MTFCA Forum

Allan

The top on the 1917 shooting brake I built had the double curve in the roof slats, but the curves were not as extreme as yours. I used 1/4" thick slats of western red cedar over which the canvas cover was fixed. Even if the cover is soaked, it will not damage the cedar. My curves did not require ste...

Allan

How did you fit the replacement bushing?
Is it a split steel bushing like the originals?
If it is a new bronze bushing, was it machined down on the OD so it could be easily worked home?

Allan from down under.

Allan

The wooden wheel hubs are all the physically same on our Canadian sourced cars, bar the " Made in Canada" and casting marks, etc. If these are of no concern, any wood wheel hub will suffice.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Jim, I have had my right knee done, after having both hips done over time since 2000. The hips were a breeze. I should have listened to the physio and done the work on the first one. Second one I did work it and have much more rotation on it. My knee was more serious. It took longer to recover from ...

Allan

You are right John. I was looking at the earlier listing.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The etch primer comes after the tank is cleaned back to bare metal. I pour a couple of kilos of TEK screws into the tank and set it up in a concrete mixer to rotate it until the tank is cleaned back to BARE metal. The mixer allows the tank to be tilted to concentrate the screws at either end until t...

Allan

Rodger, it may be a little later than 1917. The two arm choke lever was used once the electric starter came into use on the 1919 models. I don't know about any other differences.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Dan, on our RHD cars the clutch/first gear is internally adjustable, like your brake and reverse. The same build up and grind method works, even better on your pedals, because you can do the build-up to make a neat fit to a new notch. I did just that on my first clutch pedal. Then I had to rework th...

Allan

I don't think he couplet body is a T model body, if that makes a difference. Notice the decklid and the dashboard.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I've have always used the same enamel used on the frame. The trans brake adds no heat. If one is in the habit of using the 26-7 lined emergency brake as a service brake, it may get too hot. If it does get hot enough to affect the paint, you have been on the brink.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The only way I know of is to take the shafts out of the pedals and build up the ramps with weld. I have done a few first gear pedals. It takes a deal of time, patience, bearing blue and care grinding/filing the spiral on the ramp to engage with a new notch on both sides at a time and over the full f...

Allan

You are a tease Bryan. Re-silvering you originals is the way to go. You are lucky to have them intact.

Allan from down under.

Allan

It is the same wire gauge thread as many laced wire wheel spokes. I have in the past made do with a modified spoke nipple as a nut. I have no idea of the actual size is. Spoke threads, and those on the timer control rods, are rolled threads rather than cut threads. These are stronger than a cut thre...

Allan

Rainer, that timer has nice thick metal contacts in the ring. It is a good candidate to be re-machined in a lathe so that you clean up the rust and make the roller track perfectly round. In my first years of T model ownership I ran the timer packed full of red grease. It worked really well. When I c...

Allan

S bracket sold. L bracket still available.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I have two original reflectors in my 1912 van. They are the same diameter, but different curvature. To focus them requires that one is further to the front than the other. No big deal. It does look a little off in day light if you look at the lights front on. One reflector surface appears larger tha...

Allan

John, I think some of us had difficulty getting our heads around measuring things in so many 128ths. That is weird! 45/128" is approx 3/8", give or take 7/128", which is almost 1/16"

Allan from down under.

Allan

Ford did offer right side mounting brackets. Our Canadian cars all have them, along with the license plate bracket. I have a pair on my 27 LHD tudor now.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I completely overlooked that detail Layden. Thankyou for pointing it out.

Allan from down under.

Allan

You can take any kingpin wear out of the equation by driving a wooden wedge between the spindle body and the yoke in the axle. Then you can get a real feel for any play in the bearings. I like to feel a smidgeon of play. That way I know the bearings are not binding. Then you have things set up to me...

Allan

The tube shifting in the tyre happens when the tyre is underinflated. The valve stem hole in the rim and the same in the felloe will tend to hold the valve stem vertical, so when the tube wants to shift it will tend to tear away from the stem. The same can happen with metal stem tubes. The correct t...

