Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-13-2020, 09:30 AM   #1
Conaway2
Senior Member
 
Conaway2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC
Posts: 601
Default Thermo Quail

Question for those who have one of these - does the thermometer work well enough to be useful ? Can you see it while driving ??

Thanks - JIm
Conaway2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-13-2020, 09:40 AM   #2
eagle
Senior Member
 
eagle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Eagle Bend, MN
Posts: 2,025
Default Re: Thermo Quail

I have one. Seals to radiator well which is a must. Its not easy to see the thermometer, my car runs quite cool though. Looks great flying out there in front of you. Some have complained about the quality, mine seems very well made. Got it from Mac's maybe 8 or more years ago.
__________________
"There are some that can destroy an anvil with a teaspoon and shouldn't be allowed to touch anything resembling a tool."
eagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 04-13-2020, 10:28 AM   #3
McMimmcs
Senior Member
 
McMimmcs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Fort Gratiot, Michigan
Posts: 2,296
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Mine is an original that was rebuilt. It is in my opinion primarily an ornament which is functional to a point. Is it accurate, I am sure not. It is an indication at best!
McMimmcs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-13-2020, 02:20 PM   #4
Werner
Senior Member
 
Werner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Germany, near Aachen
Posts: 1,151
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Jim,
I have this quail too. The bird looks good. The thermometer is hardly recognizable even in broad daylight. It indicates boiling over just before it happens. (As a precaution, I installed a remote thermometer inside.)
__________________
Beste Gruesse aus Deutschland,
Werner


Ford Model A, Roadster, 1928
Citroen 11 CV, 1947
Hercules W 2000, 1976; (with NSU-Wankel Rotary Engine), Canadian version
Werner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-13-2020, 07:29 PM   #5
Gold Digger
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Arkansas & Alaska
Posts: 642
Default Re: Thermo Quail

I have had one on my roadster pickup for close to 10 years and like it real well. When I climb some steep mountains here in the Ozarks it tells me when I need to ease up a little. I have always been able to see the red fluid when it starts to rise up in the glass and can tell its getting close to getting hot. Wish I had one on my tudor also.
Gold Digger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-13-2020, 08:59 PM   #6
sethkestenbaum
Senior Member
 
sethkestenbaum's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Westchester County, NY
Posts: 632
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
It isn't the easiest to read and even harder to read at night. You can test it with water and a cooking thermometer in your kitchen.
__________________
Seth Kestenbaum
www.oldcarroadtrip.com
sethkestenbaum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-13-2020, 09:00 PM   #7
Synchro909
Senior Member
 
Synchro909's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,444
Default Re: Thermo Quail

I have one on my Tudor and think it is about as useful as flyscreens on a submarine. I used to have a motor meter on my Phaeton and to get any reading out of it, I cut a piece of copper tube so it just fit over the bottom of the thermometer,. it pointed down with a bend at the bottom pointed towards the radiator inlet so it kind of scooped in the hot water coming from the engine. There was a hole just under the thermometer to let the water out again. The idea was to have water from the engine constantly circulating past the sensitive pert of it so I could get a reading on the water, not on the air above the water. It worked very well but I can't do it to the quail because I wouldn't be able to open the cap. Apart from the looks of the thing, it is useless. I'm sorry I bought a quail with the thermometer.
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.
Synchro909 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 07:03 AM   #8
old31
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,082
Default Re: Thermo Quail

The problem with these "hood ornaments" is that the temperature stem is never in the water, it is always above.

This means you never get an accurate reading with just steam vapor.
old31 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 07:43 AM   #9
Bob Bidonde
Senior Member
 
Bob Bidonde's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 3,425
Default Re: Thermo Quail

A vintage trick was to attach a piece of linked-chain to the bottom of the thermometer stem so that the chain would dangle in the coolant below the top baffle in the radiator. The chains I have seen appear to be brass sash cord.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Moto Meter w Chain.jpg (39.4 KB, 80 views)
File Type: jpg Moto Meter Chain Artwork.jpg (5.5 KB, 30 views)
__________________
Bob Bidonde

Last edited by Bob Bidonde; 04-14-2020 at 08:38 AM.
Bob Bidonde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 09:25 AM   #10
Kurt in NJ
Senior Member
 
