Mechanical Engineering Senior Project

ryanheacox

ryanheacox

Well-known member
Gentlemen,

I will be doing my senior project next fall and have been brainstorming ideas. I thought it might be fun to do something related to my Model A.

The two ideas I've had so far are to design a 4-speed OD transmission with better ratios as a direct bolt in replacement. I know Mitchell already makes a modern synchronized 3-speed but it's just one idea.

The second idea was to develop an automatic advance system. All I'm aware of that currently exists is the nu-rex kit and the electronic conversion. I was thinking maybe develop a vacuum advance setup?

As fellow members of the hobby, I'd love to hear your input. What other ideas could I consider? What other aspects of the car can be improved?

Thanks.
 
Your two ideas so far are take offs on apparatus that has already been designed. Not very innovative! Wayne
 
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ryanheacox said:
Gentlemen,

I will be doing my senior project next fall and have been brainstorming ideas. I thought it might be fun to do something related to my Model A.

The two ideas I've had so far are to design a 4-speed OD transmission with better ratios as a direct bolt in replacement. I know Mitchell already makes a modern synchronized 3-speed but it's just one idea. Thanks.
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We've already re-invented something pretty close for a V8......it's a re-configured and SHORTENED Camaro T5 5-speed (4 plus O/D) with wonderfully-close-ratio gearset (2.95 1st gear), that'll bolt-together using virtually ALL Borg-Warner factory parts, except for a simple 23-spline adapter, and a simple home-made, 1/2"-thick aluminum torque tube clamshell adapter plate. Take a peek below. DD

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I've always thought it would be fun to do an instrumented speedster. Probably because I'm an engineer & thus a dork, I'd love to be able to look at & record fuel flow, coolant temp, RPM, brake temp, "g"s, advance, etc. The juxtaposition would be great if you could do a good job hiding all the instrumentation wiring, and then pull out an iPad to see how your performance looked.

I've always wondered what Ford's testing setup looked like back in the day, or maybe it was just mostly qualitative?
 
How about a fuel injection system that uses the stock manifolds and the updraft Zenith carb body? Make it look like nothing has been changed too. Easy, eh?
 
Climate control system (heat and Ac) integrated into the dash, tucked up almost out of sight nearly between the firewall and gas tank, with outlets and defrost integrated into the dash rail---- condenser under the car--- flywheel generater running inverter and electric compresser---- with power outlet to power house if needed--- perhaps 5 KW
 
You have gotten many Fantasy suggestions. If you go with your own idea of a bolt on 4 speed transmission I volunteer to test it out for you! :D
 
All the sellers list them as "fair" quality. I could post a number of pics detailing the differences between originals and these replacements. The biggest problem is that the pins are very sloppy and tend to all short together.
 
Come up with front and rear crankshaft seals that work / have some longevity but that can be replaced without removing the engine, etc.. You could get a PhD out of this exercise!!
 
Re-design the internals of the two tooth steering box for all roller operation. The benefits of the F-100 style box but stock looking. How about an A style Zenith with more CFM for modified motors that want to look stock. I guess the theme here is "stock looking" :)
 
'along the lines of automatic advance system'
I am not familiar w/ the Nurex system.
The FSI electronic dizzy has centrifugal advance only.
As you know in the 50s-60s dizzies were developed with both centrif and vacuum advance, which is the best of both worlds.

To me a super project would be to adapt a Type 2 VW beetle dizzy ('71 and later) to an A, since that dizzy had both centrif and vacuum. Then you could really dial in your timing. It may not matter much if your engine is all stock, but once you start hanging performance goodies on there such as HC heads, better cams, larger intakes, etc etc your timing ends up so far from ideal it is ridiculous. And most ppl with these types of goodies end up with too much advance, or too soon, and begin to trash mains.

It would help if you had access to a Sun distributor machine and a dyno; but the project could still happen with some old fashioned seat-of-the-pants testing
 
freak said:
Are you actually going to make something or just design something?
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Sounds to me that he just needs a design for the class project and he figures if he is going to go through all that trouble he might do something he can make money on later. I suggest that he takes a close look at the class description as I know some colleges reserve the right to retain any ideas as their own.
 
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