MTFCA Forum

Henry Ford used water pumps whenever there was a practical need. Starting with the 1928 Model A, every Ford had a water pump. In 1932, Ford introduced a V8, and every one of them had TWO water pumps! All Ford V8s through 1953 had two water pumps.

Hot Lunch, 5 Cents.... NO income tax, no "Social Security"...

To sum up, a water pump in good condition will do no harm. I would use a 180F thermostat with a 1/8" bypass hole. Another consideration: A water pump would allow use of a hot water heater, provided you have a generator and battery.

A water pump defeats the temperature regulation inherent with a thermosyphon system. Overcooling can result, which causes a number of issues. A properly fitted thermostat used with a water pump will prevent overcooling, cavitation, coolant aeration, and coolant loss at the overflow pipe. Overcooling...

The pump is not needed with a good radiator. If you choose to keep using it, be sure the packing does not leak air in when the engine is running at higher speeds. Water pumps are capable of leaking air into the coolant when the engine is running, yet not leak when it is stopped. Aerated coolant can ...

I figured it had leaked down into the crankcase. At least some of it didn't.

You may be right...!

Good news.... I hope you have fine weather.

I put oil in the cylinders of a Ford V8 that had sat for years. I came back a week later with a battery and put it in the car and hit the starter, plugs out. The motor turned and oil shot over 30 feet and splattered over a tin shed. The underhood area got a very good oiling, too.

The washer may have been part of a sales display.... buy a new Ford instead of a new XXXXX, and buy a new washer with the money you save....

Somewhere in the period Ford literature there is a dissertation by Ford on why Ford used the two different size tires. Economy in weight and first cost were the plusses, as I recall. A narrower, lighter front tire will steer more easily and the reduced unsprung weight, and rotating weight, will enha...

I'm seeing new tubes with 2 or 3 sizes marked on them. In my opinion, using these tubes in a casing of the smallest size listed on the tube would be best. Less stretch, and perhaps better pressure retention. Bean counters dream of one number to fit all applications.

They don't say how much additional oil over the normal full level would be required to submerge the lower part of the brake drum. Leakage might be a real nuisance.... Looking at a ghost view of the engine and transmission, it looks like the oil level would need to be at or just above the lower 2 bol...

It's worthwhile for everyone who hand cranks a T to make certain that the initial timing is correct. Whether it USED to be correct or not doesn't matter NOW, so it is wise to check the linkage condition and adjustment from time to time. Keeping the powerplant in good overall condition and adjustment...

That may well be the case. I'd bet that the hearse body was an expensive item. Old graveyards have many infant and toddler graves.

12 leaves looks crazy, but there may be method to the madness. If the leaves have low temper, or rate, it may take 12 of them to get the correct ride height. The stack of 12 leaves would have higher than normal inter-leaf friction, which can provide compression damping and some rebound damping if it...

Some points need to be belabored.

The screen should function any time the engine is turning.

If you put oil in the cylinders and pull the car with the engine turning and the plugs out, oil will spray everywhere. The engine will self-oil as long as it is turning at anything near idle speed or more. With no compression or combustion heat or pressure, the pistons will get plenty of oil if the ...

I find such relics fascinating. Is it dangerous? Obviously. So are kiddie pools, forks, Chicago, NYC subways, and bicycles. Should it be "remediated"? Absolutely not!

The correct way to approach a stop is to back off the throttle and let the engine do most of the braking. Keeping engine idle speed as low as is practical will improve engine braking. There are good reasons NOT to "coast" in a Model T. It's not a good thing to do in any car.

My late-style fan doesn't leak much oil, if any. I'm not sure why. (I don't fill it completely full of oil) Like most all old cars without positive crankcase ventilation, over miles of driving, the oil mist from the filler cap and throttle rod openings accumulates on underhood areas as a light film....

It won't affect kickback, but using a suitable motor oil can make starting easier. All the various linkages need to be in good shape and proper adjustment for safe starting and good performance once started. Dragging bands or a dragging clutch can make starting difficult, among other undesirable beh...

As pointed out above, several things could cause the change in the car's behavior. I'd want to check out all the possibilities, and make certain that the timer, linkage, and wiring are in good order, given the fact that a kickback can be a serious issue for anyone of any age.

I agree with Mr. Loftfield.

"THE CLUTCH IS IN NEUTRAL"
The clutch, NOT the transmission!!!! This is significant!

There is no neutral in the Ford T transmission. To allow the engine to run with the car stopped, or to move it without the engine turning, it is necessary to disengage the clutch and keep it disengaged. If the car is towed or coasted for more than a short distance with the wheels on the ground and t...

I stand corrected.

I'd try the cobalt magnets at stock gap. That ought to make for a dependable hot spark at hand crank speeds. Voltage at higher speeds could be controlled with a choke. I'm not sure that higher voltage at higher RPM is of much importance, assuming the magneto is used exclusively for ignition, since t...

Send money..... !! (And indoor storage space!)

A better test of the mag voltage might be to connect a DC voltmeter through a diode, then note the peak no-load voltage, and then connect it to a T coil and note the peak voltage with the voltmeter and diode still in the circuit.

