The Ford Barn

MickyD · 03-21-2022, 08:30 PM

How do you know if your motometer is working or not. I had a new motometer installed when I got my 28 roadster in 2015. I have to yet see any action in it. I have taken several trips and it has not overheated that I know of.

Herb Concord Ca · 03-21-2022, 09:10 PM

After a drive of 10-15miles. When you turn off the motor, check the Motometer in a few minutes, it should show something.

J Franklin · 03-21-2022, 09:12 PM

You can put it in water on your stove and add heat.

al's28/33 · 03-21-2022, 10:32 PM

If your engine is running correctly it should barely register just a little less than 1/8" inch of red. On the hottest days of summer mine (21 yrs +) has never gone over half-way up the gauge and I have a 4 blade fan and fan shroud and engine pans. Stock engine components, no over-drive, no high speed head.

nkaminar · 03-22-2022, 05:38 AM

The Motometer does not extend into the coolant so it depends on steam condensing on the bulb to transfer heat. This does not work very well in the Model A. It will only register if your coolant gets really hot. I use mine as a warning device to let me know if the radiator is about to boil over. (It never does.) I have a temperature gauge which senses the coolant temperature in the outlet neck. That works better to indicate the temperature.

MickyD · 03-22-2022, 07:12 AM

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I thought about getting a temperature gauge but where would you mount it in a Roadster. Not like cars of the 40's and 50's. Sure can't mount it to the dash/gas tank that I can see.

Bob Bidonde · 03-22-2022, 09:13 AM

A vintage trick was to clamp a piece of metal chain onto the bottom of the temperature probe, so that the chain dangled into the coolant. The chain would conduct heat up to the probe. However, a motometer is a decoration in my opinion, and I would not rely on its performance to detect a hot running engine. Put a temperature gauge in your Model "A".

Big hammer · 03-22-2022, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickyD

I thought about getting a temperature gauge but where would you mount it in a Roadster. Not like cars of the 40's and 50's. Sure can't mount it to the dash/gas tank that I can see.

The model A suppliers sell a column mount and a under the instrument dash mount! Suppliers catalogs and online have information that’s free

Dick M · 03-23-2022, 02:18 PM

Another thing you can do is slide a short brake spring over the Moto Meter stem. You might have to trim it some. The spring will then sit in the coolant and provide a better read for the Moto Meter. Personally, I rely on a temperature gauge. They are bullet proof.

Gene F · 03-23-2022, 07:57 PM

The spring is a nice idea. I have a gage in the water neck, with the mounting bracket Snyders sells. The guage works good. Someone tried to steal my moto-meter, and snapped my radiator. Now the moto-meter is an ornament on my workbench.

nkaminar · 03-24-2022, 06:52 AM

Gene, Sorry to hear of the damage to your car from some AH. I have a friend with an antique Rolls Royce. He takes the lady off the radiator and puts on a dime store replacement when parking in a public area. I guess dime stores are now dollar stores, or have they become $1.25 stores. People comment to him that that is not the correct radiator ornament.

Bob-A · 03-25-2022, 09:27 AM

I only use an original Moto-Meter.

They are more accurate then the repops.

Show below is a near mint shape original one.

Bob-A

nkaminar · 03-25-2022, 07:42 PM

The originals do work better. I think they have a different thermometer so that it indicates at a lower temperature. Since the bulb is not in the coolant it runs cooler than the coolant temperature.

Gene F · 04-05-2022, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkaminar

Gene, Sorry to hear of the damage to your car from some AH. I have a friend with an antique Rolls Royce. He takes the lady off the radiator and puts on a dime store replacement when parking in a public area. I guess dime stores are now dollar stores, or have they become $1.25 stores. People comment to him that that is not the correct radiator ornament.

