MTFCA Forum

JohnH

Has anyone had experience with cotton woven linings made by Mark Auto Company, Layton N. J..... Currently out of business. I have a set of those linings for the improved Ford with the instructions copyrighted in 1974. Best linings I ever used and had long life out of them. Sadly, they haven't been ...

JohnH

I use 600W. Mine is the stock standard set up with bushing and felt washer. No problems with leakage.

JohnH

Having been through the exercise when I first got my car, there's two things that would have saved me a lot of hassle. First thing is to make sure the valves are sealing and there's a usable amount of compression - otherwise it will never start. Chances are the fuel system has dirt in it, and the fl...

JohnH

I've used an E-Timer for about the last ten years, and enjoy its trouble free performance. Importantly, it stays that way because of no parts moving against each other.

JohnH

Although not relevant in your instance, the spokes for wooden wheels are different. Canadian spokes have an alternating taper which makes assembly easy without a press.

JohnH

I use E10 in my T. The longest I haven't driven the car is two months, and never had a problem. My lawnmower fuel might sit for 6 or more months and is also E10. Again, no problem. On that note, a few years ago, I had a quantity of old fuel which had sat in a more modern car for something like five ...

JohnH

I use the felt seal that comes with the modern gasket kits. It leaked for a short time then stopped, presumably once the felt had fully saturated. That was 15 years ago and hasn't given any trouble.

JohnH

Another consideration is to maintain & use your big drum lined brakes to slow you down hill. Realize when you pull on the parking brake handle, your motor goes into neutral. Careful technique involved. I use my parking brake shoes on my 27 this way. They are good brakes. There is a conversion kit t...

JohnH

I use a short piece of 1/4" neoprene fuel hose as packing. It's been leak free for 22yrs. I just didn't have any luck with the felt.

JohnH

There seems to be a rash of "historical" themed pages appearing on FB of late, all with AI generated pictures and text.

JohnH

I find them easy to rebuild. In all the ones I've rebuilt so far the capacitor was the wrong value, and in some cases faulty anyway. The electrical characteristics differ slightly compared with the wooden coils, and on that basis wouldn't recommend mixing them with wooden coils.

JohnH

I had it happen three years after I got my car. It punched a hole in the head when it came loose and started rattling around in the cylinder. Water then poured out the exhaust.

JohnH

What is your recommendation for adjusting coils to work with an E-Timer installed? I expect that removing and reinstalling the fused jumper would change point settings. But, is that not a concern with an E-Timer? I do run my E-Timer with the points active (i.e. no jumpers), and in that regard I've ...

JohnH

From what I can see it's highly modified, into the form of a rotary converter to convert 32V DC into 230V AC. It would be for operating domestic AC appliances off a 32V lighting plant. The slip rings are a give away that AC is involved.

JohnH

I use my E-Timer with the coil points active, but they are all set up for equal time to fire. I also drive with the timing set to manual, simply because it's what I'm used to, and for the 'correct' driving experience. Having said that, the automatic timing does work extremely well. The most noticeab...

JohnH

My model T roadster does have electronic ignition which controls the engine. It has an E timer. It starts with the spark retarded manually, but once advanced, the rest is automatic. I believe the I timer gives the same benefits. Allan, the I-Timer is manual timing only, but unlike the E-Timer it al...

JohnH

The leads connect to a 6V car battery. An alkaline 6V lantern battery can also be used for short term use. I wouldn't recommend a cheaper carbon zinc battery in view of the current draw, although it will work to a degree if the battery is particularly fresh. Once the contact gaps are set, the coil v...

JohnH

No, the steel washer is not used. It keeps the bearing and felt in position for the original type seal. The modern seal keeps the bearing in position by itself.

JohnH

What about overseas assembly? I bet a bunch more were assembled and sold after the official end of production. Henry was not one to waste anything. I also understand that engines were made up to the 1940's. Exactly. Canadian production is always overlooked. On that note, the number of Model T's pro...

JohnH

Because it's how I would design a car. As a caption in an old book said, in reference to a drawing of the engine bay; "notice the absence of unnecessary parts".
I have no interest in modern computerised cars and have never owned one.

JohnH

It would appear there might be bad connection in the cutout. I would suggest running the engine at a fast idle until the fault appears. Then measure the voltage at both the generator and battery terminals on the cutout. If the generator terminal has a voltage higher than the battery terminal, the cu...

