MTFCA Forum

Rob, I love your posts. I have “sprained” my back before. My disc damage never happened whilst treating my dental patients. The worst was whilst operating a shovel in my yard. Terrie will confirm that I have NEVER blamed a car... ESPECIALLY A MODEL T for injuring my back! (I am creative enough and ...

Steve, I have to wait to get a manifold cooker to decide on that. Art, you pegged the stage of assembly exactly. On engine stand with freshly mounted hogshead. I tried through the transmission cover access without luck and then found that little drain slot on the bottom (where else would a drain be...

I went fishing today. Since it is out of season (and I haven't a fishing license) please do not alert the warden! fishing1.jpg fishing2.jpg fishing3.jpg fishing4.jpg BTW, this can (and did) happen even when most precautions are taken. That driven shaft and the fourth main have a long story attached...

Just started a little transmission repair: Because the flywheel has a bad triple gear pin I am balancing up my spare until parts arrive. IMG_8787.JPG Recheck balance after drilling: IMG_8790.JPG Low drum shows a bit of damage: IMG_8759.JPG D.D. does the sniff test to select the replacement transmis...

Things you might want to watch out for when buying parts: Check your prospective purchase over carefully looking for cracks: IMG_8758.JPG IMG_8768.JPG IMG_8767.JPG Check that your teeth are full size and not pointed, compare this good and bad gear. IMG_8772.JPG If you have parts like these I just r...

Tim,

I believe that gets fastened by a screw inserted into the hole beneath the wire.

: Bosch DU4

TH

Norman, I have received the suggestion that I set my triple gears at .005” from both Erik Barrett and John Kuehn. So I want to acknowledge your correct assessment. I rely heavily on the Ford Service manual whilst working on my T. The fact that we have different lubricants and different bushing allo...

I enjoyed visiting the Sacramento Towe Ford Museum several times. Then I went down and got a bidding number and attended the auction. It was painful to watch. The best cars seemed to go to internet bidders, many in Japan. As I remember it the tax men had Ed down front at the table to field question...

Norman the Ford Service Manual calls for a running fit of .002” on triple gear bushings. If fit is .005” the bushing should be replaced. Following those instructions I reamed to .003” wanting to be sure to avoid seizing bushings. I used a piloted adjustable hand reamer. So you don’t like .003” and ...

Adam, You said That broken tooth obviously didn’t DESTROY your transmission. Frankly I can’t imagine having any better luck! Right now I am looking for a geiger counter. It is the only way I can assess the nuclear bomb that went off inside Rusty! Some of it can be seen in this little instructional ...

Perry,

Two Terrys?

: NOT toothless!

TH

Adam, Some parts are 100 some not so much. About a year ago I went through the transmission. The ancient riveted triples got new bushings, two got the new expensive alloy bushings. The third got an old reproduction bushing I had on the shelf, I suspect old alloy formula. I drive the car a lot and h...

My granddaughter was excited to find a 50 cent piece under her pillow yesterday following the loss of an incisor. This got me motivated to start repairs on Rusty my 1927 roadster pickup. My daughter had taken a nice young man out to teach him to drive the T. The fact that things went south when he ...

Susanne, I have only seen a few of these big oil sumps on model Ts. They have all had drilled cranks and pumps (usually a VW oil pump on the back end of the camshaft, I think). I agree that if you don't have a tray like the inspection plate or an inspection plate with dams in place you are risking ...

Darin, I suggest you go look at the parade route. Here we alternate the Independence Day parades between neighboring towns. Nevada City’s route is all downhill, Grass Valley’s all uphill. In the downhill years the cars do fine. If you stall you can even coast downhill the rest of the way, but the c...

Tod, I have all the materials he sent me a few years ago. The body is an exact match for the plans which will be vital to the restoration! You both did a wonderful job building your Omnibus. I hope Bob is doing well and enjoying your family! Thanks for the offer, keep watching this web site for my ...

George, I assume it can go as far as I care to pull the trailer. This being the first time I have pulled it on the trailer I noticed termite lightened wood scraps flew off of several places. It's next trip will be to the CHP and DMV offices to get "VIN verification" then registration. Then back hom...

I just got back from a “Fall Festival” celebration my wife’s church presented. Every year they ask me to help out in their festival which is a big Halloween party for families which keeps kids from the old door to door, dodge cars affairs I participated in as a child. I generally show up with a T a...

Rant removed...I used to help monitor the forum in the early days of this website and have now self edited! It was my job to remove offensive posts. I must admit I have jumped to an eroneous conclusion. I would like to apologize you all and especially to Stan. I no longer monitor the forum closely ...

