MTFCA Forum

Hi Tom, The T-GO head is a good runner, they do need a water pump as they don't seem to thermosyphon very well. D.P. had two of them & he said that they are from a batch that had porosity issues and needed to be repaired many times. W.M. has one one his 13 and it seems to be indestructible. IMG_1333...

Hi Brent, Glad you found a solution, congrats on a Wasp starter. You are correct about the charging issue with Optima batteries & they require a special trickle charger to maintain them ( most good quality chargers now have a setting for AGM batteries). It has been my experience that the lawn & gard...

Rocky Mountain brakes as in the later generation are self energising in the forward direction to maximise the stopping power of the brakes. the issue is if you have a Auxillary trans & you are in neutral you will be unable to stop the car rolling backwards because the rockies don't work well is reve...

Hi Les, That's a good idea but wouldn't the sprockets have to be rather small so the chain would clear the casting hump? I seen some of Kurt Wrights antics making a 6 cylinder model T engine. Could you reform a cam to fire 1-3-2-4 or 1-4-2-3? leaving the ports the same. Or even cut it & turn the cam...

Some time it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. James Goldens post about the mailability of potting tar is spot on. I asked USPS & UPS about shipping it & the response is that by law it can only be shipped by ground, must be declared as HAZARDOUS & must be accompanied by the manufactures MSDS sheets! ...

An other way to accomplish this. http://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Art ... eRacer.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bnTC7WXsGA
Craig

I think it was on this site I seen. "There is a fine line between genius & insanity and sometimes I like to jump rope with that line."
Craig.

Richard you have a sick sense of humor. I like it but still kind of sick

Craig.

Thanks Dan for trying to keep the conversation on the question.
Craig.

Tim,
I would not be so hard on the TTP dizzy it seems to be the only clip on dizzy being made today! And very popular! I as a personal preference set
up all T add on dizzies with no centifugal advance. I want total controle of my timing just as you would have with a timer.
IMHO
Craig.

Hi Dan, This will be of little help but if I remember correctly I have seen one in a 26/7 roadster that I looked at that had a A rear end, juice brakes & 19" A wheels,with fiberglass fenders as well as the A trans. I did not realize that it also replaced the 4th main as well. Good idea all the add o...

Dito on checking those wheels. Humble Howards Lucky 7 broke one of the spokes in those wheels.
Craig.

My thinking is that the 1-2-4-3 firing order is off so far that the manifold is of little concern. No modern inline 4 cylinder engines use that
firing order????? I may be full of bravo sierra but I thought that firing order of Winfield's 2 up 2 down had much to do with firing order?
Craig.

Instructions INSTRUCTIONS were men we don't need no instructions we go forth & do if it dosn't work then we refer to the corrections.
They look just like instructions but are not used untill it dosn't work! This is also followed by our favorite woman saying I told you so!!!!
Craig.

Hi Jim,
I got carried away removing the tar from a Atwater-Kent coil and ruined the wood but I have the tar & some of the parts. there is
1# 11oz of tarThat I will be happy to part with. I have no idea what the going price of coil tar is?

Craig.

grntea I sent you a email thanks.
Craig.

Hi David,
Linus is correct this one is a Pines there is no model that it fits on it. It is 24" high & 16" wide so I would guess it is a universal fit.
Because of the size it will cost a little to ship so I will go with Linus on the price @ $40 + the ride. Thanks.
Craig.

Thanks everyone. I'm thinking I have the cart before the horse as the pan has not been on the anvil yet. And it will most definitely need to be as I noticed the wishbone mount is bent as if someone pulled hard on the front axle. This pan may not be usable if it is twisted??? I'm reminded that everyt...

Hi David, Yes I still have the Winter-front. I have never had it on a car. Here in the desert it never gets cold enough that a small piece of cardboard won't do the job in the morning. It has a bimetallic spring hooked to the linkage that regulates the louver's. As for attachment I would assume it w...

