MTFCA Forum

Does anyone have a copy of the original instructions for the Simmons, Wizard, Duplex type carburetors. What I am looking for are the recommendations for wiring the heating element.

The recommendation would be not to wire it up and to remove the coil completely and plug the hole. Gas today is far more volatile than what was sold back then.

That heater element has started a lot of fires and made the Simmons Carb very unpopular.

You can just attach 6 Volts to the terminal and watch for smoke when the carb is not on the manifold.

Russ Potter restored the ones I have and he removes the element and connection, then screws a small Allen head screw in there and pounds over the threads, so they can't come out.

Actually, it would not do any damage if it was left in and never connected.

J1MGOLDEN wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 17, 2024 1:42 pm

Actually, it would not do any damage if it was left in and never connected.

It may not do any damage, but I can imagine the vaporized fuel hitting it, then recondensing into droplets.

Photo courtesy of Corey Walker.


Drawing from the MTFCA Forum Gallery

Remove the coil or leave it alone! Your choice, but removing it may be the wiser decision. DO NOT CONNECT power to the coil!

Someone did for Dan's photo.

There is no smoke or fire.

J1MGOLDEN wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 18, 2024 7:57 am

Someone did for Dan's photo.

There is no smoke or fire.

Jim

That Simmons is a test photo, was away from any gasoline, and wasn’t mounted under the hood

I’ll be wary of one with hot coil on a T

The coil is for improving cold weather starting. Back to the real question. Does anyone have the original instructions.

Brendan

Wiring would be simple to the coil terminal. Run wire from + terminal to an on-off toggle or push-pull switch. Then from switch to the Simmons coil terminal. Switch on to energize the coil for heat prior to starting. After engine warms, switch off the coil.

Purpose was to preheat the old time gas to help starts.


Wiring diagram similar to heated steering wheel wraps, sketch shows AC magneto for +, but storage DC battery is best.

I’m not sure I’d use the element, I just wanted to try it out. When you remove it the hole is already the right size for a 10-32 tap and then I put a screw there to plug the hole.

I too would like to see instructions. I have what I’m told is a Simmons carburetor on my ‘24 touring and it runs MIUCH better than either of the two NH’s I have. It gives easy cold starts and consistently gives me 20-21 mpg on tour. The only issue I’ve ever had was that the “low idle flap” stuck closed once, but a healthy squirt of brake cleaner a little light oil solved that problem. I don’t recall for sure whether or not the heater coil is still there, but it’s not been wired up since I’ve had the car.

Simmons adv. in parts catalog 1924