MTFCA Forum

ewdysar

MTFCTulsa has a series of pages explaining Model T camshafts and the tradeoffs of various grinds that are available. It’s quite a bit of reading, but afterwards, you should be informed enough to feel confident in making a decision that meets your specific needs. Here’s the link... http://mtfctulsa.c...

ewdysar

... Starting at the top of the line I see that the MTFCA Museum has a pristine 1924 roadster on display. My question is, if you could buy it and afford it, how much would you pay for it? Hmmm, I guess that I’ll try answering the question asked... Without seeing the car in question, but because the ...

ewdysar

“... Some people say I am lucky..., BS, hard work and no good luck pixies/fairy's here. I am blessed as I have more than I deserve... “ Humble Hank in Tin-A-See Ben Franklin said “Diligence is the mother of good luck”. The stories here support that ideal, over and over again. Keep crankin’ Eric

ewdysar

I dislike these discussions. Often run past them and try to ignore them. Too many opinions, all too often bad ones...” ...It's hard to believe you live in California. You sure don't fit there... Yep, me too, Wayne. I usually try to ignore the unnecessary opinions, but some folks just have to be pet...

ewdysar

Interesting information, Tim. Has anyone here seen a set of A-Cs that were set up to the emergency brake as shown in picture labelled #1? And it looks like set up #3 uses 1 cable attached to the emergency brakes and another cable run to the brake pedal and center mounted equalizer pulley. The number...

ewdysar

Keep in mind that Henry set his minimum wage to $5 a day in 1914, effectively doubling typical wages for the time. So depending on when the labor table shown was published, we can guess about how long the work should take. At $5 a day, a $20 repair could take 4 days work. Even if we’re talking in th...

ewdysar

Other than the overcrowding from having to park in a county park parking lot that was open to, and occupied by a number of modern cars in addition to the hundreds of participating antique vehicles, I did not notice any difficulties that were worse that a regular visit to our local Target or Home Dep...

ewdysar

The MTFCI did all of the bulletins a few years back. For reference it is great, but I disliked the fact they didn't reproduce them exactly like the original bulletins. The should have used the glossy paper, and punched the holes in the same location, and used the orange lines on bulletin #1, and bl...

ewdysar

Friday, I aired up the tires, added a gallon of gas, checked the oil and water, and pulled her out of storage. She fired up on the third pull, so we set out to visit some relatives about 10 miles away. Everything went well, so I put her away until Sunday and the Holiday Motor Excursion. Sunday was e...

ewdysar

Perhaps the OP is looking for non-demountable rims, you know, the metal part...

Here’s a link for rims that go on the rear wheels of a ‘15 (but there is a long lead time)
https://www.modeltford.com/item/2845.aspx

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

I just checked the HCCA website, the lot opens at 07:30 on Sunday with the tour starting around 09:30. The website has the registration form that you can print and fill out in advance. Because the new site is at a county park, the club can’t charge an admission fee without turning over a good portio...

ewdysar

Thanks for the post, Mark. Since you posted pics of the ‘15 and ‘16, I looked through the rest of the years through ‘25. Admittedly, I know very little about the closed cars, but given the notes and pics in the encyclopedia, I learned something new (to me). It appears that all of the years of Sedans...

ewdysar

The 2019 HME is now upon us, and the weather forecast is looking up for Saturday. Even though Albert Hammond said “It never rains in Southern California” back in the 70’s, recently it’s been a little damp and a bit cold (there is snow in the foothills behind my house today). The meet is in a new loc...

ewdysar

Sounds like fun, and reasonably close. Unfortunately, I have a job...

But your continuing posts have been a kind of internet Burma Shave experience, just waiting for what the next day will bring...

