Here's my Laurel Roof 16 valve model B head. It fits model T Fords, for those that don't keep up with this weird crap. The intake has been modified, and the exhaust manifold is the part that comes out of the head, but I don't have the part that goes over the top and down the right side. This was supposed to be off of a racer in Cal., parted out in the '60's. One rocker stand has nickel plating on it. One of these done up right would look sooooo good! I put this one up on the for sale section, but it doesn't bother me to keep it. Can't you imagine all those parts wiggling up and down as it runs? No valve cover makes these a spectator's delight! And those 8 exhaust ports, man, would it be fun to make up some special pipes for that! Straight stacks? Bundle of snakes? 8 into 4 into 2 into 1? 4 into 1? etc.
they have a tendancy to wiggle themselves apart... here is one that has been fully modified and upgraded:
Very nice! It looks like it has all new design rockers and stands. I must say the original stuff looks kinda spindly compared to what I can see here. Old motorcycles with exposed valve gear tended to last pretty good, though. Nimbus four cylinder motorcycles retained exposed rockers until they quit in '59 or so. My wife and I rode one of those (1942 version) up to the top of Pikes Peak and had no troubles at all. It'd pull top gear all the way up. It left most Pans, Knucks, and Chiefs that were one up gasping for breath. quote=fur biscuit]they have a tendancy to wiggle themselves apart... here is one that has been fully modified and upgraded: [/quote]
the exposed rockers weren't the problem, but merely the flex in the rocker arms, as they are a triffle spindly. I have heard a few horror stories about running these heads, the general occurance being that the heads were shelved in favor of a Rajo or Fronty OHV.
Dan 4 Banger has a new aluminum Cragar OHV crossflow head for Model B engines. I know someone that bought one of them and he said it was beautiful. http://www.dan4banger.com
Check out a thread I started titled "Saw this banger" There are pictures of a friends Gemsa head engines. One is in a dragster.
Dated August 14, 1926, with no mention of what model head just head #9941 the factory was replacing rockers & shafts after 2300 miles of use. What can you get today for $16.20?
A guy here in Australia made an OHV conversion for the 4 banger, probably in the 80-90's. He sold the paterns to someone in the US. I cant for the life of me remember what he called them. His Sirname is JENKINS but I cant remember if that is what was on them???
A friend of mine is the guy that repops the Miller head---real nice stuff www.millerhi-speedheads.com
Wow, missed this thread first go round. Glad I caught it this time, as not more than an hour ago, I ordered Dan Iandola's book. Must be fate! Keep this one going. Check the sig. Jay Edit- I in no way mean to hijack this, but does anyone have any info on the V8 conversions. PM me if you do, please!
Be carefull if you want to run the Riley. Sounds real neat, but extremely pricey to get going. I could amagine the range of 20,000.00 to get the machining done. I have a good friend building a Dryer overhead. Been 5 years and a re-fi on the house, and it's still miles away. And, he had most the parts. The Chevy convertion is 'bout the best bet. Tinker with that cool ass Riley set-up, in the mean time, throw something less stunning on there and roll with it................
Corey, that'd be Andy Jenkins from Broken Hill who made this head, and Doug Charter borrowed Phil McNally's father's Jenkins F-Head, copied it, and labelled the "Dick". I don't know who bought it in the US, ask 4-port riley, aka Jim Briley "Father" of F.A.S.T.
An excellent source for info on the aftermarket valve-in-head conversions is a book originally published in 1956, "Model T Ford in Speed and Sport", published by Dan R. Post Publications, Arcadia, CA. Our copy apparently was bought from Motor City Antique Auto Supply, Harper Woods, MI 48225. It was donated to our library at the Owls Head Transportation Museum (www.ohtm.org). Plenty of go-fast stuff for T's, A's and B's. Some of the OHV conversions covered are: Laurel (successors to Roof); Chevrolet Bros. Frontenac 8 and 16 valve; Rajo; Williams Akron-Hed.
