In case any of you don't know, I am an experimenter and tinkerer.
I figured that I would post of picture of my latest contraption, a modified oil sight gauge. At the museum I work for, we have an oil sight gauge on a TT and a recently restored speedster. However, we always have problems with air bubbles getting trapped inside them so they won't give an accurate reading.
So here's my idea. I bought a new oil sight gauge and a petcock. I drilled numerous holes in the top of the oil sight gauge and then silver soldered the petcock on top. All you have to do to check the oil is to open the petcock on top, wait for the oil level to stabilize, and that's it! No more air bubbles! Of course my gauge isn't intended to be any easier to use than the stock petcocks, it's just meant to give a more accurate view of the oil level, which is what I'm really after.
I don't see an advantage. If you want to do an easier oil level check, use the dipstick attachment which can be purchased from the vendors. Those sight gauges can cause problems when they break off or come unscrewed and hang down instead of up. If oil comes out the bottom petcock, you are less than one quart low, so don't worry about it. Just fill till it comes out the top.
Norm
There isn't really an advantage, for sure. It was just an idea that I had and wanted to try. I've always found that the stock petcocks work just fine.
I was just bored and wanted to practice silver soldering more than anything else!
Cameron,I too like to tinker and come up some things that are not really necessary but fun to do. Foot feed and air filter for my vaporizer. Water temp. gauge. And a few others. Anyway, the oil sight gauges should have a small vent hole in the top to vent off the bubbles. I had a brass and glass one like yours but it wouldn't stop leaking so I made one using an L fitting and a short length of reinforced clear fuel line. Plugged the top with a piece of aluminum rod with a small hole drilled through for a vent. Works great.
Gary, would you please post a pic of your vap air filter. I need to make a couple of them for two of my T's running vap rigs.
Gary,
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only tinkerer out there!
It seems that the little vent hole on top of the sight gauge is prone to getting dirt and other crud in it, and that stops the sight gauge from operating properly.
I'm also thinking about making a little brace (out of brass, of course!) for it that will prevent it from coming loose and turning upside down.
Cameron, I can see where you would like to keep things brass. I didn't have the problem with it turning upside down. I used some thread locker but didn't have it on that long to know long term benefit.
Gary I would be interested in how you are doing an air filter on a vaporizer.
The NH puls air only through the intake where the air inlet gate assembly lives so you put a filter there. | |
The Vaporizer pulls air through the intake with the choke plate "E" and flapper valve "O" but also pulls air at "A" and "R" in this drawing. I think a filter over the mouth will unbalance the air flow and probably adversely affect the otherwise stellar performance! If you restrict the air at "A" and "R" you will mess up your mixture. All I can think of is to sew a sock over the whole top end of the carburetor... or maybe bag the whole engine! |
Another thought: If you put a filter on the air horn you could drill two holes and then stuff copper tubing into "A" and "R". Then route the tubes into the air cleaner like a modern car routes the PCV hose into the cleaner.
So what is your design?
TH
Tried doing this last night but computer got a bit screwy.
I made my air cleaner using a couple pieces of aluminum tube and a film can. Doesn't look very period correct but was an attempt to see if I could do it. Maybe a redesign this winter. I used a piece of small chain and a spring to hold it in place. No drilling or modification to carb. was done. Cut some disks from a "cut to fit" furnance filter to fit inside the can. Cut out the top of the can lid leaving about 1/2 inch ridge to hold filter elements in place. Front view was before I added the chain/spring.
Terry, Yes there is some air drawn in at points A and R but it is quite small relative to air intake at point E. I tried running with and without the filter with no difference noted. Although I have not done milage comparisions.
Gary
Gary, Thanks for your photos. I guess if you really want to keep dust out of the engine you would have to add those tubes from A and R down into the air cleaner like I mentioned. I don't think a filter is really necesisary at all, however.
I would like to find one of the little sheet metal horns which came on the bottom of the intake of a Vaporizer... they seem to be rare and I'm not sure that they did anything except keep some of the larger birds out of the engine air intake.