engine pans

L

larry harding

Senior Member
do most people run engine pans on their a ? i'll bet a lot of them got taken off for repairs over the years and never put back on. i have a set i picked up at a swap meet and am debating weather or not to put them on. i have the float a motor which allows the engine to move different from the frame, is that not going to flex and break the tabs on the pans?
 
I don't think you would have to worry too much about the fact you have the float a motor mounts. I never had the pans on my A , however I remember reading an article about the cooling improvement they were meant to provide. I thought the intent was to funnel the air from the radiator out through the back of the engine compartment?
 
I have pans on mine with float-a-motor mounts with no problems. Before you put them on, suggest you paint them with a fuel proof paint, especially on the carb side. Don't ask me how I know.

Glen
 
31 Model A said:
Did Henry have them on his As as they came off the line?
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Yes, But my 31 pans were only made to be attached in three spots, at the rear to the oil pan and frame and only at the frame on the front. I believe it has been posted here before that they were only attached at the rear because the engine does not move around like it does at the front mount.
 
larry harding said:
do most people run engine pans on their a ? i'll bet a lot of them got taken off for repairs over the years and never put back on. i have a set i picked up at a swap meet and am debating weather or not to put them on. i have the float a motor which allows the engine to move different from the frame, is that not going to flex and break the tabs on the pans?
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I don't know about most but I do. The reason for them most stated, is to allow air to flow better along the engine to the rear and then out, cooling better.
 
I've also read that they form part of the electrical ground path for the engine.

I saw it on the internet, so it must be true!
 
Larry Harding, post $1: "do most people run engine pans on their a ?"
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A poll recently taken by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 62% of all Model A owners have engine pans (plural) on their cars. 35% had no engine pans on their cars. 2% had an engine pan on the driver's side only, while 1% had a engine pan the passenger side only.
 
I looked for ages before i found an original pair at a swap. Was happy as pig in mud. I cleaned, repaired and painted them and fitted to the car.
I didn't notice any difference to the cooling.
I found them to be a nucience and often got in the way, so i took them off and sold them.
The righthand drive cars have a very cluttered engine bay and the last thing i needed was an engine pan making it worse.
 
We ran our roadster for years without pans, and those floorboards would really get hot on hot days. So last year I installed set and now it is much cooler on passenger and driver on hot days. This may sound counterintuitive, but that was our experience. And no, it never affected engine temps.
 
The electrical part is true. The pan creates the only real connection, the motor mounts all have movement. Just run a ground strap from the frame to the engine or transmission and you will create the ground connection that you need.
 
DougVieyra said:
Larry Harding, post $1: "do most people run engine pans on their a ?"
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A poll recently taken by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 62% of all Model A owners have engine pans (plural) on their cars. 35% had no engine pans on their cars. 2% had an engine pan on the driver's side only, while 1% had a engine pan the passenger side only.
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That pole left out the ones that have engine pans, but they are on the shelf in the garage, only to be installed "someday". :D
 
CarlG said:
That pole left out the ones that have engine pans, but they are on the shelf in the garage, only to be installed "someday". :D
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That's exactly where mine are! I used to run them but with constant maintenance these days they seem to be more of a hassle then they are worth...
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
Chief said they filled up with MUD, when you backed up on MUDDY roads!
Bill Hatemud
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Bill, Is it you or your dog that always thinks the same as me??:confused::D
Pans kept the mud off engines on dirt roads in the 1930s
Engines should be earthed properly, don't rely on pans alone If you need pans to aid cooling there's something else wrong with your system
 
One Guy said, "I can't get the L/H one on from the top"----"Well, dummy, put it on from the BOTTOM"----"OK"!
I think the pans help to make a finished look to the engine bay!
Bill W.
 
Henry tried to make his car more cost effective and he found no value to the fan shroud.If Henry though he could save money and did not serve a purpose he would have eliminated them . Just my thoughts !!!
 
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