MTFCA Forum

Over the years some have posted or I have read articles for other power uses of the Model T engine. One in particular was a marine adaptation. Does anyone in the group actually have a Model T engine attached to or being used other than powering a Model T?

Around here they were commonly used to power cut off saws. Over the years I bought and was given several such.

I just bought one that is on a sled with steel runners and had a big saw blade used to cut ice on a big lake in New Hampshire.

I have a Roberts marine T engine. A interesting bunch of conversion details. A slightly different crank (longer on the front) , an oil pump driven from the crank gear, a WATER PUMP! A manifold combining exhaust, intake and water, a modified cylinder head, crankcase access doors, AND a Distributor that seems designed to utilize a buzz coil!

Ford Canada produced a Marine motor. It came as a self contained unit in a short chassis with marine conversion ready to drop in a boat.

Les Schubert wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 02, 2024 7:59 pm

I have a Roberts marine T engine. A interesting bunch of conversion details. A slightly different crank (longer on the front) , an oil pump driven from the crank gear, a WATER PUMP! A manifold combining exhaust, intake and water, a modified cylinder head, crankcase access doors, AND a Distributor that seems designed to utilize a buzz coil!

I would be surprised if it didn't have a water pump. Hopefully the source of coolant is below the engine, and with little airflow over the engine and water-cooled exhaust manifolds, I doubt that convection cooling that our cars use would be adequate.

Yes it has a water pump, a plunger type mounted to the cylinder head and driven by a eccentric on the crankshaft

The Collyer Brothers used a T engine to power a generator after the city of NY cut their power for non-payment. Both men died in their Harlem brownstone from starvation and suffocation.

Will_Vanderburg wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 03, 2024 12:33 pm

The Collyer Brothers used a T engine to power a generator after the city of NY cut their power for non-payment. Both men died in their Harlem brownstone from starvation and suffocation.

It seems that no matter how often you tell people "Do Not Run an Engine in an enclosed space' they still do it. I'm guessing that this incident was a long time ago.

There was a company in Bellingham, Wa, I think it was Clift, converted T engines for marine use. I have only seen two cylinder versions, don't know if there were others. Dave in Bellingham

John Codman wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 03, 2024 1:27 pm

Will_Vanderburg wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 03, 2024 12:33 pm

The Collyer Brothers used a T engine to power a generator after the city of NY cut their power for non-payment. Both men died in their Harlem brownstone from starvation and suffocation.

It seems that no matter how often you tell people "Do Not Run an Engine in an enclosed space' they still do it. I'm guessing that this incident was a long time ago.

The pair were notorious hoarders. The engine was in the basement. One brother was blind and the other was bringing him food. He fell when several hundred pounds of stacked newspapers fell on him and died. The brother who was to receive food waited four days before he passed.

Bit of a drift in subject here, Is anyone interested in Model T Marine engines? I have several copies of articles and some photo's of marine motors sold on ebay over the years. If anyone wants to know more I can post some information here or they can email me. I wrote an article for the Vintage Ford years ago but my VF copies are stored away so hard to get to. Also Ford Canada were pushing their salesmen to sell motors for power plants. They were told that they were ideal for farmers and small towns who at the time were not able to have electric light and other features available to city dwellers.
Here is a photo from Ford Canada's salesman book of 1926.

I have picked up two T engines that had been used as power plants. One that had a Ruckstell ( that was used as a speed reduction instead of low
band????) and the pan cut off with a large pulley on the crankshaft the other was a chassis that was pulled around with a pulley in place of the
driveshaft. Neither one had bands in them & the transmission drums where like new. One engine is freshened up & in reserve as a spare & the
Ruckstell is in the speedster.
The engine that was with the Ruckstell was kind of unusual it had a low head, up draft manifold( made from a stock manifold ), short straight
pipes & the rods & pistons had been lightened. Craig.

I have a 2 cylinder sort of half T. Quite unusual because the block, cylinder head and crank are all custom made! It was produced by a foundry/machine shop in Medicine Hat Alberta Canada. The internal parts are stock T. It has a 2 cylinder high tension magneto ignition. A stock T carb. Has a “swing out” crank handle on the flywheel. A big flat pulley on the “front end”. They were marketed for farm use, and for irrigation use