MTFCA Forum

For driving in the central region of the lower 48, a stock Model T (in good condition) is plenty good enough. It's east of Wheeling or west of Denver where a Ruckstell becomes important. If you're attending the tour from out of state and not likely to get back to Michigan for a long time, the Gilmo...

Whether you buy this T or another one, your location is a plus. You live in the largest county in the USA, and it has some good Model T roads (and off-roads).

You might find a good original at Luray, Hershey, Bakersfield, etc. But going there is likely to cost more than a new manifold.

£42-£35=£7 VAT. In Britain the tax is 20%!

The last I knew, somebody was still selling Crystal timers. I believe the seller had a sizeable stash of them inherited from a relative. Their Achilles heel was the pot metal which changed over 100 years. It seems to me that somebody found a solution to that problem. Maybe somebody with a better me...

IMG_0418 copy.JPG Joe took this picture of me sitting in his 1913 in Weiser ID. The building is Weiser Care, the rehab center there where I spent three weeks of my recuperation. Of the several pictures that day (December 17) this is the only one that isn't hopelessly blurry. The camera I recently g...

Look inside the cap. In the center of each contact is a little hole. In an original New Day the little hole is a rectangle. There may be a repop with rectangular holes, but if you see round holes or none at all you know it's not original.

I got "the rest of 2023" posted, but the combination of age, TBI, and changes by the hosting company are making it hard to post the start of 2024, especially a page with a picture. This old dog may learn the new tricks eventually, but it's tough sledding so far.

I've had no trouble using Uncle Stan's method.

I switched to a 12 volt battery in my 1915 runabout. It wasn't for
starting, but for the added 12 volt tail lights, brake lights, and turn signals. I might have eventually installed a carrier, but until then I kept the battery in the trunk. I kept t up with a magneto battery charger.

My set (1919-1927) is good enough for me. They are in my encyclopedia file, but I may have downloaded them from Cimorelli. It would be nice to have an index. Has anybody done one?

"Time to Re-tire"

Yep, 1915.

After a struggle with the digital demons I have finally added a little to my blog. A few people here and elsewhere have asked about it. This gives a brief overview of my last Model T adventure that became six months of...
https://dauntlessgeezer.com/blog923.html

I haven't seen it. Can you post a link?
It's the pop-ups that won't go away that set me off.

Yes, that could be your problem. But a continuously buzzing coil can also come from the top timer terminal touching the control rod, so check that while you're at it. Maybe you can guess how I know this.

Yes, some of us enjoy the privilege of living where there are hundreds of miles of great Model T (or Model TT) roads. I was born in Los Angeles County and raised in L. A. traffic, so it doesn't scare me. But it has reached the point where I much prefer living in a comparatively remote location that...

You can disregard names like Hunter Green, Midnight Blue, Old Man Gray, and so on. Half a dozen companies can come up with half a dozen names for the same color. Allan has it right. If you can find someplace on the car with unfaded original paint, have the paint store mix a matching color.

If I wanted extra speed from a TT, I would want better brakes, too.

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG82.html

Unless this is a special aftermarket manifold, it's one of nearly two million made by Ford in 1925. The same manifold was made in other peak production years. I expect a good manifold would cost a lot less than a giant die.

When all else fails, read the instructions.

You also...could go to TJ.

That reminds me that years ago I had to replace a window in a Suburban, and found that the prices there were less inflated than in California. The Mexicans beat the pants off any of the shops around L .A. That may not always be true, but it sure was for me.

Other clues pointing towards a 1926 model year are wire wheels and the engine-mounted coil box. Before the 26-27 models, wire wheels were an after-market purchase not supplied by Ford. In getting the car ready to drive, this may help: https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG93.html

...I can't remember their brand name, think it begins with the letter "H". Haven't had any problems. Hartford. I've been using those, and I don't attribute any tire problems to them. I buy them with rubber stems to save money, and replace those with original Schraeder metal stems. Some folks object...

Value also depends on history. If you know it has been rebuilt by a pro (Joe Bell, Mike Bender, Erik Barret, etc.) that's one thing. If the history is unknown, that's quite another. The latter case is much more of a gamble.

What do the old light, medium, and heavy grades of oil of 100 years ago mean today?

https://modeltfordfix.com/care-and-feed ... d/#more-31

I can't recommend a brand or model, because the business end of this stand is home made. But I can tell you about some features. One is the part that attaches to the engine. At the bottom it has two pegs that fit into pan bolt holes. At the top are two holes for water inlet bolts. The thing is made...

Here is the service bulletin page describing how to check the fuel level in the Holley G carburetor. Somewhere I have seen measurements for the gauge. If that was in a service bulletin I missed it. Where did I see that?

