MTFCA Forum

Looking forward to seeing the Jamboree gang again this year. Not sure how many we have attended, but always have the best time. For anyone who has never attended an Ohio Jamboree, please take the opportunity to do so this year. And what a great value at $50! You won’t be disappointed, no matter wha...

I know we’re ready. It’s the mark of the start of a new driving season. We’ll see you there!

In theory, I think it could be done, but my biggest argument against trying would be getting the top stretched back over the bow properly. If you look at Classtique's installation video, starting at 33:23, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Y8gKaKIrs&t=2014s) you'll see the final steps before instal...

I had one pull a similar stunt on me once. It was the mag post grounding out internally. You’ll need to remove it completely from the hogshead to check it. Check for continuity between the post to the main body of the pickup.

The one-man top was introduced for the '23 model year, so that would be correct for your car. It looks as though someone has fabricated its attachment on your car, though. The normal brackets for 23-25 open cars would attach on the inside of the door opening and to the belt rail on the top edge of t...

This was our second time at the Ohio Jamboree. It was great getting to see everyone again. I really looked forward to traveling again with our touring family that took us under their wings last year. The routes were beautiful and a little bit challenging this year with twists, turns and climbs. Even...

We finally got some nice weather this week, so I finally got around to installing the Ruckstell shifter and wooden steering wheel I picked up at the Marietta swap meet. The shifter replaced the one that came with the car because someone in its past cut it off Code to the floor. 6A54C8EE-E0CD-423D-B2...

While you’ve got the steering column off, now would be a good time to check the felt and brass bushing in the steering bracket that mounts to the frame.

I am in the process of replacing the cobbled up shift linkage that came with my Ruckstell axle. I’ve purchased the new one from Snyder’s. It appears to be made from galvanized electrical conduit. For those of you that have installed one of these, did you paint it or leave it as is? If you did paint ...

The Ohio tour in Marion last year was my first-ever tour. Not knowing anyone there yet, I happened to chat with Roy and Patricia on the first morning and asked if I could tag along with their group. Roy graciously agreed and I spent most of the weekend in his shadow. Roy is a gentleman, a kind soul ...

The October 15, 1926 Service Bulletin shows the battery charger being used to recharge magnets in-car. You’ll find the process starting on page 97 of this pdf.

http://www.cimorelli.com/mtdl/service_b ... sb1926.pdf

My work took me to Chicago in July and my return trip home took me right by Richmond. I was in no hurry and decided to stop at the museum. It was my first visit and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. They’ve got some really great displays there and I got a bonus during my visit. I pulled into the pa...

Tim, the tie rod bushings were the only ones I didn’t replace when I rebuilt the front axle and steering because I thought they looked good. I’m also going to check that I didn’t set the outer wheel bearings a little too loose when I packed them last month.

We spent the weekend in Marion, Ohio on the All Ohio Model T Jamboree. This was my first tour and I have to say, I’m already planning for some more next year. I logged a personal best of 271 miles over 3 days. My Touring car performed beautifully the whole weekend. A front end wobble did show up a c...

I check with the bride. Some don’t care as long as you look nice, but there are bridezillas that have a very specific look they’re going for with every aspect of the day. I have a lightweight three-piece suit that easily dresses up or down. Just remember, you never want to look better than the bride...

Has your L-4 been completely cleaned out? There are two small air passages that assist with idling and acceleration that should be clear. They are located down inside the carb where the mixture needle seats. One can be viewed through the the throttle side and the other through the choke side. They’r...

Check the legality in your area. Red, blue and white flashing lights are usually only legal for emergency service personnel. You might want to look into amber or green. I’ve even seen purple on tow trucks as well.

I feel like I’m really getting the Touring dialed in. I cleaned and lubed the timer and cleaned and checked the gaps on my spark plugs a couple days ago. I opened them up a little to 0.035” from 0.030”. I noticed a big difference in how it runs. I was able to lean the Simmons Super another 1/8 turn ...

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑
Sat Aug 21, 2021 9:54 am
That looks a lot like a mid-1920s Dodge roadster deck.

I suppose that’s possible. I posted it a few years ago and no one could reach a consensus on if it was fabricated or a factory part (from another maker). We all agreed it wasn’t T.

