MTFCA Forum

Hi Lucas, I'm thinking you are referring to axle felts? When I use axle felts I oil or grease them, same for the front crank felt. The hogshead felts are done with sealer of some kind if you use the felt. ( I use a heavy bead of silicone between the block & hogshead with a thin layer of grease on on...

Hi Matthew,
Have you considered building a metal box in the shape you desire & putting a tank inside of it like a 10 gal. aluminum sand rail tank or a
rectangular hot rod tank? That would be less chance of leaking & safer to assemble. And may be less cost?
Craig.

I have one in the rafters with my prized non rusted Cheby 60s front fenders.
Craig.

Absolutely jealous I am. beautiful Firetruck.
Craig.

Hi Jens, If I understand your interest is in getting parts to maintain this distributor? I have a old Standard Ignition book & it shows that set of points as GB-3161 & they fit 1237013000, 001, 060 Bosch Saab 7819733, Volvo 75846, 240149, 870421 Distributors In 63-69 Alfa Romeo, 59-67 Porsche, 56-67...

Hi Scott, Those are for the small drum rear end, those drums go on over the small drums so they would be correct for your 14.
Craig.

Most likely super rare but once tried to ream guides to install oversized valves ( Chevy valves ) The reamer went halfway down & seized up would not back up & trying to back it up it snapped off in the guide. I had to make a punch & drive the broken reamer out! I found the reamer wrapped in brass wh...

Please move back to the top

Cleaning up the block to install the Ricardo head. Fast food cup lids from one of them are 3 3/4" + & work great for keeping things from getting in the cylinders. Vacuum out the carbon & use the nozzle to pull the lid out. Or just turn the engine over & push them out. IMG_3751.jpg IMG_3752.jpg Craig.

Hi John,
Are you sure those are not the valve chamber drain holes?
Craig.

Free starts require T coils & fuel in the cylinder that sparks. Sometimes cranking to achieve the correct piston to spark timing. I have dabbled with the idea of setting up a system for making it easier to accomplish this ( purchased the parts) but time has not been allocated to complete & test. Usi...

Hi Mike, Mark has good advice but I don't remember any of the venders selling the plug or guide so you may have to make it yourself. I have never made one & tried the steady hand method & have had trouble getting the seat cut to give a complete seat in the block. I now have a Thor valve seat grindin...

Hi Travis, I have found that some rims have been twisted & need straightened to spread out round. I think this has to do with the rim tool pulls the rim from one side pulling the rim in a conical direction. I find this more common on Chevrolet rims ( the rims may have been all made by the same Maker...

I don't think anyone is complaining about Brassworks cost for a quality product. I have talked to a major radiator company that can make Model T cores & they would need $600 - $800 for a core & $200-$300 to install ( this would be a core with the steel plate ) Flat tube only. This would be a re-core...

Decided on ford engine red for the Ricardo head.

Craig.

Hi Jason, I doff my hat to you. I tried this with a Speedway T bucket radiator but gave up because of the labor involved in making it fit in a low shell. It would have been a pretty EZ operation for a tall :( The Speedway radiator has a large tank, it's a two core but the cores are 1" long making it...

I guess I didn't give the correct info for that question. I have a Ricardo head not a Waukesha Ricardo. Sorry don't know if it makes a difference?

Craig.

Anyone know if Ricardo heads were painted any particular color? I just got mine back from the machine shop & getting ready to install it. It is completely bare so id needs painting & the only pic I have found with paint on one is red?
Thanks, Craig.

The last pic I seen of the Jackrabbit clutch discs they looked like the Turbo 400s but still had the full square lugs.
Craig.

Hi Austin, Sure glad you didn't get hurt bad. Covid had people staying at home not driving & staring at screens & I think they can't put down the screens or drive now! Driving now is like a demolition derby for retarded people. I had to run some errands the other day & had to ice my middle finger to...

Hi Doug,
Are you giving up on a speedster all together the M & B looks like it needed a lot of restoration why no make it wider while you are at it?
Craig.

