MTFCA Forum

Drain the bowl into a glass jar looking for contaminants. Doesnt take much, but often clears itself. Look for a worn spot on the float tab that can hold up the needle from occasionally not seating. Look for possible float hang ups @ the bowl edge or center stem & float centering. Sounds mostly like ...

Original Smith wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 16, 2025 4:23 pm
I wish it was like the old days when you could actually find some good parts!

I wish I could still buy Thrifty ice cream for a Nickle a scoop

You don't, per chance have an aftermarket aluminum pulley on this T ??

With this new information, disregard my email. Getting triple gear bushings correct & living long is a real technical skill unto itself. They seem to be the weakest link, especially @ initial start up. I will add, its not out of the realm of possibility to have a failure by operator error. I once di...

Before pulling the motor, have a competent & knowlegable T mechanic like J & M look & confirm the problem.
Its only fair to see if the original builder will warrant his work.

.

A friend has the same problem. 27 roadster. Passes the bench test. Leaks like a sieve when installed. Will check & confirm the bowl vent is open. Thanks Scott. This friend has looked at all? possible problems, but hasnt figured it out. The one thing that "fixed" the problem. Sounds screwey!, was to...

Allan wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 13, 2025 6:57 pm
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.

Maybe you are seeing #156M. That looks like a Dodge coupe body.
#312MA does appear to be a couplet body. But, I am no expert.

BTT. Lookin forward to it. Packed & pointed.

Check the sealing surface of the carburetor casting where the needle seat gasket mates to. Sometimes the surface can have some pitting and the gas can leak past it and make it look like the needle and seat are leaking. Also, make sure there is not an old gasket still down in the bore where the need...

A friend has the same problem. 27 roadster. Passes the bench test. Leaks like a sieve when installed. Will check & confirm the bowl vent is open. Thanks Scott. This friend has looked at all? possible problems, but hasnt figured it out. The one thing that "fixed" the problem. Sounds screwey!, was to ...

So it passes the suck test off the car?! Procedure in the service manual. That eliminates the needle & seat. Improved T's used a larger float due to more head pressure. Try lowering the float level another 1/16" as a test. A full tank of gas may be overwhelming the float @ the current setting.. Air ...

Napa, on line & locally, has 30wt detergent & non detergent in their brand & valvoline 30 racing.

The new timer you show seems to have higher edges on the contact edges than the adjacent insulators. This is no good. The inside must be perfectly smooth & centered. Anything less will cause the roller to bounce causing a washboard wear pattern & worse running the higher the RPMs. Sandpaper wont do ...

The new roller timers available in the past,( I cant speak to current production, but I doubt their quality has changed) are/were junk new out of the box. Inside contacts must be perfectly round & centered, they were not. New rollers commonly wear out quickly. This is why those in the know don't run...

Squiring oil in the flip top cap puts that oil on the roller brush directly. That oil makes is way to the roller. If started soon after oiling, the oil will get to the roller quicker by centrifugal force. Yes, having the roller @ 6:00 would be ideal. Perhaps by having/knowing one of the 2 lower cont...

Oil will puddle behind the lowest edge behind the insulator ring. A little oil added by a non sealed cam will keep the roller & contact surfaces wet. External oiling as prescribed keeps the roller pin wet. Eventually the oil puddle picks up enough metal powder from contact wear to short out one of t...

Consider using new '28 model A tail lights. Tuna cans. They are very attractive. A bit smaller than the accessory stop/tail light,
(better proportioned IMHO) but with the same 2 functions. Available nickle or paint em black. They mount directly to the 27 tail light stands.

Thats a fine idea.

However, in a semi related vain, you would do well to get rid of those solid repop hyatt replacements.
Slightly worn hyatt's would serve you better. Solids are hard on axle shafts.
Look for past discussions on the topic.

Maybe the beads needed a little notching for a rubber stem. I know some claim notching isn't necessary. The last tube I replaced a metal stem with a rubber stem clearly needed the notching to not pinch the stem. The old ,modern, vulcanized metal stem was tight against the beads. Not good for the lar...

I’m curious about the almost complete removal of Novice Collectors post. Why would they be removed? We’ve had several more contentious threads that still remain on the net & Forum. The information and help offered was sound & yes there were comments made by the OP and the contributors were somewhat...

Sure you got the decimal point in the right spot? .018" is a long way from 1/8".
.018 would be barely if not not noticeable.

Regarding sound. I have adjusted enough coils on an ECCT. During the process, one can hear differences that coincide with a tune improving. The final very good passing coil has a definite, clear, loud clack, as opposed to a weak buzzing. There is no way I could get that sound & performance without a...

dobro1956 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:57 am
I remember reading in some Ford literature, probably the Service Bulletin's that factory run out was 3/8 inch when new. Not sure if that was at the wheel rim or tire OD. 1/8 of a inch is actually pretty good.