Hi Sean, I have a Smithy Granite 1340 that I picked up for a lot more than that @ a estate sale. Combo machines have their limits as long as you know that they are better than no machine. You will not find machines very often for that low of a price. If it's all there & works I would get it. In fact...

Motivation? Motivation? Santa Clara is like the Indy 500 of speedster runs. You don't have to qualify in the top 33 to participate just sign up,
show up & enjoy. I've made it twice & it's still at the top of my bucket list. ( because I did get to fly a biplane )
Craig.

Has anyone successfully use a rust encapsulating paint on the inside of a engine pan to deal with surface rust? Rather than sandblasting? I hate
trying to get sand out of tight places so they don't end up in the finished engine. Tanks.
Craig.

Generally model T flat top pistons are considered what ford made regardless of if they are ford or aluminum reproductions, flat on top & angled up to the flat. Domed or high compression pistons are round like half a soft ball sticking out of the block. Some A crank conversions are done with 292cu.in...

Hi Robert, I have heard someone say they had a low head that was milled enough that the high compression pistons hit the head with no gasket so they didn’t use that head & they where happy with the low head they did use with those pistons. I have noticed that high compression piston are not all crea...

Hi Jennifer, There is more combustion pressure & less oil at the top of the cylinder so the rings tend to cause more wear @ the top. The rings don't travel all the way down the cylinder so there is also less wear @ the bottom Of the cylinder. Excessive taper will cause the rings to flex & break or n...

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Hi Ron, I assume you have seen the T wood to Model A adaptors? I have seen T hubs re-drilled for A wheel pattern but I think you will find the hub diameter to be smaller than the A hubs & lacking support. Speedway motors sells a plate just for this because hot rod hubs run small for wire wheels. Par...

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Yes now I recognize those, not having the other parts threw me off. Thanks.
Craig.

Around some places I find myself in it's not uncommon to find yourself being the only English speaker in the building. I commonly find products with no English on the label? Bill boards & businesses the same way. The best Mexican food is in restaurants with no English on the menu. Ironhorse as far a...

With the current tort laws I'm not recommending anything. We have buried a friend that had welded gas & diesel tanks for 40 years. I've seen them blow up using the exhaust method ( engine to rich & hole in muffler ) I have seen a tank blow while it was being made (that had never had gas in it yet) T...

Hi Walt,
It's on the way. Thanks.
Craig.

On the way Mike.
Thanks. Craig.

Hi Ron they are on their way.
Thanks.
Craig.

OK Andrew,
There is something terribly wrong with just showing most of the parts on a project and leaving us hanging. Let's see the rest of the brakes.
Craig.

Did Reeder in Texas make distributors? My BIL has a Kirk it's kind of like having a timing cover plate setup.
Craig.

There has been some discussion about aftermarket distributors and I would like to get this cleared up in my mind. As I understand there was or is a gentleman that designed & manufactured the drive to run a Bosch distributor on a model T. What I cant seem to figure out is what was his name? So far I ...

Spur gears are inherently noisy especially @ faster speeds. If they are worn or loose on the main or counter shafts they tend to vibrate & that creates harmonics that are very audible. We are working with 100 year old transmissions. Reality is there is no good way to tighten up these tolerances. Hea...

Which clutch do you have? The smooth or the waffle ? It may not really make any difference Both of the ones I put together had to be adjusted by changing the number of discs that were intended to be used to get the total thickness needed. Look up the dimension of the factory pack. This is rather imp...

I'm with Ed, one in good shape is no noisier than a Warford, but if worn Eric is correct don't drive by a cemetery in over or under it may wake
the dead. Karl do you still have the parts Muncie? I have one that could use some help.
Craig.

Tried the Bar-B-Q idea @ 150 degrees no movement was noticed. I kept increasing the heat a little at a time. The tar started to move @ 500 degrees. but did not melt all of the tar out. It did how ever destroy the wood, the connections & the bake-a-lite parts & melt out all of the solder leaving the ...