I recently installed a set of the ATMS seals in a rear of a car I'm building. I like them very much, but I think Bill is looking to sell ATMS?
Craig.

Please move to the top. Thanks.

Hi Wayne, Accessories that have dire consequences is a good reason why Henry disliked so many of the aftermarket things for the T. besides the others. Sounds like as they say. " a good idea with the best of intentions what could possibly go wrong" Or cheer up things could worse. That is a terrible p...

As I understand when the shock broke the axle twisted causing the car to turn uncontrollably. just for the sake of conversation would a double wishbone have prevented the disaster? Some of the accessories made for model T's had some questionable unintended consequences. just for instance how many pe...

There are some interested in the perfecto rear end on the east coast. Any chance there is someone going to Hershey from California or Arizona
that would like some fuel money for giving it a lift?
Craig.

Hi Mike, To help lets get more info, have you had the car running? are you charging the battery with a charger or with the generator? any chance the cables accidently were switched? The battery should have a group # on it. Do you have ready access to 6 volt batteries? How are you testing the battery...

Hi Rich, As I see & understand one of the genius of the T design is the flexibility of the frame enhances the suspension. Having the engine pan act as a crossmember allows the frame to twist the same as the suspension, notice everything is mounted on three points so it can pivot in a arc. The front ...

Contact spaamfaa.org they are a national fire apparatus restoration club. You may try locating Pat Mackon in Prescott Az. & Karl Hartmetz in
Parker Az. they may be of help. I don't have contact info for them anymore sorry.
Craig.

TINKERIN TIPS volume II page 1 preventing crank case arm failure. The shear number of aftermarket parts that clamed to prevent the breakage of model T pan ears or repairing them when broken speaks volumes to this issue. And yes installing a ground wire from engine to frame or battery is a great idea...

Hi Robert, I assume you found a older set of Grant 2 piece oil rings with the flat springs? As stated above be careful to not get the gap to small! If you have a acceptable gap on the ring the spring should be OK but if you have to grind the gap one would think that you would remove the same from th...

Thanks Paul I got your email. Dan, Yes I believe they are Y block pistons. As of now I know of two A crank T engines with this same flat top piston issue. One I think will work with a high compression head because the pistons do come up out of the block some & this one comes just to the top of the b...

In my introduction to the beloved Model T I may have collected all of the misinformation possible but I was lead to believe that there was a Ford update that called for eliminating the blocks & side bolts to prevent breaking the ears off of the pan & installing bolts in the top only with heavy sprin...

frontyboy, My BIL will disagree with you, if running a distributer the addition of a older MSD box will make a noticeable improvement especially under heavy load & it has a chip in it. ( it mimics the T coils by firing the plug multiple times but with the precision of a single point ignition. ) OOPS...

Selling for a friend Perfecto two speed rear end, NO SHIFTER has had work done on it but have no info as to what was done. there is writing on it that seem to be instructions for installer. Has noticeable new parts. and is clean as it has not been run. Has 3.25:1 ring & pinion, drive shaft that seem...

Hi Greg, Been watching this thread with great interest. I have done a tour from Prescott to Peach Springs & back, and put on a tour from Laughlin to Oatman through Needles & Laughlin to Kingman through Oatman to the Route 66 museums returning to Laughlin each day. Was in November so much cooler time...

Hi Jim,
If it is that same as a Muncie it would be 2 5/8" long. I make the Muncie ones out of a Spicer 7/8" square PTO slip yoke. The number escapes me
but is in a older post on Muncie couplings.
Craig.

I understand wanting to use a generator for period correctness but I'm stumped on the ratio that setup will turn the generator. A T generator is driven @ 150% of crank speed & that appears to be 100% or less? Jeff can you get a T generator to put out enough @ the reduced speed? If anyone can I'm thi...

Hi Jeff,
There is a vender on eBay that sells a alternator kit for Model T, maybe the same goes by burnzoil
Craig.