In addition to bending the quadrant up like Mike said, the grooves in the quadrant are probably worn almost smooth. You can dress them with a triangular needle file. The springs on the other side of the column mounting plate are probably worn out too, but will require you to partially disassemble yo...

I’ve found they’re much easier to loosen when hot. Either run the engine for a few minutes, or hit it with a propane torch. Same is true when you go to tighten it. Snug it up, run the engine and then finish tightening when it’s hot.

I have what appears to be a fabricated turtle deck. This deck is NOT an original Ford part. The deck fits a 23-25 roadster body, and the lid is modeled after an earlier style with two latches rather than a lock. Not suitable for a restoration, but possibly of use in a speedster build. Metal is in go...

I purchased my 25 Touring this time last year. It was a 30 year old restoration that has gone largely untouched in that whole time. I started by swapping the stock rear end with a Ruckstell I had already rebuilt. The last year has been mostly just driving it. This month has been a continuation of sm...

I would go with a good quality spar varnish. Polyurethane is too “plastic” looking for my taste and can be brittle when fully cured. When I rebuilt a set of wheels a few years ago, I looked at Minwax, but read somewhere that is was good for outdoor wood, like doors and windows, as long as they were ...

As Frank said, there’s only a front/back if the perches are installed. If they are, you’re usually better off leaving them be. They can be a real bear to get out and often get damaged in the process. If you don’t have access to a press, you can use a floor jack and chains. It’s not the safest method...

This is a call for all West Virginia Model T owners. With a few exceptions, there are no MTFCA chapters within reasonable distance for us to join. I want to change that. Currently, there is an effort to start a chapter near Charleston and I would like to start one in the northern part of the state i...

Eric- good point. There is an excellent checklist for bringing a T out of “mothballs”. It frequently shows up in discussions in the forum. Here is a link from a past discussion: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/8538.html Taylor- being a 1916, your car’s headlights should be wired to run off o...

Congratulations on your acquisition. Do you know the condition of your magneto? If it has even decent output, I would suggest having your coils rebuilt and running it that way. Most rebuilders charge about $40 per coil plus shipping. If you were to go that route, you could install a small lawnmower ...

I hope this project comes to fruition. I purchased a set of 23-25 roadster plants from Leon in August 2018. They were an invaluable resource for rebuilding my roadster. I have the full set and will gladly donate them to the cause if it moves forward.

I run 85W-140 in my rear end too because I have a Ruckstell axle. 600W is too heavy to get into all the nooks and crannies of it.

Dennis - I used the same method when I changed my band linings the last time. I didn’t have an extra brake or transmission drum laying around, but I did have plenty of 2x10 scraps and a band saw.

The resemble the top bows for a one man roadster top, but they aren’t Model T. Without the top material, the front bow would be completely separate from the rear two.

I’m glad I’m not the only one. I just finished up a transmission fishing expedition, myself. I recently installed new band linings and replaced the dried out, 35 year old cork gaskets. Everything was all sealed up and leak free. The kevlar bands were finally seated, but I wasn’t happy with the pedal...

I successfully recharged my magnets in-car a few years ago. Some things I learned: 1. You can remove the spark plugs to make turn in the engine over easier. (You’re not fighting engine compression when lining up the magnets.) Also, disconnect the mag pickup wire from the post. 2. Getting a compass r...

I bought a 25 Touring last July that had sat unused for the last 30 years. The cotton band linings and cork gaskets the last guy used decided they’d had enough. I spent most of the day on Saturday installing a new set of Kevlar lining and news gaskets. Having already done a set in my previous car, t...

I used 2” spring clamps to hold the straps to the bows to set the height of the bows. They allowed for easy adjustments until I was ready to tack them in place.

Katie, greetings from the Mountain State. I'm just down the mountain from you in Fairmont. I have a 25 Touring that I drive mostly around Harrison and Marion counties. Not quite the same terrain as Taylor, Preston and Tucker, but hilly nonetheless. I do have a Ruckstell axle on mine but I drive prim...

Mark,

Yes, I’ll be fabricating something for behind the top bracket, but I haven’t quite figured out what yet. The roadster I did before had a solid block that just dropped off at the tack rail. I might make something with more of a taper so I don’t have to build up so much with batting.