Allan

Damn autocorrect! It's a Holley H1

Allan from down under.

Allan

I ran this on my 1912 van for 25 years. The car got hard to crank start so I replaced it with Stan Howe rebuilt spare. It turned out that the hard starting was due to a shrunken cork float that was very loose on the hinge so the float level was all over th place. It will need a new float. It may be ...

Allan

Yes, Kelsey 88 rims. Sometimes the U shaped lugs have Kelsey 88 stamped on them, some have other stuff, some are plain. I believe the ones with the rolled in groove and the cut outs for the lug are earlier.The cut outs allow water into the rim/tyre assembly and this causes rust. The rim material is ...

Allan

There was a time when new reproduction points were of inferior quality construction. It was deemed mandatory that the coil point bridge adjustment needed attending to. I used a .006" feeler strip to make a setting tool. I carefully ground a groove in the end so that the tool passed the rivet. with t...

Allan

These photos show the two different types of rims, and the mounting hardware. The rim with tyre fitted has the rolled in groove. You can see the relief cut in the groove to accept the foot on the lug. Water can get into the rim through the cut in the groove, helping rust. At the same time, the lug h...

Allan

On our Canadian supplied cars the cable length varies, depending on where the speedo head is mounted in the car, whether the drive is on the left or right end of the axle, whether it is mounted on an extended spindle arm nut or on the spindle arm, and whether the swivel rotates left or right.. Maybe...

Allan

A mate of mine in Spokane made a stand for painting wire wheels. He fitted a front hub at the top so he could rotate the rims as he painted. The stand had a dual purpose. He could use a hydraulic jack and a piece of pipe, fitted between the base of the stand and the rim, to persuade bent wheels back...

Allan

Do you mean the 6 bolts which attach the driven plate to the brake drum? I would not trust Loctite of any persuasion there. It likely gets too hot for Loktite, the bond of which is often indicated can be broken with heat for removal. Is there a super high temp agent they make?

Allan from down under

Allan

Larry, a second type has a shoulder around the inside diameter of the rim. This shoulder wedges on the outer felloe edge. This type does not have the slits that let water into the rim/tyre assembly. The U shaped clip grip on the shoulder, rather than a cut out. They are interchangeable on the correc...

Allan

Dan's photo of the old time flap is revealing. Even this tough old fibre reinforced flap and the tube, have clearly been driven down to the rim base. It also shows that it is unnecessary to notch the bead to fit the valve stem.

Allan from down under.

Allan

It needs to be mounted so that the plunger is opposite the mounting bracket. If you rotate it 90 degrees and mount it on the outside of the door, working the plunger will twist the horn on the panel and likely crack the panel over time. Most I have seen are mounted on top of the door. Allan from dow...

Allan

The runout may be improved by careful mounting of the rim if it is demountable. Jack the wheel up and loosen off the lug bolts and free the rim up on the wheel. place a brick or heavy block on the floor and rotate the wheel as you retension the lug bolts. The rim should bind on the steel felloe as t...

Allan

I watched a bloke manage the low fuel problem on a steep driveway once. I was most impressed. As we only had two or three miles to the destination, he had not filled up ready for the trip home. Part way up the car stuttered and he immediately turned across the driveway. Now on the flat, the carby go...

Allan

John has it nailed. Our Canadian sourced cars had loose lug rims up until 1925. Ours are Kelsey. The rim will have a bridging lug which goes over the bolt nearest the valve stem. It is there to stop the rim migrating around the felloe if the lugs get loose. The lugs may have Kelsey stamped on them ,...

Allan

Thanks Rodger. We live and learn each day.

Allan from down under.

Allan

John, your 27 should have 21" split rims. These do have a flap, to protect the tube at the join in the split rim. NOT using a flap in those could cause failure at that point. Using a rim liner on a split rim would make for problems when fitting the tyre.

Allan from down under.

