I know they exist, I never had or even seen one,
everybody sells them. So I chose to machine one
out of brass, even knurled the top cap. Simply
installed with a tee in the lower pit cock, so I
still got the two cocks. Thats nice, but when
running, theres nothing in the site glass. Holy
smokes, I never knew these moved that much oil.
I'm just wondering, what really is the oil level
while running. No big deal, I'm just curious,
just trying to find an X-ray vision of this.
Take out the lower cock and install a flow restrictor to the glass. The oil level goes down as it's spun in a whirlpool by the flywheel paddles.
Sam,
Years ago I replaced a broken TT Bendix spring and had my son bump the starter as I lay under it to watch it move. It started and covered me up before he could shut it off.
Ralph Ricks has parts of a period aftermarket accessory on his brass pickup, the Ever Ready Automatic Oiler. A hinged part in the transmission cover plate gets filled with oil when the engine is running if there is enough oil, thus it's weighed down. When oil is low the hinged part doesn't weigh down enough to break an electrical circuit, then a lamp lights up and you have an automatic low oil warning.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/40975.html?1196365014
Hard to find Ever Ready automatic Oilers nowadays, so repro fabrication might be a good idea?
It saved the Fronty engine on the 2000 Greatrace. Didn't have it the year before, and nearly lost the engine out of Russelville, Arkansas, due to leaky starter bendix cover.
I may have one or two I'll put on tbay.
rdr
The oil does disappear when you run the engine. This is a GOOD feature. Worth confirming this occasionally, because if it doesn't disappear, either the glass is stained or the connection is blocked. So check it before you start, and then just after you start once in a while.
Pretty sure I saw an Ever Ready on Ebay last night.
I had an oil sight gauge on my touring and was a skeptic about all the warnings until it betrayed me.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/369914.html?1372140601
I used one until it sprung a leak while on tour. The driver behind me saw oil coming out all over the place and stopped me. We plugged it up, added 2 quarts and continued on. Wonder I diden't size the engine. Would never use one again.
I set mine up with a valve between the sight glass and the pan. Open it to see the oil level then after the car starts and it sucks the oil back in I close it until the next time I want to check the oil.
I used to travel all over the US working on power house boilers as a Boilermaker heavy rigger and welder. About 10 to 12 yrs ago just before I retired I was working in Kentucky and stopped at a yard sale. The man had a few model T related items and a NOS Ever Ready Oiler on a table. I bought the parts ( the oiler was 5.00) and we got to talking about Ts. He said his dad and uncle were the ones who manufactured the Ever Ready Oilers back in the 20s. He told me he had just sold over 50 of the NOS oilers to someone just a couple days before. He said they were still in the original wood crates and he had found them in the old warehouse that was falling down. The one I bought was one they had missed. I asked if I could look around the old building. We went out back and the old building was about gone. I found 4 more of the oiler setups in decent condition boxes and 1 empty crate that was still OK. There were maybe 100 or more of them in remains of the wood crates that had rotted into mush and goo. I have often wondered everytime I see a NOS setup sold on e-bay if it came from that stash. I also found some other nice things to take home as well. I always drove my 1 ton car hauler on every job trip I made as well as volunteered to work night shifts. That way I could look 2 or 3 hours each day and on days we did not work. I always had a load on the truck by jobs end. I was a "Picker" way before American Pickers came out... I sometimes miss the hunt of the old treasures I used to stumble on.. Such as the 1912 Cadillac (but that is another story) maybe later ...