Today was like Christmas with all the packages being delivered. I got my top kit and rear backrest from Classtique and the belt rail and hardware from Snyder’s. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much fitting involved with the belt rail. I did have to move two bolt holes and enlarge the rest. I also had to ...

I shot paint yesterday. It will have plenty of time to cure, since the project just got more complicated. Thankfully, Snyder’s had the wood kit in stock and it’s shipping today. D1F14F14-140D-408B-BB66-90BAAD58D456.jpeg 388A2C2E-E60E-46D6-8631-0A136006BE3A.jpeg 7ABAF2DF-AC30-40EA-9F7D-627CC5F850F4.j...

I’m working on rebuilding the top for my 25 touring. The Classtique kit should be here in the next week or so. 2E5FF971-D6D0-4525-9D92-82B1516601A4.jpeg 7C7B410A-ED4E-420D-A75B-44A104E8961F.jpeg EF2C7A92-D5CB-4260-A7B6-14C2AFE94D97.jpeg F852E799-D0E6-486D-88BA-209D05647691.jpeg 42F64A11-B303-4170-B6...

Thanks, John.

One more question...

5. Is there a way to loosen the pivots on the irons without resetting the rivets? Mine are awfully tight.

I ran into the same problem you’re having when I was rebuilding my rear wheels a few years ago. I varnished mine before assembly and thought I was careful to keep the finish off the tapered sides. I didn’t. Those tapers need to be smooth and flat so they can slide past each other as you’re pressing ...

I should be getting my top kit from Classtique at the end of this month and it’s time to start preparing the irons for that project. I’ve already installed a kit for a 24 roadster and feel very confident in the project, overall. After reading as many old discussions as I can, I still have a few ques...

I used two moderate brushed coats of slip paint on mine. The time between coats was pretty short, so I figured I’d get a few on since they were dissembled anyway.

Yeah, I may have to resign myself to repops until I can find an original, but I didn’t see them on Lang’s or Snyder’s websites. I only saw them listed in Chaffin’s catalog. I wonder if the manufacturer is falling behind like a lot of the others this year.

I’m looking for a top clamp screw for a 23-25 touring. This is the screw that secures the top to the windshield stanchion.

Since you found it useful, I’ll post it again here... Google allows special formatting to narrow search results. If you type site:mtfca.com first, it will only bring back hits from within the site. You can then just type keywords to search for. For this thread as an example, you’d type site:mtfca.co...

Jim,

Google allows special formatting to narrow search results. If you type site:mtfca.com first, it will only bring back hits from within the site. You can then just type keywords to search for. For this thread as an example, you’d type site:mtfca.com slip paint to search related discussions.

I had that same carrier on the 24 Runabout I just sold. I remember seeing it discussed in a previous year’s forum discussion, but I can’t find the thread. I believe it was available in the Canadian market. I actually prefer this design to the standard spare carrier. It doesn’t require any tools to m...

I’ve had a good experience with American Modern Insurance Group. Like most antique insurers, they do require the vehicle to be stored in a locked, permanent structure, and they will want photos of the storage location as well as photos of the vehicle. They base the coverage amount on agreed upon val...

Beautiful work, as always, Stan. You’re an artist with brass and steel. What paint do you use for carbs?

Kevin Prus is near Cleveland and Ron’s Machine Shop near Cincinnati also do excellent work.

I use the same oil in my Ruckstell (75w90) in my oil can. A couple drops on either side of the roller and a smear of dielectric grease on the contact faces. For whatever reason, I’ve never had any luck with Vaseline or straight just dripping oil into the hole on the timer (Tiger or Ford roller timer).

My first thought would be maybe you’re experiencing vapor lock when hot. What’s your fuel line routing look like? Does it pass over or under the exhaust? Are there any points between the shutoff and the carb that are higher than the carb inlet? Although I don’t have a lot of experience with them, my...

This car was a mess when I bought it. "Custom" interior and top. Lots of random mismatched parts. It was 'mostly' a 24. I did a lot of work to get it correct. You're right, it must have been a good price it already sold.

We've decided to sell our January 1924 Runabout. Car runs, drives and stops. Runs well on battery or magneto. It has an amateur 10ft paint job, but the body and frame are straight, solid and with no rust. Lots of new wood under the deck and seat. - Kevlar bands installed. 2017 - Rear wheels respoked...