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Hi James, I purchase my VW parts from jbugs.com. They have a good tech support for finding out the right parts you need. I have had pretty good results with their products & I think they sell real Bosch parts also. The venders for model T parts have some parts & their prices are comparable but if yo...

John is correct it measures cylinder tapper ( not bore size ) Made by >-Hastings->piston ring Co. Although the instructions tell how to use it with a outside micrometer for bore size. A period tool that does the same as the Starrett 452-B that I have used for decades. But Starrett 452-B's now sell u...

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Look at Ed's yellow # 4
Craig.

John,
Is the Ricardo head that you cc'ed a Waukesha Ricardo head or the Ricardo Nov 13 1923 head with the combustion chamber that looks like the
Prus head combustion chamber?
Thanks.
Craig.

I recently purchased a Atwater-Kent Model K coil-switch box. Sadly it doesn't work. I would like to try repairing it but like model T coils it is full of tar/ bitumen. I have removed tar from Ford coils with a screw drive( but I have a idea what is in a Ford coil ) I have no idea what is in a Atwate...

14mm plug adaptors cam be made from old spark plugs ( the crimped ones not the ones you can take apart ) They look correct. They can also
be used to repair over sized or damaged plug threads.

Craig.

Hi Mack, I very much like the Muncie Aux. transmissions, they are cheap to rebuild and dependable. That one is better suited for a truck. @ that price & if shipping is $200 it would be cheaper than most I have purchased with shipping. I have one in my fire truck ( second one not because the first on...

This is the best Muncie U/joint I have ever seen. I can force a .0025 feeler gauge in between the trunnion & spider & pick up the joint with the gauge. U/joint has been cleaned up in solvent & oiled. Not bead blasted! This is the Holy Grail of Muncie parts. $120 +the ride six0two-7six9-0two57 IMG_29...

Bailey's Gasoline Gage for Ford Cars. This is for a oval tank. With the original box ( box not in great shape ) Gage is used & has no gasket. Is free
& moves easy but shows wear on the stem. Was $120 now $100 + the ride six0two-7six9-0two57

Craig.

Period Hastings Taper Gage in box ( box not super great) Absolute Guarantee will replace or repair without charge at any time gage fails to
function is printed on the box. was $100 now $80 Now $75+ the ride. six0two-7six9-0two57

Craig.

Period T dipstick, Knurled knob has paten applied for on the top. No oil residue may be NOS? was
$75 now $65+ the ride six02-7six9-0two57 Yes it is assembled backwards.
Craig.

Thanks MTFCA

Have a Ford 5-Z-829 band wrench for sale, as found not cleaned or bead blasted. was $35 now $30 +the ride. six02-7six9-0two57

Thank MTFCA
Craig.

We Had the privilege of having Steve and other California T enthusiasts attend our 2022 Laughlin Nevada Reliability Tour. If I remember correctly this was one of the first tours for this latest restoration on this fine looking T. It preformed exceptionally well. I fear we loose track of what this ho...

1921 Center Door, Great dependable driver ( If this was my only T I would drive it every day ) 26-27 engine with early pedals, Dubat's crank, Z head, aluminum pistons, SS valves & aftermarket cam, strong runner. Has has small drum Ruckstell with full floating hubs, Engine is strong enough that the R...

Hi James, I know several people running resistor plug wires. ( if you run a Pertronix electronic unit they say do not run solid wires they will destroy the pick up) That a side did this ever run with the resistor wires??? Keeping in mind there is a resistor in the rotor & you had resistor wires ( do...

Hi Kevin, I will bet you can find someone close by that has a extra flywheel. I have found some transmissions that the only thing useable was the flywheel So there should be some out there. I would not risk trying to repair one & I fix parts that some question my motives & claim I'm just to cheap. C...

Hi James, Staring from scratch, Has this unit worked in this application before? The issue that I find most often with your description is bad rotor. Bosch VW rotors have a resistor for radio noise suppression this can fail and you will have spark from the coil & not to the plugs. This is a real pai...

