MTFCA Forum

Allan

I believe the Blockley 30 x 3.5" beaded edge tyres are a response to the inferior products foisted upon us in the past. They are made to different quality standards to give us a reliable product which will give more consistent service and longevity. I can fully understand them keeping their product ...

Allan

The chocolate company for whom I do promotional work makes the product, distributes it to stores owned and run by them It is a way to keep controll of a quality product. Why would a company co.promise their offeri g's by introducing another middleman to their offerings? Some people still value servi...

Allan

I think Blockley entered the market because of the rubbish product supplied by the usual suspects. To maintain quality standards, they have chosen to adopt their own specifications, and to retain quality control they market them ditectly themselves. We are fortunate here in Australia that they alrea...

Allan

I am with Dan. I have never seen any disc wheels which maintained the original Ford hubcaps. There is no evidence of the wheel being mounted to an original hub either.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Had the same thing today. I was going out to fuel up for a tour stating tomorrow, hit the starter switch and killed everything. Previously we had been chasing a slow starter problem, which was cured by taking the switch apart, cleaning all the contacts and re fitting same. When the ground lead at th...

Allan

Dino, what you have is the steering gearcase. Quadrant is usually used to describe that part on which the levers rest and rotate. Pwerhaps you should change the title of your request.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Too late Keith. I have just about worn them out. Right in fashion though, hole in the right knee.
Allan.

Allan

Steve, I suspect your tie rod is bowed rather than bent. That is, it is gently curved for its whole length rather than kinked at any one spot. If that is the case just clamp it in a vice and pull on it a little. Move it and pull again. Working your way along the rod a little at a time will do the jo...

Allan

Did you know that the crimped steel ends on shoe laces are called aglets?

Allan from down under.

Allan

As Frank points out, colours on computer screens often vary from reality. The green tourer looks nice on my screen, but if it is compared with the green lawn, the lawn keeper has a problem. There is no real alternative to seeing the colour you want in real life, somewhere and on something. Allan fro...

Allan

Laminated glass is safety glass. The alternative safety glass is tempered glass. If you are using new glass laminated glass is the way to go. I would have a glass shop cut and fit the glass. They can use a sealant/bedding material that prevents any moisture getting between the frame and glass, stopp...

Allan

I have difficulty choosing paint colours from the small chips in the catalogs. With carte bllanche for bodies built on Australian T's, I could choose a colour which I liked, as long as it was not to garish. I base my choices on seeing the colours in use that look old time. My chocolate van body was ...

Allan

Edwin, if they mix the paint to your sample, you can call it Douglas Green

Allan from down under.

Allan

Edwin, here in Australia and probably in USA, paint shops can computer match an original sample. You can forget searching for a paint code in a particular paint brand/system and have some paint mixed to your sample. You just need to have a non faded area at which they can focus their equipment, perh...

Allan

Denis, the running board and valance panels look to be standard length. Going by the seating position, I'm sure he is sitting well back from the standard position. Wayne, I doubt it is Australian, purely on the appearance of the mature tree trunks in the background. They look like softwoods, the lik...

Allan

They may serve to limit side sway on the shackles, a bit like a panhard bar does. Hard to see it being as effecfive. Pig ugly though.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Bruce, no moron I have met has the talent to write as you have. To turn your experiences into a most entertaining story takes real skill. Well done.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Brent, my apologies if I have caused any offence. I was not "talking about aesthetics". T owners fit many kinds of accessories to their cars, and they are welcome to do so as far as I am concerned. My point was that modifying a 1912 clamshell axle housing to accept a Ruckstell fitment does not make ...

Allan

You don't need to go to a modern flat belt with ribs on the inside. The belts the T vendors do a good job, other than the red rubber ones which don't like any oil contaminants.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I have five T's with canvas tops.The canvas made today has a percentage of polyester in the weave. This makes it stronger and lowers the amount of shrinkage when it gets wet. Do not get this confused with the square grid of fibres in ripstop type fabrics. It looks just like canvas used to look on ou...

