Phenolic spacer install...

[39portlander]

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3. After getting "hosed" by Robert Shewman (first pic) got around to installing his spacer on my 59AB today.

Carb. done by Ken and Motor by Walt Dupont of course Scott

[fomocoloco]

what is the purpose of the spacer?

[Scott H]

The spacer is made of a plastic/resin type material and is a good heat isolator. Helps keep the carb cool so as you don't boil your fuel.

[39portlander]

Air flow's through the small holes in the spacer and help cool the carb.

Heat is a troublemaker. Thinking G.M. will add some technical info for you

[19Fordy]

Very spiffy.

[41ford1]

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Methinks that '39 is ready to button up and go on the summer tour. It's looking good. Did you try blocking the heat risers with copper pennys? I'm wondering if doing that will eliminate the need for the spacer.

[peteyshoes]

i like this! did you have to install longer studs? where can i get one of these?

[james.heider]

I just ordered my anti backflow valve from Bob and now that I see the phenolic block in place I will sending another order to him.

Looks like a great way to keep the carb cooler and not boil the gas.

[G.M.]

The new gas makes the insulated spacer that Bob Shewman which comes with 2 gaskets and longer studs makes it nessessary to keep the gas in the carb from boiling in the 125 degree range. On a 90 degrees day 2 weeks ago my 39 P/U gas temp after a 30 mile run was 125 plus and after shut down the heat build up causes the carb temp to rise and the gas boils over in the carb making it hard to start. I installed Bob's carb insulator and this dropped the temperature down in the 118 range, the base of the carb dropped to 108 from 123. After testing just the insulator I reduced the size of the heat riser holes to .265 which further reduced the intake manifold below the carb from 225 to less than 175. I think a .375 heat riser opening may be better. I will try this next week. With the heat riser completly blocked the engine requires choking and the carb runs to cool expecialy in cooler weather. With the spacer and .265 riser holes on a 90 degree day the fuel in the carb is 114. You have to keep in mind how hot the fuel pump gets, I saw temperatures of 125 or more on my 39 convertible fuel pump due to heat trapped in the dead air space in the rear of the engine compartment. Pumping hot fuel into the carb raises the fuel temp in the carb. I suspect some readers questioned the hose fittings on 39portlanders flex and carb fuel lines as I did at the first veiwing. After thinking about it he may be better off with hose than steel tubeing as long as he selects a good hose from his tests. The rubber hose will insulate the fuel from heat being radiated to the steel line perticuarly in the rear of the engine from exhaust manifolds, intake manifold and heads but in Maine it don't get as hot as in other places so he won't have as much of a problem as some of use will have. The 39 pick up has less heat trapped in the rear due to generator mounted fan and side hood panel openings. The crank mounted fans on 39 cars don't blow air over the engine and there is no place for heat to escape in the rear and on a 90 degree day the air trapped is 135 degrees and I don't know yet how hot it will be on a 100 degree day. I also like Bob's heavy duty high flow 180 themostats that keeps my engines temperatures right on s180 making the engine operate the same at all times after a 5 mile warm up. I see 178 to 182 at all times on both engine from 50 to 92 degrees outside temperatures. Someone emailed me from overseas saying they liked the idea of a pressurized system with Skips 3 lb pressure valve. I prefer to call it a Closed Loop System that is just keeping all of the water or coolant in the system with no lose for months. The small amount of pressure in a working Ford system never gets over 2 lbs at 205 degrees. This is not to increase the boiling temperature it's purpose is only to keep the water from going out the over flow while forceing the water through the restriction of the radiator tubes due to size of the holes, length and dirt in the tubes. These restrictions are what causes the water to back up in the top tank and run out the over flow tube. Skips high flow water pumps force more water though the entire system per minutes. Foward motion of the car provides more air over the fins and along with more water flowing through the tubes provides much better cooling. Idleing or slow speed for long periods is a problem with the poor Ford fan blades and the crankshaft mounted fans even more of a problem. I see posts of people that engine get hot at high speeds which is a problem that does not exist with Skips pumps and NO wahers or restrictive small opening thermostats. G.M.

[G.M.]

[email protected] or 1-610-933-6637 is the way to contact Bob. The vented spacer comes with 3 longer studs and two gaskets. There are two types of spacers and washers, one for Stomberg type carb and another for the Ford~Holley type. G.M.

[peteyshoes]

G.M., thanks for the info. i have one more question regarding this. i have a 42 1.5 tonner mh with a 59ab for power. i use this more in the winter than summer. using this block, would i stand the chance of carb staying too cold? (manifold is not plugged with pennies)

[39wdy]

Hey Scott,
Back in the early 90's when I was building my first 39 with my neighbor and mentor, Ken Bailey, he made me one of those spacers on his mill in his basement. Worked perfectly! I'm curious though why you chose the Stromberg 97 instead of the Holley/Ford 91-99? My mentor, Ken Bailey insisted after years and years of servicing these engines that the later carbs were much better than the 97's based on the number of service related problems he encountered. There were two flatheads here in Bellows Falls, Vermont that were used to open the dam at the power plant. They were installed new, but Ken couldn't remember what year they were. He serviced them for most of their lives but put the Holley 94's on in the early 1950's because he hated going out on the dam to service the Stromberg's. He retired at age 75 so the power company replaced the flatheads with modern industrial engines. I think that was 1979 or so, I have no idea what happened to the flatheads, but they knew that no one could service them as competently as Ken did.

[Butch11443]

I made my own spacers out of white oak about 5 years ago. Three coats of marine polyurthene. They have worked great since. They are 11/2" thick
Butch

[G.M.]

Petey if you drive the truck mostly in the winter I wouldn't block off the heat risers. You live where it don't get hot for long periods of time and the truck probly has better air space at the rear of the engine. It may also have vented hood sides?? Check the fuel pump and fuel bowl area of the carb. If the pump and carb is below 115 you shouldn't have any problem. G.M.