MTFCA Forum

IMG_5846 copy.JPG Today I installed the contact on the mag ring. Not having an odd size long rivet like the original, I put it on with a machine screw. I'll put a nut on the back, trim off most of the screw, and solder the nut to keep it in place. A solder blob will go over the top screw for the ma...

Saturday''s mail brought me the January Funny Times. Today the February issue arrived. I guess they're catching up.

Dick, the spinning motor should have something adjustable that contacts the diaphragm to vibrate it. Mine just needed a bit of 3 in 1 oil to make it work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKzJP6XJIVY

The comments about Joshua Tree weather made me think of this photo of Mom in December, 1967. Yes, it does get chilly there.

Immunizing 70% of the population (about 231,000,000 people) is a huge goal. Doing "only" a million a day takes you into September. I'll be surprised if it's done by summer, as some suggest might be possible. US News reports 20,500,000 done so far. That's less than a million a day. Production, distr...

I thought the Canadians drove on the same side as the USA.

It varied by province. Some were RHD and some were LHD. Maybe somebody who knows more about it can provide some details.

From what I've seen at the OCF, gas lights are pretty good, and Ford's 1915 conversion to mag lights provided convenience but not better lighting. I haven't driven by gas lighting, but I suspect it's better than mag lights, which range from barely adequate to dangerous.

I was at home in California, so maybe it's Harry. It can't be Ward Bond. Wrong hat.

If you look through the pictures again you'll see a little bit of a 1915 peeking out from under the mountain of junk. The auction is still three weeks away, so maybe by then they'll have things somewhat sorted out so you can see what's what. This is about a half hour north of me, so I'll go check i...

The encyclopedia only says "late in calendar year 1926". How late? October? November? December? Dunno.

Here are the formula numbers Bruce gives in the encyclopedia.

This low drum looked OK when the transmission was rebuilt. I'll replace it with one of Dave Nolting's new drums. Yes, it's expensive. But I won't worry about it going to pieces hundreds of miles from home.

I echo the "EZ 66 Travel Guide" by McClanahan. We used some old old paper maps from eBay... some silly YouTube videos by Justin Scared... USGS topographical maps... satellite photos of the actual old road. [/size] I've used Google satellite where my first choice wasn't available. That first choice ...

check the latest on-line catalogue...you'll have to add $10 to that. [/size] Wow! $32.95 for rubber stems and $49.95 for metal. So the difference is now $17. All the more reason to buy rubber and cut them off. Blockley 30 x 3½ tubes are metal stem only, and at £29 they're now $10 less than Lang's. ...

But where would you & your T stay safe in Chicago? [/size] I went through town on Harlem Avenue (IL-43), and I sure didn't have to worry about anybody speeding. It was mile after mile of stop and crawl. If I go through Chicago again I'll try to find a street where the traffic can keep up with a Mod...

...if you had clincher rims, you'd find that the best price was not $19, but about $34 for rubber stems. [/size] 30 x 3½ rubber stem tubes are $22.50 from Lang's. 21" rubber stem tubes are $24.95. Metal stem tubes in both sizes are $37.95. For the difference of $14 each I'm perfectly willing to buy...

On December 18 I mailed a letter to my cousin in Denver. I wasn't paying attention and used her old address, so it was returned to me. Today. Five weeks later.

Yes, it's aftermarket. Fords didn't come from the factory with costly gewgaws.

Just cut off the rubber stems and use old metal ones.

You will get lots of suggestions from others. I always recommend spare gas. Those running board cans have saved me an unplanned long walk more than once. In a Model T, of course you will stay off the interstates. You can do that on much of old 66. But in a few places the old roadway has been replac...

You're lucky they've never lost a package. I sent a speedometer cable to Russ Furstnow. It got to somewhere in Arizona but never made it to Flagstaff. Because it wasn't a new product with a store receipt the so-called insurance was worthless. I no longer waste money on the insurance.

Where are these made?

Have you inspected them closely all over? Hartford (China) and Custom Classic (India) are marked with the country of origin. EEC tubes (Europe) don't specify which country. EEC is all they have on them.

For me the same goes for trying to straighten an exhaust manifold. [/size] After going to the scrap yard and buying a piece of I-beam to make the jig, I might as well keep doing it. :D The last time I checked, the only new exhaust manifolds available were 25-27 style. If your older T is a show car,...

Anyone still making the linkage set up ?

Rich Baughman. http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/59 ... 1468453589

I made this to get my ribbons a straight. Locking pliers on both ends and an all thread screw to pull the ribbon tight. It stretches the ribbons so that when you rewind them you have a little extra sticking out on the end.

I called Oskosh plating and the will zinc plate five rims for 75.00

Hot dip, or electroplate? As Allan said, the former will last longer.

