Why is the intake runner so darn long??
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drzomber
Topic author - Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2025 3:42 pm
- First Name: Rob
- Last Name: Zomber
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Coupe
- Location: Redwood City, CA
Why is the intake runner so darn long??
I'm new to T's (I have had a bunch of A's in the past) and don't understand why they make the intake runner so long. Even on aftermarket intakes (except for the Winfield) it seems excessive. I guess I could understand it if they were building a high revving engine but given the application it seems really odd to me. Can someone explain the reasoning to me??
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Ed Baudoux
- Posts: 288
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:49 pm
- First Name: Edward
- Last Name: Baudoux
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Fordor 1926 Huckster 1930 Fordor 1930 Tudor 1923 TT
- Location: Grayling Michigan
- Board Member Since: 1999
Re: Why is the intake runner so darn long??
I believe that the length of the intake drop is intended to allow enough drop for the gravity fuel system. Some earlier body styles had a longer drop.
Grayling Michigan
1927 Fordor
1926 Huckster
1923 TT
1930 Fordor
1930 Tudor
1927 Fordor
1926 Huckster
1923 TT
1930 Fordor
1930 Tudor
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Tadpole
- Posts: 553
- Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:17 am
- First Name: Tad
- Last Name: Glahn
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 Coupe, 1926 TT Closed Cab, 1924 Runabout
- Location: Grant's Lick, Kentucky
- Board Member Since: 2021
Re: Why is the intake runner so darn long??
If you think Ford was bad, look at Chevrolet’s!
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TXGOAT2
- Posts: 7391
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:08 pm
- First Name: Pat
- Last Name: McNallen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926-7 roadster
- Location: Graham, Texas
- Board Member Since: 2021
Re: Why is the intake runner so darn long??
Longer, small bore intake manifolds work very well on low speed engines with mild cam profiles. Short, large bore intake runners with no manifold heat would give very poor results on a stock Model T engine, especially with the gasoline commonly available in the 1920s. An intake manifold can be "tuned", much as an exhaust header can be "tuned". Modified T engines that run at higher speeds with high lift, long duration camshafts and larger carburetors can take advantage of shorter, larger-bore intake runners.
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Erik Johnson
- Posts: 1055
- Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:25 pm
- First Name: Erik
- Last Name: Johnson
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
Re: Why is the intake runner so darn long??
As Ed posted above, the gravity flow fuel system is the reason the carburetor sits so low and the intake is so long.
My father's 1910 IHC Model F roadster has overhead valves and has a much longer intake than a Model T Ford.
My father's 1910 IHC Model F roadster has overhead valves and has a much longer intake than a Model T Ford.
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got10carz
- Posts: 552
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:37 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Meixner
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1911,13,14,19,23,25,26,27
- Location: Moorhead MN
Re: Why is the intake runner so darn long??
Here's my theory. The firing order is wrong. The model T is 1243 as are most early 4 cylinder cars. This requires the front 2 cylinders and rear 2 cylinders to suck 1 right after another. The long manifold has more fuel stored in the manifold. A better firing order would be 1324.
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Craig Leach
- Posts: 1906
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:22 am
- First Name: craig
- Last Name: leach
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919 Firetruck/1922 Speedster
- Location: Laveen Az
Re: Why is the intake runner so darn long??
The firing order on a T does as I understand causes a flow issue that would be rectified with a 1423 or 1324 configuration. Reversing the ports
has been tried with some success as I understand. Now that cams are being manufactured again maybe someone will bump the program & make
some. Kirk Wright built a 6 cylinder out of T engines & somewhere there are pics of him making the crank & cam. A stock came could be cut up
& put together to do this also. Didn't Winfield's 2up 2down engine have a modified firing order?
Craig.
has been tried with some success as I understand. Now that cams are being manufactured again maybe someone will bump the program & make
some. Kirk Wright built a 6 cylinder out of T engines & somewhere there are pics of him making the crank & cam. A stock came could be cut up
& put together to do this also. Didn't Winfield's 2up 2down engine have a modified firing order?
Craig.