02-22-2020, 06:02 PM | #21 |
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Re: Adding Guages
The attached drawing shows the Model A electrical system in a simple diagram as Henry designed it. It is shown as a positive ground. By reversing the polarity designations at the battery it becomes a negative ground. It can be either six or twelve volts.
The way Henry designed it was his idea of theft prevention. The ignition switch when switched off puts a ground on the points. The wire from the ignition switch to the distributor is protected by an armored cable. The cable is attached to the engine with the number 8 head bolt. This makes it extremely difficult to hot wire a Model A. To do so you would have to unbolt the cable from the engine and remove the distributor to unscrew the distributor from the cable; then reinstall the distributor and screw in a bypass cable with a jumper wire that would clip on to the low side of the coil. This design does not allow for any electrical accessory to be attached to the ignition switch because any device attached there would be drawing current thought the coil and be arallel the ignition points. In order to have accessories attached to the ignition switch you would have to do some rewiring of the circuit. There would have to be a direct connection between the coil and the ignition points and the ignition switch would have to be above the coil and switch power to the coil on and off. The Model A would them be easy to hot wire. Tom Endy |
02-22-2020, 06:14 PM | #22 |
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Re: Adding Guages
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02-22-2020, 09:20 PM | #23 |
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Re: Adding Guages
Moto meter is all you need. Oil pressure gauge basically useless on A. Oil pump is bulletproof and none of the bearings are pressure fed anyway.
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02-23-2020, 02:52 AM | #24 | |
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Re: Adding Guages
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01-14-2021, 02:21 PM | #25 |
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Re: Adding Guages
I am starting to install a volt meter and a water temp gauge on my 1929 coupe and seen these posts. It seems like an oil pressure gauge is useless. The oil press and distributor are both run off of the cam shaft, if cam or distributor stop working it really doesn't matter if you have oil pressure or not, engine quits you lose pressure, engine runs you have oil pressure...am I thinking right or not?
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01-14-2021, 03:25 PM | #26 |
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Re: Adding Guages
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01-14-2021, 03:38 PM | #27 |
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Re: Adding Guages
The oil pressure gauge is one step up from an idiot light. You learn what your normal pressure is, and then if the gauge indicates a drop in pressure, you stop the car immediately until you figure out where the problem is. Could be oil pump failure, could be a leak, etc., but either way the gauge is telling you to stop before the lack of oil flow damages the engine.
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01-14-2021, 05:16 PM | #28 |
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Re: Adding Guages
To figure out how to wire an A so that the coil is after the ignition switch, search "8n wiring diagram", which is for a tractor. Sorry, I don't know how to post it here. All that's needed is a different junction block which costs a few dollars.
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01-14-2021, 07:08 PM | #29 | |
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Re: Adding Guages
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Is this what you are referencing? http://www.ntractorclub.com/howtos/p...m-Lawrence.pdf Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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01-14-2021, 08:43 PM | #30 |
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Re: Adding Guages
One more note about oil gauges - in Fahnestock's "Unauthorized Accessories," the only two gauges advertised are oil and temperature gauges. So there seems to have been demand for oil gauges at the time. There are also red/green idiot lights for detection of low oil pressure.
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01-15-2021, 01:46 PM | #31 |
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Re: Adding Guages
Personally I don't like the flashy look of modern gauges in a Model A.
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01-16-2021, 12:41 AM | #32 |
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Re: Adding Guages
I wonder if low oil pressure switches for indicator lights are set low enough for the Model A or would the light be on all the time. Mine only shows ~2-3 psig at idle
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Ruth "Sometimes you really DO need to read the whole thread" Last edited by Ruth; 01-16-2021 at 12:48 AM. |
01-16-2021, 07:30 AM | #33 | |
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Re: Adding Guages
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IMG_3144.jpg PS - I assume "indicates generator and fan belt trouble" means like "if the light is off, you have generator trouble." |
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01-16-2021, 07:44 AM | #34 | |
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Adding Guages
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Wow. I didn’t know the “idiot light” was available way back in 1929. I had just assumed it was a late 1950s thing. (I think my 1957 Fairlane had idiot lights.) Thanks for sharing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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01-16-2021, 07:09 PM | #35 | |
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Re: Adding Guages
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Someone tried to steal my moto-meter, and broke the neck on my nearly new radiator. $500 bucks shot. I have a new radiator, and a gauge now... I sure miss my moto-meter though. |
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01-17-2021, 12:14 PM | #36 |
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Re: Adding Guages
I have heard that Henry didn’t think a temp gauge was necessary, nor was a motometer, which he resisted offering. His comment, supposedly, was, "Any fool can look out over the hood and see if the radiator is boiling over or steaming." Anecdotal, maybe.
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