JohnH

So, the question is, is there a resistance load that I can build into my test stand to replicate the load of a battery? Ohms? Watts? It's not as easy as that because a resistive load is very different to a battery. There's nothing to actually clamp the generator voltage as the output voltage rises ...

JohnH

Eight years of perfect ignition with mine. I must admit not really knowing what to expect when I first had the opportunity to try one, but all it took was one trip around the block and I knew I had to have one.

JohnH

Moxie26 wrote: ↑
Mon Feb 26, 2024 3:37 pm
Coil box, four coils, and the E-Timer.

My preferred choice.

JohnH

Getting a free neutral could be as simple as oil changes. In my instance, I had to jack up the back wheel to start the car, both on electric and crank, except on a warm summer day. I knew the clutch discs were gummed up with old oil - the transmission has never been apart. So, I drove around with 0W...

JohnH

I built one from scratch since none of the commercially made switches suit RHD drive cars (except the FP one), or in the case of the wire actuated pull switches, are unreliable.

JohnH

It seems the Australian assembled improved cars don't use the solid tube. Mine, and other 26's in original condition I've seen, just have a long rubber tube without the solid piece. This idea of the tube collapsing under vacuum is invalid since the system is always at atmospheric pressure. The tube ...

JohnH

A Whiteman wrote: ↑
Mon Jan 29, 2024 5:58 pm
Well a friend used to put a cap of cutting oil in the radiator of all his vintage cars and tractors. Not fuel, but still an oil additive

I do that, and it's a very effective rust inhibitor.

JohnH

I've not found the repro lining to be quite as good as the original asbestos type. I ended up getting bonded linings.

JohnH

Geee Art, That is a dangerous way to flash your mag coils, have you ever seen or been near an under load or being charged battery when a naked spark has ignited the acid gasses put out from the battery ? My magnetiser would on the end of a set heavy duty jumper leads with my safety glasses on. .......

JohnH

Washers are not a good thing unless they are hardened. They will creep over time which effectively reduces the thickness. So, you end up with loose axle nuts. I know because my car was fitted with washers to make the castellations line up. Needless to say I removed the washers when I realised what w...

JohnH

That actually doesn't look too bad, and even has the front transverse spring. Might have to go down that path when petrol cars are banned/taxed out of being affordable.

JohnH

Allan, that's interesting to know, because mine fitted perfectly. I must have got lucky with one of the good ones. Even so, the clearance between it and the starter switch is something which could have been improved on.

JohnH

You blokes get it easy. Try forming a pipe that gets from the manifold, around the ends of the pedals, clear of the underside of the starter switch, and then out the back to the muffler. It used to be that Henry's, when it was owned by Harry Black, supplied an exhaust pipe for RHD cars. It was loca...

JohnH

Since my engine was rebuilt at the end of 2009, I've done approx. 31,000 km (19,375 mi). Bearings were X'd and dippers fitted. It still runs as smooth as right after the rebuild. The pan cover has not been off the engine since then, and I drive the car hard and fast.

JohnH

Joshua - my understanding is Blockley only deals direct, not thru dealers. I know some folks who have tried to work a deal with them, unsuccessfully... Interesting, because in Australia there's two dealers I know of that supply Blockley. When I ordered my tyres, the difference in cost in going thro...

JohnH

Art M wrote: ↑
Sun Dec 03, 2023 8:40 pm
Continuously running the coils on 12 volts will cause premature point failure.

Even worse is when 12V users have set their coils for 1.3A at 12V instead of 6V.

JohnH

And how exactly does the ECCT measure the current draw in relation to advance/retard of the timing, is it "looking" for a 1.3 amp draw? The ECCT measures the amount of time for the points to open after 12V is applied to the coil. When the points open is when the spark occurs. It determines this by ...

JohnH

My one and only experience with 14mm spark plugs was very disappointing. I used the hottest I could get. Top speed was reduced and the exhaust ran red. Maybe it was because the electrodes don't extend into the combustion chamber to the same extent as the proper plugs.

JohnH

Interesting video. I've had a lot of experience with coil adjustment, with buzz boxes, an oscilloscope based tester, and the ECCT. One thing I don't recall being mentioned in the video was if the coils were run on battery or magneto. Buzz box adjustment tends to be more favourable for battery operat...