Thanks. I was so mad if I could have caught the AH I would have reenacted the hammer scene from the movie Casino. LOL Cost me $580

Kurt in NJ · 04-06-2022, 06:29 AM

the sensing bulb of the motormeter is not in the coolant as part of the design, before there’s a real boil of coolant there’s some steam, this is what the motor meter reads, an early warning of overheating

03-21-2022, 08:30 PM	#1
MickyD Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Welcome NC Posts: 207	Motometer working /not working? How do you know if your motometer is working or not. I had a new motometer installed when I got my 28 roadster in 2015. I have to yet see any action in it. I have taken several trips and it has not overheated that I know of.

03-21-2022, 09:10 PM	#2
Herb Concord Ca Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Concord CA Posts: 637	Re: Motometer working /not working? After a drive of 10-15miles. When you turn off the motor, check the Motometer in a few minutes, it should show something.

03-21-2022, 09:12 PM	#3
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,966	Re: Motometer working /not working? You can put it in water on your stove and add heat.

03-21-2022, 10:32 PM	#4
al's28/33 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Redwood City, CA Posts: 1,591	Re: Motometer working /not working? If your engine is running correctly it should barely register just a little less than 1/8" inch of red. On the hottest days of summer mine (21 yrs +) has never gone over half-way up the gauge and I have a 4 blade fan and fan shroud and engine pans. Stock engine components, no over-drive, no high speed head. __________________ 1928 "A" Phaeton (mid year with many early features) 1933 "V8" Closed-Cab Pickup Truck (originally a Model B, 4 Cylinder dating to May, 1933)

03-22-2022, 05:38 AM	#5
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,903	Re: Motometer working /not working? The Motometer does not extend into the coolant so it depends on steam condensing on the bulb to transfer heat. This does not work very well in the Model A. It will only register if your coolant gets really hot. I use mine as a warning device to let me know if the radiator is about to boil over. (It never does.) I have a temperature gauge which senses the coolant temperature in the outlet neck. That works better to indicate the temperature. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

03-22-2022, 07:12 AM	#6
MickyD Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Welcome NC Posts: 207	Re: Motometer working /not working? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I thought about getting a temperature gauge but where would you mount it in a Roadster. Not like cars of the 40's and 50's. Sure can't mount it to the dash/gas tank that I can see.

03-22-2022, 09:13 AM	#7
Bob Bidonde Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 3,472	Re: Motometer working /not working? A vintage trick was to clamp a piece of metal chain onto the bottom of the temperature probe, so that the chain dangled into the coolant. The chain would conduct heat up to the probe. However, a motometer is a decoration in my opinion, and I would not rely on its performance to detect a hot running engine. Put a temperature gauge in your Model "A". __________________ Bob Bidonde

03-23-2022, 02:18 PM	#9
Dick M Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ukiah, CA Posts: 477	Re: Motometer working /not working? Another thing you can do is slide a short brake spring over the Moto Meter stem. You might have to trim it some. The spring will then sit in the coolant and provide a better read for the Moto Meter. Personally, I rely on a temperature gauge. They are bullet proof.

03-23-2022, 07:57 PM	#10
Gene F Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,975	Re: Motometer working /not working? The spring is a nice idea. I have a gage in the water neck, with the mounting bracket Snyders sells. The guage works good. Someone tried to steal my moto-meter, and snapped my radiator. Now the moto-meter is an ornament on my workbench.

03-24-2022, 06:52 AM	#11
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,903	Re: Motometer working /not working? Gene, Sorry to hear of the damage to your car from some AH. I have a friend with an antique Rolls Royce. He takes the lady off the radiator and puts on a dime store replacement when parking in a public area. I guess dime stores are now dollar stores, or have they become $1.25 stores. People comment to him that that is not the correct radiator ornament. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

03-25-2022, 07:42 PM	#13
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,903	Re: Motometer working /not working? The originals do work better. I think they have a different thermometer so that it indicates at a lower temperature. Since the bulb is not in the coolant it runs cooler than the coolant temperature. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

04-06-2022, 06:29 AM	#15
Kurt in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: on the Littlefield Posts: 6,159	Re: Motometer working /not working? the sensing bulb of the motormeter is not in the coolant as part of the design, before there’s a real boil of coolant there’s some steam, this is what the motor meter reads, an early warning of overheating