MTFCA Forum

Interesting discussions on folks having over heating on their cars motors.

Any information on how the Model T was kept cool whilst being used in desert climates? How did the "T" survive in hot climates with out overheating?

And what was the method of keeping two engines, inside an un-vented iron box from over heating?

The photographs of the tank begs an answer as how the motor was cooled and the operators comfortable.

Say is that a water pump between the two motors?

Water pump, no thermostat, 100% glycerol.

Yes, it's a water pump. You can see the drive shaft running forward. It would have to be a waterpump considering the downward turn to the block intake.

The operators were not comfortable. The design requirements of the vehicle made using the thermosyphon principle to circulate coolant impossible. A thermosyphon system is a gravity system, and gravity on Earth has but one setting, and even the Department of Defense has to respect it. High and almost continuous engine loading, radiator shielding, etc would have required a pump or pumps in any case. I would expect that all liquid-cooled aircraft engines had water pumps of some sort.

Eureka...An explanation why folks are having a problem with over heating..."A thermosyphon system is a gravity system, and gravity on Earth has but one setting,".

Model T's are designed for a flat earth. Flat terrain, flat roads.....

Around here, one goes down about as many hills as one goes up, so it balances out. You'd have to find a very steep hill to have a significant effect on the thermosyphon system, and it might actually work better going uphill. I'd think you'd have fuel and lubrication issues long before you'd have overheating issues. You do need to have a free-flowing system and the upper radiator tank needs to be well above the cylinder head. Going down a long, steep incline in a Model T would probably reduce the system's maximum flow rate, since the radiator tank would be lower relative to the cylinder head, but the engine's load would also be much lower, so I doubt that would be a problem.

Death, taxes, flat tires, and gravity.....

The third picture down shows a radiator. I seems to be the same type of tank.
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