OHV for Model A engine

[kenparker]

Can anyone give me info on a COOK Overhead Valve head for the Model A engine.? Have friend that has one and we can find Nothing about it. Where bbuilt? HP? How does it work? reliability? Anything? ken

[Marshall V. Daut]

You might check the back issues of "Secrets of Speed" magazine by using the on-line index (if there is one) or contacting Charlie Yapp directly via his website: http://www.secretsofspeed.com/. My issues stop at about 2002, so I can't speak to what's been in the magazine since then. I don't recall anything specific about the Cook head in my issues, but it may have been discussed in the Letters to Editor section.
Jim Brierley's Forever Four magazines are great, too. Maybe he can chime in here with some info.
Marshall

[Jason in TX]

Jim Brierley owned one.

If I understand it right, Cook is for Cook Machine in Los Angeles, who made the Cyclone heads. They were made in the the late 30s / early 40s. There were 104 of those heads made. Jim Brierley briefly mentioned them in a "History 101 of the Ford Four-Banger" article from May 2000.

Jim Brierley ran a Cook on his Bonneville engine. Used Chevy valves, but had a little problem with his rocker arms mushrooming the tips a little bit. He also ran a Holley 4 bbl on it. It was a big motor!

Cached article here...

[Jason in TX]

johnneilson from Santa Clarita California worked on a Cook head for someone back in March 2016 and posted about it on the HAMB.

LINK HERE.....

[Jason in TX]

In the book "Old School HotRods" They feature the Bob Hayes/Wes Cooper roadster. It ran at Muroc, August 1941 with a Cook 4 Port on it and turned 107:52 on 8-28-41

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ARTICLE WITH PICTURES

..scroll up and down to see the whole article. The car is now in Colorado.
..
..

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

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A Friend ran one in a Pickup, but sold it & I lost track of it. The engine had supposedly been run in a car on the So-Cal Salt Flats.
Bill W.

[Jim Brierley]

I bought mine in 1956, still have it, last ran it on the Salt in 2013, ran 167 in our Club Lakester, on my 162 record. e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll send you the chapter in my book that covers mine. The picture above by Jason shows the original combustion chamber, mine was modified a few times. They are very heavy, thick on the bottom, thin on top. HP depends on many other things, I estimate my Bonneville engine at about 225 or so? Cook made 104 iron heads and one aluminum. Steve Serr of Miller Hi-Speed is currently developing a head based on the original design but much improved.

[russcochiolo]

Post 6 Bill, Bob S. has John R's pickup with the Cook. I thought I had photos of the engine but don't. Next time Bob has it out, I'll surely get some pics. Bob also has a sedan delivery with and OHV. I'm not sure whose. I'll be sure to check on that as ell when he next has it out. Russ

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

As related to me over breakfast last week: the car in question is a roadster pick-up, bought from somewhere in California and shipped to Texas.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

I bought mine in 1956, still have it, last ran it on the Salt in 2013, ran 167 in our Club Lakester, on my 162 record. e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll send you the chapter in my book that covers mine. The picture above by Jason shows the original combustion chamber, mine was modified a few times. They are very heavy, thick on the bottom, thin on top. HP depends on many other things, I estimate my Bonneville engine at about 225 or so? Cook made 104 iron heads and one aluminum. Steve Serr of Miller Hi-Speed is currently developing a head based on the original design but much improved.

Hey Jim,
Wasn't that attempt to resurrect Cook(by Dan) , based on your original ?
If I remember, the one copy that ran, ran in the Richardson coupe or was it your car ??

[1931 flamingo]

I've always wondered what ever happened to all the OHV conversions that were made.
You hardly (if ever) see one for sale, or I'm not looking in the right places.

Paul in CT

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

nwvs.org has a huge section on ALL kinds of OHV setups, some names I NEVER even heard of!!!!
Bill W.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

I've always wondered what ever happened to all the OHV conversions that were made.
You hardly (if ever) see one for sale, or I'm not looking in the right places.