OK it is a sure bet that only a Perfecto shifter will fit a Perfecto. So he has a Perfecto rear axle assembly missing the shifter for sale with the driveshaft. They both look to have been worked on ( you can see by how clean they are & have new parts) but have no idea what was done. is marked as hav...

Looking for a High compression head that has been milled so much that the pistons hit the head. Helping a friend with a A crank engine that has Ford V8 pistons that just come to the top of the block. So even a HC head will only make 4.5:1 or 5:1 @ best. He would like to make a little more than that....

Early in my ongoing education of the care & feeding of the beloved Model T while some of us where discussing auxiliary brakes a gentleman of many of life's experience's interjected saying that the problem we where having with brakes was we where trying to stop the T with them. On questioning him abo...

Hi Ben, That is a very nice specimen although it may not be totally correct it has the memory of your grandfather in it. I would think that keeping it as it is would be a tribute to him. I also think that he had a reason for what he chose when building it. Leave it as he built it & keep his memory w...

Hi John, I absolutely love the manifold, dual carbs, vaporizer exhaust. What is that casting? Allan with all that going on you noticed the
cutout?
Craig.

Michael, I'm thinking she was the only women in the line of sight, correct?
Craig.

Welcome aboard Ben.

Hanging from a wire & tapping is a good indication, If it (crank, drum or other) rings test it, if it goes thud you save the time & effort of further testing. Mag-N-Flux is falling out of favor these days for the dry & liquid penetrant methods. I picked up a Mag-N-Flux yoke @ a swap meet for $20 It ...

IMG_3695.jpg I think this was intended as a dampener for a Model T or maybe just a anti-rattle. Some times we forget that the band-aid, bubble gum & hay wire fixes for model T fords was what blossomed into the aftermarket industry that we have now & that's the reason we can buy the parts we need to...

Now days it's called carjacking & they look for a car with a driver just in case it has a manual transmission that they can't drive! That's why you can leave the key in your T & it won't be stolen but the Motometer will!
Craig.

Hi Chad,
Good to hear that some 26/27 hogsheads will fit the early blocks I just haven't had that kind if luck with that combination.

Craig.

Hi Chad, My experience has been that the bulge in the back of the earlier block collides with the ears on the 26/27 hogshead. I just barrowed a 27 block to mock up a speedster ( the engine going in it will have a 26/27 hogshead on a early block with the ears cut down) so I want the pedals to fit. My...

Hi Steve, The RM drums are advertised as 11 3/4" and the one in your pic looks to be 12" ( the larger drum) I have no idea the width of the cast drums. Have you giver any thought to having a metal fab shop roll a ring the correct width of 1/8" or 3/16" cold or hot rolled steel that can be heated to ...

Hi John, You should be able to fit the 26/27 trans in your 3 dip pan & use the 23 hogs head, you just can't use the wide band as it will not be centered on the drum & you can't use the 26/27 hogs head because the ears collide with the back of the block. Scott is correct everything is turning togethe...

Hi Mark, email sent.
Craig.

Hi Will, I'm may have missed what car you are dealing with but a 3:1 gear will give you good top end & the Ruckstell will give you a good hill gear. A Warford in overdrive with a 4:1 gear will give you a 3:1 & direct will give you a good hill gear in direct. I know many with both & they like them I ...

Hi Gerald, Oscar Mike Golf. Look what you started! Just joking. Depending on your skill set you have a lot of options. You can put the 24 engine in & make floor boards to fit the pedals, change the pedal trim, install the water neck & fan, find a belt that fits & install the coil box. I assume if yo...

You are most welcome Bryant. If you don't find a original trans support I think you will find Gary London's a close match.
Craig.

email sent

BTT Please

Hi Morgan,
I had the same issue with my firetruck with a Muncie Aux. I cut the middle of the running board supports to clear the Muncie and then welded
gate hinge mounts & put a 3/8" brace between the running board supports like the early cast supports had.
Craig.

Congratulations Bob. Well done.
Craig.