We are looking for comments on would you or would you not attend the Phoenix pre-war car and parts swap meet in October of this year, as attendee or vendor.

I hope that's late October, well after Hershey.

Galvanized = zinc plated. Different terms for the same thing. Galvanizing/plating is done by two methods — hot dip and electroplating. I don't know which method was used originally on rims. At auctions I buy old galvanized nails by the can because they were hot dipped. The galvanized nails currentl...

...I get my long stem rubber tubes from langs...

What brand?

...I once read was cadmium plating and not galvanized... [/size] What you read was bogus, Jim. Cad plating was first used commercially in the thirties. Model T rims were galvanized. IMG_3820 copy 2.JPG In 2012 I had seven rims hot dip galvanized at the Valmont galvanizing plant in Claremore, near T...

Some people assume that all products from China are trash, but my experience has been the same as Adam's — no problems with Hartford. I cut off the rubber stems and install metal. I have one EEC tube, but haven't used it yet.

Uh-oh. If it's a fiber gear I would make it a wall hanger and put in an original or one of Dan's.

What weekend in March are they looking at?

http://pre-war.com/

I believe the glass bowl filter from TSC is superfluous. It won't hurt anything, but it's just a repeat of the stock sediment bowl under the tank. Neither the glass bowl nor the sediment bulb will stop very fine rust particles that can clog your carb. VOE. The only cure for that is a clean tank. Yo...

Looks like a snake that swallowed a big egg.

Do they have a brand name? If they're not Custom Classic I would try them. If they are, I would return them.

Are the chains for snow, or mud?

Perhaps I'm mistaken about this being a Hayes felloe. Maybe it's Ford. Either way, the Hayes rims fit it perfectly, and it's what I use. There's no doubt about what the rims are, as the name is stamped on their lugs.

US 2 is the northernmost federal highway running east-west. The eastern section is from Holton ME to Burlington VT. The western part is from Mackinac Bridge to Snohomish. US highways are numbered north to south (even) and east to west (odd). Interstates are the opposite, numbered south to north (ev...

I wonder if somebody has installed too stiff a spring in the brush. I suppose the absence of the original style brass/felt seal could put the cover too close to the brush, but that hasn't been a problem for me.

January 1924 Service Bulletin Screen Shot 2021-01-20 at 10.41.16 AM.png Screen Shot 2021-01-20 at 10.41.41 AM.png Screen Shot 2021-01-20 at 10.42.11 AM.png Somebody mentioned a rim shop? [/size] There are shops that specialize in straightening bent wheels. A Google search should find some of them.

As a kid I didn't care for the desert, but I came to love it, including Joshua Tree. Having been there many times, I hope to do it in a Model T someday. Got to stop at Hadley's and get some figs.

Just thought of something else you may not know if you've never been out west. Bring some warm clothes. On much of your route you won't need them. But in parts of the Mountain West nights can be chilly, and there are even some chilly or cold days in the middle of summer. I was once driving in Yello...

The states we are hitting include PA, OH, MI, IN, MO, KS, OK, CO, WY, NV, and CA. [/size] Don't forget IL and UT. :D There are so many great places to see that four or five weeks won't be enough for all of them. Here are a few: Springfield IL, Lincoln home & old state capitol, Lincoln's New Salem V...

Wheel 1 and Rim 1 are Hayes. The rim may have the Hayes name on the outside of the lug. I don't know about the others.

After my experience with some NOS New Zealand Firestones, I will not use old tires again, no matter how good they were thirty years ago and how perfect they look now. They proved to my dissatisfaction that rubber deteriorates with age. Country roads ate 'em up PDQ.

My comment on that FB question: Remember that after 100+ years water passages may be much larger than they were when the engine was new.

Being of the elderly persuasion I made sure I got on the list for shots. I hope to be immunized well before Chickasha, and plan to unload a pile of valuable treasures.

...the bead seems to appear a damaged and cracked?

Not only the bead. It looks like the sidewall is cracked too. If this is an old, hard tire, as it appears to be, that would explain the difficult mount, and I wouldn't trust it.

IMG_0171 copy.JPG Here's a valve stem cover and a rim nut, brass version. Larry will tell you this is not correct, and he's right. The modern metal stems, and the originals I use, are larger than the Schrader 777 used by Ford. As Dude Lester said, "It don't hurt the runnin' of it none." 14 IMG_0484...

I borrowed a lathe at the juco to make these.

I cut the rod from a scrap axle shaft.

The bridge washer should be securely on the tube before you start. A new one is good enough for a new metal stem, but an original stem should have an original washer. The rim nut is tightened after the tire is in place. The tube should have just enough air to hold its shape. Allan's instructions ar...

