MTFCA Forum

John Codman

To George N Lake Ozark - Having removed the tank from my '27 open car twice, you are correct; it is a horrible job. We have been down this road before, but in my '27 touring, you will remove the gauge cluster (such as it is) and the steering column or the tank will stay in place. That's not what the...

John Codman

What you need to remember is that (in the OP) they were making parts for millions of cars and sold them in huge quantity. There are economies of scale. Today these parts are made in tiny quantities by what are essentially cottage industries that cannot operate on the profit margin of a large corpora...

John Codman

My T has a sealed bearing fan pulley to keep the pulley from slinging grease all over the engine compartment. I think Henry would have used it if it were available in 1927. I also have a modern, Berg's flat-tube radiator so that it cools beautifully. It also has Snyder's repro stainless spark and th...

John Codman

Here's mine from a couple of years ago.

John Codman

My '27 had the same issue and the problem wasn't just one thing. The tie rod ends were loose, the drag link was loose at the Pittman arm, and the column was loose at the block that mounts the column to the frame. The sun gear shaft that attaches to the steering wheel was also loose in the steering b...

John Codman

Thanks, guys.

John Codman

Any response to the OP will be just a guess, but I doubt that the tube was the cause. As was said earlier, any tube will fail if the tire slips off the rim when inflated. The issue has to be with either the rim or the tire bead. If you are positive that the rim is in good shape and reasonably clean ...

John Codman

Welcome aboard!

John Codman

I have the Ford "Bible" but it only outlines the procedure to adjust the clutch fingers if the clutch is slipping. I have the opposite issue- the "free clutch" isn't. Iwould like to do a clutch adjustment starting at the fingers - then move on to the linkage. Is there a specification for adjusting t...

John Codman

It turns out that my optimism was justified. I pulled the NH float bowl and the top gasket looked as though it had seen better days. I replaced it, and the O-ring on the bowl drain ans now the fuel is staying in the carburetor instead of pouring onto the floor. The gas smells bad though. I have the ...

John Codman

I hope that it is the shake-free mirror. If it is, I will order one.

John Codman

Nothing, but tomorrow I will crawl under to look at the carburetor. I was going to take the T for a quick spin, but when I turned on the gas, it poured out of the carburetor. The engine ran beautifully the last time I drove it, so I don't think it's a sticking float. My guess is a float bowl gasket....

John Codman

Due to salt, I would put my T away for the wintah when I lived in Massachusetts. The T was the first of three cars to go into the barn each winter, and putting it away was a bit of a hassle. I would back it into the barn, jack it up and put plates with wheels under the tires and push it sideways und...

John Codman

I wish you the best of luck on your purchase. I must say that I have have only once in my life purchased a used car that was as good as it was represented to be. As Freighter Jim mentioned, the misrepresentation was not always intentional, but only in rare cases will the seller of his/own free will ...

John Codman

I have the registration card plastic laminated at Staples, then keep them under the rear floor mat of my touring car.

John Codman

I definitely see why you are replacing the wood!

John Codman

I'm sure that the top on my '27 is not original - it has plastic instead of the isinglass, but the dimensions are 7" by 17 1/2". The top is in pretty good shape and I don't anticipate changing it anytime soon, but if I ever I do, the window will be larger and still plastic. The T is blind as a bat i...

John Codman

Hi Tom, I bought my first used car in 1959. I have purchased and eventually sold about 75 "pre-owned" cars. Exactly one of them was exactly as advertised. With the exception of a '62 Chrysler which I bought used from a Chrysler dealer, every one of them had something amiss that the seller knew or sh...

John Codman

I would not even consider driving a Model T that has been sitting for two years 2,000 miles home. The likelihood of making the trip without a significant mechanical failure is just about zero.

John Codman

Just a whisker off the original post, but as it deals with upholstery, perhaps I can get a question answered. When I bought my '27 Touring (March production date) the rear seat had obviously been redone. The rear seat and back have buttons on the pleats. The front seat was either original or was red...

John Codman

I spent 23 years spinning wrenches on cars for a living. Back then (1960 to about 1975 with a couple of short gaps) we thought nothing about blowing the dust out of drum brakes with compressed air. We knew the dust was asbestos, but the asbestos companies never said anything about the dust being esp...

John Codman

Yup, it's fall now - the grass will turn to tan from green, it won't rain until March, and the daytime temperatures will go from 90 to 80. I guess that I will probably have to start wearing socks again. The one thing we need here in Florida is a few more people from the Socialist Republic of Califor...

John Codman

If the rest of the cooling system is in good shape - no. If it's not, put it in good shape and the answer is still no.