Larry,

I braze the dams into my mountain pans.

Respectfully, TH

Rob,

There used to be an engine from (for?) one of those tanks up on the Ponderosa Ranch at Lake Tahoe in Nevada. You might have called it “engines“ as there were two model T engines mated together. If one engine stalls all you can do is drive in circles!

imho, TH

Dustin, I have not seen that RNAS armored car before. It seems to have been a real thing used by the British Royal Naval Air Service In Eastern Europe. I found several period photos on line: 79030138-C3F3-4A71-A867-1F613F05F350.jpeg BDB01349-A4DB-45D3-9E27-A9D328A49A74.jpeg 9337447C-F228-4406-B78C-...

“This Kevlar lining (damaged by a bad drum) has turned light gray in oil.“

Steve you really gave me a chuckle with that one... generally the Kevlar causes damage to the drum first, which then causes collateral damage to the band lining!

IMHO and experience, TH

Ten Years ago I put together a Stag Tour and so I was the leader. Lee had his Coupe which he used to drive to high school (a few years ago). It has a Ruckstell. On the way home I was doing about 40 mph down hill when Wham! In my mirror it looked like Lee was trying to get me to go faster. I started...

Rich, It's been 15 years since I've been offered triple my purchase price to part with Rusty. Terrie thinks I am Daft to have passed on $15 cash U.S.

Rusty came to me at $5. I have never failed to beat the cost of the car when adding petrol!

: Rusty...$5!

: Rusty... over priced?

TH

David, I mentioned your old cars (Barney and one other T) so NOT OT!

TH

I just got an e-mail from David Dewey. I don't know if you were aware but he went to visit family in Dunsmuir, because his house was without power, about two weeks ago. Shortly after leaving Oroville he found out that his neighborhood was evacuated due to the fire approaching. He was not allowed bac...

Erik Barrett took his Dodge Brothers on a tour I was on about ten years ago.

Dick, I really like rough looking old trucks like that. Then I saw the painted door on that.... hey I lived in Webster Groves in 1976-1977! Terrie and I had just married and I was still in Dental school down the road. I didn’t see any old cars there then. I didn’t even see anywhere one could be hid...

Gary London Frequents this board. As he lives in Camarillo he is a member of the Ventura chapter. He posts under the name “modeltbarn”.

https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/memberlist.php ... ile&u=376
TH

Thanks Alan.

Don Jennings (author of “Three Pedals Down Main Street”) used to leave sage advice on the rear of his T using chalk. One I enjoyed was “Pass with care, driver chews terbaccee”.

TH

I don’t mind bumper stickers as long as they are dignified and tasteful. For my car “Rusty”: 56C2B76F-AAE0-4140-B4C1-4063A8E24EC0.jpeg I looked for a sticker which states: “This car has a two speed transmission. If you don’t like this speed you sure as hell won’t like the other!” Since I couldn’t f...

So the rumor was true! I bet you got a really cool oval speedster tank in that swap. It was dented when I got that tank in a swap meet deal! You will have to decide where to cut for the filler.

Hey, if Jennifer and Karen are driving I bet my daughter would love to crew!

TH

Steve, after 93 years I suspect neither belt is original (actually I am pretty sure as I bought both at the Grass Valley Napa store). However, Rusty may have some of the original air in the tires. Bill has not committed to band replacement just yet but he did spin a fable about a Salt truck changin...

I went out to visit with a friend and have donuts this morning. I drove there in "Rusty", my 1927 L.A.F.D. Mountain Patrol Vehicle, in hopes that it will spur Bill on to finally change out his worn out bands in his '23 touring. BTW, after looking at "Rusty" can you figure out how he earned his nick...

I think of Wile E. Coyote every time I see an “X” on the floor in a store or bank. I can’t help looking up for the anvil! Erik, don’t be prejudiced against ACME. My ACME is the best bicycle I’ve ever had! (Way better than the 1895 Rudge!) B6DE2D39-84AE-46D2-8E18-CE47E155CA06.jpeg 888A0B40-3D14-44A6...

Mark, I disagree. No material in use for bands can create more heat than Kevlar. Wooden bands will ablate if overheated. I did that once going down the grade from Iowa Hill (Long, steep, horrendously dangerous... first I lost my transmission brake, then low, then reverse... I like to think that my ...

