Motometer working /not working?

MickyD

MickyD

Senior Member
How do you know if your motometer is working or not. I had a new motometer installed when I got my 28 roadster in 2015. I have to yet see any action in it. I have taken several trips and it has not overheated that I know of.
 
If your engine is running correctly it should barely register just a little less than 1/8" inch of red. On the hottest days of summer mine (21 yrs +) has never gone over half-way up the gauge and I have a 4 blade fan and fan shroud and engine pans. Stock engine components, no over-drive, no high speed head.
 
The Motometer does not extend into the coolant so it depends on steam condensing on the bulb to transfer heat. This does not work very well in the Model A. It will only register if your coolant gets really hot. I use mine as a warning device to let me know if the radiator is about to boil over. (It never does.) I have a temperature gauge which senses the coolant temperature in the outlet neck. That works better to indicate the temperature.
 
I thought about getting a temperature gauge but where would you mount it in a Roadster. Not like cars of the 40's and 50's. Sure can't mount it to the dash/gas tank that I can see.
 
A vintage trick was to clamp a piece of metal chain onto the bottom of the temperature probe, so that the chain dangled into the coolant. The chain would conduct heat up to the probe. However, a motometer is a decoration in my opinion, and I would not rely on its performance to detect a hot running engine. Put a temperature gauge in your Model "A".
 
MickyD said:
I thought about getting a temperature gauge but where would you mount it in a Roadster. Not like cars of the 40's and 50's. Sure can't mount it to the dash/gas tank that I can see.
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The model A suppliers sell a column mount and a under the instrument dash mount! Suppliers catalogs and online have information that’s free
 
Another thing you can do is slide a short brake spring over the Moto Meter stem. You might have to trim it some. The spring will then sit in the coolant and provide a better read for the Moto Meter. Personally, I rely on a temperature gauge. They are bullet proof.
 
The spring is a nice idea. I have a gage in the water neck, with the mounting bracket Snyders sells. The guage works good. Someone tried to steal my moto-meter, and snapped my radiator. Now the moto-meter is an ornament on my workbench.
 
Gene, Sorry to hear of the damage to your car from some AH. I have a friend with an antique Rolls Royce. He takes the lady off the radiator and puts on a dime store replacement when parking in a public area. I guess dime stores are now dollar stores, or have they become $1.25 stores. People comment to him that that is not the correct radiator ornament.
 
I only use an original Moto-Meter.:p They are more accurate then the repops.:eek: Show below is a near mint shape original one.:cool:


Bob-A:D
 

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The originals do work better. I think they have a different thermometer so that it indicates at a lower temperature. Since the bulb is not in the coolant it runs cooler than the coolant temperature.
 
nkaminar said:
Gene, Sorry to hear of the damage to your car from some AH. I have a friend with an antique Rolls Royce. He takes the lady off the radiator and puts on a dime store replacement when parking in a public area. I guess dime stores are now dollar stores, or have they become $1.25 stores. People comment to him that that is not the correct radiator ornament.
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Thanks. I was so mad if I could have caught the AH I would have reenacted the hammer scene from the movie Casino. LOL Cost me $580
 
the sensing bulb of the motormeter is not in the coolant as part of the design, before there’s a real boil of coolant there’s some steam, this is what the motor meter reads, an early warning of overheating
 
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