I find that hard to believe. I would like to see that bulletin.

Have them tested/adjusted on an ECCT. Coil tune is critical for a good running T.
If you cant find someone with a tester, consider an aftermarket distributor.

Put the wheel on a front hub & spin it. Use a block to mark the outside wobble. Slowly spin watching the gap grow.
Mark the extreme high & low spots. That will indicate where on the hub to press.

Even easier.
They can be straightened in a press.
My press wont fit the wheel with the tire on, but I found it real easy to get the wobble to .032" or less with patience.

I believe any antifreeze will find a way to leak as Allan says. I run water & water soluble oil. But, I never see temps below 40 where I am.

Honeycomb is an aftermarket core/radiator.

A better view of the lug & rim contact would be nice.
From what I can see its an early, first series ford demountable. Loose lugs.
1919 & 1920.

After the top tank is drained you can look down to see a few of the tube tops. You can get an idea of condition. Calcium build up or rust chunks blocking the tubes. If rust chunks, remove & back flush from the bottom. Or have it professionally cleaned. If calcium deposits, the system can be cleaned ...

I had a similar situation, but it wasnt a thrust washer. The drive shaft bearing & inner race came apart. The pinion gear would climb the ring gear making a ratcheting sound under load situations.
Either way its a rear end problem.

Rod wrote: ↑
Sat Jul 05, 2025 6:05 pm
NoviceCollector has been removed from this forum.

Reason? Was he found to be a scammer? Bad attitude? or what?
PM the answer if you dont want to go public if you wish.

skyhunter wrote: ↑
Fri Jul 04, 2025 11:34 pm
I am hoping part of my problem may come from the frame being on jack stands and the rear hanging and not sitting on the wheels on the ground.

EZ enough to confirm this hypothesis. Jack both sides of the rear end up & try the ball cap fit again.

Going from a generator to alternator was an economic decision, my generator served me well for over 120,000 miles and needed replaced, the gear on the alternator is the same dimensions as the generator and the gear is threaded on to the alternator so no pin to worry about. I will try shimming the m...

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...

Proper gear mesh is as important as with a generator mounting. Paper shims are used under the generator mount. Those things are not gaskets. Be concerned with the way the gear is held. Very common to have a C pin instead of a roll pin(better) Or as originally done - A solid peened steel pin. Those C...

Dan you posted it first but I was thinking the same thing, if the forth main did not go on with ease you’re looking in the future to significant engine problems. Best John Ill third this. However, with the motor in the horizontal position, one must expect the ball cap to touch low from the unsuppor...

Could I see it with cover off? Yes. You can reach in & wiggle the gears one @ a time with the gear to top position. May be a noise from the clutch plates shifting to the opposite side of the lug. Those lugs wear groves into themselves from the outer disk edges. Can be especially bad on later, pre w...

"egg keep" sodium silicate aka Water glass. Had success with this stuff.
I would go with Allan's recommendation first.

"Military Web Strap End Tip, 5/8" Mil-Spec Webbing Ball Tip, Black. Lot of 20"
Ebay has these similar, same function.

The bolt pattern in the ball cap is equidistant. it can be installed all 4 ways. You will have to pull it back far enough to see the oil hole if you want to be sure its on top. If there is a full oil distribution trough, you only need pull it back/out 1/4" or so.

Every flap or tube only tire I have removed had that flap or tube down between the bead gap onto the rim. A flap wont bridge between the beads when aired up as your illustration shows.

I use McKay fast dry graphite spray obtained from NAPA. Great stuff.
Grind the steps out of the springs & paint semi gloss black. Coat the underside of the friction surface with 2 or 3 coats.
Shoot straight on to not hit the edges.

The gross jet is sitting to high. When in normal position, there is very little hex to get a wrench on. I suspect the previous tinkerer added extra washers to keep the hex high enough to install. Thus loosing the float adjustment range. Gross jetts are notorious for varnishing up & sticking. Plus th...

I have found this tread to be quite helpful, but I need to find a pair of rear tires for a 1925 Model TT Farm Truck. The tires that that need replacing are Firestone Gum Dipped 32 x 6 HD. I don’t believe that they make these any more, but I am having trouble figuring out an equivalent or replacemen...

They both have the wrong under axle wishbone & motor mount. You cant believe internet pix.
The truth lies in places like Bruce McCally's book.
That said, its a neat looking T. Clean it up & enjoy it.

Yes, it is Bitners. They are all marked as such. Bitner was a guy that made NEW coils.
I also use Ron Patterson as my go to coil restorer. He does nice work.

Hi Larry. My PU front steak pocket is 8.5" from the front edge to the center of the pocket.

The real issue is you need to do some front end work.
A series of partial patches isnt the answer.