Paul in CT

Hey Paul,
Good question. I know several guys, just local, who have MANY different kinds of A/B OHV heads. Some I've never heard of. Many are in museums, but not nearly as many as in personal collections. The personal collections may as well be in museums, as they , IMO, will not see the light of day while those guys live. Just talked with an OLD dude yesterday, who came to visit/talk shop. I ask him this very question. He says....after I die, my family will have them to deal with and probably will end up in a museum. I then ask him...what would have happened to guys like you, when you raced, if all of that equipment had not been available..silence .

[redmodelt]

OT but related; Went to a pre sale of T parts some time back, there must have been 10 plus engines with overhead or other speed related heads on them on display. I was thinking the same thing, too bad they were not out on cars to be used not just sitting static where only the owner and a select few could see them. There were only so many made. Don't know what happen to the collection, the whole sale was messed up (one of those family fight things).

[Jim Brierley]

hardtimes, Not based on my Cook, but one nearer to original. Mine has a modified combustion chamber, valve sizes, compression ratio, etc. I tried to get Dan to raise the compression ratio but he didn't. He did change valve sizes and rocker arms. I hear Dan's patterns are now foe sale?

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

hardtimes, Not based on my Cook, but one nearer to original. Mine has a modified combustion chamber, valve sizes, compression ratio, etc. I tried to get Dan to raise the compression ratio but he didn't. He did change valve sizes and rocker arms. I hear Dan's patterns are now foe sale?

Hey Jim,
Thanks, very informative.
Missed you at the swap meet today.
When will your batch of your NEW alum flathead be available to us ?
Do you mind me placing a couple pictures of your creation ...here ?
Took pics at the last swap where I talked to you !

[Jim Brierley]

hardtimes, I'm estimating a couple of months before the next batch is ready, I have a waiting list of over 20 names on it. Post if you like, I've done so on Facebook.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

hardtimes, I'm estimating a couple of months before the next batch is ready, I have a waiting list of over 20 names on it. Post if you like, I've done so on Facebook.

Huh, what's Facebook.
Well, glad to see that you finally hit the 'bigtime'...whoohoo ! Now in another 100 years 'they' will look at this piece of jewelry and say..he must have been a real Banger guy !

BTW...does your plug location have anything to do with changing timing or tuning ?

[Jim Brierley]

Yes, timing will need to be a little retarded as compared to other performance heads.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

Yes, timing will need to be a little retarded as compared to other performance heads.

What compression ratios are/will be available ?

[AL in NY]

Does the Cook OHV run with a reconfigured cam/valve setup? Looks like the posted photos show the intake valves being smaller then the exhaust valves. Something's not right. Why go through all that modification and screw up the valve sizes.

[jim1932]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

Yes, timing will need to be a little retarded as compared to other performance heads.

yes but what cam grind??

[Jim Brierley]

Does the Cook OHV run with a reconfigured cam/valve setup? Looks like the posted photos show the intake valves being smaller then the exhaust valves. Something's not right. Why go through all that modification and screw up the valve sizes.

As with any A/B engine, the stock cam is in the block so any stock or performance re-grind can be used. Most run re-grinds, why would you put a stock cam in a 4-port? My current turbo engine runs a 280* cam, I have run as much as 320* in previous configurations. Cooks originally had both valves the same size, this one and mine now have larger intakes than exhausts. They originally had 1928 Buick rocker arms, 1.25:1 ratio, as did Cragars.

[Jim Brierley]

hardtimes, 7:1 or 7:1 or even 7:1, your choice.

[jim1932]

Originally Posted by jim1932

yes but what cam grind??

Sorry, I meant what cam grind do you recommend for your head, if running 1.7 intakes, headers and dual 81's?

[AL in NY]

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Jim Brierley - I'm just saying it looks like on this head the exhaust valves are larger then the intakes unless the changed the cam design and reversed the location of the intake and exhaust valves, because any high performance modification I have ever seen, the intake valves were always larger than the exhaust valves. I just wanted to understand the head design.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

hardtimes, 7:1 or 7:1 or even 7:1, your choice.

7:1 sounds like a good cr !

[johnneilson]

Originally Posted by AL in NY

Jim Brierley - I'm just says it looks like on this head the exhaust valves are larger then the intakes unless the changed the cam design and reversed the location of the intake and exhaust valves, because any high performance modification I have ever seen, the intake valves were always larger than the exhaust valves. Just wanted to understand the head design.

