MTFCA Forum

Downside - Looks Upside - the best performing brakes under any circumstances. Oh, and no permanent modifications required if the next owner decides they don't like them. There are a few things to watch for when installing the brakes - the most significant in my mind is that excess end play in the ax...

Jonah - A swayback NH is the typical and most common version of the NH carburetor.

Without other changes, a second carb would provide very little if any benefit. A good buddy of mine has a great running T using 2 carb but he also massaged the intake ports, uses larger intake valves, a Sherman 8 to 1 head, performance cam, stroker Scat crank, and dual exhaust. Runs real strong. Cha...

Les, Completely understand where these would fit in your stack of priorities. I appreciate your picture and notes. Good luck with that C crank engine, should really beat the stuffing out of a bunch of OHC engines.

Les - Those plates look interesting. An original backing plate at the rear of them? Did you work out using an original cam setup for the emergency brake? Would like to know what you did to the shoes to keep them aligned on the front edge (right side in photo). Does that area handle e-brake duties to...

I use .041 Stainless, Commonly available at good car parts and/or hardware stores. Not sure if mine came from Napa or Harbor Freight.

Sure would be nice to get more info on those large drum brakes. I've seen a couple from a distance but they were done quite a few years ago and never got to see what was really done to make them work out. Have seen 56 Mercury drums used too but no good answers/resources for the parts, pieces, and mo...

Mine are strictly bolt together. Some use of simple spacers to manage depth of drum vs. backing plates but quite straight forward. Looks like you would be starting the process for using wood wheel hubs from scratch regardless of bolting vs. welding. I did not find a need for a proportioning valve.

Yes, special bolt. If you prefer studs to head bolts then a bit long center stud and a couple to take the stud that holds the cover.

I have used Metro brakes with both wood wheels and 26/27 wire wheels and I am a fan of them. The little Mets have a good following so there are several parts vendors. I've used https://www.shopmetropolitanparts.com/default.aspx with good success. If your drums are in otherwise good condition, you sh...

On my Fronty I have a thick (5/8") felt pad that rests on the rockers. Every 2 or 3 hundred miles it gets almost a cup of 10/30 or 10/40 oil. Same story when I used to have a 4 valve Rajo that had the cover with an open back. Has worked fine for me for 25 years.

Polish, the plated has bling but doesn't look right to me.

Like Paul, I couldn't afford to keep them and didn't have the space to store them. Some of my favorites were a 54 Ford 2 dr hdtp the I put a 292 in back in the late 60's. Nice car but we moved and it had to go. 70 SS Camaro 350 4 speed. First new car and a lot of fun but the New Jersey and Indiana s...

I prefer an enclosed switch to limit corrosion as well as any likelihood of an exposed spark. As long as the switch controls the primary cable and thus everything from that battery post - either ground or "hot", I can't see how it could make any difference whether that is + or -. Can you explain why...

Differences between the engines for a T and an A? Except that they are 4 cylinder flathead engines built by Ford, everything is different. Other than possibly a few bolts, nothing is interchangeable between the two. Yes, an A crankshaft and rods can be modified to fit in a T block but that requires ...

Tim - My Model A style nickel cased gauge arrived today. Looks terrific, excellent work sir. Thank You.

The only place you want 600 wt oil in a stock T is the rear axle. Some vendors carry it, Snyder's has it at https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/ProductDetail/M-533_600-W-OIL-QUART-BOTTLES?fromCategory=Products/model-a/transmission-3-speed Engine oil is a totally different issue with many opinions. I ...

Very Nice!

Kevin - The Gerber Special put together by Santiago/Reichlin and engine from Scott Hills has an offset chassis and is one pretty special car. https://images.app.goo.gl/xMtpCEjYAkJ3bG4NA

You've likely seen it.

Kevin - I think a bunch of us in the peanut gallery would be glad to see you take it on. It's fun to live vicariously looking at your projects with the obvious skills and equipment to do great things. Go Kevin!

