MTFCA Forum

I have this '26 engine I've been picking at, slowly working toward getting it running on the stand.
I still need to put the timer on, get my fuel source installed, put oil in it, and I plan to run a water hose in the top to cool it while running.

other than that -- do I need to do something to the pedals or linkage to put it in "neutral" while starting ? Won't it start in high gear as is ?

can you see or think of anything else I should do before I try to fire it ?

It will run just fine in high gear so don't worry about neutral. I would however consider using an old radiator (even a leaky one) as trying to feed water into the top outlet is going to be messy and create timer issues. I would also put some sort of cobbled up exhaust on it to get any flames away from the carb and eliminate exhaust noise so you can have a chance at hearing any possible engine noises. You might also want to remove the sheet metal transmission band cover and pour a quart or two of oil in there as well as the front oil hole. Don't forget to check the static timing as you can damage a starter if it's not correct and you have no quadrant as a reference. Before I would fire it up, I'd pull the plugs and roll it over for a few minutes on the starter to circulate the oil and insure that there are no major noises. Good luck : Bruce

Best make sure you can put it in neutral before starting with starter. What about the exhaust gases - doing outside? Intending to allow the heat hit the hogs head? I'd remove the fan, its no going to be effective and being exposed could cause injury

Be sure to ground the generator. Les

Once it starts, be prepared for it to bounce a bit and creep around the floor unless you have it strapped down.

All good advice above.

I couldn't tell from the photo, do you have a return spring on the carburetor throttle arm ? You don't want it to go wide open and start jumping around the floor with you not able to shut it down. Ditto for the timer arm. Probably want to put the timer arm at about TDC and lock it there.

You'll also want a means of turning the ignition on and off. Presumably both battery source and magneto source.

Is the engine bolted to the test frame ?

You could fabricate a metal plate over the return opening and solder a hose bib fitting for the hose and similar, fabricate a plate over the inlet with a valve to regulate the water flow. It should only take a trickle to keep it cool. As mentioned above assure means to shut it down in case a runaway.

Maybe get some flex pipe and put it through a muffler.

Here is a picture of a water pipe system that I made to facilitate test running a T engine. All made from plumbing fittings

About $10.00 of material and a hours time!!

Interesting Video of a Model T engine stand setup with running engine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l1_pIClA2Q

I use a cart so I can push it in and out of my shop. I also us a garden hose for the water supply.

Cory ;
I hope this give you an idea how you can do it . Toon

Is that the car the engine goes in? I have a stand that someone had built out of a model t frame. I use a radiator no fan, for safety, so I can adjust the timer as needed and a fuel tank from a honda motor. Bolt the forth main in. After it is running you can test the transmission and brake. It would eventually over heat with out a fan. Sounds feasible to use a hose on a low flow in the block and out the head.

Nice Stand Toon!

Almost 60 years ago the kid on the next farm got a model A engine. He had nothing but the engine so we sat it on dirt and drove two old model T axels beside it. I had a black T radiator and we used old bicycle tubes for hoses! The engine sat firm and when running much over a fast idle the bottom hose/tube would collapse!! The kid next door died last winter with cancer from agent orange. Bud.

Lessumner wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 24, 2020 5:49 pm

Be sure to ground the generator. Les

I wasn't planning on wiring the generator, with no energy to the field coils it should be ok just spinning "dead" -- shouldn't it ?

Never run a T generator disconnected!! For the stock T generator ground the output connection and then you are safe.

BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN TO PIPE THE EXHAUST OUT OF THE AREA!
Your body has 5 TIMES the affinity for Carbon Monoxide that it does for oxygen. If you can smell exhaust, you are taking in carbon monoxide, even if you are in fresh air. Your body will act as a selective filter, and pull in all the carbon monoxide it can get.
The 18 year old president of the "Service Car Society" (Flower cars, limousines, hearses, ambulances, etc) died after running his restored hearse in his garage with the garage door open, and plenty of fresh air. This was probably 20 years ago. He was a really dynamic individual (Had already written 3 books on service cars by the time he was 18) and it was a very heavy loss to the Service Car Club, not to mention his relatives and friends.
If you can smell exhaust, you are taking in carbon monoxide!

Les Schubert wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:35 pm

Never run a T generator disconnected!! For the stock T generator ground the output connection and then you are safe.

uh oh.
this brings up an issue for me on my center door then. it has a generator, but no regulator / cutout on it. sounds like I need a ground wire until I get around to installing the cutout and wiring correctly.
I'll look up how to ground it.
hopefully I've done no damage to the generator on the car.