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The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:50 am
by steve plowman
I cant remember what triggered this idea, i think it was a conversation with a friend where we were discussing the build of a vintage hillclimb/race car using as many Ford T parts as possible to keep the car essentially a T but with something different as a powerplant. I always have had a desire to have a straight eight, but vintage 8’s tend to be way beyond my purse. A bit of research turned up this picture..
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:53 am
by steve plowman
..and Gary LeFever’s stunning special
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:56 am
by steve plowman
I started gathering parts as and when i could but with work commitments it has been a long slow process, two weeks ago i got my second complete engine amd most of the big lumps to build the rolling chassis so i feel now is the time to start to pull it together
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:59 am
by steve plowman
The plan
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:05 am
by steve plowman
I had a local fabrication shop fold up a 4’ long oil pan blank to use as a base to line up both engines and ordered 2 36 tooth1/2” pitch sprockets and a duplex chain for the wobble joint
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:49 am
by Steve Jelf
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:53 am
by Henry K. Lee
Some serious therapy!!!
Hank
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 2:39 pm
by steve plowman
Henry K. Lee wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:53 am
Some serious therapy!!!
Hank
Needed? Or ongoing.. i’m never sure
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 4:43 pm
by Tmodelt
I read several years ago about a Model T based V8. Does anyone know it one of these engines still exists?
I love the look of the tandem 4 cylinders. I had never seen one until today. Is that the way that the multiple engine pulling tractors do it?
Kim R. Wynn
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 4:46 pm
by steve plowman
Yes that is the way it has been done with twin v8’s etc for tractor pulling and drag racers. i havent researched T based v8s
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:12 pm
by Tmodelt
Great project. I try to learn something new every day. I completed that task for today. HA!
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:45 pm
by Les Schubert
I’ve thought about building a “boxer” opposed 8 using 2 T blocks. Put the RH side block laying on the valve train side. Put the LH side block in backwards so it is also laying on the valve train side. Run a chain drive between the two camshafts. Bore some big holes on the cam side of the two blocks and make a oil pan that bolts up to the valve chambers and across. I would use pressure oil. Have to get a bit “creative” to connect the transmission and hogshead but not impossible.
Maybe next year!!
Trying to close out my current 6 T engine projects!!
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:15 pm
by Les Schubert
Upon reflection it would make more sense to have the camshafts etc on top and just make some drain slots for the oil or perhaps just stay splash and have a oil transfer pump to add the oil into the main bearings to keep the splash maintained
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:19 pm
by Les Schubert
A set of “fork and blade” connecting rods would deal with the cylinders being perfectly offset so the two centre mains can just bolt together
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:23 pm
by Rich Eagle
I remember being impressed with this one:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1422564948
Fronty heads and consecutive engine serial numbers if I remember right.
I haven't heard anything lately.
Rich
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:53 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
This is fascinating to me. I have seen several pictures of Gary LeF's car before, as well as a couple others. I have also seen pictures or read about three or four tandem block eights built back in the model T days.
Look at the era photo above of the engine. Notice the rear intake manifold. It appears to be aluminum, doglegged, and facing backwards. I think it would be an N/R/S intake manifold. The front intake also appears to be aluminum and doglegged, but faces the model T usual way. Probably '09 to early '12. The rear pan appears to be '13 to '16, three rivet arm and not a "teacup". It would be nice to know the history behind that engine.
I look forward to continuing updates on your project! You can just keep adding onto this thread like other people do to share their ongoing projects. Or start new threads if that seems to suit you better. Most seem to prefer ongoing threads as they can easily refresh their memories when new updates are added.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:08 am
by steve plowman
Les Schubert wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:45 pm
I’ve thought about building a “boxer” opposed 8 using 2 T blocks. Put the RH side block laying on the valve train side. Put the LH side block in backwards so it is also laying on the valve train side. Run a chain drive between the two camshafts. Bore some big holes on the cam side of the two blocks and make a oil pan that bolts up to the valve chambers and across. I would use pressure oil. Have to get a bit “creative” to connect the transmission and hogshead but not impossible.
Maybe next year!!
Trying to close out my current 6 T engine projects!!
That sounds exciting, hurry up with the other 6 projects!
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:09 am
by steve plowman
Yes I followed the build thread on that one, I emailed the builder about it, he was moving workshop so it was on hold for a while
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:12 am
by steve plowman
wayne sheldon wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:53 pm
This is fascinating to me. I have seen several pictures of Gary LeF's car before, as well as a couple others. I have also seen pictures or read about three or four tandem block eights built back in the model T days.
Look at the era photo above of the engine. Notice the rear intake manifold. It appears to be aluminum, doglegged, and facing backwards. I think it would be an N/R/S intake manifold. The front intake also appears to be aluminum and doglegged, but faces the model T usual way. Probably '09 to early '12. The rear pan appears to be '13 to '16, three rivet arm and not a "teacup". It would be nice to know the history behind that engine.
I look forward to continuing updates on your project! You can just keep adding onto this thread like other people do to share their ongoing projects. Or start new threads if that seems to suit you better. Most seem to prefer ongoing threads as they can easily refresh their memories when new updates are added.