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

As another data point, California is also quite free regarding old cars. Like Don said about Texas, in California “Antique vehicles over a certain age (I think it’s 25 years) are exempt from most inspection requirements and need only have the lighting and safety equipment that they came with from th...

ewdysar

Although I haven’t needed to reline either my Rocky Mountains or my A-C external brakes yet, I would have only thought to replace the current woven linings with the single woven material available, if sourcing from McMaster-Carr. That product is “also known as semi-metallic woven strips... with bras...

ewdysar

Jeff, Here’s the link to the McMaster-Carr brake lining page. Pick the width and thickness as appropriate for your specific application. https://www.mcmaster.com/brake-lining For anyone that has ordered this lining for their Rocky Mountains, what thickness did you order, and would you get the same n...

ewdysar

.... The only problem I've come across in rebuilds is that I've found a few coil rings cracked at the bolting at the block, if from in-car charging I'm only speculating. This speculation has come up before. And Tom Carnegie addressed it in more detail than I would have expected in his thread about ...

ewdysar

According to the MTFCA encyclopedia, a 1926 coupe had a shipping weight of 1860 lbs, with starter and 21” wheels. Good guess, George.

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

This looks like a reasonably well done “kit” speedster with a number of good parts. While the Ruckstell axle is a valuable feature, I couldn’t see any sign of auxiliary brakes, like Rocky Mountains or A-Cs. That should be straightened out before any regular driving. Because speedsters are not factor...

ewdysar

RPMs could be derived directly from Magneto frequency with a frequency to voltage converter. No sensors required. Bob, you’re right. One can accurately read RPM from the magneto output, as shown by the ECCT in magneto test mode. All that is left is how to translate that data stream to drive a physi...

ewdysar

Thanks for the pics Dan. Would it be safe to put the ends of the straight bars on stands or are these lifting bars strictly an overhead hoist thing? Yes, I understand that ground support would get in the way of pulling the removed bits out from under the car, but I think that could be managed... Eric

ewdysar

Kind of weird to resurrect this thread with a geography question, but Napa is currently the premier wine country in the US (some say the world). Lots of wineries and resorts in the area, there are numerous visitor’s websites if you google the area. As far as Jeff’s problem, there was one or more oth...

ewdysar

While reading this thread, I've noticed that a couple of people mentioned try using a impact wrench to turn the engine over. I don't think a impact wrench would work as it would just hammer away and not spin the engine over. Am I wrong in thinking this? bobt That’s what I was thinking too. I rotate...

ewdysar

Here is a way to do it. BAC6372F-B991-4AC8-B07C-36D46E6C6BE6.jpeg And there are these too C8EF0495-EA26-4CD3-96D6-5CD5227F582D.jpeg Here a way to lift the front 41FB2517-76F5-4329-8901-F069FA6401FC.jpeg Hey Dan, Got any pics of the lifting bars in use? I’m interested in where they go and what they ...

ewdysar

There are tachometers for outdoor power equipment that have a digital readout. I bought one about 25 years ago and used it on my mower and 9N tractor. They have a pickup wire that wraps around a spark plug wire to get a signal to determine rpm. They are all over Amazon and many are less than $30. U...

ewdysar

I’m with Scott on this one. Give the limited info available in the pics, there are a bunch of little things that are right for a correct ‘15. The spindle and tie-rod oilers appear to be manhole type, while the shackle oilers look to be the correct twist type. The “new” style rear axle has the early ...

ewdysar

It’s obviously one of the boxes that the ‘25 roadsters were kept in while they were still on the shelf in the auto store. Petty rare today, but worth even more if you have one with the roadster still in it that has never been opened...

ewdysar

I’ve been surprised that less than half of the fast food employees that I’ve seen at drive up windows have reacted at all to either of my Ts. Apparently, just getting the order right and keeping their cash drawer in balance is more than enough to occupy most if not all of their attention. Or maybe, ...

ewdysar

As long as the axle nut is on and the axle shaft doesn’t break... it ain’t goin nowhere. I thought that the point of safety hubs was to keep the wheel on the car when the axle shaft breaks. My “floating” safety hubs look like the pics that Hank posted, the flange of the bearing assembly is bolted t...

ewdysar

not necessarily what the previous poster was talking about, but I bought some battery flares from Lee Valley tools last year. They are very bright, even in daylight, have strong magnets and a bunch of light patterns programmed in them. They stick very well to the tops of my fenders. They are no long...

ewdysar

just until tomorrow...

https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8755

Coker tires Black Friday special.

ewdysar

I wonder what the gear reduction is for the sprocket drive? And what happened to the roadster body (which looked to be in like-new condition)?

All in all, a spiffy way to build a one-ton truck...

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

Joseph a stearns wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 26, 2019 6:17 pm
Don that RAD is beautiful—is it gold? You are making great progress and doing things right. Have fun!!!

