MTFCA Forum

I experienced the same thing and the vendor claimed it was OK when it left the store therefore the fault is between here and your door, try to find out who is the culprit is it will be classic royal runaround. I would suggest just keep it and order another one, it will save months of frustration. I ...

The crank is probably on the side, I wonder if those are Michelin Mudders ?

The pins should be pressed out the opposite way they were pressed in. You should able to be pushed in with limited pressure until the enlarged end enters the flywheel then the pressure is somewhat increased. I would not recommend pressing them through from the rear, only press them in from the rear....

Your nuts are under by .007, option A) redrill to 5/8 and re tap, or B) try another supplier. Also they could be metric by error. The 16 and 17 mm are very close and easily mixed up. And there are possibly 10 sizes in between. Some metric sizes are supplied as 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 etc. Some will go on 3...

Some early 1915 models still had the carbide lamps hence no hole for a switch. The 1915 parts book does not list any lighting components.

I have read material from reliable sources and it indicates 1915 was the transitional year for factory headlights. I have a 1915 parts book and headlights are not listed. It is conceivable that on some early 1915 models headlights were still optional?

I would say they were not drilled if headlights were not ordered because they were accessories. I dug my '15 out of a mud filled ditch in Saskatchewan about 40 years ago where it sat discarded for 40 years. All that was sticking out of the mud was the front fenders and the wood firewall. It did have...

There was masters available at some vendors key nos. 51 - 56, 57 - 62, 63 - 68 and 69 - 74 all in a crimped set.

12 volts is not too much, the mag can put out 18 volts so there is lots to spare, I use dry cells.

I read about wood firewalls mostly being wood/plywood, on my Canadian 1915 the firewall is wood that consists of 7 individual pieces tongue and grooved with a thickness of 21/32" then skinned with 1/16" cherry veneer to a total thickness of 3/4 +-. The tongue and groove design would all for movement...

Some libraries/archives will post photos intentionally in low resolution so if you want a high resolution you have to pay for it. From our local museum/archives I payed $40 a high res reproduction, I blew it up 2 X 3 feet and it was super clear.

I was just wondering about the battery alternator circuit. I am playing with a similar circuit on a Studebaker where as I want to charge a 12 volt battery with an alternator/regulator without all the regular circuity. As I understand that an alternator requires some power to operate, it therefore re...

Dieseling is where the oil is compressed in the small pitted holes and ignites (micro dieseling) Diesel oil can be ignited by compression A. by the oil itself or B. by super heated air and the oil injected in to it. Some large pile drivers are operated by injecting fuel oil under the hammer where it...

I read somewhere that gears with pits can cause the oil to diesel causing excessive noise and pressure inside the housing, I don't know it this is true but it seems plausible.

About the only way to tell is from the engine number, you could purchase a chassis with engine and fenders and then the fenders could be from several years. All the wood was custom made.

This transmission was assembled with 13 small thrust plates and 13 large thrust plates plus a distance plate as per the 1915 parts book. I know some later units have only 12 small, 13 large and no distance plate. With one less small clutch plate and no distance plate would allow a greater distance f...

DSC04089.JPG DSC04089.JPG What am I missing here, if I compress the spring the clutch will disengage, if I release the spring the clutch will engage, if I remove the finger screws the clutch remains engaged. The only way this transmission will disengage is when I compress the spring. What am I miss...

The only way to separate the engine/transmission from the drive shaft/differential is to compress the clutch spring. With the spring compressed the drums will still turn, the second drum will turn at a different speed than the others but it will be disconnected from the engine. The fingers will have...

My grandson has those snubber straps on his Ford Ranger to control the suspension in rough terrain, they are aftermarket but still used today.

The picture some time ago of shattered oak spokes is most unfair to oak spokes. The owner was towing his car and was turning too sharply on gravel and the wheels were jumping and skipping sideways he continued to turn until he was on asphalt and continued to tow forward with the wheels still skippin...

On a lot of early cars headlights were optional and so were the forks, Studebaker also used the same lights and forks. It is conceivable that a car could have come from the factory minus the headlights and were later installed with aftermarket units.

You can find out what city it came from and look up the car dealerships and home in on the most probable dealerships.

My story: On the Not For Sissies Tour I let a friend drive my 26 RPU for a day. The truck had a freshly rebuilt transmission but I thought I had broken it in. At the end I’d the days ride my friend was waiting at my trailer with some bad news. He said “listen”, cranked it and there was a loud squea...

