Model T with out Water

[Mustang1964s]

Just watched another video about T's first start in x years.
How long can a T motor run with out Water?

This would make me extremely nervous with the potential of over heating.

Why would someone risk tearing up a fresh motor with out any kind of wather?

[TWrenn]

I would say about two to four minutes. Wouldn't go any longer. Others may know better.

[Jack Putnam, in Ohio]

Running an engine without water will cause almost instant damage. How long is that instant: about as long as you can grip the exhaust manifold with your bare hand. In less than 30 seconds the exhaust is extremely hot, so are the cylinder head and the piston tops. The cast iron head is thin and would rapidly expand risking a crack. Just add water before the start and be safe.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I have known a number of people that would run a dry engine with no radiator for up to two minutes, and one fellow that would go to three minutes.
Personally, I would never even get to twenty seconds. (Unless it was an emergency)
"Emergencies" happened to me twice.
A long time ago, my dad had to move a truck from a storage yard he had kept it on and off for a couple years. The "landlord" was angry, and my dad in typical fashion was taking care of things at the last minute. We spent a couple hours the day before, putting in a battery, making sure the old thing would start. It was late,and other issues made it unwise to move that late evening. So home we went, with the plan to return the next morning. And so we did. Only to find someone had stolen the radiator out of the truck during the night! Battery was still in it. So what to do. We could tow it, had a rope. But I was young enough yet and there was a bad area about a mile away that was not a good place to go through on a rope. So after some discussion, dad got in the truck (early '50s Chevy two ton flatbed!). Started up and took off with me right behind in the pickup. Start, run up to street speed, shut off and coast. Pop clutch, back up to speed, off again and coast. We got to the bad intersection with a red light. As he sat awaiting for the light, I jumped out of the pickup, ran over and pressed the "walk" button on the signal post (remember those?). As I ran back I hollered to him that "Walk would hold the light green for a bit longer". He hollered back "Good idea" and I jumped back into the pickup just as the light turned green. We took off, wound through the intersection and continued for about another mile before switching to the tow rope. Power and coast got us more than five minutes.
About twenty years later, an odd set of circumstances lead me to pull the same trick. A sometimes slow leak in the radiator of my old Ford work pickup that hadn't leaked in a couple weeks, and a couple cars mixing things up on a long bridge over the San Francisco Bay, caught me low on water going uphill (where the ships went under). Stop and crawl traffic due to a multiple car accident about two miles onto a fully seven mile long bridge caused the truck to overheat. When I noticed it on the temp gauge, I went to start, crawl, shut off and let cool. Got to the top of the over/under crossing, and was able to coast until we got past the wrecks. Popped the clutch and began to up my speed. Well? That didn't work out so well. The temperatures in the engine had stabilized somewhat, but unknown at the moment was that the heads were dry. As soon as the rpm went up enough to kick in the water pump, Hot water hit hot heads, instant steam went KABOOM! Seconds to think about it. NO place to pull off, and I really did NOT want to cause a second backup on the already jammed bridge. I quickly speculated that a radiator hose had blown (they were a bit old?). I got the truck quickly up to 55, and killed the engine. The bridge from there on was about as flat and smooth as a road can get. Coasted until speed got down to about 25, key on, pop clutch (I really do not like an automatic! Could not have gotten away with this!) and quickly up to about 60. Key off, and coast again. I had to do that several times, and as soon as we reached the end of the bridge, off onto the shoulder.
I continued using that truck for several more years. Never had any problems that would have been the result of overheating.
At least four full miles of nearly dry engine.

