Hogs Head Update

[Flyingpiper59]

Happy Sunday forum Chums,

So I got the hogs head off to 27 yesterday with minimal problems….. the bad news is, as careful as I was being one of the washers slipped out of my hands, and is buried in the bowels of the hogshead…. i’m gonna get my camera out, find it and figure out a way to get it out of there.

I found something else of note with the 27 Tudor… the funnel for the interior Oil line is a completely different shape and a slightly different location of its predecessors!
To say that the oil line was severely clogged at the bend i putting it mildly…… I finally got it opened up with a flexible shaft after soaking it for a very long time in acetone…… I know now why I “spun” that front rod Babbitt…. It’s definitely been a learning process, but I am enjoying it immensely.

Just for giggles, does anyone know what the static level is in the oil pan when the model T is on level ground?….
Picture to follow!

I would could be completely remiss if I didn’t offer thanks once again to all the people who are taking time out of your day, to share their experience and expertise….

[Scott_Conger]

Edwin

this is why I coach every owner with a new-to-them-T to pull the right front pan bolt out and start the car...if oil doesn't emanate from that hole toot-sweet, then for sure they have a clogged line like you found. It is not uncommon.

Sorry to hear about the washer, and FWIW, that funnel is what belongs in a later engine like yours

[Flyingpiper59]

Scott, I know you are one of the Gurus

Do you have any idea what the static level is in the pan when the model T is on level ground…. how deep does the oil lay?
I’m frankly surprised there wasn’t more damage as all the other Babbits looked great!

I’m just glad I caught it when I did!

[JohnM]

Oil level should be no higher than the upper petcock.

[Scott_Conger]

Ed

I learned that when I bought a car with 90Wt or otherwise heavily doped oil (true). I changed oil and the #1 rod pounded. I reshimed and scraped it and it lasted 10 miles. Shimmed/scraped again...bad in 10 miles. Pulled hogs head to change bands and found oil line clogged. Unclogged, new bands, and many thousands of miles since then (still on CI pistons, too). Car's a sweet runner. The guy I bought the car from knows T's and I was not very impressed that he sold it to me with super-thick oil in it to quiet it down and I was not very impressed with my lack of thoroughness of checkout prior to handing over the dough either. Live and learn every day!
s

You have to learn that lesson but once, and it comes automatically! That little routine checkup has saved more than one car coming through my place

[John kuehn]

It wouldn’t hurt to buy the T oil filter screen that goes directly under the transmission inspection cover. It’s one of the better aftermarket accessories that works pretty well but not perfect and a lot better than nothing to filter the oil.
The Ford service manual has a paragraph about blowing out the internal oil line occasionally.

Using a good grade of detergent oil such as 10W 30 is a lot better oil than Ford used in the T’s heyday and regular changing also helps keeping sludge from building up. That and years of running a T and not watching the oil change times caused your oil line to get plugged up. If it was pretty plugged there’s more sludge and oily gril is in the pan. Good luck.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Although I will admit to not doing it often enough, I really like Scott Conger's oil line test. So far, any time I have done it, it dumped plenty of oil. And most of the model Ts I have started up were engines I put together, and I am very picky about making sure the oil lines are clean and clear when I am inside the engine.
Engine oil level should be kept very near the top oil drain petcock! Those two petcocks on the back/side of the pan are supposed to be the maximum and minimum oil levels. However, I don't like running one anywhere near the bottom minimum level. One should not generally run much over the top level either. Although even an extra quart shouldn't hurt anything other than leaking out all over the place.
Rod numbers three and four get plenty of oil just from the direct spin/splash from the flywheel. No oil from inner or outside oil lines needed. Rods three and four splash oil a bit farther forward, and likely provide enough oil to number two. Whether number one gets any oil or not from direct splash from other rods is problematical. Number one especially and number two to a lesser extent rely on the internal or added external oil lines to have adequate oil flowing by to properly lubricate their bearings and cylinders.
Low oil levels not only reduce splash and resulting lubrication, the oil gets dirtier faster! The engine produces just as much airborne and mechanically produce contaminants whether the pan contains more than four quarts of oil, or slightly under two quarts. However, all that same amount of contaminant is fouling up less than half as much oil!