Just go on Ebay there is always a copy or two there. While you are at it look for: The Fast Ford Hand Book (blue and white cover) and The Model T in Speed and Sport (yellow cover)
That Riley belongs to me, It is a two port with a stroked crank {with 243"} The head was totally reworked and opened up and valve train up graded, full pressure, two extra cam bearings added and a wild cam and runs 3-48"s backed into a B trans. with 39 gears into my full fendered 5 wendow.--TV
[Sorry, I just wandered into this site a few minutes ago. I've read a bunch of the stuff that's been written about the subject; but only a few have touched on the real challange. Cost and reliability. Several years ago, I got a hold of an old race car, with a 33/34 Ford "banger" in it. It had and OHV Miller-Schoefield (later Cragar) clone, made of iron by that fella in Denver. Without going through the engine, I ran it in a race. I had oil pressure problems. Dug into the engine and found an old V/8 oil pump in there, running backwards (of course), with the back cut off, sucking up oil from the hole (the front had a blocking plate). Was told that's the way they do it, so I put it back. That pump broke the next race. Bought an aftermarket pump, made by a guy in Ohio. The fella that sold in to me, told me to run some solvent through it to loosen it up. It had been sitting. That burned up the next race. When we took it apart, we found that the guy who made it must've had a short boring bar, because the two end bushings were off center by several thousanths. He must've bored it one way; turned it around and bored the other way. In the same race, when I down shifted, in a critical situation, the number 4 exhaust valve guide broke, essentialy ruining that cylinder head for high speed operations. All this old "neat stuff" is great, if you like to constantly work on your cars. I went through all that when I was a kid. I bought one of the new Miller OHV reproductions and took it to a trusted machinist, who'd been working on my stuff for 40 years, He ground and lapped the valves. He reamed the guides and fitted the valves. He found valve springs to replace the ones that came with the head (they were bottoming). He cleaned up the combustion chambers and ports. And, he reconfiguered the the rocker shaft to eliminate the binding. It worked fine; but the added compression and power blew the bottom (and parts of the top) outta the tired old iron block. I finally went to Jay Steel of Taylor Engine, in Whittier California, a we built an engine that has lasted a whole racing season with nary a problem. We did have to fit it with an external oil pump, with a semi-dry sump system to make everything work on right and left, high G turns. All it take is lots of time and money (which is what I was doing screwing around with the old junk and the funky new stuff). Thanks, "Old Dawg"
I built a Miller A motor this last summer using an original square shoulder Miller head. Cost many dollars to fix all the cracks. We used 50's Mopar polysphere valves, 347 Pontiac springs, and retainers. They all worked fine with the original 28 Buick rocker arms. I made my own V8 water pump adapter from aluminum, and used an old time Mallory points ignition. Anyway, I bought some parts from the Miller High Speed Head co., and everything was top notch.
well hang around and enjoy. there are a few guys on here that build and run vintage 4 bangers, though there are even less that actually race them. how about a pics of your race car...
Just going through all the message boards(as you do when you join this great site)and came across the photo of the engine with the twin cast bronze carbies.These are early barrel throttle Solex carbs made in France during the twenties and early thirties,used on many Eurpoean cars of the time.Were a simple unit with easy to change jets. The vacuum tank on the firewall was an early type of fuel pump that relied on engine vacuum to suck fuel(gas to you guys) from the tank to the header tank(vacuum unit) then drain down to the carbs.It always had to be higher to work properly and had a on/off valve on the bottom so that the carbs didn't flood when not being driven. This has been a terrific post.with lots of great infne of the local Brisbane guys runs a Model A speedcar with lot of work done to it(with help from the SOSS) races it everywhere.Regards,
I picked these up the other day, super cool , just trying to find out as much as I can about them ! What valves were used , what they looked like as a finished unit , any help would appreciated Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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