I feel bad, a friend who sometimes writes on this forum asked to come over and watch me make my next mountain pan. I wrote him an e-mail but, alas, he never showed up.
Some of you may remember an article I had posted on the net, over ten years ago, about my oiling system. An integral part of the system is the Mountain Pan. My first pan has been protecting my 1927 for over ten years with no problems, and more importantly no spun rod bearings.
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You're trying too hard to hide your improvements, Terry. I run a couple of longer bolts into the horseshoe from the topside, and use nuts.
rdr
Terry,
Great "show and tell" Thank you!
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Terry,
I like the idea of the dams but don't really know how much they are needed.
I wonder if #4 rods have more of a tendency to go bad with a three dip pan. I found it interesting that it was the #4 rod that went out on Steve Hughes's car going up Pikes Peak a week or so ago. It would seem that if there was a lack of oil in the front of the engine going up a steep hill then the #4 would be getting the most oil from the flywheel splash. Of course there could be other thing involved other then lubrication in Steve's car.
Jim
Original era "horseshoe handles" as you would call them! Put them in place, slide on the gasket on the cover, start the bolts!
Layden, thanks, slick tool! Does the same thing... only better!
Jim, the dams on the pan are only one part of my oil system. The main engine pan also gets a dam behind #4, so my #4 rod is also less likely to spin off. If you look at the '27 pan in my first photo you can see the #4 cam on the main pan AND a dam on #4 on the cover. The '13 can't put a dam right behind #4 but does get the one on the main engine pan a bit further back. As such #4 is the least protected rod.
TH
Jim and Terry, I too thought it was odd that it was #4. I would think that if it were lubrication it would be#1 that would go. Maybe the clearance was a little loose on #4 and the heavy pull on the engine just pounded it out. There was no knock or warning prior to it going.
Hello Terry, I made up a copy of your oiling system on my T's and have put the mountain pan mod in two of them per your instruction email years ago. No bearing failure, several national tours and lots of Tennessee hills later.
Jim,
Thanks. The sad part of the oiling system is if your engine lasts with no problems you can't say it was because of your modifications... maybe a stock engine would have also been ok.
We only can be sure when an engine fails and the cause can be found. So when you do a mod and things go well who is to say it was due to your efforts?
TH
Great idea to post your mods again Terry, I copied your idea when I rebiult my engine and added a dam at the #4 on my '12 3 dip. Also welded a scoop inside the alum hogshead cover.
I tack welded my horse shoes to the pan. I'm surprised that hasn't been recommended before. Maybe its Not?
Thanks for your idea and posting. I've always wanted to meet you and say Thanks in person someday.
Terry, I'm sure the benefits of your oiling system can be measured by the longer mileage you can get without adjusting shims or rebabbitting rods. Since all the vendors sells Texas T Parts version of your high volume hogshead oil scoop many must already have noticed the benefits. Thanks
The dams may give most help for those who drive a lot in the mountains - perhaps there should be something that help oil the trans when you go downhill, too.. but I dunno what it should look like
Terry, These were my father's and date back to at least the 1930s. He said that any garage mechanic worth his salt had these and yes they sure work on the Model T but just as well on other cars with much heavier deep pans. Rarely done today but back then a ring job or taking up rods was common and often done at the local "service station".
Roger,
I always thought that the resemblance of their scoop to mine was coincidence. I like my design better for functional reasons, but their installation is a bit easier.
The location I scoped out for mine seems better for oil flow, but that flow is so much greater than needed. Their position makes for a more elegant run for the oil line... shorter with fewer bends so it may actually be an improvement.
My selected position delivered 7 psi on the gauge I substituted in place of the line. That should be enough to run a filter (which I tried for a while).
On the '13 I'm working on now I'm making a modificaton to a period mag post oiler which should actually make it functional... I'll test it's performance, just like I did to determine that the vendor supplied one was non-functional.
Interesting thing: today I spotted a little porosity in my cleaned up 1913 RHD aluminum hogshead. I put my mouth over it (Yuck!) and sucked air through the intact wall of the hogshead!!!! So I flowed a thick layer of epoxy over the inner surface... one messy oil leak prevented!
TH
Layden,
I installed the pan today. My handles worked fine. I had to modify my procedure... all four "handles" had to go on the same side because my pan has to be rocked in one side before the other. This is necessary because the scoops are wider than the access opening... same thing happens with the 4-dip model.
TH
Good to see your progress Terry,
I still havn't completed the modifications on the roadster I was telling you about. I'll come back to it soon I hope but I have to make the scoop and fit it to the trans cover next.
I'll run a trans door screen to pick up lint from the oil... do you think a screen in the oil scoop for the external line would be very restrictive?
Can't wait to see what you're up to with the scoop and trans cover. We have found those alloy covers are a bit of a bugger for porosity... and the welding blokes hate them for the same reason.
Cheers
Anthony
Use a good coat of Glyptal paint on the inside like the race guys and you'll end all porosity issues and also help with oil flow.
When welding a scoop or fitting to the alum trans cover its most important to get all the oil removed. I had to weld a crack near a mounting hole and also installed a scoop inside on my '12 with no problems. Welding alum is quite different than mild steel though.
Some Aussie with lots of strength punched the reverse pedal through the hogshead (I think) sometime in the last 98 years. The area was welded up beautifully but the porosity is nearby. I ended up flowing a film of clear epoxy resin over the area. I think that will work just fine.
I have to be sure that the reverse pedal never goes all the way to the hogshead.... I may make up a new shaft which positions the pedal a bit higher..
I just made up a new brake pedal shaft, slightly modified, which if successful will probably be copied by many down under! It all depends on whether the tailpipe will clear!
I tried glyptol once before on another engine... it all just fell off. Either old paint or contaminated engine metal (not completely de-greased).
TH