Wayne, I plan to keep adding updates to this thread as I make progress, it might be bit intermittent as I am in the middle of renovating a 17th century farm cottage, the T's are a bit of a distraction!!
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 2:57 pm
by steve plowman
A couple of days home alone so i got on with doing the machine work to make the “wobble joint” .. two 36 tooth 1/2” pitch sprockets one bolted to the front motors output flange using 4 countersunk allen set screws (the nuts will be lockwired and the flywheel pegs used to keep it all together) rear motor gets a bossed sprocket with a coss pin going through the starter pin hole. I drilled out the boss to 1.125” then used an adjustable reamer to get a good interference fit. Just waiting for a long shank tap so i can thread the cross pin through but almost ready to put the two together and get on to the oil pan.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 4:10 pm
by Scott_Conger
comment removed
I did not read the last post sufficently well
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:34 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
Steve P, Said " it might be bit intermittent as I am in the middle of renovating a 17th century farm cottage, the T's are a bit of a distraction!! "
Everybody needs distractions!
However, I would also love to see more photos of that farm cottage!
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 1:41 am
by steve plowman
wayne sheldon wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:34 pm
Steve P, Said " it might be bit intermittent as I am in the middle of renovating a 17th century farm cottage, the T's are a bit of a distraction!! "
Everybody needs distractions!
However, I would also love to see more photos of that farm cottage!
We bought the farm 5 years ago as a semi derelict cottage with two barns and 12 acres of overgrown grazing with some trees and a lot of broken fences. As we have 6 horses we wanted somewhere for them to stay that i could gradually restore into a retirement home for my wife and i that would have a workshop for her (a jeweller) and one for me ( a mechanical bodgineer
)
The cottage and one barn date from the 17th century and would originally have had a lower roof covered with turf, when i demolished the central chimney (as it was crumbling) i found turf imbedded in the stonework at the original pitch with moss perfectly preserved. It now has a corrugated tin roof that dates from 1912, i found newspaper from that date used to seal the underside of the attic floorboards to stop ash or dust falling through from above.
The farm is marked on General Roy’s military map of 1715. the redcoats were busy keeping us Scot’s subdued then too!
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 2:57 am
by steve plowman
This morning
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 3:23 am
by Wayne Sheldon
Oh I love those buildings. One can only imagine the history of a place like that! The T should be right at home there.
Thank you.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 12:40 pm
by StanHowe
There is a twin engine T project well underway here in Montana USA.
I won't post more about it as I'm not sure it is public knowledge but it is an interesting project to say the least.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 2:50 pm
by Will_Vanderburg
Craftsman Tools and Eastwood Restoration teamed up to build one for the 2015 Race of Gentlemen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwPb7LKqY18
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 2:58 pm
by Tiger Tim
wayne sheldon wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:53 pm
Look at the era photo above of the engine. Notice the rear intake manifold. It appears to be aluminum, doglegged, and facing backwards. I think it would be an N/R/S intake manifold.
I would have written it off as being a T manifold with the bottom cut off, turned 180°, and welded back on. Just a guess but I don’t think much of a stretch given the effort that went elsewhere in that engine.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 7:18 am
by steve plowman
Yesterday i did the first rough cuts on the two scrappy oil pans that i have set aside for the project. The front one is a 26/27 four dip that had a rotten bondo patched flywheel housing so i felt no guilt in taking the grinder to it. The rear is an earlier 3 dip but the nose was a bit rusted so it got trimmed off leaving the dront seal bulkhead in place. I plan to use the folded steel tray to join the pans and create an oil reservoir for the front motor.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 1:33 pm
by steve plowman
A little bit more tonight, oil dip pans removed and a little bit more trimming. The Ford pans should sit neatly within the folded tray once i trim the excess off then i can drill through the various holes to sandwich it together. The idea is to create a strengthened structure to support the two blocks.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 2:34 am
by 46woodduck
Interesting project. Looking forward to following your progress.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 10:31 am
by mvweaver
Tmodelt wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 4:43 pm
I read several years ago about a Model T based V8. Does anyone know it one of these engines still exists?
I love the look of the tandem 4 cylinders. I had never seen one until today. Is that the way that the multiple engine pulling tractors do it?
Kim R. Wynn
Kim, Snyder's Antique Auto has a Model T V8 on an engine stand in their showroom. I've got some pictures of it somewhere. - Matt
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 12:38 pm
by RustyFords
Neat stuff....following along.
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 6:43 pm
by Henry K. Lee
Very Nice Work Steve!
You are giving me flashbacks living in East Anglia, Suffolk County. Those old Blokes came up with neat stuff too!
Thanks for Sharing,
Hank
Re: The start of my TwinT project
Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2019 1:05 pm
by steve plowman
Yesterday i had a short spell on the job, i finished tapping the cross pin to mount the sprocket on the nose of the rear motors crank, it will get a key cut in when i strip the motor to wash it all down (as it is backed with grease for storage) that let me bind the twio motors together for the first time.. i hope to get hold of one of Les’s floating trans shafts to help the long drive train balance issues