Dip Stick / CM?

[Rogillio]

Look closely at these three photos. 

 

 

 

The first shows the oil level float rod I found in an article I found on the internet of a restored 1926 DB Coupe. 

 

The second shows the oil level rod from my first 1926 DB Coupe (made Jul 1926). 

 

The third picture is of my second 1926 DB Coupe (made Sept 1926). 

 

Note that in the first two pictures the oil check float thing is beween the #1 and #2 cylinders.   But in the 3rd picture, the oil level float rod is between #2 and #3....put it behind the float chamber of the carburator.  You can’t even see it in the picture but you can feel it behind the carb.  Clearly it is NOT where it is in the other two pictures

 

How does this happen?  Was their configuration management really that poor in 1926?  Did a machinist drill the hole in the wrong spot and so they just moved the float?

 

 

[30DodgePanel]

Edited June 17, 2015 by 30DodgePanel (see edit history)

[Rogillio]

LOL

 

 

I have 3 theories:

 

1.  The engine in the Sept car does not have the original engine.  Someone realized the poor placement of the oil level float rod and made a design change to the engine moving the float forward to be more accessible.

 

2.  The engine blocks came from different supplies and one did not have the latest release of the drawings.

 

3.  The latter car was a Monday car and the machinist was hung-over from a long weekend of drinking and drilled the hole in the wrong spot. 

Edited June 16, 2015 by Rogillio (see edit history)

[Silverdome]

I pick #3 as it's the most entertaining and somewhat believable. I am a machinist so I can speak from experience.

[nearchoclatetown]

We have a local watchmaker that answers to Coo-Coo or Dipstick. 

[Spinneyhill]

Friday cars were the worst from our factories, where they assemble CKD kits. Half the workers were away and the other half were planning the weekend hunting boozing rugby womenising home-project and so on. If the paint shop was nearby they would all be pretty cross-eyed by Friday coz there was no safety gear.

[cahartley]

If it was as simple as putting a hole in the wrong place that would be one thing but it isn't.

The oil rod float is held captive in the oil pan by a retainer screwed to the oil pan "shelf" (the inner pan with the connecting rod oil trays pressed in) with two screws so it's impossible for the steel float to rise any higher than the bottom of the "shelf'.

[Rogillio]

If it was as simple as putting a hole in the wrong place that would be one thing but it isn't.

The oil rod float is held captive in the oil pan by a retainer screwed to the oil pan "shelf" (the inner pan with the connecting rod oil trays pressed in) with two screws so it's impossible for the steel float to rise any higher than the bottom of the "shelf'.

 

 

So do you have any theories? 

 

Is it possible the engines came from different supplers with slightly different designs?

[cahartley]

I found this photo of a '26 at conceptcarz.com 

 

 

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z14594/Dodge-Series-126.aspx

 

Outside of mine having a starter/generator and yours having a starter and generator and the carburetor float chamber orientation I see only minor differences.

It's a mystery indeed....... 

 

AHA........I just checked my Dodge Bible and see the differences.

Mine has a 3 main bearing engine and yours has five mains at which time they did, indeed, move the float to the center!

I'll post a couple scans shortly.

Edited June 18, 2015 by cahartley (see edit history)

[cahartley]

Here are the scans.

By the way, you asked "is it possible the engines came from different suppliers with slightly different designs?"

Not possible or EXTREMELY unlikely.

Dodge made nearly ALL the mechanicals in house.

Very early on they learned from their experiences with Ford to depend on as few outside vendors as possible........where it made sense to do so.

 

Edited June 18, 2015 by cahartley (see edit history)

[Rogillio]

Best pic I could get.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Rogillio (see edit history)

[MikeC5]

It does seem strange but I suspect it has to do with block casting differences due to 3 vs. 5 main bearings.  I don't imagine the oil rod hole was drilled free hand; there must have been some kind of fixture to get it in the correct spot.

[Rogillio]

Ok, mystery solved.

Based on the serial numbers of my cars, one has a B model engine and the other one has a C model.

My book of information is 1926 and doesn't have the pictures posted above. Guess I need a 1927 edition of the book.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Rogillio (see edit history)