...the G is quite particular on fuel level in the well...

There's a little tool for setting the fuel level in a G. If nobody sells the tool you can make it yourself. Somewhere I've seen the measurements for the tool, but I don't recall where.

Have you tried the MTFCA Carburetor book? The list of people who worked on it reads like a Who's Who of Model T experts, so It may be useful. The G I like best is the bronze version. It cleans up very pretty.

Split rims are a fine example of a common human tendency: The answer to any perceived problem, or potential problem, is to complicate. Thus, after many years of using standard clincher rims, Ford changed to split rims. This tendency has become prevalent in the Digital Age.

Yes, there was a Ruckstell rear axle for the TT. A few years ago there was an auction at the homecoming, and a TT Ruckstell sold for $10. I have one that was given to me, but I haven't investigated its condition. TT front wheels were car wheels, whichever style was current at the time.

If you buy them in pairs, the cost of each order is so low you don't pay import taxes. I waited until the first order was delivered, then ordered the second pair. That way there's no way the two orders can accidentally get combined into one more expensive shipment. Both times I placed the order ear...

It's not difficult to make your own switch. 1: sheet metal scraps to make a "body" and lever. 2: spring attached to the pedal shaft and the lever. 3: The least expensive push button temporary switch from the hardware store. When you step on the pedal, the spring pulls the lever against the push but...

It was wonderful to see old friends and meet in person some of the folks I've admired from afar. 1: Phone photos don't let you read the details, but Ed Archer is presenting the Rosenthal Award to Steve. 2: I asked Ed if he came in #4, but he traveled modern this time. 3: I knew it was coming, but i...

I doubt that there are any "Coker tubes". Tube brands I have bought are Custom Classic (which I avoid) and Hartford (bought from Coker and other tire dealers. If you want to pay more, you can get top-of-the-line Blockleys. I have never had to cut a tire to make it fit. I use Allan's method, with on...

When I was staying with my brother in California, I had a call from Kim Dobbins. He volunteered to take me for a Model T ride. He came to pick me up in what appeared to be a home made truck on a Model T chassis. Pretty neat. We went to see Larry Smith, who also lives in Lomita. They are just two or...

Couldnt seem to find Blockleys, I assume that a UK supplier? Yes. If you decide to go with quality, buy them one or two at a time to avoid import taxes. After you receive the first shipment, order the next (and the next if you need more than four). This assures that you won't receive more than two ...

I have never taken a motel room at Chickasha. I have always slept in one of the buildings, either with a sleeping bag on the floor or in the Suburban. At Hershey I have stayed in the Camry Motel, with a driver's seat that leans way back. Luxury accommodations are a waste of dough if you've been cam...

If you need any help fixin the ignition coils...

That will be after I get them home from Indiana and find out what their condition is.

If the rim has gotten wet enough for the tire to be rusted to it, removing the tire gets harder.

I expect there are folks desperate to finish their26 or 27 who would be willing to spend $125. The catch is that you have to find them.

As this began with spark plugs, I'll post about those. I have used Autolite 3095 before and they were good (mostly) for about a year. They are the least expensive Model T plugs, generally priced between $2.50 and $5.00. The classic OEM spark plug for Model T is Champion X. If you don't mind spendin...

For many years there have been (or were) fall and spring meets at Chickasha. They were open to prewar and postwar cars and parts, with the latter predominating. I suspect Joe Ersland's prewar meet was an answer to that. I don't know the current status of those other meets.

Some T parts aren’t being reproduced and when you find one you need its worth it. And one that's notoriously NOT reproduced is the 26-27 cowl tank. Occasionally one may be sold cheap at an auction, but except for that rare exception they tend to be high. With an ordinary oval or round tank costing ...

...and the Indian Test pattern... [/size] I was in third grade. After school, which let out at three, I stopped at Jimmy's house on the way home. Jimmy's family had a TV set. He turned it on and showed me that test pattern. Shows didn't come on until evening. Later that year I would walk two blocks...

Yes, 1, 2, 4, 3 is correct, whether you're using a timer or a disturbutor. Model A? Don't know much about those modern cars.

It's not the only one. When Pate moved to TMS the magic was gone. I gave up Iola due to the increasing shortage of antique parts and the ever-rising price of admission (yes, you have to pay to get in and spend money). Seldom do you know you're living in a Golden Age until it's gone. Being old has c...

If you plan to rent a car, you will need a place to park it. You have two choices. You can park north of the meet, across Herheypark Drive, and pay the outrageous fees. Or you can do as I do and park for FREE in the public parking garage on Ridge Road south of the meet. The walk into the meet from ...