Allan

Adjusting the tie rod can only effect the toe-in. Camber and caster are adjusted by other means. The usual setting is 1/4" narrower at the front. To get around mis-mounted rims and tyre run-out, jack up the front axle, spin each wheel and mark a centre line on each tyre. Now you have a register mark...

Allan

Larry, you need to buy Michelin tubes. Their oversized brass valve stems [which can be hidden by standard Schraeder dust covers] screw onto the tube at the base. All you need to do is tap a thread into your own replacement stems and screw them on.

Allan from down under.

Allan

If the "authenticity police" think you need to befitting a Ruckstell into a 12 rivet clamshell rear axle is the way to go they are misguided in the extreme. It makes about as much sense as fitting large drum backing plates and brakes on the outside end of a clamshell axle. Save the original early pa...

Allan

Miles, if you put the choke wire into the arm from the other side you should be able to set the tap upright. It would also allow you to run a hand choke wire forward without the two getting in each other's way at the carb.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I'm with John on the over glossy plastic looking finish that modern paints can give.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The first pic shows what I believe is an early 1926 improved car with the fender mounted headlights. But, it looks to have 30" clincher tyres. I have seen a few of these on our Canadian sourced cars, along with the large brake drum rear axle.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Keith, is it a top of the column switch held in place with two machine screws? The correct switch for 1915-16 cars has only one wire going to the switch. The switch has an inbuilt ground to the column. This ground is in the form of a thin brass piece from the switch terminal to the under side of one...

Allan

I would clean the panels down and etch prime them first. Then do your fit-up. It can take time, and handling will add salts to the metalwork which will accelerate rust. It takes far less time to etch prime them than cleaning them up later. It also allows you to take your time somewhat. Allan from do...

Allan

Here is my Duncan and Fraser wide body roadster, painted 9 years ago with lacquer. I did rub back and polish the flat trunk lid just to see if it was worth the effort. It was not.

Allan from down under.

Allan

There you go Terry. The KC Warford is a three speed affair with an OVERDRIVE on top gear. I noticed that Layne offer a special transmission for TT's. Perhaps the overdrive ratio for that particular transmission is even taller than the one used on cars.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Dave, Michelin have an alternative thick rubber tube like the Blockleys. They have a screw on brass stem that takes original Schraeder dust covers. Surely there is someone in the States who can supply them. I have just fitted a set of 5 Blockley clinchers with these Michelin tubes. It's a metric siz...

Allan

Bruce, that's exactly what I had in mind in my first response.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Bruce, I have seen true flat top pistons, with no intrusion into the combustion chamber. They were from a Dodge Phoenix V8. They were all that we had back in the 1960's. I still have a non generator block which was bored to 3 and 7/8" to take them.

Allan from down under.

Allan

An auxiliary transmission or a 2 speed or three speed transmission or a Ruckstell may get you to your destination quicker, but it will not help with top speed unless it is an OVRERDRIVE transmission. No overdrive, no taller diff ratio, no speed advantage.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Terry, I was thinking "flat top pistons" were other specials like the domed ones. Reference to the standard pistons with raised flat tops didn't cross my tiny mind. Duh!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Here in Australia, nickel plated radiator shells and headlight rims were distributor/dealer provided upgrades, especially on their up-market models like my 1924 Tarrant special tourer. There were even nickel plated brass radiators for early cars, and I once had a nickel plated Jno Brown brass tail l...

Allan

Henrietta has always seemed to be struggling getting up enough way to comfortable pull away in top gear. She seemed to run out of puff. Yesterday, I scrambled underneath and took off the timer connecting rod so I could get a little more lever travel at the quadrant. I shortened the rod about 3/8". T...

Allan

I can't see much point in fitting a Z head to raise the compression and then going to flat top pistons, other than you might avoid clearance problems with the way Z head combustion chambers vary.

Allan from down under.

Allan

That's interesting Phillip. The smaller front wheel cap on the left in the photo has a yellowish cast to it like nickel does. If that is the original, it will be slightly smaller than the repop ones available as the originals were stamped from thinner material. The thicker repops saved a good friend...

