Bangin' in the New Year - The January BANGER meet is now open

well, not sure why I had 350 in my head (thinking about too many things at once probably) but it actually says either GT38 or GI38..... Thanks for the info on the diamond block though!!, guess I got a good one... and Ernie, I hate to be Mr. Know-it-all but I believe they used the Model T motor in the '65 Shelby's

 

No, the Model T motor was reintroduced in the '74 mustang.

 

I have a diamond "A" block with inserts in the exhaust valve seats. A few years back someone compared the weight of a stock "A" block and a diamond block and said the diamond block he had weighed 4 Lbs. more than the stock block he had. I don't remember if he went into such things as had one or both been decked as I recall. The one that I have has a serial # LBXXX. Story is that most were industrial engines but I have seen several in cars. Didn't bother to check the serial #'s on those.

 

Don't know how many people who post here are members of FAST but those of you who are must have seen the photo on the rear cover,
RIP Jay

 

I missed the back cover picture but did see the one inside on page 14, just took a look though and it put a smile on my face. I'm really going to miss calling in on Jay during my visits to California. Bill, you'll remember it was Jay that introduced me to you in a somewhat convoluted way via the rebuild of my Winfield carb.

 

I remember doing that carburetor for you and one of the reason's we were at Taylor Engine on the eighth was to deliver 2 Winfield "BB"'s I had gone through and cleaned up for one of Jay's projects.

 

Oh Dear Lord!

THAT is horrible,... our prayers are with his family.

 

Get that thing magnafluxed or sonic tested before you lay into it with any cash! Regardless of being a Diamond block, B's are notorious for cracking! I've seen both diamonds and non diamonds with cracks in them.... I had one!

 

I have to renew,... I had lost the renewel envelope and lost track of doing so!

 

I have had 3 "B" blocks that were cracked, all 3 have been repaired and are in use. The problem is that Ford engineers changed the thickness of the deck making it thinner and this is thought to be the reason for the cracks in that area. If you are going to throw a "B" block away because it is cracked throw it my way!

 

It was REALLY bad,.... no, I know they can be repaired, it would have been if it was possible!

I have a diamond A thats going to a friend who I promised it to if ever I found a dimond B,... so my Diamond B was found, and only a bit over stock size. Two gouges from the center pins need to be taken out, so it will likely be punched out to 40-60 over, then built. I have a drilled C crank for it also,... now if I could just win the lotto!

 

hey any other drilled c cranks floating round still need a front drive oil pump believe they may have been made by Kong building up my new rear end with kiwi quickchange and borg warner overdrive

 

... sorry not that I know of myself. Wish I could help you out friend.

 

That's the plan, I'm looking around to see what the best shop to do the job would be around here. I'm a poor hot rod kid so I want to make sure my baby is checked out and built up right!

 

by the way CoalTownKid, I checked out the club's website! I have been there before, it was one of the first sites I found when I really got into the traditional stuff. Your club is exactly the kind of thing I'm into, love the music on the site as well!! A friend of mine and I are trying to get a club going here with the same idea but it's hard finding guys that REALLY get it.

 

Welp,
I finally took the A for a spin tonight. I got the radiator back in and most all the loose ends buttoned up. I figured what the hell, I'll see what she'll do. MAN-O-MAN, it really scoots! I am super impressed with the performance, and I don't even have the carbs sinked yet! It boggs just a tad off the line, and then really gets moving!!! I am sooooooo excited, I can ardly stand it Went down about 4 blocks then back home, it was dark and I didn't want anything going haywire, but looks like I'm on my way

 

Sound like fun. No snow? Did you have to put chains on it?

I've put @ 300 miles on my B since I put it in last month and I'm tickled to death with it!!!!! I've even had it over 80 mph this last week end.

 

No chains, and no snow...but it is only 22 degrees I installed a temp gauge in it and it didn't go over 120 in it's little drive!!!

Another dumb question, how much oil pressure does a B make? I installed an oil pressure gauge off the side of the block. The gauge starts at 20 pounds, and does not move when running. My Dad says a B does not produce 20 or more pounds, so thats whats up with the reading. True? I know it has oil pressure, just curious as to how much

 

They don't produce much preasure at all. I installed one of those low preasure "NuRex" oil gages in my dash. It starts at 0 and reads a max of 10 psi and it doesn't move either. It scared me at first, but I cracked lines on the side cover and oil gushed out. So I'd say a stock oil pump and no preasure mods to the block , You wont see much preasure at all.