Al,

In the pics shown, the valves are the same size. It may look smaller but no they are not. The period when these heads were designed did not use the larger intakes. In fact, they still used the cartridge fire design for the spark plugs. Most of the designs still followed the large chamber without any squish area. The Cook design I think was a good place to start as it attempts to create turbulence.

John

[zzlegend]

Thanks for the info John. I think I forgot to show you the riley 4 port I had in the trunk of my roadster at the Chatsworth swap meet. I will have to come by and let you take a peek at it. Mark.

[hardtimes]

LOTS of George Riley imitations out there, but only cast iron originals by George !

!

[kenparker]

Here are pictures of the engine I refered to in my first post.

Cook OHV with twin strombergs. 39 transmission and Laycock Overdrive. She is butiful. Still working on a front brake issue and have not driven it yet.

[hardtimes]

Hey Ken,
Thanks for sharing. There's a LOT going on in there, eh !

[RawhideKid]

Ya know, there is just something about a Swagelok plumbed car that makes me wonder why you would go to the AN fitting for the fuel when Swagelok has the SS braided lines that they will cut to fit? They also have off the shelf lengths and you just add your ferule to.

Definitely a sweet ride and I really hope you get that front brake problem fixed. If you have serious problems, why not give Randy Gross a jingle, he is one smart cookie. He sure knows his Model A brakes and got my Beast stoppin swell.

Hey, what/who's water pump is that, and what is it off of? Looks like something from a tractor or stand alone piece of farm equipment.

[California Travieso]

Originally Posted by RawhideKid

Hey, what/who's water pump is that, and what is it off of? Looks like something from a tractor or stand alone piece of farm equipment.

Rawhide,

I saw a video on YouTube that Charlie Yapp made of his Roof 101 Cyclone OHV conversion for the Model A engine. He had a similar water pump and he said it was a Model T accessory pump that works with the stock oil filler tube.

https://youtu.be/gxH-46x0tdw


David Serrano

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by RawhideKid

Ya know, there is just something about a Swagelok plumbed car that makes me wonder why you would go to the AN fitting for the fuel when Swagelok has the SS braided lines that they will cut to fit? They also have off the shelf lengths and you just add your ferule to.

Definitely a sweet ride and I really hope you get that front brake problem fixed. If you have serious problems, why not give Randy Gross a jingle, he is one smart cookie. He sure knows his Model A brakes and got my Beast stoppin swell.

Hey, what/who's water pump is that, and what is it off of? Looks like something from a tractor or stand alone piece of farm equipment.

Model T water pump. Well, Model T never came from Henry with a water pump. Aftermarket took care of that. Go to a swap meet and probably see several varieties of said pump. An old timer buddy uses one like pictured on his B and looks identical.

What I'd like to know is...what is that gen/alt looking thing and what's it from ?

[RawhideKid]

That is a Denso 35amp alternator. You can get them with self energizing that only require the one wire to the battery.

https://www.amazon.com/ALTERNATOR-Eq...ent+A28+Engine

[Offy 220]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Paul,
Good question. I know several guys, just local, who have MANY different kinds of A/B OHV heads. Some I've never heard of. Many are in museums, but not nearly as many as in personal collections. The personal collections may as well be in museums, as they , IMO, will not see the light of day while those guys live. Just talked with an OLD dude yesterday, who came to visit/talk shop. I ask him this very question. He says....after I die, my family will have them to deal with and probably will end up in a museum. I then ask him...what would have happened to guys like you, when you raced, if all of that equipment had not been available..silence .

HardTimes,
Years ago my dad worked with an older mechanic [they were both the same age] his name was Bill LaRosa [or Rosie] and his son Mike worked for the Ford plant in Pico Rivera.
I remember going to his house as a youngster and he had 4 bangers and OHV heads stacked in his garage. He also had a pre WW2 sprint car with a 4 port Riley. He didn't care too much for Strombergs but like a lot of the older generation he had a liking for Winfield carburators. Do you know if he is still around or what has happened to his 4 bangers and other rare equipment he had? I think he had about every "rare" head made back before the war.
Thanks,
Bruce [Offy 220]

[pooch]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Paul,
Good question. I know several guys, just local, who have MANY different kinds of A/B OHV heads. Some I've never heard of. Many are in museums, but not nearly as many as in personal collections. The personal collections may as well be in museums, as they , IMO, will not see the light of day while those guys live. Just talked with an OLD dude yesterday, who came to visit/talk shop. I ask him this very question. He says....after I die, my family will have them to deal with and probably will end up in a museum. I then ask him...what would have happened to guys like you, when you raced, if all of that equipment had not been available..silence .