Allan

How are you measuring your toe-in? It pays to jack the car and rotate each wheel, scribing a mark around the centre of the tread. You can measure from these marks. This will take care of runout in the wheels, the tyres and the way the rims are mounted, giving you a more accurate indication of the ac...

Allan

Mike, track down a local who is familiar with T's and have him go for a short ride with you. As you are finding out, experience is invaluable. If the ratcheting comes on as the speed is lowered, it may simply be the bands chattering under braking. This is of o real concern. If it is failing rear axl...

Allan

I have these two original parts available. New reproduction are $79.95 each plus shipping.
These are $60 each with tracking postage delivered to your door. Either one, or save some postage if you want both.

Allan from down under

Allan

This one is my back-up tool if I ever lost my original. It still has much of the original black paint and works well. These lifters make fitting modern valves with keepers and collects a breeze as they compress the spring without cocking it $41 with tracked postage to your door. PayPal for payment. ...

Allan

I have found traces of the original stuff Ford used, usually on the out-of- the-weather rear spring, and usually between leaves that did not nest as closely as they should. Whatever is used, it will not last long before requiring replenishment. Pressure points between leaves will soon displace the l...

Allan

Rodger, does "oil canned" mean it has been pushed in somewhere and failed to pop out again like an oilcan does? It is sure an interesting turn of phrase.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Can you use your original generator gear on the alternator. Its gear will know your cam gear. Otherwise the new gear will have to develop that relationship/

Allan from down under.

Allan

Tim's illustration is just that, an illustration. If you believe that the bead on the tyre is not driven hard into the bead on the rim under 60 psi pressure, I have a bridge I can sell you. If you believe a a rubber flap is not driven hard down onto the rim under that same pressure, I can supply an ...

Allan

What went wrong with the generators?

Allan from down under.

Allan

If you are using coolant/antifreeze, that will find the smallest of faults and leak. Perhaps it should be called leak finder. A change to water and some soluble oil may make the "leaks" go away. Others will have different ideas.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Steve is correct. If your rims are good enough, flaps are a waste of money. They will not compensate for a rim which is not good enough. Sharp, thin edges will cut the bead, regardless of a flap being installed. They may protect the tube when fitting tyres for those whose technique is wanting. Allan...

Allan

I prime only, then use whatever lubricant you choose before painting the assembled spring.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Fellows, for your edification, Collins, the dictionary people advise that in American "English", "the circular rim, or part of a rim of a wheel, into which the outer ends of the spokes are inserted" is a felloe. Felloes are made by fellows who build wheels. :) :) Allan from down under, a retired sch...

Allan

Sheila's wheels are like most truck wheels, prior to the development of tubeless tyres. The rims are made with only one side to hold the tyre on. The tube, flap and tyre are installed as a unit and the whole is dropped over the rim, which is NOT split. The second side of the rim is a separate lockri...

Allan

Just yesterday I picked up three used 13" inner tubes at my local tyre shop. Three re-usable snap fit rim liners for FREE!
No fitting hassles
No bulk weight added
No chance of them moving .
No beautiful tariff to be paid.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Buy your petrol at a BP servo in Imperial gallons and you will get an immediate improvement of 20% in your miles per gallon consumption.

Allan from down under

Allan

It was not likely to be a bead pinching the stem on a straight sided tyre that fits a split rim. There is a considerable gap between them when aired up. We await the tyre dismount for the verdict. Certainly a strange one!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Fiats were not built by "Frenchies!"

Allan from down under.

Allan

Or you could cut the flange off a junk inlet manifold and tap into the side of it bolting it between the carb and your intake

Allan from down under

Allan

Perhaps Robinson screws with the square hole would keep one from detention. The Canadians used them in their T's. They are actually better than Philips heads, but Henry wouldn't pay the royalties for their use.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Like some of you guys, I like to wear bibs most of the time. They stay UP! I have bought most on Ebay, and had them brought to Australia by incoming travellers to save postage which is generally more than the cost of the bibs. Thank you Keith G. for the last lot. i even managed to source some USA ma...