There are so many stories about tight rebuilt engines, some have to be towed, some would not turn over because they were so stiff and some overheat and seize. Most of these engine rebuilds were done by "competent" engine rebuilders or a shop that has been in business for multi years and still these ...

I think all the shiny bits and pieces on a 26-27 were nickel. When you see a restored 26-27 with chrome to me it is far too bright.

Shouldn't a 14 have a tapered leaf spring?

I have 21" Chev wheels on the front of my 26 Canadian T 10 foot inspection you can't tell, the valve is orientated one set of spokes either left or right of the Ford location. I just re drilled a second hole. The old hole could be filled re-finished and there would be no way to tell. I believe Dodge...

I think on any car with a nut and bolt application, where ever practicable, the nut should be to the rear.

A Model T should start easily with just a pull over center. If using a battery be sure it is 1-2 notches retard to reduce a kick back. If you set the crank just over center and turn on the ignition you may get lucky and get a free start.

If it is a concerning issue, replace the block, there are lots of them out there.

To anneal a non-ferris metal, copper, brass, bronze heat to cherry red and quench in cold water, non ferris is hardened by cooling over long periods of time, the longer the harder. Non ferris will work harden and may require to be re-annealed during the working process. Iron is the opposite process,...

Is your breather cap clear? Excessive crankcase pressure will blow oil out every where, even on a perfectly sealed engine.

The hogshead would be aluminum on an early 15 and iron on a late 15.

I can only send one photo at a time because it wants to reproduce them in triplicate, these are the innards of a magneto horn that I have.

DSC03788.JPG I have an early brass fuel valve and the fitting into the tank is NPT however the fuel outlet is a running thread and seats by bottoming out against a flair. The original fitting on my 26 was a rubber hose with a moulded flair fitting. It was completely rotted out and I could not ever ...

Many times the jockeys in the hardware store don't much about these fittings and likewise in the auto parts stores too. There are 1/4 pipe taper threads and 1/4 pipe running threads and to the untrained eye they look the same. 1/4 pipe threads are 18 threads per inch, but will measure as 1/2 inch. T...

I had a frame from a 15 where the car was converted to a farm tractor and a pair of chains were wrapped around the axle housings then attached to an implement, plow, harrow etc. The chains wore a hole through the axle housings on each (it cost me $300 to have them filled). This towing action stretch...

I have a 23 Saskatchewan in good restorable condition that you can have if your interested.

There were several makers of these flywheels even Dodge made them for Fords, it is possible that the foundry made too many of the ring gear type and rather than dispose of them converted them to non- starter type. I can not see any aftermarket purpose for the conversion. 15 and 26 flywheels DSC03737...

There are several methods for checking for a vacuum leak, I am a proponent of just water spray, the engine will stumble immediately. Was the head planed? As mentioned previously, adjust the mixture, an 1/8 - 1/4 turn can make a big difference. Mine starts with one turn and runs on 7/8 turn. It will ...

In the day there were jobbers that did very good conversion jobs, I have on that looks manufactured that way and it remains dual. There was another conversion that used a wire behind the front door.

This time of the year a little water in the gas could be ice the next day.

Your issue seems more like fuel than electric, either you have power or you don't, bogging down and backfiring does appear to be fuel related.

I can only speak for my Canadian 26, the door latch is 10 - 32, striker is 1/4 - 28, sill plate is 7/32 - 24.
The 10 - 32 looks very similar to the 7/32 - 24 the 10 - 32 is only .025 smaller than the 7/32. The taps and dies are still available for the 7/32 - 24 if you are familiar with KBC tools.

Just an additional point that wasn't mentioned, Robertson also invented the tracer bullets, they couldn't see where the bullets were going at night so he invented the idea to apply a small amount of phosphorous on every 8th bullet.

With demountable rims it is not uncommon to have a mismatch between rim and wheel. There was at least four makers of wheels and rims and they are easily mismatched. I have Chevrolet wheels on Ford rims, from six feet away you can't tell but they do not fit perfect.

Pick up the frame and stand on your bath scale subtract your weight and walla.

My 26 has the choke and mixture using the same rod, pull for choke and turn for mixture. I experienced the same problem with children playing in the T and adjusting the mixture control. Mine started with one turn and ran with 7/8 turn, when I would stop it I would turn it one full turn open for the ...