Typical old farts,

They are worse than top choppers of pristine bodies..

When they die, they THINK their junk will end up in a museum.

In reality, it will go in a skip bin (dumpster to you Yanks) for sure.

If you cannot or will not use when you are alive, then spread it around to us who care about it now in the present....

In 30 years our fossil fuelled cars will be banned,

All electric.....we will all be dead, and the Model A will be but a memory.

[JtownJoe]

Hi Ken, That is quite a piece of work. What a great looking truck! Good luck with those front brakes, looks like it will be a blast to drive.

[Jim Brierley]

Bill LaRosa is still around and active, restoring his engines, etc. Mike still lives at home and together they make the necessary castings, etc., to complete the engines. You should see hi collection now!

[Jim Brierley]

Ken, you sure that is a Cook? The casting looks right but never saw one with that cover or 4-bolt header. What are the rocker arms?

[kenparker]

Jim, I can't prove it. I would not know a Cook from a Chef. All we know is what the previous owner said. Car came out of CA. and if I understand Gary (current owner) the car was built in Oregon in the '90"s.

[Offy 220]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

Bill LaRosa is still around and active, restoring his engines, etc. Mike still lives at home and together they make the necessary castings, etc., to complete the engines. You should see hi collection now!

Thanks Jim! Glad to hear Bill is still active! He worked with my dad at American Pipe & Construction years ago. I am guessing he is around 90+ years old! I need to look him up and check out his collection. I went with him and my dad to Wes Cooper and Kong Jackson's shop and was amazed at all of the 4 bangers. There was also another shop we went to and whoever he was he was adding counterweights to A cranks - I can't remember who that was! One other time we went to see Joe Gemsa at his shop in El Monte and years later I used to sit next to him at our WRA meetings in the Bunker at Burbank airport in the mid '80's.
Thanks for the update,
Bruce

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Offy 220

HardTimes,
Years ago my dad worked with an older mechanic [they were both the same age] his name was Bill LaRosa [or Rosie] and his son Mike worked for the Ford plant in Pico Rivera.
I remember going to his house as a youngster and he had 4 bangers and OHV heads stacked in his garage. He also had a pre WW2 sprint car with a 4 port Riley. He didn't care too much for Strombergs but like a lot of the older generation he had a liking for Winfield carburators. Do you know if he is still around or what has happened to his 4 bangers and other rare equipment he had? I think he had about every "rare" head made back before the war.
Thanks,
Bruce [Offy 220]

Hey Bruce,
I''ve only heard guys (like you) talk of Bill LaRosa. I've read different pieces written with his name involved. Would be nice to visit with him and to have him explain all of the 'stuff' that he was involved with.
Talking sprint car, the old racer who I mentioned that was visiting, ask me to keep an eye out for a sprint car body/frame for him to build/work. Guess the 'fire' in the belly never goes out while alive, eh !
I found him one possible, but turned out to be 'cardboard' body as the original alum melted everything down to a puddle in a fire during a race(circa 40). Darn near brought a tear to my eye, as the original 4 port riley and winfields were also ruined.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by pooch

Typical old farts,

They are worse than top choppers of pristine bodies..

When they die, they THINK their junk will end up in a museum.

In reality, it will go in a skip bin (dumpster to you Yanks) for sure.

If you cannot or will not use when you are alive, then spread it around to us who care about it now in the present....

In 30 years our fossil fuelled cars will be banned,

All electric.....we will all be dead, and the Model A will be but a memory.

Hey pooch,
Dismal painted outlook, but most likely correct.
'30 years'...whoohoo ! That is good news and about all the time that I'll need to get this sickness out of my system
Hey, I do not begrudge any of them hoarders/collectors, what they have accululated thur hard work and love of the 'sport !
I just happen to agree with you about keeping the love for this stuff alive by its continued use. However, I've missed my share of chances of acquiring, for want of more $ !

