MTFCA Forum

There was a recent thread about putting a Model A crank in a T. I am particularly interested in this thread because I recently acquired a 1913 Touring that is an incomplete project. Someone abandoned it many, many years ago. I don't have much info about its history. The block is a 1920. It is an assembled short block with a Model A crank. It appears to be a quality job. There is no carburetor or ignition, but a DU 4 mag came with the purchase.
I would like to stay with the original Ford coils and mag system. I am interested in feedback and suggestions from anyone who has knowledge and experience in this area. My goal is to end up with a good, headache-free engine that has more power than a stock engine. As this thread progresses I can go into more detail.
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Rich
561-262-0393

It looks like a great start for a strong motor. The extra 1/4” of stroke will add to the compression, but those flat top pistons have got to go! The loss of the dome will reduce compression unless you are prepared to take drastic action with a cylinder head.

The crank is shortened, so should drop right in a pan. But I would recommend taking the flywheel off and looking for a weld on the end of the crankshaft. Many cranks that were cut down many years ago were only welded in the journal radius, and are prone to breakage. If you can see where the flange registers in the crank, I would groove it out and lay in a really hot TIG weld with stainless steel filler rod. Have done this before on a crank that broke, and it’s still running today!

Most likely those are 292 Cu In Ford pistons. If so, you will probably find that the rods have been cut and welded to shorten them. Not ideal in my mind, as welded rods make me nervous.

I'm having an "A" crank conversion done right now....easiest way to get a stroker engine done, buy a SCAT crankshaft.
I decided for other various reasons to use a stock A crank (stock length), but the work involved is quite lengthy.

Being the work is already done so to speak, take Kevin's and Dan's advice, check those items out. There are only a handful of people I would trust doing this conversion and they are two of them.

That engine is going to cause you nothing but trouble. I suggest that you ship it to me so that I can properly dispose of it.

A big thanks to Kevin, Dan, Chad, and Chris for your knowledgeable posts. I wish you guys lived closer. I'd visit in person. Chris's post makes me more determined than ever to see the project through.
I am definitely open to all advice given. Currently I am trying to decide on ignition. Does anyone have experience using the original Ford system with mag, coils, and a good timer with the Model A crank modification? I don't want to use a distributor. I am not a purist but I do prefer originality whenever possible. I am not concerned about RPM. My concern is power more so that speed, as I said in my original post.
I am also open to phone calls if anyone wants to talk in detail.
Thank again,
Rich
561-262-0393

Here is another option for the crank conversion. I’ve used this method to fix a couple of broken weld jobs. It involves shortening the rear main.
The flange is 1” thick and taper bored and shrunk onto the end of the crank. After it is pressed/shrunk in place, it is machined all over.
So far totally successful and the babbit job was saved as well. Just required cutting of and refacing the back of the 3rd main.
Anyway just another option to consider.

Rich- sorry, I never answered your original question. Our '14 touring has had an A crank engine in it for over 20 years now. Stock Ford low head, New Day timer, originally an NH carb but it's had an MA Barrel Valve Winfield on it for about 15 years now, and most importantly, Coil Man coils. Engine is running full length A rods with the old Egge E807 Hi dome pistons to raise the compression a bit and an A camshaft with a grind I have used for many years now . Its a hand cranked motor and probably has 60,000 miles on it.. The only maintenance it get is the timer gets wiped out about every 300-400 miles or when I detect a slight miss. Nothing wrong with your plan. Hope this helps you decide.

One more picture of the crank conversion

Full length Model B crankshaft done in the 70's and made it to the top of Pikes Peak, speaks well for the conversion if done correctly. Enjoy stay safe

Joe
The tag says “C” crank. And I agree with the tag. You will see that I have posted the identical crank and install on another thread.
I acquired a very rusty C crank and it cleaned up nicely to standard A size. And considering that 1-5/8” main bearings is all that the T bolt spacing will handle!!

Les Schubert wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 29, 2020 2:26 pm

Joe
The tag says “C” crank. And I agree with the tag. You will see that I have posted the identical crank and install on another thread.
I acquired a very rusty C crank and it cleaned up nicely to standard A size. And considering that 1-5/8” main bearings is all that the T bolt spacing will handle!!

Is it possible to grind the "C" crank on an offset to gain a little more stroke as done with Model "A"?

Chris
Certainly it is possible to grind the crank for more stroke. BUT consider that the A crank and rods just barely clear the block and require pan dents!!

Rich, I will be running coils and a timer on mine. Just remember, there are plenty of stock bottom end T's out there that can walk all over even a stroker "A" crank conversion. It's the combination of parts that get you the power. Also, more power is great, stopping it going down the road needs to be a major consideration too. Even if you have the ability to bring the tires to a skid, your still going to be moving. Not trying to be a kill joy on the whole power topic, but it needs to be considered.

Shoot me an email or IM if you want to pick my thoughts. I am no expert (are any of us really?), but the guys I've talked to have told me I'm on the right track with the build and my thoughts.

Some say there was a Model C and some folks says that it's a myth. Call it what you want. http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/modelcmyth.htm

Pan modification shown. If you look closely at the previous picture you can see where the block is ground to clear the counterweights. Same with the pistons. Enjoy.

henryford2 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:35 pm

Some say there was a Model C and some folks says that it's a myth. Call it what you want. http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/modelcmyth.htm

Although there was no Model "C" the first "B" cranks were not counterbalanced. So calling the counterbalanced "B" crank a "C" is just sort of a slang term.