For the price, one might think that it should be. But there’s nothing quite like getting a new Brassworks radiator mounted for the first time.

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

Why would you think that people don’t look at the classified ads? As one example, the new oil can brackets got three responses in just a couple of hours, and desirable items often are sold within minutes. It seems to me that the classified ads get constant, high volume traffic on this site. Keep cra...

ewdysar

As mentioned earlier in the thread, these are listed in the Fun Projects catalog (these are the ones that are apparently out of stock) as an alternative to the common and cheaper replacements that everyone disparages: “These Coil Box Spring Contact Sets fit the 1913-1927 Model T Ford metal coil boxe...

ewdysar

Dan I am interested if the price is under $20. jab35<at>cornell(dot)edu Thanks for making the offer, jb James, We can't tell the supplier what they should sell it for. I think that if you can't afford the part, do without unless you can provide a better part for less. We need to turn this hobby fro...

ewdysar

One of my buddies from High School, Colonel Steve Lindsey, has flown the Space Shuttle a couple of times. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Lindsey . But I don’t think that he has ever driven a Model T... :mrgreen: Here’s a pic of us at our 40 year reunion last summer. 503489D9-4C5C-4502-8FEC-970...

ewdysar

After building a number of electric car conversion in the ‘90s with lots of cable connections, the consensus is that battery cables should be properly crimped as a mechanical connection, once crimped, the lug can be soldered as well, but if the lug is the right size for the cable gauge and properly ...

ewdysar

The info for the 2019 HME has just been published. Always a great event!

http://www.socalhcca.com/holiday-motor-excursion/

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

While the Kingston L2 was available beginning in ‘16, the two armed choke indicates that the carb shown is a ‘19 or later example. The Holly model G was available through ‘15 and ‘16 and could also be considered depending on the chosen target date.

ewdysar

“Look at that smile!” A perfect vote of support from your wife.

The car sounds awesome. You’ve done a great job!

Eric

ewdysar

My father still tells the stories about driving his touring with magneto headlights in the 60’s. He says that the headlights would get momentarily brighter when he hit the brakes to slow down or stop. He knows that it was moving the crank forward and getting the magnets closer to the magneto. But th...

ewdysar

And back to the OP, in the era, there were no “take-away” (ride through?) restaurants. If you went into town to eat at a restaurant, you ate at the restaurant. Those people that provided meals “to-go”, made food that was more transportable and packaged it accordingly. Your “dilemma” didn’t become an...

ewdysar

Or maybe it didn’t occur to them to try to carry an open beverage while operating their vehicle and didn’t need them. I doubt that anyone has ever worried about how to drink a cup of coffee while riding their horse. Personally, I have not had an open drink in any of my Ts, and rarely use the cup hol...

ewdysar

When I get the 105 year old wheels on my ‘14 rebuilt by Stutzman’s, will they be original or authentic? The rims and the hubs will be original, the wood and the hub bolts will be new. Personally, I’ll be calling them original. The Ruckstell axle, the AC small drum brakes, the Brassworks flat tube ra...

ewdysar

More on the philosophical musings: http://www.thefullwiki.org/George_Washington%27s_axe some excerpts: “Similarly, the human body constantly creates new cells as old cells die. The average age of cells in an adult body may be less than 10 years.”. So, are you living in the body that you were born in...

ewdysar

We used to have cigar boxes around. Now, not so much. They are delightful. Those old cigar boxes are around because “grandpa” used to buy 25 cigars at a time. Cigars still come in cigar boxes. I’ve got a couple of recent boxes on my shelf. But now, the trendy folks just buy one or two cigars at a t...

ewdysar

According to the Tulsa Club technical page on head design, the Haibe, Giant Power, and Simmons Super Power heads are similar in combustion chamber design and volume. Measured at 255 cc, the resulting compression ratio on an un-milled example would be 4.3:1. http://mtfctulsa.com/Tech/head_design.htm ...

ewdysar

Fordwright wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:08 pm
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... crash.html

I think that you meant this for another thread....

ewdysar

It’s clear that each of us have our own “line” that we believe should not be crossed. For me, the term “unmolested” helps draw that line. So gas, oil, and tires are all just maintenance items and should not affect the originality of the car. I think that most of us would agree that safety glass and ...

ewdysar

The Holmes Bread truck in the third picture may not be a Ford. Both the front and the rear axles are on two springs, all of the others are on the expected Ford single transverse spring, at least in front.