JohnH

The Ford ammeter installed in the dash is far from a precision instrument, and is certainly not accurate enough to set coil current using the buzz box method. It's just a rough guide that everything is working properly. The 4A fuse specified for the E-Timer is to protect the E-Timer itself, in case ...

JohnH

I would agree with Brent. The residual magnetism is fairly weak to start with, and it's likely that the short or insulation failure is enough to prevent the process of current build up to get started. Yet, no so bad that it prevents the generator operating once that process has been started by exter...

JohnH

"CBB Capacitor 474 400V 474J 0.47uF 470nF P15 CL21 Metallized Polypropylene Film Capacitor" Is that dv/dm/whatever you wrote in that description? I really need to use that " function here more! The only specification there is the capacitance value, tolerance, and voltage rating. However, the fact i...

JohnH

Closest I could find to my question here. Is this the one I need? The voltage rating and capacitance are correct, but to use it in a Model T coil requires a high dv/dt rating; something like at least 700uV per microsecond. Unfortunately this specification is often not listed, but it needs to be con...

JohnH

Wires carry electricity on the outside surface of the metal, braided strands have more surface area than a solid piece would. Hallo , Why are Negative Cables Braided , And is it neccessary ??? thank for your answer Toon The so called 'skin effect' only applies to high frequency currents; not DC. Th...

JohnH

Tried squeezing mine but looked like it was going to destroy it. So, I used shim and sealant.

JohnH

I'll be going to bonded linings when my stock of Scandinavian linings runs out. They were popular here a while back and seem to give very good service. Reports from the time mention the clutch action can be rather sudden, when leather was used for cone clutches. So would be interesting to see how it...

JohnH

dykker5502 wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 11, 2023 3:43 am
Well, what about disconnecting the battery with switch while the car is running?

The regulator circuit has crowbar protection by default, so the generator won't be harmed by running with no battery .

JohnH

Short of opening it up and examining the diode connections, it can be tested to see which polarity it is designed for. Aside from an ohmmeter test, a circuit can be built with a test light and battery: rsz_dsc09086.jpg If it lights up as shown it's negative ground. If it lights up with the battery p...

JohnH

In theory yes, provided the electrical system is completely stock standard. No electronic ignition or voltage regulator, etc.

JohnH

It's great to see we've reached this stage of development where the regulator design has been finalised and is ready for manufacture. Quite an achievement compared to how things were two years ago. My involvement with the project came about because of my electrical engineering background, and that I...

JohnH

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑
Wed Aug 09, 2023 11:04 pm
Is there an interface device that will allow a rotary dial phone to work on modern phone networks?

Yes, you need a Dialgzimo to generate the DTMF tones from the decadic dial. https://www.dialgizmo.com/

JohnH

I use a 6-12v converter when I need to run 12v accessories in my T. The only thing I ever seem to use off it is the car fridge. The USB cigarette lighter converter plug I have still regulates perfectly well with 6V input.

JohnH

I Still to this day wonder why the generator couldn't be converted internally somehow to make it a common 2 brush design so a regular off the shelf 6 or 12 volt regulator could be used. It can be if you want to install a second terminal. Several cars in my club have external Lucas/Bosch type regula...

JohnH

The seals are a standard type and just press into the aluminium housing. As for the O-rings, I'm sceptical of their effectiveness at sealing against the rough surface of the axle housing, so I use silicone sealant in that area. I can't tell from the photo, but it looks like your axle keyway is very ...

JohnH

I've seen these in the black plastic coils. Problem is they used only 0.1uF.

JohnH

The fact that they are easier to fit than the undersized Universals, and that I could buy direct from Blockley was a good start. Coming up to a year with mine.

JohnH

I find it much easier to install the rivets if the linings are pre-soaked for cotton linings.

JohnH

speedytinc wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 11, 2023 2:39 pm
There is a metric screw size that works quite well in this application. The threads self lock.

The ones to use are 6mm x 1mm high tensile screws. They must be high tensile or the threads just strip and won't lock, as I discovered. Mine have been in operation since early 2011 without any problem.

JohnH

Thanks Jeff for resurrecting this. It was really lack of a standardised cutout housing that stopped the project going any further in a commercial sense. The PCB designs that Tony and I developed for our respective cutout housings only suited those types. I have Tony's files for his PCB design if you...

JohnH

You could actually use that single contact plug in your double contact socket if you connect only one of the pins to the battery supply, and make sure the shell of the socket is grounded.