I like the Founder's idea of funding the LIMITED functions of the federal government with import duty revenue.

Not mentioned in this thread is the possibility of wind damage to a Model T that is towed or trailered at today's typical road speeds

I would not expect a tow/recovery driver today to know the peculiar requirements of safely loading and moving a Model T.

I know of no good reason to "coast" in a Model T, and there are a number of good reasons not to. People who smoke brakes on steep downhill runs either don't know what they're doing, or they don't care. The Model T has no actual neutral, and brakes are minimal at best. What is the purpose of coasting...

The wood rollers might be a farmer fix. That looks like a good timer design. New rollers made of Delrin would probably give good service.

I think it is a good idea to emphasize the various specific hazards involved in flat towing a Model T, and to explain the facts behind those hazards. They are not obvious, but they are VERY real. It's a good idea to keep your Model T, or any other vehicle, in good running order to prevent trouble ou...

Are all AC voltmeters accurate at the very low frequency the Ford magneto would provide at hand cranking speed?

Most hand crank starts involve less than a half revolution at whatever speed the cranker can develop. I'd think the mag voltage, with some load due to the coil primary drawing some current, would need to rise to 4 volts or so to open the points and allow a plug to fire.

Big improvement... maybe 30 MPH?

I'm guessing it would correspond to about 40 to 50 RPM.

Neat idea. I'd like to know the voltage at hand cranking speed into a 1.5 amp load.

Some nice ones online for 20 to 25 K. A very solid original looking one offered for about 5 K. The ad is undated.

Does this truck have have any kind of auxiliary transmission, or "high speed" axle gears?

Coasting in "neutral" for short distances with the engine running won't do any harm, but it is not a good idea. It's best to leave the car in high once underway to minimize wear on the clutch throwout fork and to have engine braking available and to assure proper lubrication for the engine AND the t...

The early engine builders likes long bearings of relatively small diameter. That made for a very long 7 main, 6 cylinder crankshaft. I suppose the preferred long bearings for lots of surface area and relatively small diameter to reduce surface rubbing speed at the bearings.

Does the stainless tank have metric threads? I'd guess your fitment problems are related to the tank, not the T parts.

I wouldn't go far or fast doing that, and I'd grease the axles and hubs beforehand. I'm guessing that farmer pulled his T with a mule.

An "emergency axle" accessory was once available. It clamped to the axle housing and provided a spindle to put the wheel on.

The stock Model T generator feed wire is connected directly to the ammeter and battery. A short anywhere in this circuit would allow full battery current to be applied, regardless of the generator. If I added an alternator, I'd add a voltmeter and heavier gauge modern type wiring to the battery char...

The running clearance of the gear drive could be an issue, whether you use a generator or an alternator.

I'd want to use a lightweight, high grade oil with new triple gear bushings, and avoid running hard, fast, or far in low or reverse. A light bodied oil would have the best chance of reaching the triple gear bushings, and letting the engine warm up in cool weather before using low or reverse would be...

I thought the triple gears stayed still with all the bands released, such as when running in high, or towing in high. (?)

Looks like a tilt trailer or ramp trailer would be needed if you have driveline issues. All the more reason to park your T legally and make every reasonable effort to avoid trouble on the road. Many later model automatic transmission vehicles have restrictions on towing with the wheels on the ground...

If you have a bad engine bearing, seized engine, or serious transmission or rear axle issue, there is no good way to flat tow a Model T. It might be possible to use one of the rental tow dollies under the rear wheels, but if you do that, make sure the steering wheel is securely tied, and I mean SECU...

Those new-fangled alternators emit Hertzian waves that cause falling iguanas!

It is not a good practice to hold any automotive clutch out of engagement any longer than necessary. Throwout bearings have limited lubrication and are hard to access, and the less time you spend with your foot on the clutch pedal the better. With the exception of certain industrial clutches, such a...

To further flog the horse: I would not flat tow a T unless in an extreme emergency. The only correct way to flat tow a Model T is to remove the spark plugs and put the lever all the way forward. If you tow with a tow bar, Do NOT back up! The model T transmission has no neutral, unlike most transmiss...

The cutout has evidently failed. DO NOT run the engine anymore until you ground the generator terminal to the generator frame with a short piece of wire. That will disable the generator and the engine can then be run without damaging the generator until another cutout can be obtained, but there will...

Over-oiling can lead to nuisance issues. Under-oiling will result in serious damage. If you experience any over-oiling issues with a Texas T type high volume oiler, it's very easy to correct the problem. Over-oiling is very unlikely to occur with a mag post type auxiliary oiler.

Amen to that. We are blessed with beautiful, cool, sunny weather here for today. It will go downhill tomorrow, but not very bad. Cooler and wetter, but no ice or snow.

Made for Americans... But Russians like them too!

You don't need the extra oil with cast iron pistons and original style rings and the late type funnel. I'm not sure why the valve covers would leak unless the oil can't drain back as it should. If oil is piling up behind the covers, some of it might get past the intake valve guides. When my engine w...

Rare item. It will improve headlight operation on magneto-only cars.