[Jim Brierley]

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Offy 220, So you met Gemsa's 'junk yard dogs' !!!

[Offy 220]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

Offy 220, So you met Gemsa's 'junk yard dogs' !!!

Hi Jim, yes I did! I was amazed at the work he produced from his small shop on his property. If I remember correctly it was a shipping container or something similar, dogs running around and a white picket fence around his property. He owned a "big car" Kurtis that ran a 270 Offy and I believe it was also used in a movie. I think his place was on Rush St. in El Monte and its been close to 40 years since I was there. Jim, do you have any idea what happened to his machinery and his cylinder heads?

Since we are talking about these older pioneers in 4 bangers, what happened to Wes Cooper's Crager dragster? Kong Jackson was a character also and I remember seeing him at Tom Hutchinson's shop while I was picked up some 59a parts for the 3/8 X 3/8 Mercury I was putting together for my 40 coupe. I was just a youngster back then and I had a lot of respect for all of them.
Thanks,
Bruce [Offy 220]

[Jim Brierley]

Gemsa's place was on Rush, good memory! Don't know what happened to his stuff. I heard that when his daughter went to the foundry to get his patterns after he passed, she was given a big box of stuff, when she opened it, it was full of broken concrete! Fitting end for a guy that screwed a lot of people! I think Coopers dragster was gone long before he passed? Don't know any history on it. When Cooper passed, his stuff disappeared in a matter of days! Guys were there as his services were being held! He had a daughter in Australia, and was a nice person. Some of the important stuff went to friends, but a lot of it just disappeared.

[DougVieyra]

What is all the hoopla about OHV heads on a Four-banger ?
Without any hassle or heart-break looking for esoteric parts, I continue to run my factory-stock OHV on my 4-cylinder 1928 Chevrolet !
Runs like a scalded dog - beats the hell out of a Velie, Dort, Erskine, etc.

[Offy 220]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

Gemsa's place was on Rush, good memory! Don't know what happened to his stuff. I heard that when his daughter went to the foundry to get his patterns after he passed, she was given a big box of stuff, when she opened it, it was full of broken concrete! Fitting end for a guy that screwed a lot of people! I think Coopers dragster was gone long before he passed? Don't know any history on it. When Cooper passed, his stuff disappeared in a matter of days! Guys were there as his services were being held! He had a daughter in Australia, and was a nice person. Some of the important stuff went to friends, but a lot of it just disappeared.

Thanks Jim. My dad didn't have much to say about Gemsa and I always wondered about his reputation - I was impressed with what he was able to produce in his small crowded shop! Too bad his patterns are not accounted for and possibly they may show up some day. I think there is a thread on the HAMB about someone recently finding one of his cylinder heads still in a crate.

Mark Dee's "Miller Dynasty" has a chapter dealing with the development of the Miller - Schofield [Cragar] cylinder head and has a photo of Cooper's dragster. I can remember seeing it run at the original Irwindale or OC dragstrip at the
Antique Nationals. Sorry to hear what happened to his stuff also - do you know if Kong passed away before he did? This makes me rethink about all the stuff [family might think it is "junk" or scrap] we have collected thoughout the years and what will happen to it after we are gone!

[hardtimes]

Hey Bruce,
I wonder if anyone would have information on how many DIFFERENT Gemsa heads were made ?
Seems like a ton of different type Gemsa heads...and other equipment. Are you saying that this guy did it all in a 'trailer' type shed , machining all instead of castings ?
I was just at a swap meet a week ago and a guy I know has a Gemsa OHV head/intake , etc on a Donovan block set up..very powerful coupe !!

[waxhead]

Nice looking setup. Any more pics Rick??

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by waxhead

Nice looking setup. Any more pics Rick??

Here's one more of the coupe that this engine is in.

[Offy 220]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Bruce,
I wonder if anyone would have information on how many DIFFERENT Gemsa heads were made ?
Seems like a ton of different type Gemsa heads...and other equipment. Are you saying that this guy did it all in a 'trailer' type shed , machining all instead of castings ?
I was just at a swap meet a week ago and a guy I know has a Gemsa OHV head/intake , etc on a Donovan block set up..very powerful coupe !!