Eric

ewdysar

What I find interesting is the differences in the rear windows on the various models. It looks like the one-man tops all have 2 windows, although on one car, it has ovals. The far one-man top appears to have larger windows than the close one. The two-man tops have three windows, but windows appear t...

ewdysar

Good enough Don. After your concise and careful introspection, I can see that you are strong, just, and righteous, and the other guy was weak and scum. In your judgement, the child was not in harms way. In his judgement, the child was in harms way. You are Right, and he is Wrong. I can live with tha...

ewdysar

Hi Don, I’m going to start by saying that I am not judging the person who wrote the note nor your response. But I found your statement “ until you threaten me or my loved ones (or any random child or otherwise helpless person). ” worthy of discussion. It sounds like you are a straight forward, upsta...

ewdysar

Hey Val, I think that the officer that gave you the warning is probably correct. Seat belt requirements and car seat requirements are not the same thing. While many states (maybe all states) have waivers for use of seat belts based on OEM or YOM, I’m not aware of any state that extends those waivers...

ewdysar

Hi Gene, I’m glad to hear that you’re ok. That whole thing could have gone much worse. :shock: I recently had something similar happen with a new bicycle, with less dramatic results. I had just finished assembling the bicycle and added air to the tires after the wheels were installed. I aired the ba...

ewdysar

I think that John C. got it right for children that require a suitable car seat with “ If the car doesn't have the proper measures to restrain, then they can't ride.” Once you get to the age and/or size that they can legally use just a seat belt, then the YOM considerations start to apply. But that ...

ewdysar

I guess that it depends on the traffic laws in your state, but most states have laws like this: In Georgia: Child Car Seat Laws Children under 8 years old must ride in an approved safety seat or booster that is suited for their height and weight. Children 8 years old and under must ride in the back ...

ewdysar

The little trigger can oiler in my garage is filled with chainsaw bar oil. It seems to hang around longer than motor oil.

ewdysar

PM sent about the running boards.

ewdysar

And I think that it’s funny that people “bump” their sale posts constantly. I know who has offered stuff for sale that I am interested in and can remember stuff that I have read longer than just a few hours or days. I know who is selling new aftermarket wire wheels, even though I don’t think that ei...

ewdysar

Yeah, I missed the flash sale on these by going to work instead of spending my time reading various forums. I think that they’re an awesome product, but my ‘16 touring has a completely rebuilt front end (with flip-top oilers) that only has about 200 miles on it, my speedster project dropped axle has...

ewdysar

In a recent for sale post, a person with a possible interest in getting into the hobby stated that he thought that this group might not be a good fit for him. Since then, I’ve been thinking about the first impressions that people may get about our members. Based on nothing but my personal, subjectiv...

ewdysar

Keith, I asked this same question a while ago, and got the same basic answer. Nobody has done this because it shouldn’t be done. Do whatever it takes to run your gas lamps on gas. Or if you think that you would like the convenience of electric lamps, stick with the halogen conversions that have been...

ewdysar

Adrian, We all know that the stock clutch should be able to handle all of the power that a well tuned stock engine can throw at it under normal operating conditions. I hear you about the slipping, my well adjusted stock clutch will slip occasionally under heavy load, like when my Touring is carrying...

ewdysar

Kerry, Small carbureted engines are fairly common in the modeling world. I’ve run 1 cylinder, 2 stroke, reed valved engines as small as 0.020 cubic inch displacement, and 0.25 cubic inch, rotary valved engines with barrel type throttle carburetors with separate high and low speed needle valves. So c...

ewdysar

My cousin had a similar sticker in his 4spd ‘69 Camaro during the late ‘70’s, and a good friend had one in his Baja bug in the ‘80’s. The bug also had “Grass, gas, or a$$, nobody rides for free” right below. Good times...

ewdysar

yep, I suggest that Clarence gets out from between the crank and connecting rods before anything gets tightened up...

ewdysar

Since I prefer driving with the top down, I store it with the top down. Maybe 10% of the time, I put up the top. Luckily, dealing with the top boot takes longer than it takes me to put up or take down the two-man top by myself.

