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MikeC5

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    Help with photo

    in Dodge & Dodge Brothers

    Posted

    It looks like the tall radiator and cowl was used on the 116" wheelbase car that was put into production 1924 to me.  I am no expert by any means though.  Assuming the  photos in this link are labeled properly, a major change came when the taller radiator and hood/cowl was used (https://www.flickr.com/groups/carguide/discuss/72157624482003866/) Look at how the earlier cars how the top of the headlights are almost even with top of the radiator.

    • Like 2

    1926 Dodge Brothers Doodlebug

    in Dodge & Dodge Brothers

    Posted

    Since the compression on these is pretty low, hand cranking to start isn't difficult (but read up on the correct (safe) technique).  I couldn't wait on mine and so just made sure the timing was retarded, and hot wire the ignition to a nearby battery.  A little choke and it fired up within a few cranks.   

    1926 Dodge brothers screen side truck starting running issues

    in Technical

    Posted

    Here is a cross section of the carb.  The air valve is connected to the dashpot and the pair actually moves upward when air flow increases (it is shown in the down position at low throttle condition).  You certainly can try some carb cleaner shot in the air intake but if it's like my '25 set up, that will be hard to do without removing the carb from the intake bulb.  If the air valve/dashpot sticks in the up position, fuel metering will be too rich at low throttle setting.  The tapered metering pin regulates the amount of fuel going into the air by controlling the fuel flow area between the pin and metering orifice (main jet).  Think of a tapered pin going into a donut hole.  Depending on the relative axial position of hole and pin, the area between hole and pin (annulus) will change.  As the air valve rises, the metering orifice rises relative to the pin, letting more fuel flow.  The idea is to try and keep the fuel/air ratio constant for different throttle settings.

    Stuart Carb cross sect..jpg

    ‘19 Starting Issue

    in Dodge & Dodge Brothers

    Posted

    I ran my car with a conventional, cylindrical coil for several years and instead of an automotive condenser, I used a modern capacitor (that fit in the distributor).  I'm leery of NOS caps since they may not be up to par due to aging.  These cylindrical coils do not need the case to ground.  I don't think the original DB coils were wired to ground either.  When I started mine for the first time (I believe it sat for 50 years or so), in order to make it as simple as possible, I disconnected the starter wiring, and positive to coil, ran a lead from coil + to battery (on the floor next to engine), and another jumper wire from block to battery minus and hand cranked it to start.  This eliminated all suspect wiring, ignition switch, etc. I also filled the vacuum tank (via the port on top) just to have some gravity feed fuel to run on.  With choke on, it started and ran although it was quite noisy (lifter clearances were over 1/16").  After adjusting valves and rebuilding the carb, it ran pretty well.  I then put a new wiring harness in and at least knew it would run.  These engines are dead simple.  Don't make things more complicated that they need to be.

     

    https://forums.aaca.org/topic/350629-1921-dodge-brothers-starting-problem/?tab=comments#comment-2120399

    • Like 1

    ‘19 Starting Issue

    in Dodge & Dodge Brothers

    Posted

    When you say "Checked with a plug out but wired and I am now getting spark. It only backfires at the moment."  Do you mean when you have all 4 plugs in and everything hooked up and you try to start it, it only backfires?  If you are getting a consistent spark at the plugs now, perhaps you have a static timing issue.  Did you ever remove the distributor in your troubleshooting?  As far as hooking up the coil, I don't think it matters a great deal if you get the primary wires (the +12 volt and ground via distributor) mixed up.  It should still run.  Left reversed, the spark at the plugs will be a bit less intense but the physics of the coil operation will be the same.  Remember that the coil is really a voltage step-up transformer with two separate coils of wire inside.  When the low voltage primary side coil (12 V) current is interrupted (by points opening), the collapsing magnetic field induces a much greater voltage in the secondary circuit (this amount of increase is proportional to the number of loops of wire in the primary and secondary coils).  That high voltage goes to the plug where it jumps the gap (creating a spark) to ground.  The coil doesn't care which direction current flows as far as which way the primary wires are hooked up.  It will still fire the plug but the sparks jumps a bit more readily when things are hooked up correctly.  If you are certain the spark is getting there, it should run.  Did you try a little starting fluid again?

    Technical/radiator

    in Dodge & Dodge Brothers

    Posted

    True, but in the case of the Dodge, the radiator hoses on top and bottom indicate vertical flow (on average).  I don't doubt the honeycomb style is better (more efficient) at transferring heat to the air.  The down side is they can't be rodded out and they're quite a bit more expensive to replace with another HC.  I opted for a 'modern' core which is similar to the type used in mid-50s GM heater cores, according to my radiator guy.  Bit it's basically flat tubes passing through fins.  I believe you can also buy round tube construction, which is how many Dodges were originally but when I priced things (~5 years ago), the round tube core was an extra $1000.

    '

    Milling 1920s head for higher compression question

    in Dodge & Dodge Brothers

    Posted

    The Model T guys have the parts availability to do it.  You can get an extra stout crankshaft made for the T-block and also reproduction Rajo overhead valve conversions, etc.  None of this stuff is cheap but it is available.   I would be hesitant to spend the money hopping up a DB 4 without a new, full-fatigue life crank.  Especially with the 3 main bearing blocks.  Maybe these guys know some tricks and could help:  http://www.fastfourspecial.com/press.html  

    Automotive Greats: Whom have you met?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Derek Bell, winning IMSA racer the year after he co-drove a Porsche to beat Jaguar at Le Mans in '87 (?).  He was guest speaker at a Porsche Club meeting and was a very affable guy.  I also met Wayne Carini a few years ago while walking around the Hershey flea market.  He was also very friendly and had no problem with me taking a photo with him and my brother (who recognized him).  

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