Allan

I don''t know about the cast piece. The bottom flange on mine is made of two pieces. There is an inner heavier pressing, over which a lighter pressed metal housing is crimped. This housing extends further up the column than the later one piece housings.

Allan from down under.

Allan

That one correct nickel plated front hubcap will be far enough away from the chrome ones that it won't be so noticeable, except to chrome haters. Nice set!

Allan from down under.

Allan

i am thinking the"satin" finish is predicated on the extreme gloss of the black when it was new. The lacquer finish on my restorations likewise is not extremely glossy like those using two pack finishes which look plastic in the extreme, way too slick for a model T. In the blurb, it mentions that th...

Allan

When I do a rebuild I replace the usual domed plug in the output shaft with a cup type plug. It cannot skew and let oil pass.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Just yank on a front wheel to wherever you want it. If you have clincher tyres, make sure they are up to pressure. I run all mine at 60psi. A flat tyre will always be harder to turn.

Allan from down under.

Allan

My guess is the smaller fibre gear is sacrificial. As they wear they can be easily replaced.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Very few Ford bodied cars came to Australia due to high import tariffs on fully imported cars, so they are even scarce over here. Conversion of a LHD car would require; Hogshead, emergency brake shaft and handle, handbrake quadrant, lower steering bracket, an exhaust pipe, different battery cables, ...

Allan

I suspect it was a bun tail light bracket, but think it is likely hand forged for the job. The light end of most factory brackets is round. The other end of this one is asymmetric and typical of hand forging. This would also explain why there is no part number on it.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Tom, I love the way you work. Each little bit makes for a delightful whole. Your panel work is exemplary. I had to bend aluminium moldings for my 1912 van and my 1925 wide body roadster, and used a wooden former like yours for each, but with a slight difference in technique. I cut the formers to the...

Allan

Mark is likely correct. The script looks to be laser cut/etched/engraved. The depth of the script is likely a good indication that the cover is brass. On the real ones the scrip is much finer, most likely die stamped.

Allan from down under.

Allan

It becomes a completely different excercise if you install a foot throttle. Probably way easier than fitting an extra cross shaft and mountings and bending levers this way and that. The foot throttle leaves your right hand free to make the change with the standard centre Ruckstell shifter. Allan fro...

Allan

The rusty one is toast. The black one is not Hayes.

Allan from down under.

Allan

They look like T wheels to me. A model wheels are easy to identify. They have a raised ridge pressed outwards between each stud hole. This stiffens up the hub so the wheels do not crack between the stud holes like some T wheels do.

Allan from down under.

Allan

There were some bun type side lights with fixed mounting studs on the side rather than the usual rear studs. If there is a corresponding hole on the other side, they could be sidelight mounting holes. The indentation is such that it would aim the lights to the front. It would save the cost of the br...

Allan

Do the plug sockets have the part/factory number embossed on them?

Allan from down under.

Allan

Didn't Fun Projects disappear in the same way. A haven is a place of safety. Perhaps these enterprises have really gone to Heaven, somewhere up in the ether with the Gods.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Thank you Jim. At least I got the bit about the non starter cars and trucks still having a magneto horn. Now I have to go looking for a magneto horn for the 1920 buckboard i restored in 1987! I wondered why the 1922 wooden firewalls stiil had the relief and holes for the magneto horn mounting. Allan...

Allan

Neil, if it is anything like an OF, any solid wire choke cable will do as long as both ends of the cable housing are anchored. You can always fit the correct one when you find one.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Has the other end of your strap been bent to form a T? That may account for the extra length.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I missed the A model connection. If it is an A model, the steering will be much less compromised than a T model.

Allan from down under.

Allan

There are two engines on that no-tyre "vehicle". As indicated, it looks to be a mobile power plant, driveable to position it. Once in position, the engine on the back drives the flat belt pulley.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Two points Robert. The pair of holes on either side of the split in the Canadian rim are there for a special tool used when collapsing and expanding the rim. Because it pulls evenly on both sides of the rim, there is no tendency for the rim to be twisted like the three legged tool can do. This Canad...