Pictures can be deceiving, but I agree it doesn't look bad at all. It also looks like your doors are tall enough, but measure and be sure.

There is not enough to time to plan a swap meet for Phoenix this year.

Yes, if nothing else you need to get the advertising out well
in advance. Reserving a location would need to be done well ahead of time too.

It does look like a 1922, or close to it. Folks are often mistaken about the model year of these old Fords. They may misremember what they're told, or they may be told by somebody who is mistaken. That's very common, and many times they are even titled and registered with a mistaken model year. For...

Some folks stuff rags into the transmission to catch any nuts or washers that might be dropped when removing or installing them. Just be sure you count the rags going in and coming out.

I have the book in Jim's first picture. It's also known as the Model T Encyclopedia. I also have the disk version, which is even better because of all the extras it includes. I believe the computer package now comes on a flash drive. I call it the best fifty bucks you can spend on a Model T. http:/...

The Sonoran desert is lovely in the spring. I would go (after I've had my shots).

I agree that backing in would probably be your best approach. Coming out you will be going forward and will have better control on that slope. But back in slowly with the hand lever in neutral. I don't have a 20% slope, but I back in. Lay a 2 x 4, or better yet a 4 x 4, on the garage floor where yo...

The early morning back lighting doesn't allow sign reading, but it looks like CR 300N east of Stone Bluff with a little jog north at US 41.

Little jog, looking south.

I see by your profile that you've been with us for a couple of years, so this is not a new passion for you. Presumably you already know a little about Model T's, but you may not be fully aware of the market. As Dave says, when you get into the alphabet Fords (Models A through S) you're talking seri...

One dating clue that hasn't been mentioned is the hand brake quadrant.
2 rivets = 25-27
4 rivets = 1924 or earlier.

Here's a somewhat better copy of the service bulletin drawing. Screen Shot 2021-01-16 at 1.27.15 PM.png It shows one hole (E) inside the closed throttle and one outside (D), so your situation is not normal according to the drawing. Here's the complete explanation from the service bulletin: Screen S...

https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18388 I'll go to the preview and scout out what's there. From the pictures it looks like there will be a few reasons for me to return for the auction. I don't understand the 10% "buyer's premium". It just cuts down what I'm willing to bid. Reminds me...

The TT in the shed is about the only one that looks like it might have been somewhat protected as it still has paint on it.

I think I see one other T that's in a building that hasn't collapsed, but it's so covered by junk that it's hard to tell.

Today I made the insulators that go between the coils and the ring. I don't really understand their function, but I see them in original mag rings so I'll use them. IMG_5835 copy.JPG IMG_5836 copy.JPG IMG_5837 copy.JPG IMG_5838 copy.JPG Coils wrapped with fiberglass tape and sprayed with four coats...

Lower glass for my 1915 windshield was $48.78 at the local glass shop, so I figure if I'd needed the top too it would have cost a little under $100 for the two pieces.

Getting it registered as an early brass era car would certainly make your T worth much more than if you were to get it registered as a more common 1924... [/size] I disagree. As Jim says, what's on the registration doesn't change what it really is, and an honest seller has to identify honestly what...

Well at least everyone that was going to attend these swap meets can still go to Walmart and other Covid free places. [/size] Despite the accelerating infection rate, I still see plenty of barefaced anti-science geniuses in the local Walmart. I just hope they don't kill me before I can get my shots...

Would you also replace the 3 brake drums of the gearbox? [/size] There is only one brake drum in the transmission. In front of it are the low drum and the reverse drum. All of them are 7½". I don't know why you would need to measure them, but it's good to inspect them closely for cracks or other da...

It's hard to beat a pair of ROUNDHOUSE Bibbs!!

A couple of snappy dressers.

What John said. I was able to pull the cracked glass out of my 1915 windshield frame and remove the brass channel intact. The local glass shop had a replacement ready for me the next day, and I probably paid much less than I would have spent having it shipped from a parts dealer.

If you had a time machine and could fetch a brand new 1916 Ford, could you get $7020 for it today? I should say so. That's a low price for a factory fresh 1916.

I believe it's always in the middle of April, but there's nothing about it on the club website.
https://www.hcca.org/calendar.php

Don, you can buy feed sack by the yard. https://www.etsy.com/listing/687250376/1930s-reproduction-farm-girl-vintage-by?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-craft_supplies_and_tools-fabric_and_notions-fabric&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQiA9P__BRC0ARIsAEZ6irjn1e88KFG72VMq...

Some rust removers don't remove only rust. They attack the metal under the rust. I found this with a carburetor body I let soak too long.