As Joe E. Brown observed in the last line of Some Like It Hot , "Nobody's perfect." Even the most fastidious of Model T owners, well known for promoting original parts, necessarily make some concession to the passage of time. See that shiny 1912 over there? It's gorgeous. Did the owner use Henry Fo...

...do you plan on a rebuild with as much of the original car as possible? First I have to go to Indiana and examine the remains. The car is not usable as it is, but enough of it survived (or may have) to save me considerable expense on a rebuild. Start adding up the likely or known reusable items a...

Norm, "anybody who thinks Kansas is flat hasn't ridden a bicycle across it". We do have hills, but most of them aren't very long. Your mention of overalls reminds me of a story from the operator of the local electric supply in town. He and his dad, who always wore them, were in Chicago for a conven...

This will be my first time missing the meet in many years. More than the shopping, I will miss seeing old friends. That gives me something to work towards next year.

First, thanks to Jeff for the new password. Now that I'm in, I can comment too. I see this post started about two weeks ago. In that time the biggest change happened today. Today the agent came and got my check for insurance, and left the card to carry in the car. Immediately I drove the Camry to t...

I won't have a space this time, but will come down to shop at least one day, IF I can get legal to drive before then. I'm still working on that.

Following. I want to learn how to solder brass cloth in place, keeping the solder around the edge.

Some folks use a ball valve from the local hardware store. That will work if you don't mind the ugly modern appearance. That was a no-go for me, and I used the alternative shown on the model T pages at dauntlessgeezer.com.

For those with a standard under-the-seat tank, see the Model T pages at dauntlessgeezer.com for a way to shut off fuel at the tank.

The serial number tells us the day your engine was made. If the engine was put into a car in Detroit (or Long Island or Manchester), it may very well have been the same day or the day after. But if It was shipped to one of the branch assembly plants (New Orleans, OKC, Los Angeles, etc.) obviously i...

It was nice visiting with Russ at the Model T Haven auction. He has certainly helped a lot of folks get their cars squared away.

It's great catching up on what I missed. When I get a good, working camera again — watch out!

Norm, not only has it been rainy, but also colder than here. While this part off Kansas was up to 70º+, Lomita was in the low sixties. That didn't stop me from putting on my coat and going for a walk.

My cousin told me this morning that somebody "from the Model T club" was trying to contact me. Unfortunately he didn't remember who or when. To make it even better, my email password has quit working and I'm giving up for now after multiple failed attempts to establish a new one.You can try jelf1@c...

Looking through Bruce's huge listing of serial numbers, you will find occasional large blocks of numbers "sent to L. I." or "sent to Manchester." I have always taken this to mean that U.S. engines were cast in Detroit and Long Island, assembled. and stamped with a serial number. After this they wer...

Way to go, Mitch! I'm delighted to see you're still at it. I have often referred folks to your site when they asked how to start, drive, fix various things, and for Model T knowledge in general. I see your site and mine have similar pages (Buying Your First Model T, selling a T, etc.), and I expect...

Same size tires front and rear?

I plan to fly home in ten days. Will that allow me enough time to be ready? We'll see.

I made mine with sheet metal scraps bent to make them rigid. A wire from the brake pedal pulled a lever, which pressed a button on the least expensive momentary switch I could find at the hardware store. I am currently in California. If I were at home in Kansas I would show you a picture.

I've had good luck straightening warped manifolds, depending on how bad they are. If they're more than 1/8" out of line, success is less likely.

I have used regular Rustoleum rattle cans, with no troubles. Once I used glossy, but hated the look and switched back to satin.

The Right Stuff is generally The Wrong Stuff for me beecause I'm slow and it sets up too fast to suit me. So I believe it's better than Ultra Black (my favorite) for what you're doing.

There are many Edison plugs on eBay. But Edison plugs came in many sizes and models. I would pass on any eBay ad that fails to identify which Edison plug is being offered. Model T sizes (13 and 14 I believe) are getting very scarce, while many other sizes remain relatively common.

Some think dizzies are more reliable.

I wish those folks could have been with me all the times I was stuck by the side of the road with distributor trouble.

Yes. Bruce's encyclopedia, which you mentioned first, is the one."The First Parts Every New Model T Owner Should Buy" has a link to the online version I prefer. See the Model T pages on my website Dauntlessgeezer.com.

Foster's Freeze ain't what it used to be. I remember it in Wilmington, Harbor City, and lots of other places. The one in the photo still operates on Cravens Avenue in downtown Torrance. This part of California is unrecognizable from what it was fifty or sixty years ago. In Lomita all former vacant l...

What Jim said.
I treasure my visits to Mike Bender's shop in Tulsa, participating in work days and other opportunities to see how more experienced folks approach their work.

