MTFCA Forum

Mike Bender puts the transmission together on the engine his videos. He installs the clutch basket by tapping it down on the shaft. I Have 2 good hubs and the larger bore has .0005 interference fit. I tried installing the hub on the shaft by itself on the bench and it took considerable pounding to p...

Thanks all for your response. I have a sling and also an engine leveler. I seem to find it easy to use #3 plug hole to tip the engine in.
With the aluminum head I will use another method.

Happy New Year

John

I am using a Z head on my engine. Would it by risky to to lift it with a spark plug eye bolt? I am thinking out would not be a good idea.

John

I straightened a housing the way I have straightened V8 Ford torque tubes that were shortened. I mark the side of the tube that needs to be pulled up near the bell. I run a mig bead parallel with the axle. I started about a one inch heavy bead.I use the axle as an indicator. If it needs more pull up...

These are Rocky Mountain Machine Kevlar bands from TexasTs. Fit pre 26.
Ends are sealed.

$60 plus $5 shipping.

John

They have them listed on their website.

http://www.rootlieb.com/accessories.html

John

I bought a new oval tank for my 24 from Rootlieb about a year ago. At that time all the regular vendors were out.

John

Thanks Dan. I figured some threads should show on top. I am tapping existing threads in a brass bushing to get the right height.It is working out good on my test head. I will mark the tap and get each one the same on my good head.

John

Does the plug sit flush with the hole or does it protrude into the chamber? I am making thread repair Bushings and my old threads are worn so so it is hard to tell.

John

This helped me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js88RV7u9hY

The front bow is held on with wing bolts in the windshield stanchion

John

I agree. sometimes a relay helps.

John

I use odorless mineral spirits in my parts washer. It is $9 a gal. 5 gallons lasts over a year. I prewash real greasy parts and finish in wash cabinet.

John

Thanks,that is good to know.

John

Buying a Helicoil kit seems like a good option since I already paid to get it surfaced. Even better is the brass plumbers 3/4 to 1/2 adapter in Mark's link. It will be easy to set it up in the mill and install the bushing. I may do all the holes since another one is loose fit. Thanks everyone for yo...

I have a head that I got resurfaced and somehow missed inspecting the plug threads. Do tapered pipe helicoils seal ok?
One looks like it has a hacksaw slot cut in side.

John

***SOLD***

My build took a different turn so I have this brand new cam $100 off list. $295 plus $20 shipping

Thanks,John

My wife and I drove our modern car to Rockville ,IN for lunch Sat. We were standing by main street and 2 T"s came around the corner by the court house. What a surprise, then I figured it was the covered bridge tour.

John

I have one on my Model A . It works fine on the square side of the ring gear. It engages before it cranks.

John

Water wetter needs a percentage of anti freeze added to stop corrosion. It says on the bottle for street use add antifreeze.
I ran a Model A with Water Wetter and water and the clean block rusted up in one summer. 50/50 antifreeze is reliable.

John

There was a T sedan in the shop in Wallace Indiana that had an A motor. He also had air conditioning. It was very well engineered and looked almost factory. I am sure it had some type of overdrive . He and his wife toured all over with it. I do not remember running gear,he may have had disc brakes. ...

If 1 coil is buzzing there's power going to the coil box so that's #1. Turn the key on to bat. The wiring harness from the timer goes to terminals on the coil box. Ground each one one at a time. If the coils are OK & the box internal wiring is OK each coil should buzz as you ground it's terminal. I...

I used water wetter and water in my Model A for a summer. It did not protect against rust.
The directions say use 15% anti freeze for street use. If I did it again I would add some anti freeze.

John

I used an Ammco cylinder hone. I found the sleeves to be right thickness but uneven surface. That gave a nice sliding fit.

Parts still for sale

Thanks Dan. I think I will order a set and seal them.

John

I am still deciding on band linings. From the recent kevlar band thread ,Red Hook Restorations” nev r wear “seems to be a good choice. I called and was told that they do not seal the ends. Dupont only recommends epoxy on Kevlar and it is too hard for drums. Their ends are frayed but can not unravel ...

Arther, Your spring looks close to backing plate. It would not have much travel. Shackles should be about 45* like Dan's.

As you mentioned spring may be too flat or maybe just camera angle.

John

Parts are still for sale.

Thanks,John

I used a model A hub with an axle shim to hold the taper to press it. I made a hollow spacer to fit inside teeth.

***SOLD*** My rebuild took a different path so I have these new unused parts for sale. Would like to sell as a package. New Stipe 250 cam. List 395 ,sell for $315 New front cam bearing for Stipe 250. List 125 SelL for $100 New center bearing list 125, sell for $100. . Prices are plus shipping. John

My model A ring gear was starting to move forward. I did not feel like taking the engine out to fix it so I tapped the ring gear back and installed a gear drive starter. Since it engages from the front the ring gear can not move. I have used it for a couple of years and it works great but it sure do...

Happy birthday today and best wishes.

John

Thanks Brad. I am using 2 wrench single lock tappets.