JohnH

Never had any trouble with the felt seal over the past 20 years. I must be on my third (or could it be fourth? - I think I may have reused one once). I just apply silicone sealant to the felt to secure it to the arch at the back of the block, and then on the other side to seal it against the hogshea...

JohnH

Where can I get Scandinavia bands? I can’t seem to find them on langs or snyders. Scandinavia linings appear to be one of the repro parts no longer made. Lack of demand because most use Kevlar these days might have something to do with it. I'll be going to bonded linings once my stock of Scandinavi...

JohnH

JohnH What is the long object that you got out of your transmission? Looks like a screwdriver or some sort of scraper? You’re lucky it didn’t get caught on the flywheel somehow! It's a screwdriver bit for a brace. It was sitting in the channel that runs down the bottom of the bellhousing. I noticed...

JohnH

All these objects were retrieved from my transmission without having to pull anything apart. It had been driven for years with them in there. I supposed it helped that the magnets were weak.

: objects.jpg (21.91 KiB) Viewed 4526 times

JohnH

I cut out a piece of Lexan for that kind of thing.

JohnH

The sleeve is now installed. But first, this shows clearly what the problem is: rsz_dsc08873.jpg The sleeve (SKF 99106) is driven on with the supplied piece of tubing, but due to the length an additional piece of pipe was required as a drift: rsz_dsc08875.jpg The flange of the sleeve bottoms out on ...

JohnH

What about Canadian production? I've always understood the "15 million" just to be the U.S. produced cars. The C prefixed engines go up to around 780,000.

JohnH

I've been using them for about the last seven years. Very happy with their performance. The ones I'm using are 6V with high and low beam. They were obtained from http://www.classicandvintagebulbs.com/ I also replaced the reflectors which probably made more of a noticeable difference than changing to...

JohnH

I once caused offence to someone when I casually mentioned that if 6V can crank a great big V8, that there must be something wrong if it can't crank his Model T. One has to wonder how the American car industry survived, producing millions of defective cars for 35 years. My experience is that many pe...

JohnH

Luke, I've wondered that with the meters that have been used in various buzz box testers. Given the atrocious current waveform, one wonders if each type of meter will read the same with one particular coil. The closest to exploring this I got was back in the days of pre-electronic testing, when I di...

JohnH

This shows how different the keyways are. First up is the orignal with the keyway measuring 73mm. rsz_dsc08833.jpg Then the repro. The keyway measures 85mm and extends past the tapered section. rsz_dsc08837.jpg So there's 12mm, or almost 1/2" difference. Re JB weld - I did actually try that a few ye...

JohnH

Scott, I was actually thinking about a sleeving option earlier today and what I could use or make. But now seeing as there's commercially made products for the purpose, it's definitely the way to go (thanks for the links!). Having to destroy the sleeve to get the bearing and inner seal out is no pro...

JohnH

TWrenn wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 26, 2023 8:55 am
What kind of seal are you showing in the second photo? Never seen any like that. I just use the same seal you show at the top

That is the actual neoprene seal that comes pressed into the aluminium cup. I wanted to see how far down the axle it could go if it wasn't for the aluminium cup.

JohnH

Your axle is one of a run with the key slot cut to deep. (bad repop) Interesting to know. This axle was made locally by a machine shop Australia in 2004 and was fitted to my car then. Every few years I've had to clean out the grease and oil from the brakes, and this time I had a closer look why the...

JohnH

The axle seal I'm trying to use is the modern type with neoprene seal pressed into an aluminium cup. rsz_dsc08824.jpg I've had good success with these on other cars, but with my car there's a problem with one axle where the keyway extends to under the seal. You can see here how far up the axle taper...

JohnH

Since early coils had absolutely no control over double sparking, there really wasn't a need to make the HCCT adaptable to earlier coils. Exactly why a HCCT was pointless. Also, prior to the Model T these coils were operated on DC only - not AC as produced by a HCCT. Setting by DC current is a suit...

JohnH

In terms of testing the coils, a solenoid fed with a mains frequency sine wave would also work.

JohnH

I used a repro harness from Snyders when I rewired the car. However, for the added wiring such as brake light, indicators, etc. I simply used plastic wiring threaded through black shoe lace, and bound at the ends with black cotton.

JohnH

I use a glass sediment bowl. Not a Model A type, but for a John Deere tractor (part no. AM3100T). It's been there for 20 years and never given any trouble.

