Question?

Peter J

Peter J

Well-known member
What makes a Model A sound like a Model A? Is it the exaust manifold or the muffler design or both.
 
Great question! I assumed it was a combination muffler design and a heavy flywheel coming up to speed. This made me wonder if those with counterbalanced cranks, lightened flywheels, and touring cams still get that puckita, puckita, puckita sound.
 
Years ago a friend pulled up with a very stock sounding Model A sedan. He opened the hood and it had a Chevy II engine. I vote for the muffler.

Charlie Stephens
 
I've been told that you could muffle a Pinto engine with a Model A muffler and it will sound like a Model A. I do know that if you muffle a Model A engine with anything else, it doesn't sound like a Model A at all.

My theory is -- it's the muffler.
 
Good question.
As a newbie here were the best sounding mufflers tapered round ones? My latest A doesn't sound like my old A, which had a tapered muffler.
 
As I recall from comments in the discussion on the Aries Muffler.

The sound we may believe is the sound of the Model A may not be the exact factory sound. The mufflers were all mostly replaced and so the sound you are familiar with is the one that is created by mufflers with a different designed the the factory.

As I remember reading the Aries muffler will give the Model A a sound that is different than what you are used to hearing. Since the muffler is made closely to the Ford print it will likely be the closest to the 'correct' sound.

Obviously there are will be sound differences due to differences in the engine set up, but the muffler still sets a certain tone.
 
I was told that their was an attempt to get some import bikes to sound like Harley's but couldn't because of the timing. I was thinking the A's big old exaust mainfold would have a ring to it also vs. headers etc.
 
Peter J said:
I was told that their was an attempt to get some import bikes to sound like Harley's but couldn't because of the timing. I was thinking the A's big old exaust mainfold would have a ring to it also vs. headers etc.
Click to expand...


Well, as for those import "cruiser" bikes, the first thing they have to do is cut the revs way down... Heck, your average Honda idles where an old Harley "red-lines"...;)

I have heard that in addition to the tapered muffler, the valve timing / cam lobe profile has an influence on the "Model A sound"... ?


It would be interesting to try the Aries muffler on other period four-bangers ( Chevy, Plymouth, Durant, Overland, even a Model T), and see what sound is achieved...

SC Frank
 
My car has a B engine, HC head, Cam, lightened flywheel, downdraft 94, and a stock Aries muffler. It doesn't sound like a Model A. Some even think it sounds like a V8. Getting that Model A sound has to be more than just the muffler.
 
Geo. H said:
My car has a B engine, HC head, Cam, lightened flywheel, downdraft 94, and a stock Aries muffler. It doesn't sound like a Model A. Some even think it sounds like a V8. Getting that Model A sound has to be more than just the muffler.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I wondered! You can't slap a Model A muffler on a 4-cyl Honda and get that puckita, puckita, puckita sound. (Not that your B is a Honda... that was just a goofy example to illustrate that there must be something else to the equation.)
 
Geo H ;
Retart the timing far enough and you will get the sound . You may not like the performance, retarded that much ,but you will get the sound .
 
My thought is timing and the un counter balanced crankshaft. Tapered muffler design gives the ring even if its gutted. Fiber glass packed mufflers don't sound right because they lose the tinney ring and absorb the model A sound. Other than the ringing sound at cruiseing speed, model A's sound like model A's even without a muffler unless you are running at wot- wide open throttle. My roadster runs a B flywheel, 5.9 head, 3/4 cam, dual updraft B carbs and a gutted tapered muffler. Though it is slightly louder, it will still chick ah lunk with the spark retarded and still has the tinnie ring when cruiseing at 50.
 
Special Coupe Frank said:
Well, as for those import "cruiser" bikes, the first thing they have to do is cut the revs way down... Heck, your average Honda idles where an old Harley "red-lines"...;)

I have heard that in addition to the tapered muffler, the valve timing / cam lobe profile has an influence on the "Model A sound"... ?


It would be interesting to try the Aries muffler on other period four-bangers ( Chevy, Plymouth, Durant, Overland, even a Model T), and see what sound is achieved...

SC Frank
Click to expand...

Special Coupe Frank .................
It's torque. Where the Honda idles, the Harley is going 40 MPH.
MIKE :)
 
The Harley sound is caused by both rods on the same journal and the pistons coming up at nearly the same time. Two cylinder bikes with offset crankshafts with one up and the other down sound different and in some cases will run faster but lose the good sound.
 
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