Dan thanks for the heads up. It is a shame bad repro parts are sold for years without fixing.

Robert thanks for the advise. When I get the parts I will measure carefully and grind the stems.

John

Thanks

John

Do you need to shorten new original style valves with adjustable tappets?

John

I was an aircraft mechanic for several years. Diferential compression tests (leakdown) were part of every piston engine inspection. In general you put in 80lbs and 60lbs on second gauge is minimum requirement. I have never seen a second gage that reads percent.
John

I think mine is 68 ,not 36.

John

I was surprised to find this message under the gasket.

8 36. PATE AUTO SERVICE WATSEKA ILL.

John

Dennis,I had to replace drums. I purchased new drums from Daves Restoration. He has great drums and he will remove and rivet the drum to your gear or shaft for $25.

https://www.davesrestorationandmachine.com/
John

Joe,thanks for the offer. The engine that you did for me 5 or 6 years ago is still doing fine and the owners have driven the car on the Hillbilly tour every year. Thanks to all for the information. I was thinking of clamping the bearing to an angle plate in the mill,but the mandrel sounds a lot bett...

I am replacing the rear main cap. What is the best way to to remove babbit to set end play? My cap is slightly too long.

John

I had good luck heating the shims with a micro torch. I held one end and heated just the outer layer all over. The outside layer would curl and loosen. They came off one at a time. The forum helps me once again.

John

Thanks for all the ideas. I will work on some shims tomarrow.

John

Is there a good way to separate shims ? I alway have difficulty pealing off the thinnest shim. Finger nail,sharp knife?

John

John, Did you check the hardness of the new pins with a file? How do they compare to your originals? I did not check. They did not have the step in the end. The ones that I got that had the step and looked like good quality Were .004 bigger than flywheel hole which I thought was too much interferen...

I bought standard size pins from Bobs. I measured the hole and the pins had a .0015” press fit. I got a set from one of the Vendors that was too large.

John

Dennis the clamp is a bearing splitter not included in puller kit.
Rajo, single purpose tools from the day are neat.
John

How I took mine off.

Thank Steve and Joe. That is what I thought. I have 2 of Dave’s drums and they are very nice plus he is great to deal with.

John

I have decided to use kevlar linings. Is this band too pitted to use. I was originally going to polish it.

John

Thanks all. I will radius the edge of drum and polish the edge of the plate.

John

The drum is bigger than the plate. The step from drum to plate is .018. Do I understand correctly that the step is OK as is?

A better picture.

I have a new brake drum. The step between the drum and the drive plate is about .015”. I am concerned that this might wear or shred the lining. I was going to use NOS Scandinavian linings,but am having trouble finding them in good condition. My next choice is Kevlar, but I have read that they do not...

That is why I put one axle in the lathe and polished off !/2 a thousandth.

John

I used a 20 ton press. I polished 1 axle .0005” to 1.6250 . One gear was a tight fit and one was very tight due to different gear tolerance. I used a model A hub with an axle shim to hold the tapered end. I froze the axle and heated the gear.
John

Thanks for the reply. I think I will go with the longer heavy duty springs.

John

I am going to use NOS Scandinavian bands. Langs has regular springs which they say are too short for most t's. They have more expensive longer -apparently stronger- springs for Kevlar and recommend them for all other bands. I have detachable bands if that matters. Snyders has regular inexpensive spr...

I have received orders from Snyders,Langs ,and Texas T"S. UPS drivers are maintaining limited contact, but delivering fine.

John

Thanks for the ideas. I will check the 3 spacers. All the bushings need replaced and I will have to check the drums. The triple gears look good at first glance. I already took the spring off and will proceed with the rest. Mike Bender's videos are a great help also.

John

When I first got my 24,I removed the transmission inspection plate to check it out. I found the hogshead was was completely worn out and purchased a good replacement. I also found the drive plate had .070” end play. The picture is with the drive plate pulled back and reverse drum pushed forward. Oth...

I purchased some used rims from Bob's Antique Auto . I imagine Model T haven would have some too. They both ship pretty fast, but not in time for your tour.

John

I talked to Gery Tues and he had high radiators in stock. I sent a check and should get it next week. Most of the guys in my model A club have Berg's and always recommend them if someone is having overheating.
John

The manual says tap it. off. I Suspected it might be a little more than that.

Thanks,John

Does the steering/pitman arm fit on a tapered shaft or straight shaft. How much force does it take to tap it off the steering shaft.Thanks.

John

That is funny. They can sure crank em.

John

I tried 2 new joints and ended up returning both. Model T Haven sent me a nice used one that fit perfect.

John

I forgot to add this was a Model A. Is there a way to edit a post?

12 years ago I used a silicone one on a new Model A engine rebuild. They were just out and recommended for a high compression head. I had nothing but water leaks.
I went to a composition gasket an no more problems. Copper is equally good.

John

Alan,I wondered about that too. The other rear end that I did had to sand washer thinner considerably. These new washers were thinner than the original babbit thrusts. they were .198" and the babbit were thicker. I ended up milling the bronze .005 and ended up with about .007 clearance. It turns fre...