Kurt in NJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: on the Littlefield
Posts: 6,132
Default Re: Thermo Quail

the motormeter type temperature gauge is not intended to be sensing the coolant, the intention is to sense the air over the coolant--and to react to the first beginnings of steam before full boil is reached----
Kurt in NJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 10:18 AM   #11
Purdy Swoft
Senior Member
 
Purdy Swoft's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alabama
Posts: 8,099
Default Re: Thermo Quail

In my opinion the thermo Quail is mostly a decoration . An inside temperature gauge is my choice because it is easier to read .
Purdy Swoft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 11:31 AM   #12
CHuDWah
Senior Member
 
CHuDWah's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Kritter Krick, Flaw-duh
Posts: 1,158
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Did Ford offer thermo-quails as an authorized accessory? I thought the originals were non-thermo and thermos are a reproduction adaptation.
CHuDWah is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 11:54 AM   #13
Purdy Swoft
Senior Member
 
Purdy Swoft's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alabama
Posts: 8,099
Default Re: Thermo Quail

I agree that the non thermo quail was the real authorized accessory . The thermos quail is an aftermarket accessory .
Purdy Swoft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 12:23 PM   #14
DBrer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Washington
Posts: 175
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ View Post
the motormeter type temperature gauge is not intended to be sensing the coolant, the intention is to sense the air over the coolant--and to react to the first beginnings of steam before full boil is reached----
I wondered why the probe wasn't in the coolant.
DBrer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 12:44 PM   #15
Purdy Swoft
Senior Member
 
Purdy Swoft's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alabama
Posts: 8,099
Default Re: Thermo Quail

The baffle in the upper tank of the radiator is mostly in the way .
Purdy Swoft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 07:06 PM   #16
Synchro909
Senior Member
 
Synchro909's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,444
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Quote:
Originally Posted by DBrer View Post
I wondered why the probe wasn't in the coolant.
What Purdy says and if the probe was long enough to reach the water, you wouldn't be able to open the cap. It would hit the side of the neck well before the quail was swung back far enough to even see in there.
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.
Synchro909 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2020, 08:44 PM   #17
TerryH
Senior Member
 
TerryH's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Fountain Valley, Calif.
Posts: 937
Default Re: Thermo Quail

I have had one for 14 years now, and it works for me. It’s true it does not give you a temperature, but I can tell by how far it has risen how close I am to overheating. My car does not hardly ever get hot....mostly while hill climbing in the summer. I like the looks of it and I have reasonable expectations.....
TerryH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 03:08 PM   #18
Werner
Senior Member
 
Werner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Germany, near Aachen
Posts: 1,151
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Hallo und guten Abend.


I have a note about the quail thermometer insert. After about a year of sunshine, the original red display line has faded more and more and is now barely visible. Obviously, the coloring of the liquid advertising line is not lightfast.

Too bad, the display works, but it is not recognizable.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg P1030471.JPG (102.0 KB, 36 views)
__________________
Beste Gruesse aus Deutschland,
Werner


Ford Model A, Roadster, 1928
Citroen 11 CV, 1947
Hercules W 2000, 1976; (with NSU-Wankel Rotary Engine), Canadian version
Werner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 06:24 PM   #19
shew01
Senior Member
 
shew01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Roanoke, VA USA
Posts: 1,904
Default Re: Thermo Quail

Quote:
Originally Posted by Werner View Post
Hallo und guten Abend.


I have a note about the quail thermometer insert. After about a year of sunshine, the original red display line has faded more and more and is now barely visible. Obviously, the coloring of the liquid advertising line is not lightfast.

Too bad, the display works, but it is not recognizable.

I wondered why these were offered for sale. It makes more sense now. Apparently, they “wear out” from a color perspective.


https://www.brattons.com/quail-therm...epair-kit.html


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
shew01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 08:49 PM   #20
Gene F
Senior Member
 
Gene F's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,890
Default Re: Thermo Quail

I agree with what McMimmcs said above. I had a moto-meter lolypop I got years ago from Snyders. I could see mine well. Bought the o-ring from Brattons and that sealed it nicely.
I HAD TO REMOVE IT. Somone tried to steal it one day when I went to the hardware store, and broke the neck off of my $585 radiator!
Gene F is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:15 AM.