Hi Grant,
Judging from the pics I found of Float-A-Ford's A-C, Stronghold & APCO small drum Auxiliary brakes should fit you may need to remove a little
from the underside where it can't be seen for clearance. The A-Cs I believe are available.
Craig.

Kevin,
I'm absolutely green with envy. Congratulations.
Craig.

Sometimes aftermarket honeycomb radiator tanks lend themselves better to a re-core than original Ford radiators do. I have a re-cored low ( was a honeycomb )that is a great fit & a re-cored tall ford in a tall application & the inlet neck is not a good fit even with the tall outlet. The high cost of...

Hi Michael,
If Steve can't find one I have one of the fits 3 & 4 dip but will need a new fitting ( threads bad )
Craig.

Hi Doug, I can only think of two reasons for that, because the greater mass of the hand crank is forward of the pan & a dry swinging crank will wear down in the front & up in the rear of the portion of the pan it is in & when replaced the bushing will follow that wear as you install it. Or the crank...

Anyone using an other method of payment that PayPal for sales & purchases on the classifieds? Or should I just go back to checks only?
Craig.

Hi Morgan,
A while back someone was looking for info on adjusting the speed of a tach drive that came off the back of the generator. But no on the fan
which will maybe need the same ratio change made.
Craig.

Just for the record has anyone had issues with running synthetic motor oil in their model T? I never have not knowing it's effect on band function
but modern automatics seem to be OK with it & that is the same principle in function as far as bands go.
Craig.

Hi Dan, This is just for those that are as cheap or cheaper than I am. I only do this if I have a matched set (pedal & cam ) that have been worn together. I weld up the bolt hole in the cam & mill a new hole in the direction to take up the wear then tack a piece of the correct gage steel in the gap....

Hi Morgan, I'll go out on a limb guessing you have Auxiliary outside brakes? Frank is spot on Rust-Oleum makes the High Heat 2000* F in gloss black black. I use tractor paint on my T's & have A-C & Rockies on them & have never had the paint blister & burn off. I have seen over adjusted Rockies catch...

That would be correct & still made today as I understand.
Craig.

My observation is that the shifters look very different they do appear to have very similar bolt patterns & the mechanism seems to work the same The Ruckstell & Hall-Scott have a horse shoe that slips over the groove in the sliding clutch gear & the Perfecto has a brass yoke that is held to the slid...

Steve & Chad,
I'm trying to sort out some parts that a friend has & wants to sell. I'm thinking the Perfecto is more desirable with the shifter or at least info on
setting up a shifter.
Craig.

Has anyone used or made work a Ruckstell or Hallscott shifter on a Perfecto two speed rear end? Thanks.
Craig.

Good to hear Mark. Some thing I learned the hard way is only use a file or aluminum oxide paper, real sand paper ( silica sand ) can turn into glass
when exposed to heat ( arc ) making it a insulator. Like I said the hard way!
Craig.

I have had good results with a product called K Seal.
Craig.

Hi Bryant, I have a friend that has a Chicago Aux. transmission that he would like to sell. It has had some water in it but turns free & all gears work. It is a little different than the one you just picked up as it doesn't have the large block on the front it just has the square shaft that goes int...

Hi Brent, My Rader ( I was told it was Reeder ) distributor has a grease zerk in the upper body of the drive assembly. & a hole drilled & tapped 10-32 in the lower part ( gear case) to drive the pin through as Hank described. I believe my other Reeder has that hole drilled & tapped to 1/4" fine and ...

Hi Brent, Most all of these distributors are very much alike the bolt in the side of the body goes into a groove that keeps the distributor from turning to far & from lifting out of the body. & many you have to drive the pin out of the driven gear to lift the shaft out. The Bosch 600 series have a n...

Bar oil is a good idea. I have good luck with gear oil & if you change the rear end as often as we should save it for that reason, then it's free
& save the bar oil for the chain saw.
Craig.

Hi Mark,
If you replace them one at a time then you will know which one was the problem & save time if it ever happens again.
Craig.

