MTFCA Forum

Hi,
I've just received the "plumbing kit" for gas headlights and wonder how the pipes ran around the radiator.
Apparently a pipe is going from the splash apron at the gasgenerator along the fram in drivers/left side (if generator sits on the running board there which I believe it did most often with Lhd).
The pipe ends in a T joint that are soldered to the pipe. Then two shorter pipes are solded to the T joint as well and these pipes ends just inside the radiator shell where the rubber hose are connected between the pipe and the headligt. Same applies at the generator.

Can some kind soul evebtually share a picture of the placement of the pipe and the T joint etc beghind the radiator?

Thank you!

Michael-
For 1913 and 1914, there is a cross-over pipe with a T that should be attached to the radiator. It is then mostly straight pipes and rubber hoses.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1509461871

viewtopic.php?t=14709

https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=2012

I hope some of this helps.

: ^ )

Keith

It sure is, but the shown radiator the length for the two sides are unequal, which may give different performance of the two sides (a note that followed the kit claims).

It is for a 1914 Touring. I'll have to go to the winterstorage and check if that pipe already sits on my radiator.

I just did this on both my '13s within the last two years. It was a fun project. I never did a double flare until I did this. You need a special tool to do it.
I was able to use a brass T, and I bought the tubing from McMaster Carr. The tubing is soldered to the radiator as pictured above. Pay attention to the hole you must put in the splash shield. This is important. I drilled a 1/4" hole, and drilled a correct size hole in a block of wood, and placed it on my floor jack to support it, and used a taper punch to increase the diameter of the hole to the proper size to support the tube.

Keith,

Thanks for posting the above detail. Just noticed the drawing had a note added (in the lower left corner)
when the crossover pipe was used in production:

"1912 > after 75,000 cars - 1913 - 1914"

Suggests the radiator side plates punched for gas hoses and above crossover soldered in place, the 44" rear gas line
and clamp, left splash shield punched for the gas hose and running board punched for the carbide generator
were being used after about 132,000+/-, June 1912 or so. Three or four months before the 1913 models appeared.

Makes the acetylene plumbing on a later 1912 much easier.

While we're on the subject, any recommendations for rubber tubing ? When I acquired my current Lizzie in the fall of '15, I replaced the failed red rubber tubing with stuff that reminded me of the gum rubber tubing that supplied the bunsen burners in chem lab. The years have not been kind, I need to replace it all again, which is kind of a fool's errand, I guess, because in spite of promises to myself six years agone, I have yet to fire up the headlamps !

With the kit I got there was a note that stated it was "naturel rubber" and that I should be careful with oil and gas - which may be a challenge in a model T engine compartment.

When i first plumbed my 1914 touring, i lit the headlights and had a flame at the burner, below the burner and outside of the lamp! Later i found the prints for the hoses and they clearly state that the last inch of each hose was to be dipped in shellac. This sealed the hoses nicely and no more multiple flames. In 1913-14 the line was a multiple piece assembly using seamed metal tubing in the center and seamless tubing with an adapter fitting on each end. The entire assembly was tinned with solder to seal all the joints. This tube ran inside the frame rail in these years with a short piece of hose to connect it to the crossover pipe on the radiator. There was one or two clamps that held the tube made from fender scrap. They bolted to the engine splash shield holes at the front and behind the pan arms. The bolts had square heads and nuts.

Mark, is the shellac flexible enough so it won't crack when going over the flared ends? I had to bend each end of the pipe, R & L slightly, so the tubing would go through the radiator and mate up to the tubing.