A bit of heresy but I put a Weber 32/36 carb on my Fronty speedster and love it. Not correct for sure and needed to make up a simple manifold but performs very nicely and better than my previous "can't adjust it" Zenith HP5A. I swapped jets on the Zenith a few times and got it to run clean and get 2...

Auxiliary transmissions can be real handy. Particularly for real slow driving in parades, climbing super steep hills, or lower rpm at high speeds on flat to moderate terrain. That said, I highly recommend getting the T running well and fully sorted out with a stock drivetrain and build your driving ...

Let me see, no accidents but over the last 35 years I've had a few flat tires, 3 crankshaft failures, one instance of oil petcock opening and losing babbitt, and 2 pinion gear failures. Also had a hydraulic wheel cylinder fail and a brake line cracked. Some timer and coil issues, and one modern coil...

Not much like the '58 Goliath I worked on back in the 60's. It was a horizontally opposed water cooled 4 cylinder. Had a 4 speed on the column and front wheel drive. It was really a pretty neat little car. About the size of a VW bug for interior space but a more stylish little car (as late 50s small...

Joys of the midwest. Talked to my brother-in-law in central Kansas - High today was 82 but they project it will be in the low 20's by tomorrow morning. Another Kansas "hold my beer" kind of day. He really likes the small town and the weather and chiggers just give him something to complain about.

In the early 60's, I pumped gas at a local station In North Seattle and there was an elderly lady that drove an early 20's T Coupe. According to the fellow who owned the station, she was a spinster and that was her only car. Even then it was best to pick you routes carefully driving a T in Seattle t...

I used a single stack all the way around but while the internal funnel is installed I also run pressurize oil to the mains which gets plenty of oil up front. The spools are there mainly to ensure enough oil gets splashed around for the transmission. Doubled spools might well be better if using a spl...

Sounds like an interesting experiment. Would also be nice to compare running either by itself as well as combined.

Stock configuration pistons let you easily select any high compression head that suits your fancy. And of course, if you want to return to a stock motor, change the head and you're done. Lot's of flexibility for a flathead. Domed pistons limit you to running a stock head and while the compression ra...

On my speedster, I left out the mag ring and magnets but kept the spools on the flywheel to help fling the oil. Not sure about long term but it's worked for me since '94. On a stock T I would keep the mag ring and magnets. The momentum from the flywheel is good for the heavier car and you or the nex...

Joe,

None of those look like the gears for the distributor I have. Steve sent me a photo to confirm it was what I needed. This is an original for this setup.

I agree with Steve about this being an older 009. Going to Napa and asking for a cap and rotor will get you the wrong thing. The Napa cap and rotor are lower and the shaft for their rotor is smaller. I did some searching and found the Bosch 03010 cap and Bosch 04033 rotor fit this distributor. I thi...

Hank,
I've gotten lucky and Steve Tomaso found a new gear in his stash so I'm covered. Good to have one for the box you are getting and maybe a spare if/when someone else needs it. The search feature on this forum is a really good thing.

Thanks Steve. I was hoping that there might have been some parts in the stuff you got from Rudy Saarela or somewhere else. I don't know if you ever used one of those Rader conversion distributors that Rudy sold.

This is the same setup that I have that I lost the gear for. You should check out the solution for a gear that Hank provided as a response to my message "Wanted - Distributer Drive Gear" at https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16064

Hank,
Interesting solution. If I'm seeing this correctly, you take one of the B08 gears and add an insert to fit to the cam that is partially a smooth sleeve for a ways and then threaded for the end of the cam? I'm no machinist but might be able to pull that off.
Walt

Yes, there were apparently a few different setups for holding the gears. I was talking with Dave at Chaffins and he had seen the style I have and said the Texas T distributor is also a screw on style but the reverse pitch on the gears.

