Projects Model T roadster on Model A chassis

Hence the suggestion of the timing light. No blink, no spark!

 

Carbs are starving for fuel. Not enough head pressure with the T mount tank. Even a stock Model A using a high rise manifold and carb can starve for fuel flow. Done lots of that. You can use a simple pulse fuel pump but I make up a surge can to take out some of the pulse hitting the float needle valve.

 

Probably my fault for not mentioning but I did put a fuel pump on it.

 

Working out the bugs one by one. Got the manifolds sealed up good. Fixed a spot where the fuel line was kinking. Now suspecting float level, or some trash in the carb. Seems like it does it after hard pulls or taking corners. I realized I forgot to put a filter back inline... still doesn't have any trouble pegging out the 80 mph speedo and still pulls past that.



Figured out the accelerator pumps are leaking- gotta yank the carbs again. It's a beast though. When everything works right it really is kinda fast...

 

I think I figured it out. Maybe I'm way off here... I thought that was like a 3.5 psi fuel pump but the documentation with it says 5-9. I can only assume that voltage to the pump is what determines the output. If that's the case, that's probably the issue. Right now the hot wire off the pump goes straight to the battery and the generator is making right at 14.5 volts when it's wound out. So it will idle all day without a problem and work fine puttering around the yard slowly, but once I get out onto the road and wind it up, that little pump is feeding 10 pounds to the carbs and probably overwhelming the needles.

It flooded and died on me and after letting it dry out I got it home without issue by toggling the fuel pump on and off. It will run for over a minute without the pump, the bowls are huge on those YFs.

Long story short, I think I need to put a fuel regulator in line and just to be safe I should probably limit the voltage the pump receives.

 

You definitely want to install a fuel regulator but the voltage shouldn't affect pressure output of the pump.

 

Thanks. I'm confused by the rated output range since there is no adjustment on the pump whatsoever but I thought voltage controlling the output would be kinda goofy.

 

I stumbled across some period photos of a T RPU rod with a full length bed. This one is on a '32 frame.





This truck would get a top later...

 

DO NOT buy one of those push n twist regulators. Pure horse shit.

 

RodStRace speaks the truth..

 

I haven't heard that term before. What do those look like?

 

Again DO NOT

 

Gotcha. Not what I was going to go with but I have seen one like that branded Mr Gasket.

 

The design is branded with lots of different stick-on decals. All are bad.

Note also that many fuel pressure gauges that are 0-10 psi are not accurate. You can tee in a few and they will all read different. I don't bother with buying and testing them, so I can't point to a good one. I adjust for no flooding and no starvation. If you have one, it can be used as a guide for more or less, but don't expect it to be the exact pressure or even repeatable.

 

I have found that the only inexpensive option to be fluid filled industrial type gauges they are accurate but are much larger in size 2-2.5" not the clean look of the small automotive FP gauges.

 

Regulator did the trick.



Drives like a dream! Now I know this setup will work, it's time to start figuring out permanent homes for all these components and running hard lines. I don't like the rubber line half an inch off the exhaust manifold!

I also ditched the autolite plugs and put some champ W16Ys in it.

 

Remind me when you come over to go to the Stray Kat and I will give you a decent set of flaring tools. It will do double flares and regular 45 degree flares.

 

Errands today. Definitely got the flooding whupped. Now I have a new issue - heat! I'm used to this car running between 165 and 170 but with these carbs she's hanging out closer to 190. Might just be because I'm pushing it harder now that it can exceed the speed limit?! Anyway, I'll have to ponder this. That may be too hot for a babbitted banger.

Another minor issue - it dies in sharp left turns. I recognize these are not high performance carburetors so there may be nothing to do about it...

 

You should check the plugs to make sure you aren't running lean

 

@RMONTY at least the intake matches the cherry bomb!
Red in, Red out!

@trevorsworth try the sharp left with the clutch in with the revs up a bit (1500 or so).
See if it stumbles lean or is dumping fuel rich (black smoke). You might try raising or lowering the floats but if it's great everywhere else, you might have to live with it. Give it a few more hours run time to 'settle in' too.
As for the temps, keep an eye on it, get some more miles and read the plugs. Might have debris in the cooling system or might be running leaner. If the cooling system is good, you can try working with the advance, too.

 

If Trevor thinks I am riding all the way to Dewey in that jalopy he has another think coming!

 

Well, there are two answers for that.
Ride or walk, your choice!
or
That's why its' got a bed, he can tie ya down and toss ya in back!

 

Uh huh. Yeah. Sure LMFAO

 

I have created a very practical vehicle. Yard work is fun now!

This was about an hour of real driving back and forth on a couple trips to the local yard waste dump. Lots of traffic, idling, acceleration, and even a little highway cruising - so it was a perfect way to get to know the car in real world conditions.

By the time I got back it was pretty warm - 216 degrees at the water neck. Not hot enough to hurt anything I think, with the pressurized cooling system the water should not have been quite boiling yet, but definitely too hot. It's also nearly 100 degrees outside.

I'm not sure how much good that fan is doing. It's the stamped two-piece four-blade fan that came off the AA (not the one that is prone to suddenly fragmenting but the later replacement that is only a single layer of metal), with the damaged piece (two blades) removed. I tweaked the remaining blades a little to encourage more air flow but I don't think it's enough to do much at idle. I should start looking for a better fan and probably try to come up with some kind of shroud.

 

Shouldn't be too difficult to make a shroud to pull the air through the radiator more efficiently. Maybe try it out with some of your CAD design and then transfer to some light gauge sheet metal. I know a guy that has a lot of metal shaping tools that could probably help out with putting something together.

 

Saul made me a stencil today.

 

I hope you still have some black spray paint left!

 

Not a fan?

It needs a couple touch ups. I needed to get the stencil away because I suck at using paint and it was getting wet.

 

I have a couple of those regulators on different vehicles, and I was able to make them work after tweaking the springs and such. I was dealing with a Edelbrock carb that kept flooding and had to buy one on a trip and I was able to use it and its still on the vehicle 4 years later and I am still able to adjust it up and down . That said the number on the dial did not reflect the pressure until I played with he spring a bit/ bunch . I would not advise one but they can be made to work if you have to .
turned out the carb had a chunk of wire form the screen in the needle valve that it there to keep crap out of the needle and seat ;(

Ditto what you say on the cheap gauges. I likely have a dozen of them and they all read different. A Moon one is the worst . Im sure its made in some China factory .

 

I like it.