May 2011 Banger Meet Spring has sprung now drive'm

Thanks guys for all the replies.
Special thanks to Bill for taking the time to take the pic and post it, along with the info. Nice engine! We dont see much banger stuff (except a few rerstorations) at the local cruise ins around here.

 

If your putting a Mitchell overdrive in with a stock trans you still have a trans with no syncros. So if you like slow shifts and double clutching and not being able to up shift or down shift fast, then go with the Mitchell. In other words, if you want the experience of driving a diesel truck, then go with the Mitchell. You also will have a second shift lever to deal with.

We talk performance here. Does anyone here that runs at the drags run a stock model A trans? There is a reason they don't. I've seen a stock trans grenade at the starting line.

Yes, the price is about the same, if you buy all of the components and pay someone to do the work. If you are capable to do the fab work yourself, the T-5 is cheaper. But if you add the cost of the Mitchell trans, then you add another $4,000 to your build. That is a total of $6100 just in parts. And you still don't have a sycro first gear.

I tell anyone that is thinking of doing an overdrive mod to drive both before they decide. If you were going to spend over 6 grand on a mod, wouldn't to want too?

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Yes.
But then a Fordor doing 22 seconds probably doesn't count as performance...

 

Thanks for making my point.

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What about a guy running in the 8 second bracket at the 66 hill climb with a stock "A" trans in his sprint car?

 

I wouldn't have gotten the humor of this before getting my A Model driveable a few months ago. You set the toe-in with a pipe wrench for goodness sakes!

 

Much lighter car!!!!!
Much shorter track!!!!

Why don't you run an A trans?

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The owner of the sprint car, Bob Kehoe,#4 also runs it at the Antique Nationals.
I use a 38 Lincoln side shift. There is not enough room between the trans tower and brake pedal to operate the accelerator the way my car is set up. The 38 39 Lincoln has the shifter located in the right front quarter of the trans moving the tower 3.5 " forward and to the right about the same amount.
One day a few years back, maybe 10, can't remember now. I was buying some parts from a guy whose family had operated a wrecking yard in Rialto Ca. and we walked out to look at a tractor in the middle of where the cars had been, totally empty now except for 1 small shed by itself. I glanced in the open shed and saw a transmission in the back corner, the only thing in the shed, it was a 38 39 Lincoln side shift. Paid him $100.00 for it. You never know.

 

I was thinking the same thing
I would put my $4000 in to a nice OHV head

 

Dan's kit looks very well made
T-5 is a good transmission
If you can find a T-5 shifter from a GM Van it is easily repositioned ... Not in California ... all automatic. But many are sitting elsewhere in the US rusting away and waiting for you

I do much of my own work and prefer Volvo boxes. They are cheap, strong, and easily adapted to many cars.... provided you don't want a closed drive-line.

 

Yeah right! I think that it is really amazing one.

 

Thanks Jim.

I'm not trying to sell people on the T-5. I'm not getting rich off of my kits by any means!!!!!! From my point of view the Mitchell is a good option for the Stocker crowd. But if you are hopping up a banger, being able to enjoy the added power through a modern trans is well worth it. Hell, even a "39 trans is better then an A trans.

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Having made 'special parts' for years I know it's done out of interest and not money.

 

And I'm losing both with every one I make.

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I ran a T5 in my pick up and it was the best thing I could have done. When I run a banger again I will definitely run a T5 but I like the torque tube idea off the back of it!

 

I had considered the T5 but wanted the gear shift to be close to the stock location. The Tremec stick still had to be bent for leg clearance for me. This would not have been a problem with the T5 but your kit was not available then. I do agree with you regarding the Mitchell, I think a drive line OD such as a Borg Warner would be more practical.
I think you are being rather dismissive of the 39 trans. It is pretty much a bolt in. For the newby with limited funds it would still be a good economical choice, especially for around town. In all of this discussion we have offered some of the different choices. I have a Tremec 4 spd. trans from an 84 87 Ford pickup in my 29 RPU which is, as we all know by now, an overdrive trans.
The 39 was/is the popular choice for "A"'s. It was and still is a lot cheaper than the Mitchell trans. I have a T5 in my storage along with a spare 39 box converted to open drive with pickup parts plus the afore mentioned 38 Lincoln and a couple of "A"'s laying around. Back before the 70 MPH speed limits it was hard to beat a 39 trans with long Lincolns. Still would be around town. If I thought I could work the clutch I would go with the side shift with long Lincoln's behind my 4 port. It will have a Kiwi quick change so I could switch gears and run the freeways. Of course I still have my Torque Flite if I find it necessary to become a "shiftless bastard" ( old term applied to lazy people now seems to apply to people conceived in back seat of cars with automatic transmissions)

 

I would agree the t5 is the best option I have a quickchange and borgwarner in a closed driveshaft this is a street car and I wanted a old look but on reflection a t5 would have been more cost efficent it is certainly the best option for compand I have to admit open drive is betterbut whith split bones and beefed up chassis but I am an old bastard cranky and obstinate

 

I recall the several queries regarding original generators not charging......mine rescently fell into that catagory. I just returned from the garage after the repair. I found the wire for the adjustable brush broken inside the insulation. I hope this info helps those that, like me, have been pulling their hair out!!