Gary Cooper.png I debated with myself whether this was OT or not, and I decided not. Some T folks like to wear period clothes to match their cars. If you're looking for appropriate men's attire for the twenties, this will give you some good examples of what to look for. https://www.youtube.com/watc...

Here's some of what Bruce says about hubcaps. The encyclopedia has photos and drawings.

Parts salad. The body is similar to a 1911-12 runabout, but that extra tall firewall suggests aftermarket, probably (very nicely) home made. It has parts from various years. The hood is 15 or 16. The fenders are 1914 or earlier. The springs are 1917-18 or later. The headlights are 1915 or later (le...

Here's one of those caps with the manufacturer's mark, in this case a W.

This cap with an Alemite fitting soldered in is marked R.

Rough pits: What Mark said. Fill and smooth. IMG_0021.JPG I use the original style clamps but I replace the round head screws with fillister heads to give the screwdriver a better grip. Instead of sealant I slather on some grease so it will be easy to remove the hose if I have to. BUT if I have to ...

I assume that any glass company should be able to cut me a proper size replacement?

You assume correctly.

IMG_2848 copy.JPG I rented a U-haul to bring this car home from the Phoenix area. It was fine except for the "wheel baskets", which would not stay on. Fortunately I had my own straps to keep the car in place. Caution: don't strap in the center of the axles, and don't pull forward on the front axle....

... most likely will go very cheap. [/size] Now that a lot of T guys know about it, maybe not. :) This is in pretty flat country, only a few miles northeast of Douglass, so I expect there is cell coverage. In one of the pictures it looks like the nose of a 1915 peeking out from under the mess. Can'...

As John says, you're not the first.

I can turn it over by hand, but it takes a lot of pull and push on the down stroke. [/size] DON'T DO THAT!!! I'm shouting because I broke an arm that way, and it hurts like hell. I passed out on the ground and when I came to I drove to the hospital one-handed. If you're starting on BAT you don't ne...

I've never seen them before. I assume they're not common. I have a couple of dozen different brands picked up at swap meets, and this is not one of them. I'm not really a plug collector, but Terry Bond is. Maybe he will comment.

In ignorance I used zinc ammonium chloride as a flux when soldering mag coils. Subsequently I learned that it will corrode copper, so I need to get rid of any that may still be present (https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18295). I've been searching the internet to find what will neutr...

All it takes is a good stiff breeze off that normally 60 degree ocean and you have "jacket weather". [/size] Boy, that's for sure. I lived in Lomita, 4½ miles from the ocean. I recall once setting off Fourth of July fireworks and having to go in the house and get a coat. Meanwhile, folks out in the...

Can you elaborate on what exactly "tinning butter" is? [/size] Here you go, Jerry. IMG_5824 copy.JPG IMG_5825 copy.JPG I bought it to use with body solder and mistakenly figured it would be OK for soldering mag coils, not realizing that it's corrosive to copper. It's not OK for that, as our friend ...

Yes, you do see a few things advertised at laughably high prices. Maybe somebody who doesn't know any better will pay twenty grand for that 1923 runabout, but probably not. Either way, I don't lose any sleep over it. I may take the time to see what similar items sell for elsewhere, but more likely ...

WARNING: DON'T DO IT! Last night I received an email from a forum member who was kind enough to give me a heads-up on what I had done wrong. I'm posting it here because I don't want anybody to see what I did ignorantly and think it's a good idea: I cannot overstate the fact that tinning butter is h...

How do you know if a horn is for mag or battery? Look down the bell. If it has an adjusting screw in the center of the diaphragm it's a magneto horn.

I've tried a mag horn and a Stewart mechanical horn on my 1915. The mechanical horn is better.

Vern, how did you cut these? They look neater than mine.

Insulation between coil halves: Yes, I have that. IMG_5809 copy.JPG IMG_5810 copy.JPG Each half of the double coil has a layer of Kapton™ so that when the two halves are joined they have two layers of insulation between them. IMG_5817.JPG The only place current can go from one half to the other is ...

IMG_5823 copy.JPG The later mag rings have insulators like this under the coils. The only double stack mag ring I've inspected is the one I'm rebuilding, and it was done before, maybe fifty or sixty years ago. It didn't have them. Should I use these? What are they supposed to do? The coils are alre...

...they are absolutely indispensable as a traveling navigator.

I'll buy handy. But indispensable? No sale. There is this invention called the map.

There were other aftermarket electric and mechanical horns also. Both are louder than bulb horns. Accessory mechanical horns were widely used on mid-teens Fords because they're louder than a magneto horn too.

Today I wrapped sixteen double coils with that ½" tape. I used a little under 19 yards, so you have plenty.

I would use paste wood filler on that oak before staining. And yes, try your finish on a scrap before you do the firewall. Cutting out a firewall should produce plenty of scrap for practice.

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