I have a perfectly good 009 Distributor conversion done by Mr Rader back in the late 80's / early 90's but can not find the matching drive gear that goes on the end of the camshaft. The gear screws on the end of the camshaft and according to Dave at Chaffins it is the reverse pitch of the gear used ...

I have a perfectly good 009 Distributor conversion done by Mr Rader back in the late 80's / early 90's but can not find the matching drive gear that goes on the end of the camshaft. The gear screws on the end of the camshaft and according to Dave at Chaffins it is the reverse pitch of the gear used ...

Well Kevin, won't you need another challenge down the road a bit? It could be really interesting.

I don't know who owned the car but remember a T with a Pinto OHC head. Only saw it once and found it interesting. OHC would be a lot easier to adapt with no concern about valve guide spacing etc. General alignment of cylinder bores could be off slightly but I'm sure there would be a lot of fun issue...

Well that one should be interesting. Might be a bit more oomph

I don't know of anyone in Oregon but Bill Bender in Burien and Steve Tomaso in Longbranch both have pan jigs. A bit of a drive north but if arranged in advance could likely be a one day up and back trip. Let me know if you need email addresses or phone numbers.

Handles for pulling a Model A head?

How is oil supposed to get to the mains?

Sounds like a wonderful trip. Great inspiration. Properly prepared and maintained you can go most anywhere.

I haven't found one easier than the other but there was a steeper learning curve required for the T. The T was my first pre'50's car so I had a bunch to learn. Not hard to learn, just a lot. OK, I'll confess that after a few years I grew frustrated with T coils and switched to a distributor. All the...

I've used a Zenith HP5A and liked it for general performance as well as being correct. The only challenge is jets are fixed and not readily available. Stan Howe has some solutions for that. Late last summer I tried a Weber 32/34 downdraft. Friend had been using one on his Prus head speedster and it'...

AC could be added to either an A or a T. Would take some mods that require some skills and knowledge (or $$). Expecting cruising at 45 in a T or 65 in an A would require significant upgrades in any case. Both would need modifications to power, gearing and brakes to be anything near reliable and conf...

In the midst of pulling the engine out of my speedster. It broke during the Labor Day 200 mile endurance run in Omak. 99% sure the rear flange is no longer properly connected to the rest of the crank. It's a shortened A crank that came in an engine I bought a while back that had been built up but ne...

Not a T but reminds me of 1Lt Fred. Back in the 70's he invited my wife and I and a friend over for dinner and a bridge game. His Harley frame was in his kitchen, the engine all apart and spread over his kitchen table. We had dinner in his living room at his family heirloom antique table, with china...

NAPA usually has them, I've also seen them at Batteries+Bulbs.

At Kit Carson Pass

It was an excellent tour and a great day!

I rather expected the MTFCA supported webinar would be turned down as it would include using tool(s) sold by Mike and would be considered advertising. A distinction between that and Ron or Brent demonstrating coil rebuild or tuning would be that they sell a service (which they are telling you how to...

Nash Metro brakes have been adapted to small drum rear ends, I don't know that anyone ever sold a kit for the conversion. I had a set on the front and rear of my speedster for quite a while and they worked well. Mid 50's Mercury brake drums have the same bolt pattern as a T wire wheel and can be use...

Suzanne - 40 to 1's, Chicago (under, direct, over) and a Fronty.

A little slack is not very worrisome in my view. Consider that a lit bit of slack in the gear fit, a little wear in the u-joint and where it fits the shaft or transmission, and a little wear in the bearings could add up even if all of the wear/looseness was in an acceptable range for the individual ...

In addition to checking for slop in the rear axle and the tightness of the nut on the pinion gear, check the u-joint for wear as well as the fit of the u-joint on the driveshaft and the fit where it enters the driven plate/output shaft of the transmission.