Allan

My 27 Tudor came with a tyre cover. That 21" cover fits just as well on my 1925 roadster with 23" wheels, so you might consider a 23" cover for the same job.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Oops! it is bent away from the frame rail, inwards to the steering shaft.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The pan is bent toward the frame rail. That's what cracked the paint and started the rust you can see.

Allan from down under.

Allan

If you have trouble with the valve stem, it may need to be replaced with an original brass stem. That will involve removing the tube. In the meantime you can get rough with it and perhaps save having to dismount the tyre. Use a stiff rod to poke up the stem, sharpened like a screwdriver. Mark it for...

Allan

Interesting Ron. Adding two lots of 10% at $590 makes your $7080. But that assumes the state tax is not levied on the sale price + buyer's premium. If the state adds their take of 10% on the buyer's total outlay, it would amount to an extra $59. over your figure. I hate buyer's premiums. Bring back ...

Allan

If you need one, you should jump on Frontyboy's offer. The reproductions were of excellent quality, but I believe they are no longer available. 1910 uses the fine thread one. I bought just the threaded end for my 1912 van from the gent making the repops when I met him at Chickasha in 2010. Allan fro...

Allan

Post carburettor is the way it is done on my 1924 Tarrant Special tourer which has the fuel tank under the spare tyre carrier at the rear of the car. This is needed for a Stewart vacuum tank for fuel delivery. The same applies to another car modified by Duncan and Fraser to accommodate a dropped fue...

Allan

I am fortunate enough to have a good friend with a large hydraulic press with incremental foot control for the ram travel. Even with our Canadian spokes with the double taper, they can be a problem. With his press there is no chance of cocking the load on the spokes like the photo shows using the Re...

Allan

I love the Bevo truck. That's a wonderful photo.

Allan

It is in need of a serious front end re-alignment, perhaps caused by impact from behind when worn.

Allan from down under

Allan

They have consecutive T part numbers and the Cleveland Hardware forge mark. That's a good start for T irons.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Andre's bracket is the alternative to yours. Note his has no threaded hole and taper on the end. His bracket clamps around the extended nut.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Grandma's car has been around a bit. Note the aftermarket brass headlights, the huge spotlight, the front shock absorbers, the modified windscreen and the home built turtledeck. It has the typical 30 x 3.5" tyres all round like our Canadian cars. One thing points to a 1913 or later date for the attr...

Allan

Norman, the Canadian produced cars were made for RHD and LHD markets, so both front doors operated. It is a squeeze to get in past the handbrake, but it can be done.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Alf's car looks like it is a 1915 Canadian factory built car. The body, apart from the paint colour, the windscreen, the flat fenders and fork mounted electric headlights are all in accord. Then it has been updated with a new factory black hood and low radiator.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I have a pair of cast brass outer brackets in my swap meet stuff. I don't remember selling them. if they are of interest, I could go digging in the shelves to find them. You would just need to make the rod, and perhaps a saddle over the clamshell joint.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Depending on how it mounts at the outside end, any bracket should fit, as the pumpkins are all the same.

Allan from down under.

Allan

On my 1912 van I have D sized welding cylinder standing behind the seat, complete with regulator. The flow is infinitely adjustable. On a national tour my son parked the car outside the dinner venue with the gas turned down low so the lamps were dim. Guests kept telling him he"d left the lights burn...

Allan

I heard that the deli ham pattern cutter was once a modified Goodyear tyre mould. Using the heat of the vulcanising operation of tyre making, it was repurposed to both cook and cut the hams in a single operation. OHS got involved when the odour from the operation got the best of the operators who we...

Allan

Time for a timer?

Allan from down under.

Allan

These two drag link end caps have been in my stash forever. One opinion is these pressed metal caps were used very early in production. Another branded them cheap, spurious replacements. What say you? They show very little wear if any on one of them. They certainly have not been filed down like a lo...

Allan

It is useable for someone. Just list it in the classifieds. Use one of the vendors catalogs for a likely price, as some of them are reproduced. The one you have with the taper on the end takes a bracket arm which binds on the taper. The arm is held on with a bolt threaded on to the end. Another type...

