Ford Racer drawing mystery - any idea what this is?

[Rob]

This has mystified me (not unusual). What is it? This is one of the remaining Ford Special racer drawings (1910-1912) at Benson Library (THF). In addition to drawings for an oil and gas cap (the tank behind the seats included reservoirs for oil and gas) is this drawing with the listing "Gastank Nozzle Flange." To the right of the drawing is written "File Fit to Nozzle on Dashtank:

]

Gas and oil cap drawings:

Could the drawing have anything to do with the false tank on this Ford Special with Frank Kulick at the wheel? It's a fake tank to hide the rear cylinder of the larger than stock motor:

[dlmyers]

The drawing looks like an escutcheon plate. It does not look like what is on the tank in your enlarged photo.
The faint lines on the drawing may mean that the part was changed but not the drawing.

[Rob]

Thanks Dale. If it does go on the gas tank, i wonder what they meant by "dashtank?" Also, if it is an escutcheon plate (it's true, I had to look that one up..... ), would the drawing account for the curve of the tank? I also wonder about the use of wood screws (on either a gas tank or false tank on the firewall)?
Thanks again for your input,
Rob

[Drkbp]

Rob,
I looked at those drawings last night and the two caps may be for a fuel/oil tank like is on what we have been calling the 49 car. I have clipped it below.
The photo isn't very big but look right behind Frank's left arm. See how the cap sits up on the tank filler nozzle riser. The cap seems to have a couple of twist ears on it but no vent hole is shown in the drawing.
The gas tank could've been vented but if it wasn't I imagine he told Kulick to drill a vent hole where ever he wanted it.

Most of the other fuel tank photos looked like they had a variation of the bung type fuel cap like we have on the Model T's.

The other drawing may be the surround for the number four cylinder exhaust pipe if it ports from the "dash tank" on the opposite side of the yellow dot.
Note how the draftsman calls it "Gas Tank" one place and "Dash-Tank" another. I feel he is talking about the can behind the dash in the photo below, yellow dot.

Check out how the hole has a vertical elongation. Probably for torsional movement of the engine.
I am assuming the #4 comes out of the "Dash tank".
If so, there may have been a wood piece behind a 4 inch hole in the side of the "dashtank" with the 4-7/8" diameter surround to mount it with the four wood screws. The elongated "hole" would allow an exhaust pipe (Nozzle) of < 2-1/4" diameter, say 2" maybe?
What size exhaust pipes are you using?

Tired old eyes that love to look at these old drawings and photos.
Thank you for posting.

[Rob]

Ken,
That makes sense. It might also explain the vertical flat portion of the drawing (left side). I have side pipe drawings for some of the racers, I'll look for them and post a few.

The first folks to begin this project (I've read that this engine may have been around since the mid-1950's) decided all four cylinders exhaust out the right side of the false tank. I think sometime in the future I may make just the #4 cylinder exhaust out the false tank, and have straight pipes our the side of the hood for the other three.
Thank you,
Rob

[Rob]

These are the exhaust pipe drawings for our motor (M-III):

The drawing of the "dashtank" is also listed as "M-III" (the photo above was enlarged and M-III not shown);

If this is the side flange for the #4 exhaust pipe, that would help fill in the blanks about how this motor was exhausted. Unfortunatley, the way the drawing is listed doesn't help.

[Drkbp]

Rob,

Well, there you go!
I didn't notice the elongated port on your can before.
We had a bad hail storm last night and I just came back in.

I was going to add to the earlier post that if you hadn't cut the hole in the Dash can you could position it with the surround. If you already went by the Ford drawing of the Dash can, I surmise that Frank Kulick penciled in a "we should have made the surround position on the Dash Can up here a little higher" line after he tried to put it on.

You should be able to twist the two Curved exhaust pipes whichever way buttons it up right for you. Also, if you wish to move any of the #1, #2 and #3 ports more toward the front I suggest using Curved pipes to do it. The call is for a 1/2" reverse curve but you could go more. Who's counting?
Think about the magneto bump and the drive housing/oil breather bump. There are a couple of photos we could discuss here. They are positioned relative to the exhaust ports.

I guess the cap in the top is to access the #4 plug? Is this my Lucky Day?

Ken

[Kaiser]

Escutcheon plate, had to look that one up too Rob, but that's what i meant in my comment on your other thread, the dimensions of the hole in the drawing just seem right for the exhaustpipe on your racer, too much of a coincidence...
The names on the drawing ('dashtank' and 'nozzle') may be just to keep the true purpose hidden for curious eyes

[Kaiser]

An afterthought; as the whole idea behind the false 'dashtank' was clearly to disguise the fact that the racer had a much bigger than stock engine, It would be obvious that the engine was bigger if three pipes would come out the hood and the fourth out of the 'tank'
It still strikes me as a odd idea though to have (as a result) a whopping large exhaust pipe jutting out of a 'dashtank', so much for "concealing" the bigger engine.
I think the whole setup was more to fool audiences into believing they witnessed a stock Ford win, than to fool officials or the race promoters

[Drkbp]

Rob,

It's noted on the drawing and is the profile of the 7/16" deep part through the center line.
The thickness of the casting is also given, 1/16".
Also, give us a name for the dash can.

KP