John Codman

John Codman

Massachusetts does not allow restored YOM plates, but as was said earlier, people do it anyway. I'm not sure what their issue with restored plates is. Florida does allow restored plates, but you have to send the restored plate to the DMV in Tallahassee to be approved. There is a fee for this. As to ...

John Codman

I would doubt that the governor by himself has the authority to arbitrarily decide that you need new plates and double the cost.

John Codman

I do the same as Dlodge. I don't think the top has been down in the last three years. I get all the sun I need maintaining five acres.

John Codman

15 million plus Model Ts were made. All that were built with electrical systems were 6 volt. I could care less what you do with your car's electrical system, but if your T isn't running as it's supposed to on 6 volts (and the magneto), there is a problem. My approach would be to find it. If it's a s...

John Codman

I installed a reproduction manifold from Lang's several years ago. It fit perfectly, everything lined up, and it's run fine since the day that I installed it.

John Codman

I agree that the photo in the OP is a gas-mileage gimmick, but my Piper Comanche had a (very) soft Aluminum flow-director bolted under the carburetor. This was OE Lycoming. It was made of very soft Aluminum because it was not easily inspectable, and it was designed so that if a piece broke off, it w...

John Codman

FWIW: My T has a Massachusetts inspection sticker that expired in October of 1993 and is very clearly marked as such. Before moving to Florida, I drove it for four years in Massachusetts with the old sticker clearly visible. I have even given a police officer a ride in it. They can't be bothered wit...

John Codman

The rules are different if it's a joint-use base. Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA is such a base. I have flown my airplane into it many times and it's just another airport. To drive in however, you must tell the guard where you are going and why. I have never had my car searched, but I have heard that ...

John Codman

I lived in Massachusetts for decades and was a state vehicle inspector. You must have one red brakelight regardless of whether the car came with it or not. If you have a gas-era antique, you have to rig up some kind of a battery to power the light. I'll be honest with you, I never bothered with an i...

John Codman

I pulled the head off of my '27 a few years back. When inspecting the headbolts, there were a couple that I didn't like. I bought two repops from Lang's which looked better in every way then the originals. The length was correct. Maybe they are using a different vendpor now? I would think that moder...

John Codman

I guess folks living in New Jersey aren't too bright. The state government knows this. The proof? They still won't allow the citizens of the garden state to pump their own gas. The only reasonable reason is that NJ folk just aren't smart enough to accomplish this very difficult task. (Tongue firmly ...

John Codman

There has been considerable discussion about the proper engine paint color on this forum. As I recall, nobody has found a documented original engine that was stored well-enough that the exact color can be determined. In a lengthy thread a while back, the consensus was that "moleskin" was the correct...

John Codman

If you don't use the same torque wrench and setup (length of extension) on all of the bolts (capscrews if you want to be technically correct) they are not all torqued to the same value.

John Codman

I wouldn't blame the modern electronics.I think the blind spot sensors are awesome, and the bride's minivan backup cameras are a fantastic aid. One thing that I will never understand is why some yo-yos will drive right behind you when you are backing up and the backup lights are on. All of the moder...

John Codman

Now you know why I don't use Pay Pal (an oxymoron if there ever was one). I don't buy from any business that charges a fee for using a credit card. The ole checkbook still works.

John Codman

I replaced one incorrect headlight bar bolt with the correct carriage bolt, then replaced the incorrect hex nuts with square nuts. The old girl is actually running quite well, and I'm sort of playing around with simple little things. Will replace the hex nuts on the passenger' side next week.

John Codman

You don't need square or eight-point sockets for square nuts. Regular 12-point sockets work just fine. I installed a new carriage bolt and square nuts on the driver's side today with a 12-point socket. I was amazed that my local Ace Hardware store stocks square nuts!

John Codman

Lang's gets the bulk of my business, but I also try to spread what little that I spend around to other suppliers as well.

John Codman

Thanks! Doer anybody have four good square headlight bolts that they would like to sell to me?

John Codman

I need to replace one incorrect headlight bar bolt on my '27 with the correct carriage bolt. The issue is that I don't know whether the nuts are supposed to be square or hex. The three original-looking carriage bolts have hex nuts, but the taillight bracket has square nuts. I would have thought Ford...

John Codman

I got the commutator harness properly located and clipped in place, then it was time for a road test of the rebuilt coils and the new harness. The old girl ran just about the best that it ever has. The coils that I sent to Ron were not factory coils; the ones that I got back were original-style Ford...

John Codman

Not yet.

John Codman

I too rode the Durango and Silverton when it was owned by the D&RGW railroad. It is a trip that every railfan should have on his/her bucket list.