Allan

There is a couple of A models here with 36 V8 wheels. Makes them look like hotrod! Apparently they are a bolt on fit, so T to A adaptors would work. I put 16" Chev wheels on a T once. While the tyres gave good flotation on loose sand, the car was almost impossible to steer, having way to much kickba...

Allan

Mack, I have seen photos of A model trucks with 5 stud steel disc wheels. Perhaps your hubs are for those, rather than wire wheels. The disc wheels are likely stronger.

Allan from down under.

Allan

They are a dream to fit. The warm weather in which I fitted a second set made them pliable enough that a pair of stronger hands could have fitted them without irons. This set went with Michelin tubes too, as our Australian supplier was out of stock of Blockley tubes. These are really thick, and the ...

Allan

Art, just a 1/16" bend is an ideal candidate for an offset gland ring. No need to straighten it. I have posted photos showing how to do this, but Others will have to direct you to the post.

Allan from down under

Allan

I use one of our brass $1 coins to replace the fibre washer between the axles. They are thick enough that they can be sanded down to make a custom fit for the particular job. A collapsed bronze diff thrust may allow the crown wheel and pinion gear to over-ride one another. Hence the safety compromis...

Allan

As I understand it, tempered glass is glass which has been cut to size first, before it goes through the tempering process. You could probably have a half dozen plain glass lenses cut for the price of having one tempered lens made, without the delay.

Allan from down under.

Allan

My scrapping point is if the thread is past being serviceable. Then I check the degree of bend. Many can be fitted in their warped state by using one ore two off-set gland rings. The others which require straightening still occupy shelf space in my workshop. A new one fits well, but it looks new. In...

Allan

Most likely the makers mark, one with which I am not familiar.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Vincent, Muriel is even closer!
Allan from down under.

Allan

Vincent, your T is telling you something. After not running for years, you fire her up and she responds well. Then you turn her off again! Can you imagine how that might feel? When she does fire up again, you had better treat her right. There' no point getting her all ecited and then turning her off...

Allan

Steve's method is best when the tyres are on non demountable rims. Letting weight of the car do the clamping is the way to go. I once had to do this for a T owner new to his 1914 tourer. That was the easy bit. Inflating the tyre on the side of the road was not so easy, until another tour participant...

Allan

Found these two photos. 20230222_135548.jpg This shows a rim liner made from the OD of a 14" inner tube. When fitting this hard old Olympic tyre I used 3 clamps, just because I could. 20230222_135548.jpg Notice the beads are not yet levered on past the clamps. Tyre lube even helps th tyre slide on t...

Allan

You DON"T need to cut anything! This becomes someone's necessity when they are trying to fit the tyres one side at a time. Lightly inflate the tube just enough to hold its shape and put it in the tyre. Fit the flap if you must, at the same time. Lube both beads of the tyre, drop the rim over the val...

Allan

I'd straighten it, cold as suggested, just to see if I could. You never know when the experience may come in handy. I doubt it would take much effort.

Allan from down under.

Allan

If I had built that rear axle and found the drums parked off the backing plates as they are, I would be delighted. It would indicate to me that the wheel hubs and axle tapers were hardly worn at all. It may indicate that one of the axles is a new longer one to compensate for wear. However, if it mak...

Allan

Good job you included a photo. Stevens made lots of other tools for working on T's. Dan Hatch supplies the reamers and inserts for that set-up and Jack Putnam was reproducing the frames. Check them out on the forum.

Allan from down under

Allan

A simple answer is maybe. It may even be noticeable. The new alloy pistons are very well matched in weight, so that's a good start. They are much lighter than the old cast iron items, so that would help too. But you may still not notice any difference, especially at normal T speeds. The difference b...

Allan

Terry, I'm all dressed up ready to go to lunch. I'll see what I can do later. Briefly, i bolted a little bracket to the running board support. It's angled so the plunger is in line with the pull. I used a pull wire fastened around the brake pedal. That wire is a piece of hi-test welding wire. It is ...