It's most likely just getting more oil than it can handle. My car had a 1/2" copper line connecting the Texas T hogshead connection to the oil pan. I cut a section out of the copper line with a mini tubing cutter and replaced it with a length of rubber hose. I put a short length of rubber fuel line ...

Original style rings cannot give the oil control that modern type rings give. Any type of rings installed on used pistons with worn ring lands cannot give good oil control. The mag post type auxiliary oilers don't provide anywhere near the oil volume that the Texas T type provides. The Texas T oiler...

Don't use thick oil in a Model T. I run 10W30 full synthetic in my car with a Texas T oiler. It smoked a little at idle when I got it, using 0W20 oil and a wide open Texas T oiler. I put a restrictor in the Texas T oil line and eliminated the smoke. I run 10W30 synthetic because it gets very hot her...

I have a B-61 Mack with 5 /3.

Oil dumps at the front of the pan. Worn rings would be more likely to allow smoke, and stock T rings aren't the best for oil control. But modern rings in good condition will allow smoke if there is too much oil flooding the engine. Worn guides might contribute, but I think flooding the rings is the ...

I used a metering orifice to reduce the flow on mine. A valve would be better. I'd want a valve that opened to a 1/4 bore. That's more than needed, and if it did catch any debris, it would probably flush easily. My oiler with a restrictor has shown no indication of plugging in many thousands of mile...

Non-synchro gear boxes will shift with no grinding if handled correctly. You can actually shift one faster than most synchro boxes if you have good throttle control.

The Layne KC Warford is a constant mesh design, like many motorcycles.

He probably collected enough horseshoe nails to start a livery stable.

Did people ever use home-brew anti leak goop in tires back then? Maybe goat milk and black pepper, or oatmeal, or belly button lint? Some home-brew radiator anti-leak goops were widely known.

You can get anything you want.... excepting Alice.

In 1910, there was no income tax or "Social Security" tax. Banks paid interest on deposits. You owned your income. The roads, such as they were, were open to the public, with no requirement that you purchase an insurance company's product in order to use the public right of way. The U.S. dollar was ...

That's a great run for the conditions of that time.

I'm thankful that I will NOT be flying! But for those who will be, the weather is expected to be good here through Friday, and not too bad going into next week. Be careful out there!

Layne KC Warford ratios with stock Ford 3.64 ring & pinion: Ford Low, KC Low: ........18.4: 1 Ford Low, KC Direct: .....10.0: 1 Ford Low, KC Overdrive....8.3: 1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ford High, KC Low..........6.67:1 Ford High, KC Direct: .... 3.64:1 Ford High, KC Overdrive..3.02:1 You will a...

J&M has a fine reputation.

Check the ratios available with the KC Warford.

If affordable, I'd do a full rebuild and balance using aluminum pistons and modern rings. That gives you a dependable engine/transmission with minimal leaks, maximum fuel and oil economy, maximum durability and reliability, smoother running, hot magneto, and speeds up to 40 MPH or more, and freedom ...

Cast iron?

I believe that most or all NGK plugs are plated to resist seizing in aluminum heads.

Looks like a good design. I'd use NGK plugs.

Henry would be proud!

I wouldn't, at least not on a T. Some early 1928 Fords had a red steering wheel which had a reputation for turning the driver's palms red.

You can easily beat halogen headlights with 6 volt focused beam LED lights.

It sounds more like a cable problem than a starter problem from here.

Try this: Turn on your headlights and then step on the starter. If the lights get very dim when you step on the starter, you either have a bad connection somewhere or the battery is not fully charged or you have 12 volt style cables or the starter needs repair. The battery ground must make good cont...

What kind of battery cables are you using? Most cables available today are not suited for use on six volt systems. The dim headlight is probably due to a poor ground between the headlight mount and the fender bracket or between the bulb socket and the headlight shell or between the fender bracket an...

I think those will fit some Ford Falcons, too.

The primary winding of a modern ignition coil might serve the same purpose.

The inductor, a coil on a laminated iron core in series with the lighting circuit, acted to regulate AC current flow to the headlights on the magneto only cars. The inductive effect tended to support current flow at lower engine RPM and limit (choke) it at higher RPM / frequency. They were sold as a...

You'd need a modern set of points and condenser and a 4-lobe cam in the timer case to fire the modern coil. I don't think it has room for a high voltage rotor and contacts, and running the high tension plug wires from the timer area would be problematic. A moveable breaker plate would be needed. I t...

A brace across the seat back structure might be needed. Something like a second dashboard. The car would still lose some torsional stiffness, but as long as the doors stayed shut when driving, it wouldn't matter much. T touring cars and roadsters have very little torsional stiffness, and they do OK.

If I was wealthy, I'd get a nice late model T roadster and put a Ford V8 60 in it.

I'd want to put a late roadster/touring windshield on that, and add a second windshield at the front seat back with a removable soft top stretching from the remnant hard top to the second windshield. That would make a nice Town Car.

Looks sharp!

Ford built them out of parts, too!

Grounding the generator will bring output to zero, but using a resistive load to dump power would not. (?)

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