Hi Rick,
Great question! I know some of Gemsa's cylinder heads were stamped but I am not sure if it they were serial numbered and dated. Maybe someone on here or on the HAMB would know. Yes, as Jim B. stated, his heads were cast at a foundry or may have been machined from a solid block or billet.

I remember he had a large milling machine [may have been a Bridgeport or something similar], a large surfacer and in the back he had a 'clean' area to assemble engines. I know he assembled at least one 270 Offenhauser which was done for Bob Anderson and his A pickup and also he put together a 255 or 270 for Louie Senter and his T track roadster. How many modified "A" four bangers I don't know. Hopefully someone would know an answer or details. As I stated earler, I used to sit next to him at our WRA meetings at the Burbank airport bunker once a month and I never thought to ask him questions about his heads or machine work. I remember he was arguing about using Gasoline instead of Methanol and also disconnecting front brakes on our sprint cars because some of the drivers would stand on the pedal deep into the corners and rely on their front brakes to slow them down while they pitched 'em sideways! I am wondering if his daughter is still with us - maybe she could answer our questions!

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Offy 220

Hi Rick,
Great question! I know some of Gemsa's cylinder heads were stamped but I am not sure if it they were serial numbered and dated. Maybe someone on here or on the HAMB would know. Yes, as Jim B. stated, his heads were cast at a foundry or may have been machined from a solid block or billet.

I remember he had a large milling machine [may have been a Bridgeport or something similar], a large surfacer and in the back he had a 'clean' area to assemble engines. I know he assembled at least one 270 Offenhauser which was done for Bob Anderson and his A pickup and also he put together a 255 or 270 for Louie Senter and his T track roadster. How many modified "A" four bangers I don't know. Hopefully someone would know an answer or details. As I stated earler, I used to sit next to him at our WRA meetings at the Burbank airport bunker once a month and I never thought to ask him questions about his heads or machine work. I remember he was arguing about using Gasoline instead of Methanol and also disconnecting front brakes on our sprint cars because some of the drivers would stand on the pedal deep into the corners and rely on their front brakes to slow them down while they pitched 'em sideways! I am wondering if his daughter is still with us - maybe she could answer our questions!

Hey Bruce,
All of the Gemsa heads that I've ever seen (flathead/OHV) were marked something like: experimental head / #*** / and date made.
The coupe that I've shown above has that type stamping.
I've often wondered upon seeing the words 'experimental head', if he only made one off or whether they all were experimental !
Almost bought a Gemsa head/intake last year(from Ohio?) that ran at Bonneville two years ago. It was similarly stamped. I think that I have pics somewhere in this new fangled machine. He, the racer, said that with the injector setup on this crossflow, that 'they' could only get near 140...and that wasn't good enough. Gemsa seemed to be a prolific producer of stuff.

[mngreen]

I have one of Wes Cooper's engines in my cabriolet.

[Offy 220]

Mngreen,
Did you have Wes Cooper go through your engine or did you purchase it after he passed away? Do you know any details of the engine's internals? I can't tell from the photo but are you running a Winfield? I remember Mr. Cooper always pushing to use a Winfield instead of a Stromberg downdraft. I bet your Cabriolet moves pretty good down the highway! I wouldn't think too many could say they have a Cooper four banger!
Thanks for posting the pic!
Bruce [Offy 220]

[mngreen]

Originally Posted by Offy 220

Mngreen,
Did you have Wes Cooper go through your engine or did you purchase it after he passed away? Do you know any details of the engine's internals? I can't tell from the photo but are you running a Winfield? I remember Mr. Cooper always pushing to use a Winfield instead of a Stromberg downdraft. I bet your Cabriolet moves pretty good down the highway! I wouldn't think too many could say they have a Cooper four banger!
Thanks for posting the pic!
Bruce [Offy 220]

I am the third owner of this vehicle (since 1978). The second owner purchased the engine from Mr. Cooper while he was alive in the early 1970's. I have never dropped the pan to confirm, but I believe it was plumbed for pressure to the mains on the B block. It had the Cragar and Stromberg 97 on it since acquired. It may have an Iskedarian cam, but not sure. As for speed, it can only go as fast as the stock A tranny and rear end will let it!

