"New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
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Topic author - Posts: 991
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- First Name: Jeff
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"New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
I bought (stole) a Ricardo High Compression head at the Auburn swap meet a few weeks back and finally got it installed yesterday evening.
Holy COW!! this is by far the single biggest improvement so far. My 1/2 mile hill up to my house is a killer. I've had to use low Ruckstell/low band every time the entire way - even if I make a run for it. That's until last night when I was able to climb it in high Ruckstell/low band the entire way at low RPM/speed with no struggle.
This is the last in a series of upgrades after the 280 cam, aluminum pistons, Zenith carb & distributor. All that and all you fine fellas still call this a "stock engine". I guess I'm going to have to adopt that vocabulary term even though it goes against every known norm, at least in the racing world which states "if it's not the same as it came off the factory assembly line, it ain't "stock"!!!
I think I'm going go stop here on the motor mods... Sorry Robert Weitzel & Eric Barrett. No Wild Cherry for me!
I am still thinking about changing my large drum Rocky Mtn brakes for something that will hold me in a stopped position on my hill vs certain death. Still not sure which way to go there. I really wouldn't like the look of the disc brakes on this "stock car"
AdminJeff
Holy COW!! this is by far the single biggest improvement so far. My 1/2 mile hill up to my house is a killer. I've had to use low Ruckstell/low band every time the entire way - even if I make a run for it. That's until last night when I was able to climb it in high Ruckstell/low band the entire way at low RPM/speed with no struggle.
This is the last in a series of upgrades after the 280 cam, aluminum pistons, Zenith carb & distributor. All that and all you fine fellas still call this a "stock engine". I guess I'm going to have to adopt that vocabulary term even though it goes against every known norm, at least in the racing world which states "if it's not the same as it came off the factory assembly line, it ain't "stock"!!!
I think I'm going go stop here on the motor mods... Sorry Robert Weitzel & Eric Barrett. No Wild Cherry for me!
I am still thinking about changing my large drum Rocky Mtn brakes for something that will hold me in a stopped position on my hill vs certain death. Still not sure which way to go there. I really wouldn't like the look of the disc brakes on this "stock car"
AdminJeff
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1921 Model T Touring, 1930 Model A Roadster
Voltage Regulators, Starter & Generator Repair
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
We told you and have always said increased compression is the biggest bang for the buck you can get in a model T. Now you know. Brakes next. Left handed Ruckstell shifter too? Wild Cherry is not a tour car. We only get about five miles on the engine between rebuilds. Still would like to take you for a pass in it. This thing will put your nuts in your back pocket. As a racer you know what that’s like. Would your Porsche daylight the front wheels?
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Topic author - Posts: 991
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
YeeHa!!!Erik Barrett wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2019 3:51 pmThis thing will put your nuts in your back pocket. As a racer you know what that’s like. Would your Porsche daylight the front wheels?
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1921 Model T Touring, 1930 Model A Roadster
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
Jeff, The best after-market brakes ever made in any quantity for the model T Ford were the original Rocky Mountain large drum brakes. They were offered in both small drum version with special drums that had both inner and large outer drums, and a large drum version for the '26/'27 Ts (not very common). Nor-Cal Jay had a set of the small rear end Rocky Mountains for sale at the Auburn meet. I don't know if he sold them since or not, but maybe you should contact him?
Glad to hear you are having fun with the new power-house T!
Glad to hear you are having fun with the new power-house T!
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
Compression is a wonderful thing !!
26.5hp of neck snapping, axle twisting, ground pounding terror !!
I don't know your hill, but not many around here I can't climb in high Ford/Ruckstell...
26.5hp of neck snapping, axle twisting, ground pounding terror !!
I don't know your hill, but not many around here I can't climb in high Ford/Ruckstell...
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Topic author - Posts: 991
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
Yeah it’s almost enough to make me want to get seatbelts.... or was that my wife....??
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1921 Model T Touring, 1930 Model A Roadster
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www.modeltregulators.com
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
It seems to me that the higher compression might cause extra stress on the crankshaft, are you not concerned about that?
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
I agree. Does it still have the original "balin' wire" crankshaft? That is the weakest point of any T engine.surveyking wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2019 5:10 pmIt seems to me that the higher compression might cause extra stress on the crankshaft, are you not concerned about that?
Yeah, compression is king.
Seth Harbuck said that (along with a lot of other stuff) several years ago and he was right.
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
What's also a problem on a standard T crank shaft is lugging the engine due to lack of power I've fitted HC heads to 4 of my 5 T's and many rebuilds for others, never broke a crank shaft as yet, (touch wood)
Lots of other causes of crank failure before I would blame a bit of extra compression.
Lots of other causes of crank failure before I would blame a bit of extra compression.
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
Without getting into the whole "what breaks cranks" ball of wax, you should note that the Ricardo head is not really a high compression head. I double checked on the Tulsa club website and the compression ratio is listed as 4.2:1. The performance gains come from a much better chamber design.
Andy
Andy
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Topic author - Posts: 991
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
It’s an EE crank so, no, not worried. We discovered that on the last engine rebuild.
Jeff
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1921 Model T Touring, 1930 Model A Roadster
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
Does your NOS head still have the orange paint on it?
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Topic author - Posts: 991
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
No, it was grey. It’s now black!.Original Smith wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2019 10:58 amDoes your NOS head still have the orange paint on it?
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
A good friend of mine has a NOS Waukesha head in the original box with instructions. It is painted orange.
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
It looks like it is Chevy Orange?
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
Admin jeff head is a Ricardo not waukesha ricardo
Compresstion is about 6.5to1
Compresstion is about 6.5to1
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
Chevy orange it is Joe
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
As far as I know, a Giant Power head has the same combustion chamber as a Waukesha. I put one on my car awhile back and noticed MAYBE a 1 % improvement. To me it wasn't worth the effort.
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Topic author - Posts: 991
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Re: "New" Ricardo HC head - WOW!!
I didn’t know there was a difference... so Andy said “checked the Tulsa club website and the compression ratio is listed as 4.2:1” - that would’ve been for the Waukesha Ricardo head?
Jeff
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1921 Model T Touring, 1930 Model A Roadster
Voltage Regulators, Starter & Generator Repair
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Voltage Regulators, Starter & Generator Repair
www.modeltregulators.com
www.modeltstarters.com