JohnH

Seeing that it's British, uses B22 based bayonet light bulbs, and has the European colour code for the mains cable, it can be assumed to be 240V.

JohnH

I have not heard of any failures of this. Unfortunately I have, and it happened to a car in the club only a few years ago. I believe there's a hole in the crankcase and the conrod went into the side of the alternator. It was an early Model A crank conversion, done before the custom made one piece c...

JohnH

I use a dished Australian 2 cent coin sealed with JB weld.

JohnH

My 26 tourer has 1925 30 x 3.5" wood wheels with the large drum rear axle. It was one of the first to be assembled at the Geelong plant in Australia, around March 1926. Presumably they didn't want to waste the remaining stock of wooden wheels. I've had a couple of 'your car has the wrong wheels' com...

JohnH

The lid is held in place with the tar alone, so it’s easily prised off with a putty knife. The condenser needs to be replaced since it’s the wrong type, being too low in value, and not of the high dv/dt type required. I reattach the lid with silicone. The electrical characteristics of these coils is...

JohnH

I bought a 6V Red Top Optima about four years ago, and there's been no noticeable deterioration in its performance. I was a little hesitant in buying it, given a few comments about them coming from a different manufacturing plant, and not being as good as the originals. However, in all respects it's...

JohnH

The installation of an E-Timer gave a noticeable improvement in hill climbing in top gear with my car.

JohnH

There was a posting on this forum may years ago where someone did just that. However, the existing Ford coils were used with the points bridged out - which is similar to a modern coil. It apparently worked. No further details were given, but I would expect the timing position to be somewhat differen...

JohnH

Bonded linings were popular in this part of the world a while back. I've driven a high mileage 26 tourer with them, and the drums looked perfectly OK when we had the powerplant out. The only difference in driving was they were a little bit more 'grabby', but they didn't chatter. I know of a TT in re...

JohnH

Maybe it's just the way I drive, but I've had excellent results with cotton linings. Mark Automotive were the best, but both the old and new (supposedly inferior) Scandinavians have also performed well. Typically I get around 6 to 8 years out of the brake lining, and have had 10 years out of the low...

JohnH

Kerry wrote: ↑
Thu Feb 02, 2023 3:56 pm
The TW ran nice but unfortunately a bit of a failure on RHD T's.

Interesting. Maybe it was because we didn't use them long enough before switching to E and I Timers, but myself and two friends who were using the TW timers never had that problem with them.

JohnH

The longest would have been an interstate rally where I did about 1800km (1125 miles) round trip. Most of my trips are at least about 120km because of where I live, and where my destinations usually are.

JohnH

There were several designs that worked well. JohnH and TonyB quite liked the simple LM393 comparator cct and as far as I know it's still working well for JohnH in his car. Yes, the regulator is still working well. It's now about 14 months since I first tested the circuit, which was later built up i...

JohnH

Completely biassed of course, but the Improved Ford of 1926-27 is the way to go. Better brakes, lighter steering, and the pedals further apart, make this version a pleasurable driving experience. The mechanical improvements are an added bonus.

JohnH

Since I own a 26, it's a non issue. However, as a passenger in a TT at one time, we had the seat lifted up, and the cap off the fuel tank with me pressurising it with my mouth, as the driver got it up a hill.

JohnH

Those older capacitors in the photo are .047uF. That is way too low of a capacitance value. It should be about ten times that; i.e., .47uF. Aside from that, the dv/dt rating is most important. This is the rating of how quickly the voltage across the capacitor can rise in a given amount of time witho...

JohnH

My answer to that is when it needs it. In my instance, the engine was last worked on in January 2010. Until I hear bearing noise or it suddenly loses compression, I won't be touching it. I change the oil once a year. This car gets a fair amount of driving too, and at high speed. I got the car in 200...

JohnH

I made the steel battery box back when I first got the car and used wet lead acid batteries. The only alteration to install the Optima was to add some extra wood packing underneath the battery, and make up the angle iron bracket to hold it down.

JohnH

With my stock standard and worn engine in my 26 I could get up to 75km/h (47mph) on a level road with the wind in the right direction, etc. Best compression was about 35psi in one cylinder; the rest were around 20-25. And that was with coils running on the 6V battery- something many claim is not pos...

JohnH

I've used them for many years. They do seem to help, particularly at higher speeds.

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