'17 engine in a '15 car

Discuss all things Model T related.
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
User avatar

Topic author
dr1960
Posts: 122
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:45 pm
First Name: David
Last Name: Ruedy
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Model T Runabout
Location: Yukon, Oklahoma
MTFCA Number: 50076

'17 engine in a '15 car

Post by dr1960 » Wed May 08, 2019 9:26 pm

Still learning the Model T. My '15 engine needs rebuilt so I plan to put a '17 engine in for a while. Are there any issues doing that i should be aware of? I heard the '17 had a higher head. Will that cause any issues connecting to my brass radiator?

Appreciate any experienced input.

David
David - Yukon, OK
1915 Model T Runabout


Kerry
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:42 pm
First Name: Frank
Last Name: van Ekeren
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 touring, 1916 pick-up, 1924 coupe, 1926 touring, 1927 touring
Location: Rosedale Vic Australia

Re: '17 engine in a '15 car

Post by Kerry » Wed May 08, 2019 10:02 pm

The 17 had the change to high head in the last few months of that fiscal year but if you have the high head, use your 15 outlet and a good soft top hose and it will fit.


Adam
Posts: 1411
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:57 am
First Name: Adam
Last Name: Doleshal
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘13 Touring, ‘24 Touring, ‘25 TT dump truck, ‘26 Tudor, ‘20 Theiman harvester T powerplant, ‘20 T Staude tractor
Location: Wisconsin
MTFCA Number: 23809
MTFCI Number: 1
Board Member Since: 2000

Re: '17 engine in a '15 car

Post by Adam » Wed May 08, 2019 10:10 pm

Actually, if the ‘17 has a “high head”, just buy a head gasket and substitute the low head and water outlet from your ‘15, and everything is the same.


Wayne Sheldon
Posts: 3637
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:13 pm
First Name: Wayne
Last Name: Sheldon
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Runabout 1913 Speedster
Location: Grass Valley California, USA
Board Member Since: 2005

Re: '17 engine in a '15 car

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Thu May 09, 2019 4:05 am

The high head might not fit under the firewall. A lot of brass car owners notch the firewall a little to clear the high head for whatever reason they want a high head (sometimes modern high compression aluminum heads or other after-market heads, sometimes simple availability). As for connecting to the radiator. Personally, I dislike notching out the firewall for that reason. Regardless, use the low angle brass radiator outlet from the head.
Just for kicks. Take a low head and a high head. Set them on a smooth tabletop. Push the outlet bosses together and look at the difference. The truth is, there is some variation form one low head to another low head. There is also some variation from one high head to another high head. So it stands to reason that from a low head to a high head will also vary some amount. How much different heads have been "decked" or "milled" accounts for some of those variations. The difference between high heads and low heads ON THAT DETAIL is negligible. One time I placed a low and a high nose to nose? They lined up almost exactly.
That was my experience.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic