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The "B" is at Fawcett Restorations in Whitby, Ont., Canada. Peter and the guys are getting it all apart. The body and hood are in primer, and the motor and chassis are apart now:

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I'm posting this to show how early Ford Motor Company had the "B" drawings. Ford ordered 250 of their patented differentials from American Ball Bearing in early 1904, and I believe much of the chassis on the B was actually planned for the four cylinder air cooled car Ford announced they were going to begin marketing in late spring/early summer 1904:

Thanks for the pics Rob. Especially of the engine. It will never cease to amaze me of the engineering and manufacture of these early engines, and that they actually RAN!!

Rob wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 13, 2023 7:37 am

The "B" is at Fawcett Restorations in Whitby, Ont., Canada. Peter and the guys are getting it all apart. The body and hood are in primer, and the motor and chassis are apart now:

Rob, is it just me -or is the timing on the crankshaft gear and timing gear off by one tooth??

That car would have had a very smooth ride if it had been equipped with double acting shocks. The engine looks a somewhat like an early Cadillac 4.

It is so nice to look at something that old and that we wouldn't see without you posting it. The primitive design and fascinating shapes and colors are such a treat.
Thanks so much for sharing it.
Rich

Thanks guys. I am always impressed and in awe when looking at the early Fords (through the Model T), and the progress Ford was making. When most low cost cars were one cylinder, Henry Ford, from the start, used two cylinders. For 1905 (beginning in late 1904), Ford, like many high end producers, went to a four cylinder car. In addition to Ford, several high end well known producers came out with a four cylinder model. Then, in 1906, Ford again went one better (actually 2), with a six cylinder. Each time, his next model was the lowest cost in that class.

Brent, we've had a hard time deciding what valve timing combination to use. The B seemed underpowered (283 c.i. with 1700 lbs. chassis/body). Set on the original (dots) timing, it started great, but seemed sluggish. We're still not sure where to run it. Accounts I've read indicate the car should easily be capable of 40 mph. Ford advertised it at that, as well as advertising the F at 35 mph and C at 30 mph. Both the F and C that I'm familiar with will make that time easily. Our Model F runs very easily at 30 mph and 32 actually is a "sweet spot" for it.

Looks like the cam was retarded one tooth. This probably had a huge effect on how it ran, and not in a good way.

Dan,
It didn't seem to make a big difference. However, when we changed it (to where it is in the photo), the car no longer started on spark after priming. Initially, I could pull it through three times after choking, and then start on the switch every time. Who knows, our "electrical/timing" problem may be carb related....?

While the B didn't develop the racing reputation of the Model K, Henry Ford did put it through it's paces. In this article, it made about 42 mph on a 1/2 mile track, turning in the fastest time in Port Huron at a local race in 1905:

Timing is everything, as they say. Must have not run real well.

Erik Barrett wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 13, 2023 2:14 pm

Timing is everything, as they say. Must have not run real well.

Rob, I concur with Erik and Dan that it appears the cam is retarded by a tooth. As I am sure you already know, advancing the camshaft timing generally picks-up low-end power but at the sacrifice of higher RPM power, ...and so retarding the cam could/should have made it have its powerband stretched into a higher range. FWIW, I would think the location of the valve timing should not have affected the starting as this should have had more to do with ignition timing since at TDC (-or just after) both valves should have been closed to seal the compression/explosion when the spark was introduced. If this later valve timing did affect it, then I wonder if a mis-broached keyway on a timing gear has valve timing affected where the vacuum on the stroke on the subsequent cylinder (-after TDC) is not optimum.

Have you considered having the camshaft profiled? In our motorsports world, we have access to a mapping machine called a Cam Doctor. I am sure there is a shop near NE, IA, or Ontario that has one (-or something similar) that can map all 8 lobes for you. The software will follow the 360°rotation of each lobe on the shaft and it will tell you what the centerline of the cam is, and if any of the lobes are advanced/retarded in relation to TDC on the crankshaft, and even how much duration or lift it has at any given location. It would be a piece of mind to to know if all lobes are pinned in the proper location, -or whether you have one or more where the pin was mis-drilled causing altered timing. You may also find the timing mark was mis-stamped at the factory?? In the motorsports world where we are trying to extract every ounce of efficiency, we subscribe to the theory that 4 Ponies hitched together will outpull 2 Ponies and 2 larger Horses hitched together simply due to the harmonious pulling of the equally yoked, ...and I realize I have digressed in a different path for this engine however since the cost is not that great to have this cam profiled, you and your team may want to explore this a tad and see if it would be a value for y'all to know the specs of each lobe and its relation to each cylinder's TDC.

After Peter and crew are done with it, it is going to look and run like a RR.

That's great Rob, glad to see the full job being done. I'm out of the country and can't download all the pictures. I wonder if the B spent all its life out of time? If you don't see the disassemble engine personally, have Peter take a good shot of the number on the rear crank stub.

Thanks guys. Just received some bad news, cracked crank. Ouch. But, better to find out now than later.....