A T I am working on has a "new" set of Bitner coils. They look really nice. My local coil expert tells me they were really good coils. My first experience with his coils. I took em to out thursday T party. (Teck session) Coils were way out of tune. Points are not marked KW or any other parentage. Po...

As pictured, the apco cap is hitting the anti rattle, hide the slop spring device.
One too many accessories being used @ a time.
Instead of patching the problem with other stuff, fix it right. file the cap/tie rod bar & replace the ball.
A shim will pound out on an egg shaped ball.

From the outside yes, but how about underneath, that is what Steve is talking about. Knowing all the little bits and pieces that are correct for the year. If you are looking for a 1910 "style car" that is one thing, but a correct 1910 is another. They are not all the same under the hood. Friend bou...

Steering shaft, center gear shaft & 3 gears. The best way is to find a complete late unit & remove those parts.

You are @ the beginning of a tedious & expensive $$$$$$$$$$ project to make an original/correct 12 out of that. Motor, frame, rear end, etc, etc..... Original 12 parts are very scarse & valuable. Is there any 12 here, other than maybe repo fenders? Maybe you consider cleaning it up & enjoying it for...

McMaster Carr sells this brake lining in assorted thicknesses & widths.
You can get exactly what you need without having to trim the width.
I prefer the woven lining on RM brakes over the solid, hard, chalky grey material they come with today.

NO. Its off a 26-7
Look @ your coupe. Its square IF its the correct one for the coupe.
If that's supposed to be a 12, Thats not the only incorrect item. Pedals, coil box. It's a bitsa T.
Get the McCally book & do your home work.

Did you pull the cap & confirm the rotor is turning?
I have had a similar experience where the gears came out of mesh.

Relining original shoes works/fits with the new linings offered.
However, there is/was a batch of repop shoes that are made too large.
The only way to use them is to move one of the ears & replace about 1/2" further in.

The subject got me to thinking about hardness on areas of the drive plate. My testing method isn't to sophisticated. I do a file test. I found the output plate shaft is not hard on the outer surface or inside the square drive hole. File cuts. Dimensions are consistently 1.560" OD on unworn areas. Se...

Is the area of the threads to hard to re-tap?
I ask because I have one with the wrong bolt pattern.

That’s sound like you repaired a big part of the slack in your steering column. While your at it jack up the front end of your T and slowly turn the steering wheel from side to side. Watch closely the front end for looseness in the king pins, tie rod ends and the steering arm. You may be surprised ...

Thats it. Quite the score!
That unit would look neat on a speedster.

Looks familiar. I am thinking a spare tire lug lock.

Thats a good lookin 93. We should all be as blessed.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

For the distributor to time correctly there must be some gear reduction built in. There are less teeth on the generator than the crank gear, making the generator turn faster than crank speed. EZ check. Watch the rotor as you turn the gear. it should turn less than 1 revolution to one revolution of t...

I have used kevlar from Rockey My Brake. Steve Coniff in Co. He is gone.
The lining is a thick, tight woven yellow material. Great stuff.
I have seen a vendor supplied kevlar that was pink. Langs?? looked good also.

Hey Speedytinc ..... Used both analog meter and ECCT to check capacitors.... Both testing methods showed failed capacitors on the same two coils. I suspected as much. My question was referring to how important is your detecting leakage. The ECCT will show a bad cap but still be a functioning coil. ...

I had the same problem. Used a deep center punch on the underside as suggested by Dan T.

By definition in the title "hot shot" batteries are used for hand cranking a non starter T.
They were originally dry cell batteries & not capable of running a starter motor.

The degree of leakage would affect how much effect the problem had on the other parts of the system. Both performance and durability of the system of system components such as points and timer is degraded by a leaky or off-spec capacitor. No leakage is ideal, and if any is present, the less the bet...

Other than testing with "leakage", Is there a negative effect in the operation of a coil? Do the points burn up sooner?
Does the leakage matter during the speedy operation of a coil? Will the condenser/coil fail soon? Does testing on an ECCT show a "fail"?
Overall does it matter?

Pay attention to what Allen said about assembling the tie downs to the shelf before installing. As per original Ford, the base spring retaining washer is just big enough to retain the spring. An AN washer(used under Allen bolt heads) is the correct size. (small OD) No grief if you use the correct pa...

Much thanks for posting.

To OP. I test the field coil with a 6v battery charger as a power source. Run a compass around to each coil. There should be alternating N & S readings all the way around. Mark the polarity on the coils for later use. That tells you all the coils are all conducting without a short to ground. A secon...

That's risky to flash on the lead button. Hard connect to the solder & flash ground on the ring.

Rings can be stuck in the pistons. The way to know is to pull the pistons. Its a crap shoot as to if & when the rings will free themselves after running. I see rusty valve & piston tops. How do the bores look? What does the Babbitt look like? If you tear it down you will find other problems in the t...

Nope...............................

