things fit thanks Zach
1915 to 1920 Cadillac 51 engines seem to have have a gear driven oil pump... We should go over and look at Dad's 1927 Studebaker....
Um...................... you could say that. I have seen a block that had a hole punched in between number 3 and 4 that still ran. Guy just epoxied it up and ran it. He had lost number 4 during a tour and somehow was able to make it home from I think it was the far side of Lake Isabella all the way to his home down here in Bakersfield. They honed and sleeved number four and he ran it like that for awhile until his next rebuild.-Weeks
Which carb you running? I had a similar problem once with a 97, so took the spring off the stock throttle linkage and put one on the carb instead. Don't forget you need to oil the A throttle linkage every 500 miles or so, otherwise it gets stiff.
Um...................... you could say that. Hey Weeks... I think I have a hole in the piston. It smoked up the town and pushed out most of the oil in the pan. Looks like the old engine didnt like the new head. First it blow a head gasket and now it didnt make it a 10 mile trip last night. On the good side my new head lights worked mint It was so nice too see with 12 volts. Cut throw the smoke at the stop lights real good.
hey bill ya need a fresh engine for spring? heres one for nobodys hero diamod b block no cracks ya hoo!
Banger Bummer Bill, seems like a real common thing unfortunately to see fellas switch out their heads and pop a hole in their pistons or start having issues with the babbit wearing out alot quicker. Did you have the head surfaced before you put it on? We had a similar issue with a rebuild here where a Snyders brand new high comp head came and had to be resurfaced from the get go. Seems like number 4 always is fuel starved with the higher comp heads. I know 4 already has cooling issues on most Bangers. It will be interesting to hear how you go about getting your fog maker back on the road. The more I read about the aftermarket heads and lack of longevity, the more I think the max comp ratio I would run with a stocker/mild banger is just what the "B" head provides. I believe compression would be the same as Snyders head with a 5.5 or 5.8 comp ratio. Good old Henry had the high comp "B" head which was obviously tested very extensively throughout the years in police cars and the few citizens who were able to get ahold of them way back when. Dang Bill I never like to see carnage within are banger community on here. Hope the rebuild is quick and easy.-Weeks
Don't forget, hell, I missed that page in the owner's manual. Have to go dribble some oil on that thing later. Thanks, Scott
I don't believe the problem is with the aftermarket heads. I believe the problem is caused by people bolting a higher compression head on a tired engine. This oil problem is more likely caused by blowby . The model "A" runs very well with 7 to 1 but not if you install the higher compression head on a tired old engine and don't retime. The "A" engine is very forgiving but you must have good babbit to begin with.
thanks for asking..havent run it yet...have to send the loomium parts out for polish yet. whats your take on charlie yapp's riley? im gonna reserve comment on it for now... m
Sorry to display how little I know about bangers (I'm on a steep learning curve) but what benefits are in a Diamond block, as compared to a standard block? Also does anyone have a copy of "California Bill's Speed Manual" scanned that you wouldn't mind sending me?
You got it Bill my engine was old and tired. With the stock head I had some blowby going up big hill at speed when I put the 5.5comp. head I had even more then the dumbass that I am I went for 6.5 comp. I took it for a ride last night put the go peddle to the wood up a big hill with a nice S at the top and when I got to the top the car had so much smoke in it I could not see. If you wont to play you have to pay and if you your a bumbass you pay more
I'm with bill on this one. If the bottom end is sound, then it will be fine. But, these things don't like to be lugged, or worse, mashing the loud pedal under load. I.E high gear going up a hill. In my opinion, if you put a Hi Comp. head on a banger, You should also go to a distributor that has mech. advance. Low RPM romps on the throttle with the timing advanced too far will create detonation and engine destruction. Some of the aftermarket heads have the spark plug too close to the cylinder. Winfield said that the location of the spark plug was critical on a Ford banger with high compression. If the burn started too close to the highest point of compression (over the piston) in a flat head, then detonation was almost unavoidable. I think that is the problem some of the people that are running the Lion's head are having trouble with. Flame propagation at the squish band is not good. In many cases detonation is started there even with out spark. Something else that is over looked on a Hi Comp head swap is the piston to head clearance. Every banger I've taken apart has had pistons that stick up above the block. .
I don;t have any info regarding performance but was told by an engine builder that they required some work. I understand C Yapp changed the configuration of #1 combustion chamber and that his head gaskets don't work for an original head. I needed to replace or repair 1 rocker arm stand on my Riley 2 port and Jay recommended replacing both stands with C Yapp's rocker stands as they already had the provision for pressure oiling. That is when I found that they were taller. Took some massaging with a rotary file inside the covers and thicker gaskets to fit. The quality of the rocker stands looked good. I had a new Denver Miller at one time and it cost close to $800 to make it work and when I took it to a local head shop to have it flowed the guy just laughed. He said the core shift was so bad. He thought it might make a good forklift motor so I'm kinda leery of repop heads where you can't find any results. C Yapp has sold quite a few heads but I haven't heard any feedback. The guy that drove my car with the original Riley 2 port ran 84 on his second pass and said he thought he could hit the low 90's with more practice. He had never driven a car with a "short throw" trans before.
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