Currently on Ebay. Notice on nameplate says "Full surface in winter" and "Half surface in summer". Anyone familiar with this vaporizer?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Model-T-Ford-Carburetor-Vaporizer-1926-1927-intake-and-e xhaust-manifold-/221297570461?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item33 865cf29d&vxp=mtr#ht_60wt_894
I have a NOS one like it I'd sell danuser88@ktis.net
OK I found where the Simmons was discussed on the forum in March. Didn't recall it but that's when wife was in hospital so was a bit preoccupied.
Gary,
The Simmons vaporizer is an interesting mutation of the vaporizer craze of 1926. It looks very similar to the Ford/Holley unit, but there are fundamental differences. The vertical tube in back, for example, does not conduct heated air to the mixing chamber. It's a dummy. There is no special treatment of the choke. To choke, vapor has be be drawn up through the entire vaporizer labyrinth.
The air-intake is a short, straight shot to the manifold, and air-speed through the Venturi is maintained by a free-swinging flapper, just as used by the Holley. You can't see it in the eBay photo, but there is a convenient, threaded port atop the intake manifold for vacuum. This is ideal if you use the Ford/TRICO wiper motor. Note that in the eBay picture there appears to be a spare needle valve jammed into the air intake. The Simmons needle is small and fragile.
The vaporizer plate is robust and very well made of machined bronze, and it is adjustable as advertised. It may lack the fast-warmup characteristic of the Holley, but it is built to outlast the car without jamming due to heat-induced corrosion.
I'm not sure what problem the adjustable vaporizer plate was addressing. This feature was borrowed from the Kingston A Regenerator, first mentioned in a trade-magazine ad in November 1925. The ad showed a Ford driving in heavy snow and promised an adjustable vaporizer, using an extra knob on the dash. For some reason, Kingston dropped this feature from production and offered the B Regenerator in 1926. The B used a vaporizer plate of fixed surface area.
I would suggest buy it and try it, and please give us a performance report. I've got a Simmons, but I've never given it a trial.
Jim
Thanks Jim. That is very interesting. While not interested in buying it I was wondering how the summer/winter setting worked. Many older carburetors have various winter/summer setting provisions and I was curious how it was done with a vaporizer. A problem in trying it out would be the availability of rebuild parts.
Thanks again.
Gary
Oh man, I can't believe I missed this thread and missed it on ebay. It sold for $20.50 I'be been looking for one of these forever to put in my collection. Just too busy to spend much time on the forum on ebay lately.
John, what do you want for yours????
I've, not I'be. Tired today, had a big auction yesterday. Long week last week.
Gary,
The Simmons vaporizer adjustment is quite simple. There are two vapor-heater channels across the exhaust manifold. The one on the manifold right (plate left) is open at all times. The other channel is much smaller in diameter as it emerges from the mixing chamber. In summer position, only the large channel is used. In winter position, the extra, smaller channel is switched in using the rotary valve. There is no intermediate position of the valve.
Jim
Thanks for the detail Jim.
Gary