Karl Von Neumann wrote: ↑
Sun Jun 15, 2025 5:58 pm
First one I grabbed measures 6 11/16 across the pattern

Thats not what he is looking for. What you have is for a wide drum.
Put it on your narrow drum & notice the OD is too small. The OD should be the same as the drum band surface.

Terry is correct about modifying an early drive plate. Chances of finding the correct plate are slim & none. Increase the counterbore for the bolt heads to get wrench/socket clearance also or use allen bolts. The same bolt pattern modification can be done to use an early drive plate on a wide drum &...

Excessive heat will do it. I have not heard of this happening this quickly. Do not mount the coil over the exhaust manifold. Best to not mount right under the top of the hood either. I like mounting a coil low off a generator mount bolt. Thats about the coolest place I can think of. Buy a quality co...

As luck would have it, I have both an early 23(wood FW) & a 23 with steel firewall.
The difference is 1/2"
I like the idea of using the top radiator mount caps over a couple of wood spacers.

Balance, balance, balance. Nice to have a counter weighted crank, especially for hi rpm running. Balance rods, crank, pistons. Balance flywheel after magnets are installed. Balance triple gears, drums & output plate. Drums must run square. (many have warped from heat cycles & time.) Output shaft nee...

It is a PITA. Not so bad with an aluminum HH.
However, the time & extra work it takes to pull the motor isnt worth it.

If you have even a small gap, use 2 thin putty knives under the hex flange while turning.

Remove the exhaust manifold. (it may be possible without removing the manifold, but I found it must be removed to re-install, so pull it now.) Remove the 4th main bolts. Pull back the 4th main about 3/8". You can use a stack of spacer washers or a 7/16 nut with a longer bolt to keep the ball cap bac...

The pins should have a press fit into the lower steering shaft. The new pins are over sized compared to stock. The pin & the shaft are likely both excessively worn. The easy fix is to acquire a better steering shaft & press in new pins. If you get lucky, The gears will fit better/acceptably on the n...

They should have been cotter pinned. When setting the nut, torque to spec.
If the cotter pin hole doesnt line up, Tighten more until the pin can be installed.
Never back off the nut to get the holes aligned.

Glad you found the problem & that it was a simple/minor fix.

Those Autolites do not have a threaded top. I run them on distributor motors.

Good wheel builders use super dry wood before cutting/fitting spokes. I had such a set built by Dave Seiler. I did seal with linseed oil before painting. I heard tell of a T wheel maker that wasnt so conscience about drying the wood. A set of those wheels got stored in a desert attic. They went up t...

I would think both need to be insulated to the body. I think thats what you discovered in your testing/trouble shooting.

I have seen dated transmission shafts, typically on bress cars. 13, 14, & 15's. Transmissions I have rebuilt. Its a full date month - day - year in about 1/4" font. I have not noticed date codes on Black era T's. In fact I checked a few others. No date codes. Until today. I just tore down an early 2...

Determine EXACTLY where the leak is coming from. Drain plug? Tighten & tap to reseat. Bowl bent in? straighten.
Sure its not the needle & seat slightly weeping & overfilling the bowl? A little EZ turn on the bowl drain gasket could do it.

Autolite AP5405 platinum.
They are long reach & work great with spark plug adapters.

With all the work done, the pedal shafts were probably sealed. Try manually oiling the outer pedal cam surfaces.
You may be surprised there is no real transmission problem.

Didn't read all the post to see it this was posted. Worn cam gears can make a lot of clacking at low speeds and when hand cranking. The valve spring pressure can rotate the cam gear via the lifter making a click between the cam gear and the crank gear. I believe that's what we hear in the video wit...

Consider, that when the drain hole is open, it will drain as designed for removal, still filling & keeping full the reservoir pocket that feeds oil out to the front of the motor. On a related note, the unit shown doesn't have a screen to filter out the chunks. The FF base units I have seen normally ...

The distributor is one of those repop parts from 60's & 70's. My first T had one on it. The cap clips were bent sheet metal, not spring steel. Not a good quality piece. If I remember correctly, the points were Pinto. Crude, but did make the car run well.

Removing the firewall will work.
For a 26-7, you can disconnect the motor & pull it forward on the frame rails without fully removing the motor.
However, if there are any other issues like transmission, magneto 4th main leaky/loose or clutch, being half way there, consider pulling the motor.

"Do you think I can see enough of the upper rod bearing from below Without removing the piston/rod assembly from the engine?" Yes. You can remove a rod cap with the piston in its lower position & push the piston up 3/4 up. Rotate the crank 20 degrees or so for a full view of the rod bearing surface....

Well I’ll pull the main caps and take a look. Thanks for the insight. Hope I find something. Look @ the upper side for evidence of pound out Babbitt also, not just the caps. Might put an indicator on the crank center main with the cap off. Indicator should show no deviation. Any deviation is sign o...

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