Hi Tim, The ball can be replaced, I just purchased one from a vender. Is the length more the issue or the diameter? I have seen some that are more robust, if it’s just hitting a bit would a file on both the steering arm & the cap solve the issue? In a pinch I have driven a dime into a socket with a ...

The no resistor rotor is listed under NAPA EP407, Beru R001 & Bosch 04-003 M ( for modified ) Finding one in stock is a crap shoot & the online pic of the NAPA one does not match so take the old one with you & take your multi meter too. Note that many of the PTP & Reeder distributers use a different...

If they are not they can be made. But now you let the cat out of the bag & everyone knows there is out there;-)
Craig.

Maybe the General Discussion Forum needs to be divided into Mechanical & Maintenance Questions & Personal Opinion Forums. Sometimes our passion for the Model T clouds our train of thought as much as our pocketbook can. I think ( just my opinion ) that a 90 year old gentleman is less interested in a ...

I will most likely get in trouble for this but one spoke does not a bad wheel make. I would think if you can get a thin epoxy that you can get deep into that crack would think you can get a few tours in then next off season send them to Noah. I would keep an eye on that one for piece of mind. I drov...

Looks like a wash & some tong oil or thinned linseed oil will do the job.
Craig.

Hi I did the split rubber hose on the auxiliary & park brake rods, but remember you don't drive with the park brake on so release it before installing the rubber hose so it's in the right place. The wood block with holes is more for keeping the throttle & spark from vibrating down. It may be the dra...

Hi Art, I think the first question is what is the expected result of this operation? To just get it running or is the owner wanting to start touring again? Did the engine turn free? or did you have to force it to turn, can you see rust rings in the cylinder were the rings were stuck? Take the tappet...

Tom Van Meeteren has lots of electrical parts for old distributors.
Craig.

Hi Alan, Is the distributor you are using a Bosch 009, 005 or 006? this is a rather common problem & most of the time I have dealt with this it is nothing described. Very often it is the rotor. Bosch used a resistor in the rotor for radio suppression. If your rotor has what looks like epoxy between ...

Hi Tim, Had someone with this issue on a tour once, took two to three feet of Teflon tape, hold it between your thumb & index fingers and spin it into a string, fold it over & spin it again. Turn the gas off, take the bowl nut loose & wrap the Teflon string around the stem between the bowl & nut in ...

Chad is correct this is a pic of Rossie Morris's T racer he ran in the Great American Race.
Craig.

Hi Jerry, I don't know where you store your cars, I heard a gentleman here in the Phx. area say he keeps his cars in Conex boxes ( they can get to 150 degrees inside in the summer time) so he keeps a 5 gal. bucket of water next to each car & all the wood stays tight. My Firetruck is almost all wood ...

Hi Rick, All my engines run 14mm plugs. I don't know what reach you need, I use Autolite 66 plugs they are a 1" reach ( that is plug seat to electrode end) & they have a removable end. I run distributors so I have no experience with them using T coils but I also used them in KT-100 2 stroke kart rac...

Hi Edward, Looks like you are exercising your constitutional right to freedom of carburation expression, good for you & you picked a carb that you can source parts @ Tractor Supply, good choice! I'm not a purist by any means ( don't get me wrong I admire those that are) I run a L4 on my fire truck &...

Watch these Apps I had a tach App on my iPhone & it worked real good. Some time later when I tried to show it to a friend it asked for a $9.98 per month subscription to continue!
Craig.

Glad to hear you guys have had good luck with HF torque wrenches. Working on emergency apparatus there are some stringent torque standards to deal with & you can only afford so many Snap-On, Mac & Proto torque wrenches so I picked up some HF ones for home. Never had an issue with the half inch but h...

Hi William, Vernon is right on the with a little skill! getting them centered is a chore & one off center will stick out like a sore thumb. A lathe ( or at least a friend with a lathe) to make a self centering dimple die will result in a well finished job. Trimming can be done with a good pair of sn...

Search found 1780 matches