4 to 1 ratio is based on the standard 40 tooth ring gear and a 10 tooth pinion. All you need is the pinion gear, the top catalog on my desk is from Snyders and shows it as part T-2597-C for $179.95. Pick your favorite vendor, the prices and availability are probably similar. If you are certain every...

This was a fine demo of a tool that could be a great way to share information to the membership. Lots of potential there for tips, tricks, seminars and updates for what is happening in the community. The Puget Sound Chapter has used the vanilla version of Zoom for casual Thursday morning coffee gath...

I have a No621 bracket that came with a bunch of T junk stuff. Is this the type you are looking for Larry?

High Chris, I didn't remember if you used coils or the D word. Many speedster folks lose the magnets but must admit they have a real charm when tuned right. Those Montana 500 folks prove T coils are up for the task. I'm with you in hoping we can get together again over Labor Day weekend. Quality tim...

Any reduction in strength would depend entirely on where the material was removed. Then factor in what is expected of the flywheel - I doubt the user expects to install the normal Model T magnets, with no magnets, the flywheel needs to support the ring gear and forces from the starter as well as pro...

Not sure if this helps but if Dan is out of stock on the studs, and if the deck height is the same as on a Fronty, the long studs for a Model A engine work just fine. I used them with my Fronty so I could ensure full use of the threads in the block without needing to do any grinding or modifying of ...

Looks good Chris, Thank You

I would immediately be removing the inspection plate on the top of the hogshead and be looking for anything untoward. I wouldn't expect to be finding fluff from the bands if everything is right. Hope it's OK but I'd be checking.

I've used them on my speedster for 26 years and love them. In that time, I've replaced low 3 times, reverse and brake twice (I have aux brakes). Considering that I haven't always been kind to them, I think they have held up remarkably well. Oh, and all of that time has been on original drums that we...

I'm signed up and really looking forward to it. Beautiful area.

Also through the side of the pan near the center main.

Looks one cap looks good to me but the rest of this seems rather sad. If it was mine, it would be coming apart and getting freshened up. Time to mic the crank to ensure the journals as straight and round. If the crank is good and if there were shims, it might be possible to use TimeSaver to clean up...

A little searching on the web shows the EBP rockers coming from a 223 cube Ford 6.

Sure would be nice to know what those rods are and thus where to find them.

The B210 oil pump is the cat's meow as far as I'm concerned for a performance motor. I've had one on my speedster for over 10 years of some good and occasionally rather strenuous usage. Priming can be an issue but a check valve in the pickup line can resolve that. Even without a check valve, it only...

Jerry, RIght you are, sending the coils to a pro for rebuild would be much easier, doing it yourself with a HCCT or ECCT would be easier as well but some of the T folks also have an interest in building tech tools. While I doubt that I would build one (I'm a heretic with a distributor on my speedste...

Speedster values can be all over the place depending on what has been done to the car and of course the current condition. If you don't know what it's worth and are looking for the most money for the car - put it on EBay but only after getting some good detailed pictures and any information you can ...

I think John's idea of the plans going to the MTFCA Museum is terrific. The two challenges being funding that would be fair to Mrs Parker and a resource to organize the plans and related documents. I could be willing to contribute a few $ but don't have any expertise in the sorting and organizing.

Thank You to Erik & Mark. This forum is a great resource.

What I thought a bit interesting is that this one has two mounting brackets, one on each side. I haven't seen that on a T but I'm not real familiar with lamps on the earlier cars.

Posting for an acquaintance who would like to know if this is or could have been used on a WW I ambulance. Any feedback you could provide on the age and usages for the lamp would be appreciated. The owner (Steve Blackbourn) isn't a T guy and not a member of the forum so please contact him directly i...

Nothing so rare or exciting that I would bother taking it apart. If mine, and I had a place to use it, I would put it back in service as a trailer. It's a good example of what you do when you need something and have some parts laying around. Lot's of tired Model T parts were turned into trailers, tr...