Whenever discussions like this come up, several people suggest using the abridged encyclopedia available on this website. Given that choice, I prefer the complete version. I would rather spend the extra dough because the purchase includes owners' manuals for every year, extensive parts coverage, a s...

Have you tried Blockley? Coker, Lucas, Universal, etc., are one source. Blockley is another. I ordered two, then three, to keep the two orders from being combined into a more costly package. In both cases I placed the order Very early on Tuesday and the tires arrived on my front porch in Kansas on ...

I'm surprised the reference to "young guns" doesn't mention everybody I still think of as "young" whlle talented with the wenches. I want to see him and the rest of you In Henry Ford Village next year. I would write more, but my clock says it's time to rest.

It was good to be back where I belong.

So far I haven't found any mention of such a thing. Is it on? Time & place?

Today Robert took me down to the local Verizon store and I bought a new phone to be delivered early next week. The more I read about my wreck, the more I realize that without Indiana's Lutheran Health Network and Chicago's Shirley Ryan Center I wouldn't be here. A picture near the top of this page ...

That was the perfect picture to end the first weeks of the session, because that's how I was for awhile — completely out of it. As time goes on, little bits of the past three months become clear or remembered at all. Eventually I may work out a pretty good timeline of what happened when. Of course,...

...and they don't put the proper valve stems on their tubes either.

Can you name one maker of tubes for clincher tires who uses "the proper valve stems" (777 size)?

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG110.html

I want one of those!!

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG102.html

Last year I ordered Blockleys twice — two in spring, three in early summer — for two reasons. 1 To spread the cost over a couple of paydays. 2 To avoid the possibility on the British end that the two orders might get combined into a single, more expensive, shipment. (Yes, it HAS happened to others....

[size=150]30º -50º should be no problem for a Model T. It doesn't have to "spin fast" to start. I'm trying to return after a long absence, and can't even find my videos. Maybe somebody has the one where I hand crank my 1915 at about 25º to get it going after it's sat outside all night. Maybe I can ...

As of today, Steve Jelf has a new email address that can ALSO be used for video-conferencing with Steve via FaceTime! dauntlessgeezer@gmail.com I will be delivering Steve’s new MacBook to him with this email account up and working in a couple hours. I’ll show him how it works when I get there. I’ll ...

Writing from the 24th floor, overlooking Lake Michigan in Chicago, my typing on a strange computer is none too spry. I will struggle to report that I am getting along well enough for an old man whose heroes are all obsolete. More later after I learn more.

SJ

From Doolittle the road continues north and east through Rolla, Saint James, Cuba, Bourbon, and Sullivan. These towns are about fifteen miles apart because when they were established a steam locomotive would need to stop very fifteen miles or so to take on water. Rolla is a big enough town to prese...

Monday, September 4 Heading east and north out of Springfield on old 66 has become almost routine. This is the fifth time. But I've always turned north at Lebanon, heading for Lake Ozark and Jeff City. From Lebanon across the rest of Missouri, old 66 is a new adventure. IMG_0382.JPG Somewhere south...

Posting from Sullivan, MO by hot spot wi-fi. More about that later. Sunday, September 3 I left home at 7:10 AM. The first two counties are familiar territory and I didn't have to stop and ask for directions. I did stop on the former US166 for the traditional photo with September sunflowers IMG_0367...

What I did to my T today was hit the big mama of all potholes. It knocked off a headlight rim and broke out the glass. I reckon I'll be looking for a glass shop when I get to Michigan.

From your description I gather you have a stock Ford roller timer, and the 2½" method should work. But just for fun, check/set your timing the other way. https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG97.html You didn't happen to remove the roller, did you? Some camshafts have a hole all the way through, which make...

Yep, a reminder of where and when to check in, then a recall, then a repeat. If there was a correction in the repeat I didn't notice it.

Screen Shot 2023-09-01 at 9.42.12 AM.png Dave is referring to the gate behind THF (Red dot). You get to it off Oakwood. I think it's the only way to drive into the village. You get to Oakwood from other city streets, one of which can be Michigan Avenue. If your old car is not street legal you have ...

...but I remember some wording about having to seal them if one intended to actually put fluids in them. [/size] I remember the same thing. I decided to look for the real thing, and I got lucky. I found three at an auction. It's been several years, but I think I paid $3 each for them. Probably my l...

Those look great. I hope eventually you or somebody will be able to produce functional metal reproductions. I expect the main obstacle there would be tooling to press the parts that need pressing, and necks and lids of the right size. If they could be produced and sold for significantly less than t...

I just tried that ²³⁄₃₂" nut in an 18mm socket. I would call it almost a perfect fit.

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