Hi Timothy,
I would like that coil if it is not spoken for.
Craig.

Hi Steve, If room is the only consideration I have a unorthodox idea. Some time ago I made a fat man steering wheel using mostly ford stamped steel spiders, it was going to move the wheel closer to the driver & that was not going to make it easier to drive. I took one of the large spiders and reform...

Hi Gary, I made a 11 leaf for my fire truck by cutting 1 5/8" off the ends of some extra spring leaves and placing them in between. I had to get clamps, U bolts & threw bolt from a trailer supply house. Not original but did the job of holding up a lot of people in the hose bed. You may want to consi...

Modified anvil & casting so it will press the rivet in the none removable band ear making nice curled down band rivets.

$35 plus shipping, will fit a small USPS flat rate box.
Craig.
Thanks MTFCA

Norm,
Fun story but today your granddad & uncle would be arrested for child endangerment & the three boys would be in custody of CPS. The car
would be impounded & sold @ auction.
As far as the performance issue see Newtons second law of motion.
Craig.

I have picked up two T engines that had been used as power plants. One that had a Ruckstell ( that was used as a speed reduction instead of low band????) and the pan cut off with a large pulley on the crankshaft the other was a chassis that was pulled around with a pulley in place of the driveshaft....

As I understand ( the Montana 500 guys will disagree because they work super hard to make sure their coils are all equally matched) stock coils don't fire all the same & as the engine speed gets faster the accuracy of the ignition starts to break down. This limits the RPM the engine will achieve. & ...

Hi Brent, Having worked on petroleum tankers for a couple of decades I can't remember many mounted on wood. They are mounted on pocketed rubber pads @ the front & back so the frame can flex without trying to twist the ridged tube of the tank. Your living space will need to be well insolated from tha...

Hi Will, Oil around the plugs could indicate a ring issues what do the plugs look like? A quart in twenty miles is a lot! I would think a leak that bad will be noticeable. If the rings are sticky one would think 80 miles is enough to free them up. I would be sure to take lots of oil & plugs. You mig...

I seem to be a little lost on the clutch name issue IMG_2968.jpg The one on the top is a Watts. the one in the middle I made from new Turbo 400 clutches. the one on the bottom was what I received when I ordered a Jack-rabbit clutch from one of the venders. When did the Turbo 400 clutch start being c...

Since the broken part is the clamping part of the fixture could a band be rolled out of steel with the lugs fabricated & welded on. Remove the leftover band. Weld the fabricated band on except for where the clamping part is then index the fixture & turn the band. That would be a lot of work but thes...

I have seen early clutch covers with slotted holes so they fit the 26-27 drum bolt pattern so I assume someone has turned 26-27 hubs to match
the 25 configuration to use in a early trans which would give you lugs with shoes.
Craig.

Hi Roger, I have run all four types of clutch Jackrabbit, Turbo 400, Watts & stock. With the exception of me screwing up a stock clutch I have been happy with all of them. If you have a Auxiliary transmission I feel the freer neutral of the aftermarket clutches is advantageous. But I know many that ...

Hi Clyde, It sounds like this is already set up & working? I believe Hank used that particular trans because it has synchro's. The people that I have run across doing this have even used modern 5 spd. overdrives ( full synchro ) They had issues getting into gear at a stop. As with a Warford having a...

IMG_1408 (1).JPG Hi Frank, Yes that may be the best of both worlds. I would think that using a timer elevator ( designed to use a Ford timer ) would be less work than redesigning a elevated timer though. The best thing about dizzies, elevated timers & timer elevators is they make it much easier to ...

According to energy conservation law. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed it can only be transferred from one form to another. Hydrocarbon ( fossil fuel ) is a form of potential energy. Refining it transforms it to chemical energy. Mixing it with air & igniting it transforms it to thermal en...