Chris, i would imagine if it had been driven from NJ, they would most likely have taken US 30 (Lincoln Highway) or US 40 (National Pike). Both are convenient to NJ. To get to US 50, they would had to have travelled south to Ocean City, MD or to Washington, DC to start their cross country trip.

There’s a lot of good advice so far from everyone. The only thing I didn’t see addressed was the generator having been hooked up to a positive ground battery. The generator will run either positive or negative ground, but you should make sure it’s polarized to charge with the ground you’re running. ...

There was an English (I believe) gentleman that did a coast to coast tour in a modified improved roadster last year or the year before. He travelled the Lincoln Highway (US 30). Living in West Virginia, I can tell you that RT 50 through the eastern part of the state, western Maryland, and then again...

There will be some cutting involved. remove your windshield clamps if you’re workin on a one-man top. Start by centering your vinyl, left to right, just above the centerline of the bow. You’re going to be wrapping over the top of the bow. Staple or tack into place keeping your staples in the upper p...

I bought one of the 7 wire kits from the vendors a few years ago and had the same issue with flashing way too fast. It was the proper 6 volt flasher with 6 Volt bulbs. The flasher was defective out of the box. Replaced it and all is well.

I just brought home a 25 Touring last night and the previous owner sent it with everything that was already under the back seat. Among the goodies were a wheel tool, spark plug wrench, band nut wrench, a petcock tool and this interesting piece. It has 11 file marks up the length, so I’m assuming it ...

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I thought I was in the clear for moving it, but figured I’d better check first. I’ll be sure to tie up the loose dangling bits and then strap it down to the trailer front to back and back to front.

I’m going to be pulling the engine in my 24 Runabout for an overhaul. Due to limited space in the shop, I’m going to have to move the rest of the car to another location while the engine is being worked on. My question is this: With the engine out, should I be concerned about the front and rear axle...

I installed the felt from Lang’s on my 24 Runabout a couple years ago. They were split brass rivets in the kit.

Did you have the wheel off the axle? I had a problem with a wobbly rear wheel, but after measuring, I knew the wheel was true. The problem I had was a worn axle key way. When I installed the wheel on the taper, the loose key would push back toward the bearings and slide up the back side causing the ...

Brent Mize did mine a few years ago. Very reasonable price. Quick turnaround. And the coils come back looking brand new. I couldn’t believe the difference in how the engine ran after having them rebuilt.

1924 West Virginia.

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I got it mounted on the car already. Looks great and holds air. Pleasure chatting with you today. Thanks, MTFCA.

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Start with the simplest things first. Make sure you've got good fuel flow to the carb from the tank. I flush out sediment from both the bulb and the carburetor bowl first thing every season. And when was the last time your timer was cleaned. When mine starts running rough, I know I've forgotten to d...

Thanks. That's what I was thinking. Definitely plenty of sunshine here in northern WV today too.

I'm finally getting around to painting my luggage rack. I still had a quart each of rusty metal printer and gloss black enamel. Both from Rustoleum. I've already sprayed the primer (5:2 with acetone). Normally, for brush application, they recommend 24 hours before recoating or top coating. I'm wonde...

I had the correct flasher, but it must have been bad out of the box. I ordered a replacement from Snyder's and everything is working perfectly now.

I started early this morning doing my annual maintenance. Cleaned the timer, oil change, greased all the cups, etc. I finished up early afternoon and was able to finally get out for a little drive around town. I've been chomping at the bit to get out this year, but the weather hasn't been cooperativ...

I think George may have the answer. My flasher unit is marked "heavy duty", but may be the 12v unit. The box was marked 6v, but the kit was supplied with 12v bulbs. Lang's swapped them out no problem. I'm thinking the whole kit was mislabeled.

That's what I was thinking, but it's odd that Lang's and Snyder's would sell a kit that requires modification.

At the end of the last driving season, I installed the 7-wire turn signal kit that the vendors carry. I'm sure everything is wired correctly, but they hyper-flash. I did tap the power from the back of the key switch, so the flasher is near the coil box on the dash. The bulbs are 6 volt incandescent....

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