John Codman

To otrcman - That's funny! My bride also had a tired old Studebaker while she was in college, it had the same issue as yours, and her solution was the same as yours as well.

John Codman

Here's mine - my first and only.

John Codman

My axle definitely does not look like the '27 in the photo.

John Codman

I talked to the folks at Lang's about the clip(s) to hold the harness to the front water outlet. They suggested a pair of their #5033 clips face to face. This surrounds the harness so that it can't slip out of the clips, yet is loose enough that the harness can slip a bit. This worked so well that I...

John Codman

The T was not the first car produced on an assembly line.

John Codman

I go along with Les Schubert. I would dump a gallon or so into your daily driver that has about 3/4 tank of gas already. It'll burn. Repeat until the gas is gone.

John Codman

I also have a Berg's radiator, and the original petcock fit perfectly. Unless Berg's didn't tap the hole properly, I would take a close look at the petcock. Once you modify that radiator, Berg's is off the hook for any other problems, so I would be absolutely positive of what the issue is prior to d...

John Codman

fschrope is technically correct, but there is no adjustment of caster on a Model T that doesn't involve a gas wrench. The actual caster setting is built in through the perches.

John Codman

I agree with Scottio, but would suggest a couple of shots of good Bourbon and a period of doing something else before trying the mechanical finger thing.

John Codman

I saw that thread and made the not-difficult decision not to open it.

John Codman

Holy s--t!

John Codman

Remember that when you are 90% finished, you only have 90% to go.

John Codman

Can someone post a clear photo of an "improved car" front axle? In the parts section a poster commented that all of the '26 and '27 Model Ts had a dip in the center of the axle. I have no reason to believe that the axle in my '27 has ever been swapped, but it doesn't appear to have a dip in it. I'm ...

John Codman

Just curious - My '27 Touring's front axle definitely does not have a dip in the center. Does the tudor use a different axle? I have no reason to believe that the axle has ever been replaced.

John Codman

That's a fun little airplane. I flew one back in the early '70s. I bought a '67 with the electric 40 degree flaps. Cessna screwed the 150 up when they changed it to 24 volts and limited the flaps to 30 degrees.

John Codman

I have installed the new commutator harness. While looking at the harness that came with the car, I decided that Henry would not positioned the harness as it was on my '27. In another thread I asked if anyone knew for sure how it was originally routed? I got an answer and found that the T didn't hav...

John Codman

Thanks humblej.

John Codman

I'm with Greg, if you drained the oil into a clean pan, reuse it.

John Codman

I just replaced the timer (commutator) wiring harness on my '27. The old harness was routed under the front coil box bracket that holds the box to the head. A previous owner had put a tie wrap around the harness and the bracket to hold the harness a fraction of an inch off of the head. That's sure n...

John Codman

Since my '27 is laid up waiting for rebuilt coils, I decided to replace the commutator harness. One wire had been positioned poorly and was rubbing against the spark rod. I had bought a complete set of harnesses back in 2015, but had replaced only the lighting and horn harnesses. I have new harnesse...

John Codman

Ron Patterson was recommended to me by a Friend in Massachusetts who had his done by Ron. Actually Ron has my coils right now. As to the timer, I replaced mine with a reproduction from Lang's. It solved the problem and works well. I have no experience with the electronic units.

John Codman

RustyFords commented that some parts of California are considering splitting off and forming another state. Although this is legal under the US constitution, it is not under the California constitution. To allow a split there would have to be a constitutional convention where the California legislat...

John Codman

I'd settle for an eight month wait. Nobody makes tanks for the improved cars.

John Codman

I pulled the coils out of my '27 and sent them off to Ron Patterson for servicing. While at it, I looked at the primary wire connection at the bottom of the coil box and didn't like what I saw. I disassembled the connection, cleaned it thoroughly, and reassembled it. The next significant project wil...

John Codman

Before I replaced the non-leaking radiator in my '27, the engine would overheat in 15 minutes whether idling or driving. I installed a new Berg's flat-tube radiator and now I can't make it overheat.

John Codman

I agree with Steve Jelf. Why buy a T and then start changing the things that make it a T?

John Codman

I just go to Wal-Mart. There are only a handful of lead-acid battery manufacturers in the USA anyhoo, so why overthink it?

John Codman

I did take my flag-bedecked T out this AM. After about three miles it dropped a cylinder. It's either plugs or coils - in another post I asked for Ron Patterson's contact information so that I can send my coils to him for rebuilding.

John Codman

The reason that I don't leave the key in my Model T is because I'm afraid that some jerk would steal the key, not the car.