Allan

Are these things a "need" or a want? With the new stuff our forum administrator is supplying, there is even less "need' to replace an original T starter. This is one area where "If it's broke, you can fix it."

Allan from down under.

Allan

I was under the impression that the output shaft was hardened, and whenever I have had the need to dress the end where it runs in the fourth main I have had it ground to clean it up rather than machined. This is only done for the surface that runs in the fourth main.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Jeff, that is is logical, it could possibly be correct!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Might machining the output shaft .016" have upset the depth of hardening on the shaft? I would be fitting another shaft rather than machining it down that far. I understand that spares in Germany may be harder to come buy, but they are not that scarce.

Allan from down under.

Allan

It would be interesting to know if A&L would be interested in making reproduction Schraeder 777 stems with the correct bridge washers having the depressed land on them rather than the flat useless ones now offered.

Allan from down under.

Allan

With brass stems in tubes, new or old replacements, a rusted thin original valve stem hole in the rim is of no real concern. I would be concerned with an abraded down to fit rubber stem being used in such a rim. Tyre shops stock plastic sleeves use to adapt different size holes to different stems. I...

Allan

I leave the rubber stem stem intact when making the cut around the base. As mentioned, that leaves you something to grip when working the base out of the tube after making the cut. I also make the cut 1/8" or so up from the bottom as shown in the last photo. You may have to 'Work' the cut stem to br...

Allan

Oops! Missed this photo.

Allan

Allan

This period tool works brilliantly on a T engine The jaws work in parallel so the springs and caps are not locked, enabling the fitting of modern valves with caps and collets an easy task. $41 tracked postage to your door included. PayPal for payment. 20250617_164329.jpg 20250617_164717.jpg Allan fr...

Allan

The real reason behind the square pattern in upholstery is the likely price. It enables small pieces of leather to be sewn into larger covers of infinite size. There is no need for a single hide to be big enough for the job. Probably this is why the pattern was used in commercial vehicles with large...

Allan

John, there is no mention of it being cut shorter. As others tell, they can migrate, either forward or back, probably due to vibration. The radiator will stop it going too far forward, but the mod shown in one of the photos will stop it wearing a hole in the top tank. There is nothing for it to come...

Allan

From there they were used until the wire wheels were introduced. Both styles ran concurrently for quite some time.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I too use a 12 volt 14 amp lead acid motor cycle battery in my 1912 van. It will give me two days of running between charges, but I put it on the charger whenever i have used it, and again before I want to use it. The last one lasted 6 years. It powers the brake and turn signal lamps as well as prov...

Allan

I made a brass collar and silver soldered to the rod at the rear. It stopped the rod disappearing into the void at the firewall.

Allan from down under.

Allan

That's the stuff I use. Just be careful clamping. Completely closing the gap is not the way to go. Clamp firmly but not so tight that you expel the glue. I n your situation clamping may not be needed.

Allan from down under.

Allan

If the rest of the wheel is sound, that one cracked spoke is of little consequence. My nephew works for a wood tuning business where they laminate three planks together to the turn a period 5" round post. They use Titebond no 3 woodworking glue in their laminations and the bond is stronger that the ...

Allan

I believe it is the rim hole which is too small for some modern rubber stems. By the time the tapered stem gets to the felloe hole there is plenty of room. I can see no reason why the rim hole can not be drilled a little larger to accommodate the thicker stem. With small original holes, rusty around...

Allan

Art, while you have the plate off the bottom, remove the two threaded horse shoes too. You may be amazed by the amount of crud that can accumulate between them and the sides of the pan.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Levering away at the steering wheel may just cause the steering rod to be loaded on one side of the bush in the lower bracket, masking wear at that point. This bushing is often overlooked even when rebuilding the front axle.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The springs available from the vendors are waaay to strong' I buy lighter replacements from a hardware store and these are easy to fit. If everything is in order, the wood blocks,the hood hooks and springs with their correct small diameter washers and neatly fitted split pins, can all be assembled i...

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