My vaporizer heating plate is carboning up - Help.

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2009: My vaporizer heating plate is carboning up - Help.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joe Fudge on Saturday, September 26, 2009 - 09:13 pm:

I have a 26 T touring car with a vaporizer carburetor. I have a problem with my vaporizer heating plate carboning up. I rebuilt the vaporizer last winter and have put approximately 400 miles on it since that time. The vaporizer ran just fine at first. My mixture screw is set 1 turn open when I start the engine and I cut it back to 3/4 turn out after the motor has run a couple of minutes. When I rebuilt the vaporizer, the heating plate was similarly carboned up. As the plate becomes carboned up the engine increasingly coughs and sputters and doesn't want to slow idle. Is this normal to have to clean or replace the vaporizer heating plate after four hundred or so miles? Any ideas?
Thanks for replies.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Jablonski on Saturday, September 26, 2009 - 09:32 pm:

Normal


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Saturday, September 26, 2009 - 09:44 pm:

The fuel must be burning on the plate to cause carbon. You can convert the car to use a NH or a L4 carburetor if you wish. They have very little trouble.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Noel Denis Chicoine, MD on Saturday, September 26, 2009 - 10:45 pm:

The conversion does take a little work, I'm finding out. I have a good NH and an OF, the later will likely go on the 26. The previous owner cut the throttle rod off below the middle bracket on the steering column. I will weld another 5/16 rod onto it after I get a throttle lever on the rod and drill a hole to rivet it in place. I imagine if the rod hadn't been cut, I'd have to raise the rod somehow or disassemble the steering column to get a lever on the 5/16 rod and rivet it in place. I then drilled out the center casting between the 2nd and 3rd cylinders for the rod to go through, being careful not to just break a hole and possibly crack the block. I also had to find a valve cover with a hole in it for the carburetor rod. I could have drilled the hole. It's tough to do unless you have another earlier T or valve cover to tell you the correct place to drill. You only get 1 chance to do it right. Then you will need to purchase or make a correct length carburetor rod to go from the steering column through the block to the carburetor, and not hang up anywhere on movement of the throttle. OH, you also will need new intake and exhaust manifolds. All the exhaust manifolds on e-bay or in your friends junk pile are bent and need to be straightenned. Just buy a reproduction one and hope your exhaust pipe fits without hitting the hogshead. (See the exhaust pipe thread)Maybe cleaning the vaporizer out once in a while isn't such a bad idea!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce Peterson on Saturday, September 26, 2009 - 11:19 pm:

It is not normal for the plate to carbon up in 400 miles. I would believe 40,000 maybe. Mine runs as well as any other factory T carburetor. Its on my '17 roadster.

Any possibility you are letting the car idle for long periods of time? T's don't like that. Or maybe the float level is too high?

17


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Jablonski on Sunday, September 27, 2009 - 08:59 am:

WoW Royce !!

40,000 miles on one tin hot plate ?? Trouble-free carb !! Great longevity & service. If they ran that good, why were there early take-offs & NH's & L-4's replacing vaporizors ??


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joe Fudge on Sunday, September 27, 2009 - 09:00 am:

Thanks for all replies to my question.
Another thing I noticed (but did not mention in my initial posting) is that when I park the car
after driving I see vapors coming from my carburetor inlet. It seems as if they continue
for a minute or so after shutting off the engine. If I listen closely, I can also hear what
sounds like a frying or gurgling sound coming from the vaporizer. Is this normal for the vaporizer? What might cause this?
When I rebuilt the vaporizer, I set the float according to the MFTCA book on
carbs: 1/4 in between the topside of the float and the underside of the carburetor body. What would be the effect setting the float a little lower, say 5/16 inch? Would it likely help or just cause more problems?
Thanks for any help and ideas.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Jablonski on Sunday, September 27, 2009 - 09:05 am:

Joe: You could try 5/16". Some Vaporizors have a deeper carb bowl than others, just holds a bit more gas.... If you have a wet lower carb section after a ride, you may want to adjust the float to a lower level.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joe Fudge on Sunday, September 27, 2009 - 09:11 am:

I might add that I have an NH and an L4 carb as a contingency plan if all else fails with the vaporizer. However, I did get great fuel economy from the vaporizer before it fouled with the carbon.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Todd on Sunday, September 27, 2009 - 10:28 am:

Noel, and anybody else that's changing over from a vaporizer to an NH, just in case you are unaware of it, the throttle levers are different lengths for an NH and vaporizer.
That's the short little lever that connects to the rod that goes through the block to the carburetor.
The lever for the vaporizer is longer than the one for the NH.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ivan Warrington on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 07:53 am:

I had the same problem with mine. Took plate off and cleaned well. As I was holding it I noticed a pin sized piece of light in one of the corners. It had a hole in it! Put in new plate and no more problems.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Booth on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 09:28 pm:

I also have a vaporizer carburetor on my 26 touring car that I am contemplating rebuild or replacement with a Holley NH. Lang has a conversion kit they say will eliminate the need to bore through the block (as described above). I have heard the Holley is preferable and replacement certainly appears easier than overhaul of the vaporizer but not if the manifolds also need to be replaced as preferably stated. One problem I have with the vaporizer is that I cannot find nor have I seen a picture with any type of air filter. Is it possible the vaporizer carburetor does not use an air filter?
Comment/recommendations are welcome.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce Peterson on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 09:56 pm:

No Model T of any year with any carburetor used an air filter originally. It is not a problem for most of us.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Jablonski on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - 09:15 pm:

Jim:

You may not need the Lang's conversion kit if there is the traditional opening between # 2 & # 3 cylinders. All you will need is to add another throttle lever to the throttle control rod on the steering column. By removing the lower steering bracket & lowering a bit from the frame, the extra throttle lever can be installed & pinned to the rod.
I found the rod was pre-drilled on my '26 Runabout.

I have, on occasion, have changed from Vaporizor, back to NH , & back to Vaproizor a few times.

I like the Vaporizor's intake manfold..... seems to beat the #1 spark plug soot problems with better distibution.......... and I like the extra umph the NH gives.

I presently have the standard manifolds & NH carb installed.

Problem areas in the Vaporizor are the areas of potential vacuum leaks...... hot plate, vapor tube leaks, manifold gaskets.... when sealed the unit starts, runs & gives better gas mileage.
Better gas mileage ??? Who cares ??? Had about 28 mpg on a trip. Good for braggin' rites.

Don't need no stinkin' air filter !! (:<)

Bob Jablonski


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