Dennis, My first trip up to Oregon was really a trip to take my 1913 T and family up to Friday Harbor on a tour of the San Juan Islands and then up island from Victoria on Vancouver Island. We stopped by to visit Keith and Yvonne Townsend in Gresham near Portland. Then we went up the Historic Colum...

That boy is dressed well and is in quite an upscale neighborhood. The car for the masses seems right at home there as would a more pricey vehicle!

IMHO, TH

I was floored by the photo just posted by Dan Treace. It is from the Grand Central Auto Show, NYC, Jan. 6, 1909 and the line-up of new Fords. It clearly shows three of my favorite body styles: Town Car ($1,000), Runabout ($825) and Laundaulet ($950). My favorite is the Laundaulet. I have reposted D...

Mike, That is the automatic air valve set screw. All of my vaporizer carbs have one. Ford says the air valve purpose is to automatically control air supply for maximum acceleration. The screw limits the air valve opening. As near as I can figure it sets the maximum the air valve flapper can open. S...

I have pulled up a video you might want to look at regarding a vaporizer problem. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfzFRipNkc . About 5 years ago I had a problem with the carburetor running badly. You can see the carburetor squirting fuel out at 1:36 on the video. This is leaking out th...

For the car to run well you need spark, compression and fuel mixture. If a car runs badly on one type of carburetor folks are prone to trying another type. If it runs well on one type you tend to stick with that type. Before playing with carbs you must make sure the car is running well spark and co...

Rich, been there, done that. Quite some time ago a good friend told me how he got stuff out of his first T's transmission. I know it has been a while since I heard this story, long before I attended his memorial service about 15 years ago. When George was a kid he rounded up three other young aspir...

Gary, I disagree about the 1922 Sedan idea. The number may be the same but the engine isn't. The 1918 had a very distinctive exposed valve and pushrod set in three groups of two cylinders. The 1922 had the more modern enclosed valve and pushrod train used for years to come. That exposed pushrod eng...

Gary, Neat chassis. It is a 1918 Buick series 45. It will make a really nice speedster! Wish I had the time and the money!

I think you will be convinced when you see this photo of the 1918 Buick:

Hope you are doing well, Terry

You can see how often I review old forum pages. I just saw the above message from Tim. Tim is a great guy who just gifted me with the upholstery he removed from his car... Rusty will proudly wear those seat covers...THANKS TIM!!! Tim requested spoke jack tool photos so I have dug some up. sj.jpg I ...

For further reading here is another of the old stories, this time by Charlie Cotterman about his visit with RD.

https://www.mtfca.com/members/cotterman/charlie.htm

I suggest you just get some modern float plalstic , make a float and be done with it!

This is from Langs, I assume most vendors have it.

: new float material

TH

William, I just replaced my heating plate on my ‘27... again. The new ones do look shiny like stainless. Stainless would be a good choice like the tube running through the stove. The problem I have with the reproduction heating plates is that the detailed stamping is too sharply delineated. IMG_722...

Memorial Day is a time we pause to remember and honor those who have lost their life in service to our country. I hope we can include all our military veterans and current members as well as those who are helping us cope with present conditions. On this vein I thought I would post a link to a story...

Here the happy new owner of my speedster gives her husband the first ride!

: 1918 speedster

TH

I think this is dangerously close to the actual Ford method. I love the prep work. The devil is in the details!

TH

I just saw an interesting video which just may have some application in achieving an authentic “black era” Model T paint job! https://youtu.be/sH4249-gQgY

TH

Don’t forget the blades afixed to the rear hubs like they had in the Ben Hur film!

TH

Rich, I recently went through this and posted some thoughts about how I did it. https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11807&p=90841#p9084 I eventually discovered a cool hint in a recent Vintage Ford magazine. You can leave the field coil mounting bolts loose after leveling the magnets allowi...

Another thing I am now doing which is great fun: After setting my timer I pulled the painters tape off of my quadrant and put fresh tape there. Then I cut a strip of paper to wrap around the pulley, marking TDC and degrees around the pulley. Next I transferred the marks to the quadrant tape. Set th...

Larry I would add the front stake pocket to your list of mistakes... you can't put the top down if you have anything in the front stake pocket. Ford fixed this for '26-'27 by moving the stake pocket a bit back.

TH[/size]

Ed, those Stearns-Knights were neat cars. Did that one have some of Art's sleeve valves or did it have original valve sleeves? Too bad it was all wrapped up... hard to see!

TH

Phil, it only works to have someone else do it if your timing gear cover is properly centered. So you need to get or make a centering fixture. Much less expensive, and very easy, is to just do it yourself. I changed my procedure for accomplishing this task this week to make it much easier (less rot...