Brent, Erik and others, this is what little I have regarding cam timing the Model B. First, a drawing from THF Benson Library archives, (thank you Kim D.), all rights apply THF. I believe the drawing date is March, 1904:


From the May 15, 1908 Ford Times, with a later FMC drawing date of September, 1905:

I always enjoy looking at the parts and pieces of the letter cars, and compare them to the later T parts and pieces. The similarities are sometimes very obvious and you can certainly see that the design style did not change that much when the T was created. Thanks Rob for sharing!

Dan, I agree. What I find amazing is that Henry Ford was already planning his first four cylinder production car by late 1903. While the 2 cylinder Model A was an instant success, he was on his way toward an inexpensive 4 cylinder production car (he'd already built two of the fastest racers in the world, 4 cylinder 999 and Arrow). And, he had begun planning his 6 cylinder racer by late 1903/early 1904. Henry Ford, C. H. Wills and James Couzens seem to have been the right men for the right time (as well as a host of incredibly talented people like Huff, Galamb, the list goes on and on) and the culmination would be the car that put the world on wheels.

C. H. Wills at the wheel of a later production Model B (later radiator, curved front crossmember, running boards):

The engine looks a somewhat like an early Cadillac

Didn't Henry design the early Cadillacs too?

Adrian W, That is a long and interesting story.
Henry Ford was the chief engineer for the company that eventually became Cadillac. He had spent a good part of two years designing and improving "the car". The investors wanted to begin production right away and begin getting returns on their investments. Henry's mind was way ahead of actual designs, and he kept wanting to finish some improvements before going forward with production. Their disagreements forced Henry out, and left the company with a nearly ready product.
Meanwhile, another engineer, Henry Leland, at another company, was also being met with resistance from the powers. He had designed a better engine than that company was already using, but they wanted to keep production at full swing with the previous design. THAT company was Oldsmobile! And the car continuing on with its earlier design engine was the Curved Dash Oldsmobile.
So the company that Henry Ford left, taking many of his designs and his NAME with him, hired Henry Leland to complete the design of their car, and changed the company name to Cadillac (an early day explorer that founded early settlements in the area). Henry Leland used his improved one cylinder engine and fit it into the car basically as Henry Ford had left it.
Henry Ford rounded up some new investors, founded what became Ford Motor Company, finished some of his improvements on the engine, and began production merely months after the Cadillac first hit the market.
That is one of the reasons that the first Cadillacs and the first Ford production cars look so much alike. Both were based on designs by Henry Ford.

That is a short version.

Leland, after he left Cadillac, was also behind Lincoln and the Liberty aircraft engine, which was quite a marvel. Ford eventually aquired Lincoln. Leland was born in 1843 and lived until 1932. He was a most remarkable individual, and he led a very remarkable and productive life. Leland didn't get along well with bean counters. Ford didn't, either. Ford was about value for price, not "cheap".

The improved 1 cylinder Cadillac engine was designed by Alonson Partridge Brush, who received royalty payments from Cadillac until 1909. Brush went on to design and build the "Brush" runabout, with such notable features as a constantly variable transmission, and coil spring suspension at all 4 wheels, alone with irreversible steering. Brush's later 2 speed planetary transmission (2 speeds forward, a true neutral, and reverse) was far superior to the Model T's, in that it was far smoother with no jerkiness, smooth shifting and operation, and very easy control, with no whining, grinding or moaning when shifting, and almost no wear. It also doesn't leak like a Model T, and there is no heaving or lunging in a Brush, and it doesn't try to creep forward unless it is engaged in forward gear. Brush was a consulting engineer for several early car companies, and got a lot of them out of trouble mechanically, starting with Cadillac.

Leland made his fortune with the "Liberty" aircraft engine, completing an entire factory with brand new machine tools, just in time to have the Liberty production contract canceled, and leaving Leland with his beautiful factory, ready to build the Lincoln. Leland's chassis was magnificent, but his bodies were square and stodgy, and had no sales appeal, and he had no skills in body design. This is what led to his financial troubles with Lincoln, and eventual buy-out by Ford.

There were a tremendous number of incredible people behind the antique automobiles we know and love. It was an amazing time. A confluence of genius that likely will never happen again.
Henry Leland was certainly one of those special people. Under his leadership, Cadillac was the first automobile manufacturer to build to a high enough standard that all parts were interchangeable from one car to the next! In 1908, Cadillac won the prestigious Dewer Trophy. The Dewer Trophy was awarded by the Royal Automobile Club in England for the greatest new achievement in automotive development in the world at that time! And Cadillac won it for interchangeability of parts in 1908, and then again for the development of the electric self starter in 1912.