I1t is quite possible the lamps were made by a different supplier, I have, I believe three 1910,1911 or 1912 left, right and rear brass lamps that all have E&J Detroit Pat Dec 9, 1908 and they are all different in several small ways, the chimneys are different heights and the rolled rim on the faunt...

I am not familiar with a SEAL what does the seal specifically do?, most SEALS will seal oil or grease in. When looking at wheel bearing assemblies there is only a felt dust seal to prevent dust and dirt from entering in to the bearings, not to prevent grease from escaping. Good quality wheel bearing...

This is not quite related but I inadvertently charged a battery backwards, it was completely dead and the charger did not react and it charged up fully ok, I only got a reaction when I put it back into service. I had to completely discharge the battery using a small light (it took about 5 days) and ...

I am not that familiar with 1919 models, but did they use plywood? On my 1915 the fire wall it is made up of 7 pieces of tongue and groove wood and covered with a skin of cherry veneer. The tongue and groove pieces would allow some movement, a solid piece of plywood may be too stiff, but on good roa...

Some 26 model wheels have tapered spokes and don't require a press, the last spoke goes in like a wedge
at least the spokes on my 26 (Canadian) model are that way. I removed all my spokes and sanded them in a lathe and reassembled with no issues, no press just tightened the hubs together.

Just to mention do not use chassis grease, use wheel bearing grease, it is stringy and will not flow out. These bearings and felts do have a life expectancy and they may have to be changed out form time to time. If using felts they should be changed fairly regularly.

I would remove the kingpin and soak the spindle in some quality solvent for a week. Some solvents can cost $40 - $50 a gallon, expensive but it works good and they are water soluble.

This is just a heads up mention, an original Model T engine is 3.75 cylinder diameter, the cast iron pistons are tapered with a difference of .010 from top to bottom starting at just under .3647 at the top and 3.737 at the bottom, the rings are 3.75 with a .003 taper to scrape oil coming down and pa...

I would kike to discuss the correct process to fit the bushings, honing by hand with a small hone using oil versus honing in a vertical jig. Also reaming by hand or in a vertical jig. I have honed the bushings to fit by hand, however I cannot confirm they are perfectly straight, they look and fit go...

I removed a T head and there was enough seeds in there to feed a mouse for a year. I think in your case it is just a stuck valve, if the piston is TDC use a stick and tap it down as mentioned above. I have had this happen just over winter and a couple of cycles of up and down and tapping then it was...

When looking at the issue with triple gear pins coming loose etc. one has to look at the manufacturing process. There were several flywheel manufacturers even Dodge made them for Ford and there was most likely the same number of pin makers. The pins have a .001 tolerance and if the hole also had a ....

Some wire a small dash light in series with the tail light so if the dash light is out so is the tail light, like the old Christmas tree lights. It is a good small monitor.

An 8 point socket fits a square nut also the octagon wrench may be for light duty such as top prop nuts where the original was lost. This may be for the British cars as many early British cars used 8 point nuts and bolts

Octagon will fit a square nut it has four flats in side. You can buy 8 point sockets to day and 4 point sockets both are for square head fasteners.

In the day there were several flywheel makers including Dodge it is conceivable that the pins were unique to each manufactured flywheel. Prior to replacing the pins, the holes in the flywheel should be confirmed and then order the appropriate oversize pins or have them custom made. Making pins is no...

In the day there was about four or five wheel manufactures, I have over a dozen spare wheels and it is difficult to find two that match exactly, however the all fit my T.

Almost no laws, bylaws or motor vehicle regulations are retroactive except where special leave is applied by the government and that is rarely done. Even though the current regulations require one or two running lights or stop lights on every vehicle antique or otherwise all these words only apply t...

I towed my T for 30 miles with the rear wheels on the ground and the engine idling.

This isn't rocket science, with the drive assembly straight through, eg high gear, the clutch fingers should be just clear of the push ring. You should be able to wiggle the fingers.

That differential probably had grease in it that is why there is no oil on the ground. I also noticed the right top saddle is upside down.

Repairing wood fellow wheels is a bit tricky, I have done it but it is not for everybody. I ground off the rivets holding the wood fellow to the rim and tapped the wood assembly out still assembled to the hub. I drilled the old loose tenon out and inserted and glued a short hardwood dowel that went ...