FJ, good photo of Roger and Erik! Is that a Stearns-Knight in front of the Center door T on the trailer? ... pretty cool!

TH

Dave, I can just make out what your wonderful wife must have been saying:

"OOOH, Honey, it is way to cold for you out in that shop. Why don't you come in to the dining room and work on the dining table, that way I won't be lonely!"

: Nice workbench!

TH[/size]

Dan, You mentioned a later type of cover with a rolled edge... my car is from 3/1927. I am not sure it has the original Bendix cover, but it probably does. My cover has a rolled edge, however there is an area where the rolled edge has split and torn away, about 1/2" worth. The only reason to add a ...

Yikes, I haven't used lock washers on these in.... well ever! I wish I had seen this a few hours ago, I would have put lockers in there, a plain good idea. Access to the Bendix \screws is a bit difficult with the pedals, linkage, Horlick design slider Rocky Mountain interface connection, and brake ...

After installing my engine with repairs completed I discovered a good size oil leak from the area of the Bendix cover. I looked around and found the old gasket in my discard pile... I couldn't have installed the cover without a gasket, could I? with a quick glance I could confirm that I used a new ...

Dan, you just hit the reason I wanted to know about AC on the chuck. I wondered if someone was using a demagnetizer to hold a flywheel down.

TH

Last time I had my engine out I marked TDC, 15 degrees after TDC, BDC and 15 degrees after BDC on the aluminum pulley (TTP after market I think). So to find 15 ATDC I just turn the engine until the 15 mark lines up with the cast boss I use as a degree wheel pointer. 0C795BBF-FE85-437F-8C32-7ACACE90...

Pretty neat looking thing. I assume it is made to test the coil on a distributor ignition system and as such would be worthless on setting the coils on our model T cars.

TH

A quick question for the folks who surface grind their flywheel assembly. Back in the 1970's whilst I was awaiting the results of my dental board exams I worked in a machine shop which was surface grinding parts. The parts were held down with a magnetic chuck and ground under water coolant spray. D...

<<<The official magneto gap is .025" to .040". That's a range of .015". Does a variation of .002" or .003" within that range really have any appreciable effect on magneto output? Steve, it is possible for some folks to misunderstand your post. You are referring to two different measurements. Gap be...

Can anyone tell me the function of that elbow? I don't think it will change the size of bird able to be sucked up into the carburetor as it's lumen is the same size as the intake without the elbow. The only thing I can think of is perhaps pulling the air from the side instead of the bottom will cou...

Mark, it is now evident to me that the oft referred to vaporizer cut away view which I showed above is wrong. Hole A and R are not on the bottom of the casting. There is no R hole but rather a hole A passing horizontally through the casting and the choke rod. Also there is a small diameter vent hol...

Rob,

I just completed that job yesterday without the KW tool. (I am sheltering at home also). I suggest you look at my thread if you don’t find a tool to use.

Click this link:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11807

TH

It is now about 2 weeks past when I started this magnet job. I have discovered that my method of setting the magnets works but that the limits I chose to stick to based on suggestions caused great grief to me. A really good mechanic suggested that .010" on the magnets is about the limit. I translat...

Regarding broken Oak Spokes: The broken spoke guy was Ralph Ricks. I don't know where he got the oak spokes, but he did switch back to hickory. He used to tow his car by hooking it to the hitch on his Jaguar and then towing it on all fours. As I recall he got the steering turned and the sidewise fo...

Joe Bell !!!!!! Wow, I thought this was going to be a hard one. Joe hit it right on the elbow. image0 - Copy.jpg I have only seen two of these. One was an obscure photo in Bruce's encyclopeda. It was just a generic vaporizer photo which didn't mention the elbow. The other one is the one I found at ...

I'll jump in when someone hits it's function correctly.

Steve, that speed range might be reached solely due to the amount of weight which that hole eliminates.

Garland, I'm flabber-gassed by your guess!

TH

Ford Used the Ford Vaporizer (AKA Holley Vaporizer) starting in late 1925 for some Model T cars and 1917 for Fordson tractors. By late 1926 they used them on all model T cars. I have four of these carburetors plus more parts. I found that of four vaporizers two had the pictured hole and two did not...

I have mentioned this before, my May 1927 had a vaporizer carb. It is set up with the throttle bell crank up close to the firewall so that the control rod runs over the head to the throttle on the vaporizer. At one time I used to run a Stromberg go fast carburetor. I had to make a fancy linkage to ...