I'm with Kevin 153 Chebby bolts are staggered.
Craig.

Hi Vincent, A word of caution Make sure you get parts for the correct Bosch Dizzy. My Reeder dizzy uses a vacuum advance Bosch unit often referred to as a 205 or 006 they are distinguished by a long slot ( usually covered by a small piece of aluminum held in place by screws.) 009's usually have a ov...

Brakes work by turning motion & friction into heat to impede motion. Those may turn motion & friction into dust. I'm of the school that they
need to be smoothed ( not polished ) like trans drums. On the other hand they will darn sure seat in fast.
Craig.

Classic Keepers sells a keeper that moves the retainer up .060 to give a better installed spring height. P/N 1060-100 that number is for 100 pairs for 11/32 valves. there should be someone that will sell smaller quantities. Model A springs will give a greater spring pressure just in case you plan on...

Hi Dino, I'm a distributer fan but they also have there issues. There is something to be said for the charm of vibrator coils. Speedsters are a fun place to experiment with things that are not as Henry intended & that is part of there charm. It is always fun to have someone ask what the h^%&#@^ is t...

Bosch distributers have a resistor in the rotor for noise suppression, they are prone to failure. They can be a pain to diagnose because the appear to be good when testing then fail when starting or after running for a while. If your car has a Bosch dizzy it is a good idea to have a extra one. Rotor...

Hi Steve,
Chaffin's has them part# 3056M 8 required & 3057M 8 pr. required.
Craig.

I think that gasoline is hygroscopic so it attracts water so more in the tank may attract more? If water gets in a vessel the change in temp will
cause it to condense coating the top & as it evaporates rust will form a at a higher rate.
Craig.

Hi Terry, You referred to a vender having a kit, that would be great. When I purchased bearings for one of mine from a local bearing house I think they got every bearing from a different source & the shipping was more than the bearings where. One of the aluminum Warfords I have I noticed the input &...

Hi John, In some states you can get ethanol free gas as Robert mentioned but not here so when I get home & have boutique gas in my tank. I either treat it or drain it. I try not to keep more than a gallon in the tank. I treat gas with Sea Foam, Stabil, Star-tron or synthetic caster oil. All will kee...

Email sent

Keith you say Modern like it's a bad thing. I would not tell anyone on this forum that you had a Tesla ( that's like asking what oil to use in your engine, water pump & distributer) Mitch nice MB,I have never had the luxury of parking my daily driver in the garage. When my wife & I where dating she ...

I talked to Lang's, Steve said the turbo 400 hubs are a while out, but they have the clutch discs in stock & that others may also.
Craig.

Years ago I had a old Oliver tractor that needed some work so I parked it in the corner of the front yard so it was not far from the tool box. The neighbors complained it was a eyesore. I told them as soon as I found the parts it would go back into the pasture. Years later when I was unable to find ...

That may be for the very rear of the pan or for a Aux trans. either way it's a deal.
Craig.

Hi Nathan,
email sent.
Craig.

Hi Chris,
Thanks for posting that drawing I will print & save that.
Craig.

If the turbo 400 hubs are not being made anymore. This may be a solution ( I picked this up some time ago) IMG_2960.jpg IMG_2961.jpg It is a 400 hub machined & welded into a T hub. I have had good luck with cutting the teeth out of stock 400 discs but it is time consuming. I have had a Jackrabbit in...

Hi Douglas,
This is one I picked up a few years ago, it's a little simpler design but should work the same. I would bet it was a fast repair for a otherwise
time consuming repair.

Craig.

Hi Skyhunter,
I was unable to email these so I'll post them.

Hope this helps. Sorry about the mess I haven't cleaned it up since the last speedster run.
Craig.

Having worked with very large metal panels for a good amount of time. Heat is your best friend. If when the panel that is secured is warmer than the frame or support it is installed on that when it cools it will be taunt & smooth. Oil canning is a issue that will take up tons of time to correct. Jus...

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