Loosen the U bolts on the rear crossmember and the radius rods to offer some slack, then assemble the unit and retighten the rear assembly.

It is good to hear that you didn't have to tow it, they should crank after a rebuild.

My original Canadian '26 has hex nuts for the bar and the headlights. Just to mention in the day there were square socket sets to deal with square nuts. Today Snap-On tools sells square sets called "four point" also "eight point" that will work on square nuts, but the "four point" fits better. Maybe...

Mine is also from a British Ford. I see many caps on saddle tanks on large trucks that are the same. This cap is non vented because it is a radiator cap with external wings.

This is off a 26 there is a slight difference maybe a different supplier. Yours appears to have a slight wrinkle in the lower left corner maybe just enough to distort it. The clearances are very close so it doesn't take much.

Some times the photos are delayed and I clicked twice.

DSC02419.JPG DSC02414.JPG There are springs that provide the required friction, the quadrant notches only offer the position not the friction. It requires about 3 lbs of pull to move the levers. Perhaps your spring is missing or the pin has come out and the spring has slid down the shaft. The cotte...

It appears that your threads are not compatible, the casting is tapered pipe and the fitting is parallel. Find a valve with a tapered pipe thread.

There are lots of funny photos of crankers being pinned against the garage wall, I don't have one right now.

I have used this style of rim remover with good success.

No that puller will not work, there is a Model T rear wheel puller available at most vendors.

Rear end assemblies have come through the times with many opinions as to "how I do it" I reviewed about 6 manuals, lubrication charts, Clymers and Dykes and it is hard to find two the same. I could not find any reference to the rear bearing grease cups nor any maintenance schedule for them. One manu...

Almost any spark plug will ignite the fuel if the mixture is correct, however if the air fuel mixture is too rich even the best and most expensive spark plug won't ignite the fuel. If your plugs were fouling clearly indicates the fuel mixture was too rich. New plugs will only be a temporary fix and ...

I don't have those on my 26 but I wish I had, my father-in-law was showing my engine to a friend and when re-closing the hood he bashed it in to the head light shell and left a small dent.

I don't think there ever was any rear end specs they were assembled to a general clearance, any thing up to .040 and filled with #2 grease. We try to match modern clearances to day of .005 which is difficult to attain and then put in varying grades and weights of oils in the housing when there were ...

If your careful you can cut the bottom of the shroud with snips, re-bend and re-drill new holes to fit, I have done this and when finished you can't tell.

I repaired a wheel with very loose tenons by drilling the tenon with a 1/2" drill bit in to the spoke about an inch and inserting and gluing a new full size hard wood dowel.

A 26 frame would have the serial number stamped on the passenger side under the floor boards.

The Model T cooling system was skimpy at best, with the head and just the top of the block being cooled via a thermosyphon system was barley adequate, hence the accessory water pumps. A model T steaming out the radiator was not that uncommon. However with a full system and clean radiator they were o...

You could order any car manufacture plaque on a Buckeye Jack.

The differential can go in backwards if you don't pay attention to the assembly, don't ask me how I know.

Even with all the adjustments correct and the levers and pedals in the correct position the clutch discs could still be stuck. There are multiple methods to overcome this condition. I experienced this condition and I towed the car for about a mile with the pedal in the neutral position before it let...

I think your issue is fuel and you will get it eventually, on my 27 the fuel mixture knob is fussy, to start one full turn and to run 7/8 turn. If I forget to reset it to one turn on the next start and it is at 7/8 it will not start. Every T is a little bit different at this point, you will have to ...

Remove the two plugs in question lay them on the block and see if they fire(in the right order) If they fire then check the wiring on the timer and on the coil box. It is easy to get wires mixed up. The small wires tell the big wires what to do. There are wiring diagrams available.

Some models of spokes were alternately tapered and the last spoke went in like a wedge, no press was required, the hub bolts would pull it tight. All the spokes on my Canadian '26 are like that.

DSC01605.JPG DSC01604.JPG DSC01604.JPG In the day there were tenon cutting tools, there were two components, the first tool cut the taper and the second tool cut the tenon. It would take about 15 seconds to do a spoke. The depth and diameter was set so they were all the same. The photos are the fir...

When I did my hubs I used a Dremel with a small drum sander to finish the hole.

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