If you are happy with moderate speeds (typically 35 or lower) and like a full car, the 10 tooth pinion should be a good fit. Possibly a little hit on MPG but not a big one as the motor will be under less strain for the same performance level. Moderate speeds are great when the roads and traffic perm...

I would relieve the contact areas on the Ricardo head. Take he head gasket off, use some Prussia blue on the piston head to mark the head, set the head on with 4 bolts loosely in place and turn the engine over with the crank. Remove the head and check for the contact areas. Grind the areas for clear...

A friend passed along this link to an article about an extra heavy Ford truck. Do any of you have any other history of the vehicle or where I might be able to look? https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/classic-cars/1926-fordson-prototype-is-fords-first-heavy-duty-truck/ar-AAIT4n5?ocid=spartandhp#image=AA...

Thank You for bringing some light and smiles today. It's a good thing.

Any blown gasket is a message to you to check the mating surfaces to ensure they are flat. In the case of head bolts, also time to verify the bolts don't bottom out in the block before getting fully tight. I check bolt/hole individually by laying the head on the block with no gasket and making sure ...

Jason,

Just curious, why glue them in?

Walt

Concern about clearance of the head vs. firewall is real. I've only used bolts on stock T's but with the Fronty on my speedster I went with studs. No issues and sadly have had to remove the head a couple times over the years. I put anti-seize on the studs when they are installed and when I need to p...

Check the head and block to ensure they are flat. A warped head (or less likely block) is not terribly uncommon, especially if the engine has recently been overheated.

John I. - My comments above reflect what I would do if this transmission were mine. It was not intended as a reflection on you as the seller. The photo doesn't do the unit proud and just as a general rule for myself - when I get used parts I always take them apart, clean, check for fitness, and then...

That transmission and cover look nasty. The bolts are the least of the problems. You (or owner) need to get some books - start with the black Service Manual and the Transmission booklet, both available from the regular vendors. If mine, I'd be taking that assembly apart, cleaning and inspecting, and...

I don't know the person driving or the owner of the car but that touring accident was the result of two critical failures that I would put on the owner/driver. He/they may be some of the finest people in the world but - Failure 1 - In my mind it is criminal to drive a T with an auxialary transmissio...

I'd never do it with stock brakes but then I've always had auxiliary brakes on my cars. If I were able to attend your tour I would hate to miss this. Would it be practical to have two choices for that section of the tour so folks with good brakes and confidence could enjoy that road and those who pr...

Last weekend my speedster was the only T but a bunch of us did the "North Cascade Loop" scenic route. Round trip, including some optional forest service road adventures, I put 497 miles on the car and only ran out of gas once. Fortunately I had old car buddies to the rescue with a can of gas. With t...

Mike, The serial number on the head will tell you the version number like T1234T. Replace the T with S or R for the higher compression. These all have a single intake port. The SR has 2 intake ports and a variety of other differences. My desire was to have a strong touring speedster, not necessarily...

Excuse my ignorance but what is a PDC?

I'd like to see more. Fairly certain this vehicle will ruffle a few feathers but there is room in this world for variety and it's not like the body was destined for a full restoration back to what Henry did. Very interesting project even if it isn't standard T. I expect the HAMB folks would really e...

My first car (in '65) was a '61 Skoda Octavia. Kind of cute in a late 50's small car kind of way. The major challenge was that while a few were imported to Canada none were imported to the USA. Well that and the one guy in Seattle that had a few parts had John Birch Society posters on the walls and ...

No difference from driving a modern car. You will need the passport or enhanced drivers license but otherwise it is a piece of cake. You might want to do a quick check with your insurance agent (or read your policy - who really does that?) to see if they provide coverage in Canada or need an tempora...

This sounds terrific! I really wish my wife and I could attend but we have a prior commitment for that time frame. We lived in San Rafael in '67-69 when I was first in the service and stationed at Fort Barry (now long gone). Loved the area and while we've been back a few times you will be including ...

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