Also, after coil number 3, I replaced it with coil number 4 and swapped out the modern silicore resistor wires and made a set of solid core wires from a vintage roll of 7mm cable my Pop gave me. I had suspected the wires we're taking the coils out before........we'll see. Also a noticable difference in performance, throttle response and idle quality......

Jim S.

 

What are you guys using for mufflers?

 

How needs mufflers
I slip the stock Ex. on when my wife goes for a ride.
I made my header so it lines up with the stock Ex. Very quick on and off one bolt.

 

Hmmm, my father still has the original OD from his '55 Chevy kicking around... please forgive me for my ignorance, but if I used a later (50's) Chevrolet 3 speed and the OD on my '28 Chevy 4, would that alow me to run a low enough rpm at highway speeds so's I don't kill the babbitt??? Most GA roads are 45-55 MPH and the highways are 55-70

 

I have a Model B 4cyl engine and it idles fine but when driving its ran to rich and back fired and ran like crap, so i leaned it out a bit and set the points and it runs better now but still seems like to much fuel! it has a 2brl Rochester down draft carb so maybe its to much carb for this engine? Now to the bad part, i checked the oil and it seemed really thin and it really smelled like gasoline! so i drained the pan and its more gas than oil!! whats the problem? rings? hole in piston? 1 dead cylinder? what do u guys think? it kinda scares me seeing as how i just got this car!
Thanx
Mike

 

Work out the necessary gear ratio for your rear end/ (or use a quick change) so that you can cruise comfortably in your ideal rev range in overdrive . As long as you have enough torque to keep you there.
That way whenever you need a bit more power/revs you can switch back to direct drive.....

Smaller 90s diesels(120 to 180 cu) 4 banger engines use around 2000-2500 rpm in overdrive at 60- 70mph.... and it goes up about 1000 rpm in direct drive. They have about the same rev range and torque as hopped up real Bangers .

 

^^^^^^
Mike...
I would check your float and the needle and seat. It sounds like the gas washing down your bores. Fix the carb and change your oil

 

There will still be gas/oil in your dipper tray, take the distributor out and pour fresh oil in there ( 1/2 pint at a time) until clean oil with no gas in it comes out of the drain hole.
That's how I would do it anyway. Unless somebody knows a better way?

 

I made a long 1/4" rubber hose to go on the end of my air line. I used a pc of 1/8 wire to stiffen up the hose. I took the oil filler tube out and worked in the larger hole. I still didn't get it all. I changed the oil 2 more times. I ran the engine til it got warm and dumper the oil. It would have been faster and cheaper to drop the pan but I didn't have a gasket

 

Mac--It depends---(don't ya love that answer?)

IF you have less wind resistance than stock

IF you have more HP than stock

Then, you might be able to pull an OD above 55

On the flat, weight only makes a difference in how long it takes to get to top speed.

Try to find an OD with a ratio of .8 or closer to 1-1 but that's hard to find.

Most of the 50's cars had a ratio of about .7 and it takes a strong engine
in an old car to pull that

Herb

 

I'm probably wrong but higher or lighter ends of the gas will evaporate, these are the more volatile solvents. The basic oil change would be all I would do. Adding at least 1 quart down the distributor hole during the change more if you want to. Just don't run it hard for a while. After the oil heats up to operating temperature most of the solvents will evaporate. This is only true if the engine doesn't blow up.(just kidding) Fix the carburetor first. This will give the gas (solvents) remaining in the engine a longer chance to evaporate. Sounds like a sticking float needle. The gas is probably leaking past the rings. That problem is pretty common in some older carburetors. Thats why you see all of those marks/dents in some old Stromberg carburetor tops. It is also caused by the float level set too high. This is one of the reasons for the fuel shutoff on model "A"'s On a stocker it would just destroy your asphalt driveway or kill your grass.

 

Hey guys,
As you folks push the envelope engine wise as opposed to the Barn, I've finished putting together my diamond B block and I used top-lock nuts rather than the old castle nuts. Anyone had any problems with this?
Any thoughts and/or opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Pete

 

It will probably be OK, but it depends on the type of nut. I would also be worried that the torque value is not accurate because of the extra torque required to overcome the lock. I just redid mine with grade 8 bolts and double nuts.

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