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Offy 220

Mngreen,
Did you have Wes Cooper go through your engine or did you purchase it after he passed away? Do you know any details of the engine's internals? I can't tell from the photo but are you running a Winfield? I remember Mr. Cooper always pushing to use a Winfield instead of a Stromberg downdraft. I bet your Cabriolet moves pretty good down the highway! I wouldn't think too many could say they have a Cooper four banger!
Thanks for posting the pic!
Bruce [Offy 220]

Hey Bruce,
I located the Gemsa head that I mentioned above from back east. Thot that you might like to see these. Kinda wish that I'd have gotten that head now. Hey , the injection and headers seen all came with !

mngreen...ford's improvement of the B block over the A, was oiling of the mains.

[johnneilson]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Bruce,
I located the Gemsa head that I mentioned above from back east. Thot that you might like to see these. Kinda wish that I'd have gotten that head now. Hey , the injection and headers seen all came with !

mngreen...ford's improvement of the B block over the A, was oiling of the mains.

The "B" block oiling was only a small part of the improvement over the "A".
Even this was not true pressurized oiling as the galley was not closed completely to maintain pressure.

J

[Jim Brierley]

The Gemsa that hardtimes has is from the Morales Bros. patterns, lots of those sold. Note the tube in the exhaust ports, Morales made them as an OHC. He later made heads from the Rutherford patterns, long story that doesn't need telling. Earlier he made some 4-port Rileys, maybe 10 or 12, before he sold those patterns to John Vesco in S.D He also made some 2-cammers but believe he only sold castings, not sure. Everything, everything, that went thru his shop got stamped with his name, first Pasadena, Calif. then El Monte, CA

[Offy 220]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Bruce,
I located the Gemsa head that I mentioned above from back east. Thot that you might like to see these. Kinda wish that I'd have gotten that head now. Hey , the injection and headers seen all came with !

mngreen...ford's improvement of the B block over the A, was oiling of the mains.

Thanks Rick, I enjoy your time and your photos. Thanks for posting them. I figured Jim B could give us some info regarding Joe Gemsa how he numbered and identified his cylinder heads [top of pg 4]. I didn't know about his connection with the Morales bros. They were the last to run an Offy [Tamale Wagon] along with Bruce Bromme, a turbocharged 270 in a sprint car at Ascot [CRA]. I need to dig out some of my photos - I have a few when I ran my 40 Coupe at the Antique Nationals at Pearblossom. I think I have a photo of a dragster with a Gemsa head.

[wingski]

Do you remember what his speed was?

[dapster]

Originally Posted by BillLee/Chandler, TX

As related to me over breakfast last week: the car in question is a roadster pick-up, bought from somewhere in California and shipped to Texas.

New to the forum and the Model A world, but I believe I am now the proud owner of the Roadster pickup in question. If not, it's very coincidental . I just picked up a 1929 Roadster pickup over Memorial Day weekend and brought it home to Georgia from Texas and I found this post in researching the Cook OHV setup.

A lot of great information on here and looking forward to learning more.

[Jim Brierley]

7:1

[California Travieso]

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Originally Posted by dapster

New to the forum and the Model A world, but I believe I am now the proud owner of the Roadster pickup in question. If not, it's very coincidental . I just picked up a 1929 Roadster pickup over Memorial Day weekend and brought it home to Georgia from Texas and I found this post in researching the Cook OHV setup.

A lot of great information on here and looking forward to learning more.

Very nice Roadster pickup and engine.

I noticed that your engine has what looks like an aftermarket Model T water pump in the lower outlet. I believe Charlie Yapp had the same type of water pump on his Roof 101 OHV setup in one of his videos (Roof 101 Cyclone Engine 1) several years ago. The video is still on YouTube.

David Serrano

[dapster]

Good eye on the water pump, thanks for the info, I'll add those to my research. On the subject of the water pump, I have axial movement on the pump shaft, but I haven't been able to find a way to control it yet. I've learned about a collar on traditional pumps, but the T aftermarket pump doesn't have one and the issue is with the shaft/pulley moving outward, not inward which what I expect the collar would solve far.

Any thoughts from someone would be much appreicated.

Thanks.