Legend has it that there was some animosity between Henry Ford and Henry Leland. I do not know it that was true or not. Certainly, they were to some extent rivals. Both built to very high standards, but Leland got the international notice for it. Ford was far away the most successful!
Part of the cause for the failure of the Lincoln Motorcar Company was bad timing. Henry Leland had left Cadillac, and started his new company. Initially, they did well with government contracts supplying engines for the war effort while Henry Leland designed his new car. Then the war ended. Leland was not the only industrialist to lose a fortune on cancelled government contracts. But his young company was unable to recover from those losses. Industrialists were investing their own money in planned contracts, expecting huge returns later. Then when the contracts were cancelled, they were unable to recover much of their investments. (Following that debacle, industrialists changed the way they responded to government requests so that the initial investments were paid for by the government, and the great (?) Military/Industrial Complex was born.)

I got interrupted again. I see OilyBill slipped in.
Alanson P Brush was another incredible engineer that doesn't get the recognition he deserves. His work helped numerous companies build better automobiles. His engineering helped Maxwell become the success to survive Benjamin Briscoe's financial woes. Brush held numerous important patents in designs for automobiles, aircraft, and military applications. He was connected with numerous manufacturing companies over his many years, but made most of his income from the royalties for his many patents. The Brush automobile was a great success, and along with Maxwell one of the few really profitable companies under Briscoe's umbrella. However, because of the introduction of the model T Ford, the small Brush automobile's time had passed, and the company sacrificed to pay off some of Briscoe's debts. Had it not been for Briscoe's dealings, it is likely the Brush would have moved forward with bigger and better cars and been serious competition for Ford.

Well, unfortunately, the Brush was never going to be a real challenger to Ford. In fact, the Model T dealt a death blow to Brush. Compare a Brush to a Model T. Brush was a single cylinder, and even though they experimented and even built a few 2 cylinder cars, there really was no path for further development of the Brush. The Brush is slower than a Model T. 30-35 mph is the maximum on a Brush. A Model T will speed past that easily.
The Brush engine was only 10 hp. (started out at about 8 hp.) The Model T engine was actually about 22 hp to start with, then dropped to 20 h.p. as poorer gas became common. The Model T had plenty of extra power, and thus it's success on muddy roads. The Model T's gigantic flywheel and transmission drums meant that once your Model T was rolling, it STAYED rolling, through mud, water, snow and sand. The Brush was good on muddy roads, but was MUCH slower than a Model T under the same conditions. Everyone I talk to who has a Brush loves it. It is a rambunctious little car. But it is no match for a Model T. A Brush will carry 2 people, but that is all. It's luggage capacity is a purse and a briefcase. Model T's could carry camping gear. That was beyond a Brush, unless you strapped all the camping equipment to the body and loaded it up like an elephant or a camel.

Besides the Brush being pounded by the Model T, another company that was nearly put out of business was Harley-Davidson. They were planning on the Harley as being a poor man's transportation, selling millions of them, and making a ton of money at it. Then Ford went and introduced the Model T, and Harley's ideas were instantly surpassed by a REAL automobile with 4 cylinders, high-quality construction, and the ability to carry an entire family, even the dogs and the chickens, when it went somewhere. All at the SAME cost as a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle. The HD brand was instantly reduced to a niche market for people who ride, and it has stayed in that position ever since.

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 15, 2023 9:18 pm

Alanson P Brush was another incredible engineer that doesn't get the recognition he deserves. His work helped numerous companies build better automobiles...at the sufferings of his own automobile!!

You forgot to finish your sentence, my friend, so I helped you out!

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 15, 2023 9:18 pm

His engineering helped Maxwell become the success to survive Benjamin Briscoe's financial woes. Brush held numerous important patents in designs for automobiles, aircraft, and military applications. He was connected with numerous manufacturing companies over his many years, but made most of his income from the royalties for his many patents. The Brush automobile was a great success, and along with Maxwell one of the few really profitable companies under Briscoe's umbrella. However, because of the introduction of the model T Ford, the small Brush automobile's time had passed, and the company sacrificed to pay off some of Briscoe's debts. Had it not been for Briscoe's dealings, it is likely the Brush would have moved forward with bigger and better cars and been serious competition for Ford.

You know what they said about a Brush automobile don't you?? "Wooden Frame, ...Wooden Axle, ...Wouldn' Run!!"

One interesting thing I see is that the Model B had a 5 main bearing crankshaft. I didn't know any 4 cylinder Fords had more than 3 main bearings.

Dan

"You forgot to finish your sentence, my friend, so I helped you out! "

Thank you Brent! I have wondered how much his namesake automobile may have suffered from his being distracted by having fingers in so many pies!
I suspect he was unhappy with the way things were going under Briscoe's "leadership" (or lack thereof?). Alanson P Brush was first and foremost an engineer. Briscoe was a dealmaker. He bought companies, leveraged them to buy more companies, and eventually couldn't juggle the payments enough to keep them going. I think he and William Durant were cut from the same proverbial cloth. I have often joked that Briscoe was trying to become General Motors before there was a General Motors!

The Brush is a funny little car, the butt of many jokes. However, they are loved by many of their owners, and perform quite well on one cylinder car tours. I have come close to buying one a few times, but it never came to pass for one reason or another.

So many fun cars in our automotive history.