John Codman

Does anyone have the contact information for Ron Patterson? I need my coils rebuilt. Thanks.

John Codman

I am a bit confused by your comment that the car needs all new wiring, but you don't want anything that looks new on the car. I would install a new harness. It's a lot less work and cheaper then redoing the car after a fire. The very first thing that I did on my T was to replace the harness. You als...

John Codman

I am a bit confused by your comment that the car needs all new wiring, but you don't want anything that looks new on the car. I would install a new harness. It's a lot less work and cheaper then redoing the car after a fire. The very first thing that I did on my T was to replace the harness. You als...

John Codman

If I have time. We have some friends coming over for dinner and I'll have to shovel out the house first.

John Codman

Assuming that the 5:1 set is on an "improved car," what will happen is that with the 4:1 gears, the thing will steer hard as Hades. Remember that it has the low-pressure big tires. I'd think long and hard about doing that swap. Ford changed to 5:1 gears for a reason.

John Codman

I didn't read all of the posts in this thread, but on top-post batteries I have used two pairs of vice grips on the posts ever since I loaned my post strap to someone - I don't remember who - and never got it back. That was about 40 years ago; I'm guessing that he isn't going to return it.

John Codman

My '27 simply will not overheat with a 50/50 ethylene glycol/water mix. If you have a clean cooling system with a good radiator the system will work fine.

John Codman

#9 is dead wrong. Henry Ford was not a racist, and he was known for paying black employees at the same rate as whites. He was an anti-Semite though.

John Codman

I relate well to the first two posts. I too became involved in too many diverse hobbies. I simply couldn't dedicate enough time to any to become really proficient in them. About 10 years ago I started lightening the load, and have shed several hobbies that I liked, but didn't love. The horses are go...

John Codman

I would not take my T to a body shop that hadn't done another T first. I have run across a few good body shops, but I have found five bad ones for every good one. I presently have one fender that I would like to have sandblasted and painted, but I'm relatively new here in SW Florida and have no idea...

John Codman

The only reason that you should become involved with any hobby is because you want to. I would suggest asking the question "do I really want to own an old, slow car?" If the answer is yes, then ask yourself "How much time and money can I afford?" If the answer to time is a significant amount, you at...

John Codman

A little OT but when I clicked on the link to the ad, I discovered that there were several "related cars" listed as well. One was a yellow sorta speedster. The ad said that it was in Portland CT. I think that's where Wayne Carini's "Chasing Classic Cars" F-40 Motorsports is located, and the building...

John Codman

It is not my intent to hijack the thread, but does anyone know where I can get a couple of those curtain hole covers? Both of the plugs depicted in Dan's door photo are missing on my car.

John Codman

If I even suggested to my wife that I put one of those on display in our house, I'd be sleeping in the garage for a month!

John Codman

I wonder if it's a Sterling? There were still a few much later Sterling chain drive trucks around when I was a kid in the early '50s. I remember talking to one Sterling driver who said that the Sterling was the best "pit truck" ever because the differential was bolted to the frame up high, so there ...

John Codman

Followed a suggestion in another thread and soaked the top hold-down straps on my '27 touring in Neatsfoot oil. What a difference!

John Codman

BTW: To clarify my last post, I do know that E85 and 15% ethanol are not the same thing.

John Codman

A bit of reality here - A gallon of pure gasoline contains 114,000 BTUs of heat energy. A gallon of Ethanol contains 76,100 BTUs. Mix gasoline and Ethanol in a 90:10 ratio and you have a gallon of fuel with 110,210 BTUs of heat energy. Do the same in an 85:15 ratio and the gallon has 108,315 BTUs. A...

John Codman

Unlike modern automobiles, the T gas tank is vented directly to the atmosphere. If air couldn't get into the tank, the gas flowing to the carburetor would create a vacuum and the fuel flow would stop. I would be much more surprised to not smell gasoline then the opposite.

John Codman

At 70 (or even 50) I can understand balancing tires, but with the large diameter of model T wheels - even the improved car tires, the rotational speed is quite low. I too have balanced thousands of wheels (I worked in a tire store for 10 years) and from my experience if a tire and wheel has a discer...

John Codman

Balance the tires on a 35-40 mph vehicle? Why?

John Codman

I'll go with the set it where it sounds best and forgeddaboudit. I'll also go with Ron Patterson's advice to have the spark lever a couple of notches down when you start the car. My '27 will not start with the spark fully retarded.

John Codman

Lang's lists one on Page 146 of their current paper catalog.

John Codman

I use kitty litter and a piece of board with a bit of elbow grease.

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