Steve, not a vaporizer car. Vaporizers use a throttle bell crank up near the firewall not down in the middle. My late ‘27 does it that way and has a vaporizer. Late production didn’t punch the web between cylinder 2&3 or drill the throttle hole in the valve cover. So it is possible he has the origi...

[size-130]James,

Thanks for the report on how you did this. When I am ready to top my car I will probably steal some of your ideas. I am very lucky, my roof is easily removable (by original design) so I will be doing this with the top sitting upon saw-horses.

TH

I wrote single lever because after thing it was two I decided that what looked like a second lever was the release rod in front of the lever and the release handle at top behind the lever. _lever.jpg It could be a two lever car, though. Another error was that the photo is in the Library of Congress ...

I spotted this one in the National Library. I don't know if it has been featured in this forum previously.

: 1909 Touring single lever

TH

Allan, very clever solution. Probably way past the precision needed for a T Model!

Terry

I determined that my original cast aluminum magnet spools were damaged by my last effort at leveling (that means I was over zealous with my hammer after the last engine rebuild). I am now setting up my magnets on my flywheel and am trying an alternate method. I do not have a KW magnet setting tool....

The weather is great so after doing some lawn mower repair and some mowing I finally found some time to work on Rusty (1927 roadster pickup L.A.F.D. Mountain Patrol Vehicle). This morning I installed and reamed new triple gear bushings. 1FD3BC7A-F0A1-46A7-B07C-7AA5DDACE97F.jpeg Then I replaced all ...

Les,

That is interesting... wow that casting has some pretty thin areas milled into it. Those plates are pretty much one position one side up. Can you show us some photos of the unit when you get it off of your mill? Perhaps photos of it disassembled with the parts shown.

Thanks, TH

>Can they be installed through the hogshead opening, or must the hogshead be removed? (I'm talking a later T.) Jerry, Yes they can, but I prefer to do it with the transmission cover off. Pushing them into place can be done with much effort. If you get the cracking sound you have broken the band or p...

This mag is wonderful. R.V. built it up and gifted it to me about 20 years ago and it has been in continuous service ever since. I have had the engine in and out through probably over 50,000 miles and what David is noticing is a little bit of insulation frayed here and there on the outside edges. A...

Since I am sheltering at home and saw a speck of dust on my '27 T pickup and decided it was time brush it off. One thing led to another and I've almost got the car clean. I decided to post some photos of what I found under that speck of dust. IMG_3021.JPG I finally got the speck of dust off and thi...

Jim, The above posts are correct. Gus Stangeland started the MTFCA website as well as the forum. When he put out a request for help in running it I volunteered some time and worked behind the scenes. I used to administer the photos and for a while ran a member's story section (which is still hidden ...

Thomas, I don’t understand your title “Transmission disaster avoided”. It seems you have hit the all to frequent Kevlar disaster. Once you’ve replaced the low drum and flushed out the Kevlar remnants do you plan on installing a different lining material?

TH

I just got my January/February 2020 Vintage Ford. The cover is another fantastic Rich Eagle painting... Nice Job Rich!

: Jan/Feb?VF; Eagle.jpg (47.19 KiB) Viewed 2987 times

TH

Frank, That's a photo of "Toady". I sure wish I still had that car. After I sold it Terrie told me that was the only car I had that she liked! You may be interested in the car I have sitting in the garage awaiting restoration. I wanted one which can carry Terrie's friends or lots of kids. I hope sh...

Gene, I have considered small drain holes for mine in the past but I don't find that they are needed nor advisable. The reason I chose not to drill them is that they will not accomplish anything on any of the dips in a 4 dip pan. In a three dip pan they will allow the #4 dip to drain when I add a da...

Keith, I sure hope Spencer is holding that tree tightly, and the car even more so! He is one snappy dresser! That touring car seems to have side curtains on the rear compartment and there is snow on the wiper. What is the vertical divider on the lower windshield which is also collecting snow? All t...

If our snow arrives tonight I will put my chains onto my ‘27 pickup. The snow will probably be gone by Thanksgiving.

I made my chains from discarded modern tire chains aboit 15 years ago... Work great. If the snow comes I will pst chain photos

TH

Stan is selective on jobs he will do now. He did a wonderful job on an OF Stromberg for me years ago. I pulled the following from his web site.

: S. Howe information

TH

That's right Wayne. 15 degrees after dead center. In Steve’s article he calls 15 degrees after top dead center 15 “past” TDC.

TH

: TDC and 15 degrees before TDC

Search found 176 matches