And? The REST of the story.
Once on the shoulder, I jumped out and opened the hood. To my surprise, I couldn't see anything wrong. (?????) Hoses all looked fine. No signs of spray, nothing. Went back to the front of the truck, and removed the radiator cap. Looked inside. I SAW MY SHOES!!
Upon closer examination, it was found that the sudden burst of steam had blown the top tank half off the top of the core plate! It couldn't be easily seen because the framework for the front clip held it in and hid it. I had almost two gallons of water in gallon containers in the back of the truck. It was getting late, but we (my coworker was riding with me, and got an education!) let it cool for about another half hour. Meanwhile, I pushed the top tank back together, and stuffed some old rags and my coveralls around the top tank and front clip framework. After waiting, I slowly added my two gallons of water. It wasn't quite enough, but would do. Started up, it sounded fine, and we made a beeline to the nearest gasoline station! Straight to the water hoses, with the engine still running, I hosed down the radiator to cool it off more and faster. Filled the radiator, filled the two jugs. And hit the road.
With about thirty miles to go, first all the way through Hayward on its city streets, straight to the last gasoline station before hitting the highway and over the (small) mountain. Pulled in again, filled the radiator again, the jugs were still full. And headed up the mountain. Got to the top, and coasted all the way down. I knew where a close station was on the near side of Pleasanton, and again made a beeline to it. Again, refilled the radiator, the jugs still unused, and headed to Livermore. I took my coworker home. dropped him off, used one of the jugs to top off the radiator and headed to my house.
Fortunately, it was Friday. Saturday I repaired the radiator. Turned out, the on again off again leak? Was a defective solder job from new! It had not been properly cleaned or tinned at the factory. The tank was barely hanging on most of the way around. I had to remove it the rest of the way, and redo the whole tank.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Let me again add, I will NOT run a dry engine more than twenty seconds unless it is some sort of situation requiring it. I don't care if I did "get away" with it that time!

[John kuehn]

Think of it this way:
Would you run a new $30-40,000 dollar pickup a minute or two or less without water or coolant in the engine? No way. Same goes for any engine that needs coolant to operate. A Model T engine is no different.

[George Mills]

Once upon a time and after a long rebuild, the car was in the garage backwards without a radiator. Rather than push it out and turn it around with calling neighbors I judged 60 seconds would be probably fine and I’d be quick. Out, k turn, back it up, turn it off, let it coast to a stop. Success...went in house as lunch was ready. I always had screen doors on the garage house doors.

I no sooner sat down and I heard a very distinct “plink”. I finished lunch and went back out and holy cow....the hump length of the head Had split open! Groan...

But I was also young enough and a material science guy that I was going to salvage the head...in place. Hand formed rust joint, finish sized by hand, sanded down a week later. That was 40 years ago now, that head has never even seeped a drop since. I did drill a small hole at the end of the crack, and on the water flange end did need a dab of black stuff

[JohnH]

I've had the experience of driving an "air cooled" Model T, and luckily got away with it. The water had simply boiled away during a long trip on a hot day - still had the original radiator. It was out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but grassy plains as far as the eye could see, and could smell something burning. Stopping to investigate, the first thing I saw was the head was glowing purple. I waited 20 mins for things to cool down, and then ever so slowly trickled the full amount of water in over about 10mins. You'd never know anything bad had ever happened because it started right up, the oil consumption continued to remain as low as it always had been and the bearings had escaped any damage.
The irony is that I had fitted aluminium pistons about three days before this trip. I had seen references to aluminium pistons seizing up with hot engines, but really, if the head can turn purple and the pistons aren't damaged, they can't be that fragile.

[Rich Bingham]

Two years ago I pulled out of the hay field after changing the irrigation line and thought about taking a "victory lap" around the section just for fun. Lizzie's guardian angel reminded me it was getting late, and I'd best head for home and start chores, so we went left for a little over a quarter mile instead of right for a four mile ride.

When I pulled in the yard Liz smelled hot. She was running a high fever. Looking down, I saw the radiator drain cock was gone - not a drop of water in the system ! I have no idea how long she ran dry, but the only damage was to the spark plug wires. Melted insulating rubber dribbled out of the braided cover in a line on the "hot" side. I bought replacements but have yet to put them on. The overheated ones "Don't hurt the runnin' of it none."

I made very sure the replacement cock was fastened tight, and I peek in the top tank a bit more frequently than I used to before this happened.

[Ed Baudoux]

I'm with Jack Putnam on this. I recall a popular poster here, who owns some very early Fords. The rarest of which had extensive work performed by a restoration shop in Canada
The shop posted videos of the engine running with no radiator. I cringed while watching the videos. Later, the car suffered a scored/scuffed cylinder and was not able to attend an important car show.