Thanks for the ideas.
I am going to check for a thinner gasket. Since I indicated the end play exactly,I could thin the washer a known amount and use sealer.

John

I put new bronze thrusts in the rear axle. Amazingly they fit with zero clearance with out having to thin the right washer. I put it together with a gasket and ended up with .012" clearance instead of the .005" expected per the book. I took it apart to check and it was the same ,no clearance with no...

Thanks to forum members advice,I successfully removed and installed the rear axle shaft gears. I set up the press with a Model A hub to support the axle. I took the drum off,but then used it for more support. The axles were both slightly oversize and I polished the gear area to size in my lathe. I f...

Thanks to all for your helpful responses. I did not understand how you could press such a long thin shaft with force , protect the threads,and not bend it.
Also in my shop I try to always do things safely. This is an excellent thread.

John

I have new axle shafts and need to install old gears. My press is about 2” too short for the axle between the ram and the press bed. There is room to press the shaft down in the gear. What is a good way to move the gear down. How tight is the interference fit?

John

That is good to hear.

Pep,thanks for the tip. My old driveshaft is in bad shape but I get the idea. I will make a 1" hole in a piece of aluminum and make sure everything clears and is not sharp.

John

Mark this one has 4 good Hyatts and a good ring and pinion also. Sounds like you will come up with a good rear end.

My first model T had the Babbits in the bottom of the housing. The pieces were smooth Kidney shaped. It had been driven that way a lot and the gears were shot.

John

I an glad that I decided to rebuild this rear axle instead of waiting. There was not much endplay ,but you can see the edges flaking off. Also the oil grooves are filling with broken down babbit.

Babbit makes a good bearing surface,none of the pins were worn or loose.

Thanks for all the ideas. I am using a new drive shaft but I do not have it yet. If I have to enlarge the bushing, I plan on boring it close to size with a lathe. I will then install it and finish it with a hone.

John

The MTFCA book calls for .002-.003” clearance on drive shaft. What is the best size to ream it?

John

Well I found the problem was a bent axle. Looks like I need to rebuild rear end.

I have a Ford bearing sleeve from the other side. I measured the thickness of an unworn area. It was the same thickness as the reproduction sleeve.

John

Merry Christmas to all. Thanks for your helpful replies. I removed the bearing and the axle was indeed off center towards the front. I did not measure how much but would guess 1/8". Besides that problem I think the sleeve is too thick. I will look at it later and check things more. The old sleeve wo...

Rajo,this .498 bearing does not want to go from the start,so I suspect the sleeve.

Scott I turned the axle a several times and no change. The end plates are tight.

Mike I will check that.

I installed a new bearing sleeve and the used bearing. The bearing was hard to get in, I actually had to tap it. I removed the sleeve and checked the axle housing to make sure there was no dirt or grit under the sleeve. There is only about 1/2 a thousandth play up and down. The bearing had .002” wea...

I painted wheels and rims and put on new tires. Seem like tires were easier ten years ago on my first T ,must be I am ten years older. Next up install wheels and bearings. Then I can have it on all four feet and start on transmission. It was 12* last night,but my shop is warm.

McMaster Carr has grade 8 fine thread rod and coupling nuts.
https://www.mcmaster.com/threaded-rods

John

I have had this shop and propane heater for about 30 years. It was first a small engine shop to supplement my farming income.
Now it holds 3 hobby cars and 1 driver. Several years ago I updated the insulation to 4” foam. I have a program thermostat and keep it 45* at night and 68* day during winter.

Steve ,Thanks for answering my question. I did not know if the 4 bolts were enough to hold the rim on with no other locking.
This will save me some work as my bolt only rims are in nice shape and one of my locking tab rims needs a lot of metal work. I will have several to choose from.

John

I wonder what keeps this rim from slipping on the felloe with braking?

John

Picture

Isn’t that cup around the valve stem for a Firestone rim? I see the “notches”like a Hayes. I think that fellow is a universal wheel, takes Firestone or Hayes rim. The Firestone wheelsI I have seen have do not have the notches. If you will clean the inside of fellow around the cup, you may find a na...

That is a treasure trove. Bookmarked for future use.

John

Allan thanks for your advice. the picture was in response to mark. I would not use that rim. Post by Mark Gregush » Tue Nov 05, 2019 11:05 am Rusty rims are one thing, but if the edge that folds over and holds the bead is sharp that is another thing. Show us what you have. If the edge is not too bad...

Mark,here is a picture.

Steve A friend told me there was cadmium color paint,but I have not looked into it. Those are pretty rims.

One rim is ok and has good edge. One rim has lugs that do not lock in the fellow, different style. Two have vey sharp edges and pitting. I have not inspected the spare,but it is a Hayes also. I found three good used rims today,so I am all set. Thanks for all your help . This is a very good forum. John

Thanks. the the rims are marked Hayes on the lugs. I was not sure if they were correct.

John

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