 

Thanks Daddyo, I dod the same...cracked the line and had oil, so no worrys. I have a neat ol 5 pound gauge I may install.
Gotta get some minor bugs worked out, but I think she'll be ready for spring! Thanks everyone for the answers and help to my never-ending questions.

 

I've gotten real tired of the myths and legends about Model T compression limits from the speedster crowd. The conversation always goes something like this:

Them: "Anything more than about 7.0 to 1 and you'll knock out the babbit."

Me: "You ever had that happen?"

Them: "No."

Me: "You know of someone that's happened to?"

Them: "No."

Me: "You ever hear of it happening in the Old Daze?"

Them: "No."

Me: "Then where'd you get that information?"

Them: "It's what I've always heard."

So what's the truth? How much compression can be run on speedster type Model T engine (as opposed to an endurance built race car type engine) and what is the limiting factor? Knocking the babbit out? Breaking the crank? I'm thinking that the main limiting factor in the Old Daze was fuel quality/octane rating. Am I wrong?

 

i like 6:1...it was about what winfield ran...just look at the inside of the head on his 2 up-2 down motor...you don't need compression to make a T flat motor go...

 

I'd like a diffinitive answer to this too. T and A engines both.
may be 4-Port Riley, Bluto, and Bill can share with us their views on this.

How about running preasure to babbit? I've heard some of the same things about that.

Knowing what I know about the T lower end, I would say that the crank would let loose before the babbit quit the party. I think detination would be your biggest enemy hear. With todays fuel quality compaired to 80 - 90 tears ago, an engine could run higher comp. without to much concern for pre ignition. As long as the combustion chamber was properly preped and smoothed.

 

I think spark control is more important than compression.

But the thing that will kill the motor quicker than anything else is the nut behind the wheel. As power goes up this nut loosens.
Over reving will kill an engine. AND most of the nuts can't control their right foot.

Told a customer to keep the motor to 6000 once he kept running 6500 Telling me it was ONLY 10% ............ never understood that loads double
at that level if not more.


my .02 Zloty

 

Donrodin-

Well, thank you very much for your kind words. Much apprecaited. It's there so that the history of these men and the revival of that club will gain the right kind of attention, and people will gain some education in the process while having a ball doing so! Glad to see you enjoyed it!

I've been really blessed with another past member's son contacting me through the website recently, and just yesterday was sent a sort-of care package filled with copies of his father's original photos from the dry lakes.

Most will be posted soon as I get them scanned in, saved, archived, etc. Then I'll be updating the photography section of the site.
if you ever feel like driving from IN to PA, we can get together I'm sure. We've got some neat things brewing for this year with the club and some other friends of the club!

 

Compression is not what kills babbitt, it is detonation. I've raced my Cook head on a B block at 12:1 with no problems. My current Bonneville engine is that same lower end with the same babbitted mains that I have run for years. I changed rods from B to Eubanks to get a stronger rod, they are inserted. The engine now has 8:1 and has a turbo pumping 6psi. T's have less bearing area but keep oil to the bearings and you should be OK.

 

message for "stovebolt" I have a new e-mail jimb@skywayusa.net

Jim Brierley

 

I can't comment on the "T" engine as my only experience has been to drive a couple of "T"'s when in high school. With the "A" engine my experience has been problems with warmed over engines with babbit and shook a couple of rods loose after sustained high speed. Mr Brumfield did a lot of testing as he developed his head and said in an article that he could see babbit moving at 7 to 1. I recently had an email from Jim Brierley in reply to a question I asked in regards to babbit in "B" engines with their larger bearing surface and he said he has run 12 to 1 on babbit in a "B" so I plan to use a set of "B" babbit rods in my 4 port but it will be detuned to around 8 to 1. Not sure about the 7 to 1 limit, it may just be one of those myths but it had to start somewhere.

 

Those should be some very interesting pics, I'll be sure to check in after you post them, and I will let you know if I decide on going on a road trip to PA I'd be very interested to see what you gentlmen have brewing!

 

From what I have learned and what makes sense in my head, as long as you are getting enough oil to the bearings and there arent any "hot spots" in the combustion chamber compression shouldnt really be a problem.... basically what everyone else said..... and if you are worried about the mains you could always break the bank and buy the Miller 5 main bearing crank girdle

Ok guys, kind of going along with the compression issue, can I have some opinions on what exactly to do to my B engine to make it git but also be a reliable daily driver. I have a few ideas of my own and I'm sure you guys have had to answer some form of this question multiple times, but I have gotten so many different answers from different guys that "kinda" know what they are talking about, I would really like the opinion of some guys that RUN em. Pistons, rods, main caps, timing gear, babbit or insert, distributor,.. everything... what should I use?