MTFCA Forum

when I was a kid we had a model T and dad run the head lights on prestolite gas because you didn't have to clean the acetylene tank after use. I have never heard any body talk about this on the forum. fill me in on what the good and the bad of this. I checked with the local welding supplier and this is still available and they have the tank also

Prestolite gas , is that the same as Acetyleen gas ??

Toon

Prestolite pioneered the process of compressing Acetylene gas and storing it in cylinders.

Prestolite was the company that made and supplied most of the bottled gas tanks used on cars and trucks using gas head lights. The gas was/is acetylene compressed and stored in the Prestolite tanks and was made by water dripping on calcium carbide. This is the same gas made in the tanks original used that had to be cleaned. In the case of the question asked, "gas" would not be a Prestolite specific item. https://www.google.com/search?newwindow ... G0Q4dUDCAw

Tim , and Mark ,
Thank you very much .

Toon

The tank you're looking for is a 40-cubic foot acetylene "B" tank with the valve offset of center.
I find them mixed in with regular acetylene "B" tanks at the local welding supply houses, Airgas and Praxair.
You can lay these tanks horizontal on your running board with the valve at "12 o'clock".
The tank mounts in either strap type, or forged brackets, attached to the running board.
I use the forged type brackets....

The "good".....
The gas is clean and won't foul your burners, light your headlights in about two minutes with no cleanup
when your through driving. Just close the tank valve and the lights go out in about 10 to 15 seconds..done.
The "B" tank lasts twenty-four hours with 3/4 burners. That is a lot of night driving!
Cost to refill a "B" tank is about 1/4th the cost of carbide rocks to create the same amount of acetylene.
I just drive the T over and swap tanks when I need one

Maybe someone can post the strap type that was often furnished by Prest-O-Lite.

FWIW "Prest-O-Lite was the breakthrough product that propelled the fortunes of Indianapolis Motor Speedway founders Carl Fisher and James Allison to elite levels."
https://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/arti ... est-o-lite