Allan

I haven't heard of a supply problem with Blockleys. Easy, painless ordering/delivery for a superior product. Get their tubes too. They hold air!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Langs have steel ones listed. I just received some. 1/2" long, round slotted head, 5/16" UNC thread.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Wayne, in England they reverted to LHD on the introduction of the starter/generator on T's It didn't take the Canadians long to get around the problem of getting the steering columd past the generator on RHD cars. It did take the British longer to adopt the modification. As many of the trucks were b...

Allan

My brake light switch went down so I had to replace it. This is a genuine Hella product, like the one it replaces. They are easy to mount, easy to access and easy to adjust.

Allan from down under.

Allan

New tie rod bolts come with new nuts, so you can get rough with that one. Have someone back the nut with a heavy dolly and use a cold chisel on the opposite side. You can do that on three of the sides You will be upsetting any rust bond, and expanding the nut a little. If that does not loosen it, ke...

Allan

I'll second John K's observations. Z heads do vary in combustion chamber casting. I always fit them dry with no gasket first, and hand crank them to see if there are any issues to be worked around. The Prus heads I have seen have been trouble free, but I have had to put my own "Made in Canada" and F...

Allan

The Cohen Dairy milk truck is special. It looks to be a low radiator model. The fancy plating job on the radiator shell and headlamp rims is a nice touch. Then it has that unique metal cowl made to fit the "bottle" cab. Can anyone recognise what the radiator cap ornament is?

Allan from down under.

Allan

A fellow I was helping with his T restoration found a set of rims with hard old tyres. He cut them off with a saw. He also cut a set of four as new Olympic butyl rubber tubes, the ones that hold air! That taught me a valuable lesson. When I bought two rock hard old stock Good Year tyres, tubes and r...

Allan

Beware of linseed oil. In hot weather there is a chance excess oil will bleed out, and this makes getting the coils out of the box extremely difficult.

Allan from down under.

Allan

David, the toolbox on the running board is made from an old 4 gallon oil drum. The end is stamped with 1940's date, so it was created after that. When I got the car, there was all sorts of stuff buried in there. I have kept a couple of the old spark plugs, a short length of agricultural elevator cha...

Allan

Here's mine. The running board mounted spare tyre on Henrietta means I have to get in on the passenger's side. When my wife rides with me she uses this manually controlled step after I am seated. 20240316_143114.jpg Once on board, she hauls it in on the fully flexible retrievable mechanism and stows...

Allan

I think the help must have gone for a P !

Allan from down under.

Allan

Reasonably is open to considerable discussion. Any shiny plating job is reliant on the polishing preparation work put in before plating. Any flaw in the finish will NOT disappear in the final job. It is the labour in this preparation that costs money. Triple chrome plating does not men three coats o...

Allan

The cam height is the difference. It is taller because the TT frame rails are deeper, resulting in the cross shaft being lower.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Congratulations folks. When you talk left and right, there is no confusion.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Lately on the forum there was a photo of some stuff showing diff halves. i am sure a couple of them looked like wide track items. Can't remember if it was in the classifieds or on a load going to Chickasha.

Allan from down under.

Allan

It has been my experience that if I lift the hood, point out where to find the number, and the number is clearly decipherable, the inspector welcomes the ease of making his inspection. Just leave him to it. don't engage any further. They run a computer check to see if the number comes up elsewhere, ...

Allan

Finally, an LED bulb with its own reflector!

Allan from down under.

Allan

I have seen a defective on here to Steve. Looked like a new one. Confining that much bend to the spindle with no distortion to the spindle arm hole or the axle of the spindle seems a long stretch.

Allan from down under

Allan

Jeff, fitting a tube with one side of the tyre still on the rim is a major reason why many tyres have notches cut in their beads. When you pull on the tyre to get the tube in, you pull the opposite bead over the valve stem hole and it makes sticking the valve stem down the hole problematical. Hence ...

Allan

Well done Nick. There is no good reason to support vendors who have little faith in their own product. Adam, The Blockley tread is very similar to the early Good Year tyres, probably not a coincidence. Others don't like the big Blockley script on the sidewalls. Big script too was common on some earl...

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