I just bought a moto meter and cap, of course no instructions, does the rubber washer go between the cap and meter or above the nut inside the cap? Also I cannot get the cap to be snug with the wings across the fitting I tried several gaskets but when it is snug it is not straight
I cut several washers out of sheet cork to straighten up the wings. The washer goes in the rad first.
Chaffin's sells a neoprene gasket that allows you to tighten up the moto-meter and make it straight. It's won't be "tight" but it will be snug enough to do it's job AND make you happy.
http://www.chaffinsgarage.com/l-z/radiator0.htm
There's a hardware store rubber gasket that I think goes in a garbage disposal adapter or some kind of sink fixture, that works just fine too.
The one I use is from Lowes. It is the washer for a bathroom sink. It costs about a buck.
John,In answer to your question, the small rubber washer goes between the meter and cap. KB
What you want is a 1 1/4" "mac" gasket which you can find at most any hardware store including Lowes.
With my dogbone cap I had to add an additional 1 1/2" diameter 1/8" o ring to make things line up like I wanted them to.
I think I know why my car fouls plugs all the time- after half an hour the temp only got up to "cool motor- use radiator cover" which was about 160 degrees. What is the normal operating temperature? Blocking the radiator completely with a piece of plywood brought the temp into the "summer average" range. No steam or boilover, I believe the engine to be unmodified or rebuilt with a serial number from 1925. I am running a new Brassworks radiator.
Any suggestions on how to raise the temp? I am fairly sure I have the timing advance and mixture set properly when I run it.
That's the way they are when the radiator is working the way it is supposed to and you don't have a thermostat. My cars all run cool unless the temperature is ninety or above in which case they run at normal temperature. The only time I put a little cardboard in front of part of the radiator is in the dead of winter when the temperature is below freezing. I have never had any trouble with plugs fouling at below normal temperature and wonder if you need a hotter plug or oil rings. You might also be running with too much oil. If you have more than 4 quarts in the crankcase and dippers on the rods you can throw so much oil up on the walls of the cylinders that the oil rings can't handle it all and the plugs foul. One solution to the cooling problem might be to try running with the fan belt backed off so the fan does not turn. That might get you up to a better operating temperature and I can tell you that with a good radiator you can run all day without the fan operating. I've run summer tours after my fan belt broke and barely noticed a difference in operating temperature unless I sat at a light for three minutes or more. Might be worth a try.