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

yep, good old dino-based 15-40 oil for diesels (CG-4 and up) is fine for T’s, and it is available just about everywhere. Walmart sells gallons for around $10.00. I’ve got a Suburban with a 6.5L turbo-diesel. No extended maintenance schedule for that engine, so I go with the whatever is on sale at Wa...

ewdysar

Following up with Gonenorth's question, has anyone installed LED bulbs in a gas headlamp? It would be nice to have a proven alternative to the 55W halogens that are available from our regular suppliers. Keep crankin' Eric Still wondering. Has anyone installed led bulbs in an acetylene head lamp? Ke...

ewdysar

While there are some places in SoCal where I would not drive my T for fun, i.e. downtown LA, Santa Monica, or the South Bay (where Larry lives), but starting in the Pasadena area, there are plenty of places that I will go just for the adventure. My mother’s house is a 30 minute drive without too man...

ewdysar

Hi Brent and Joss, Two years ago, when my original 1914 engine was torn down (apparently for the first time ever) for a rebuild, we found that the original crank had a lengthwise crack that went through 2 neighboring journals. Who knows how long that crack had been there. I had the crank replaced, o...

ewdysar

While I once was a big fan of April fool's day, I am no longer. I haven't spent much time thinking about why, but this year set me to wonderin'. In the past, what I liked about this day was that people would make up outlandish stories to see if they would be just plausible enough to be believed by s...

ewdysar

Hi Bob,

Given the damage to the driver’s side of the radiator, it looks like they tried to pry or knock the radiator off, but those pesky mounting bolts twarted their efforts. Or maybe the damage came from something else.

Keep crankin’,
Eric

ewdysar

Hmmm, after a couple minutes of searching, every photo of that I could find of 9, 10, 11, and 12 tooth pinions, as well as the 2 loose stock Ford pinions in my shop, have the keyway centered on the valley rather than a tooth of the gear. To my eye, that puts the sharp corners of the keyway (stress r...

ewdysar

Tom, Build what you want, drive it as fast as you're comfortable with. Your choice and your responsibility. If she breaks, then you get to fix her. We all risk our stuff and our lives (and the lives of others) everyday. How we do that is really personal choice. The opinions presented are are just th...

ewdysar

Here's the link to the Montana 500 webpage: http://www.antiqueautoranch.com/montana500/indexnonrefresh.html I spent a little time wandering around here and saw that in the early years there were a couple of '15s that completed. I didn't see any evidence of earlier brass cars in photos or articles. I...

ewdysar

I disagree with some of the things that have been said about the inherent weakness of wood spoke wheels. In less than 5 seconds on Google, I found: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/280720.html?1333819622 . I know and respect a couple of the people that contributed to that thread and other...

ewdysar

At the 2012 HCCA Holiday Motor Excursion, Jay Leno brought his 1917 Fiat "Botafogo" special. 22L 6cyl, very cool. The link is to the JL Garage episode about this car. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0HXxGjlIag Fiat racer - rear.jpg Fiat engine - left side.jpg Fiat racer - chain drive.jpg Fiat racer ...

ewdysar

Not sure of the RPMs, but my Dad's "15" Touring that was built from a number of donor cars in the early '60's runs smooth right up to 50mph on level ground. The engine is a wide brake drum, 4 dip, electric start engine with cast iron pistons, stock crank, stock high head, one-piece valves, unknown c...

ewdysar

But objective performance isn’t the only factor in pricing. We all know that correct early parts, like DB spindles or 6 rivet axle housings are worth more even though they are not necessarily better parts. Therefore, originality comes at a premium. But we also deal with plenty of “improvements” that...

ewdysar

In most situations, small amounts of water with plenty of surface area will not break things when frozen. If the water has room to expand, like in an ice cube tray, no damage occurs. If enclosed with little air space, that’s when things start to go bad. For an operational engine, the inlet and outle...

ewdysar

Hi Mark, The easiest way to tell if this is caused by incorrect toe-in is to check your toe-in. That should take 2 minutes or less with a tape measure. If your toe-in is not right, then this wear is probably from that. If your toe-in is correct, then this wear is probably from something else. But wi...

ewdysar

Here’s the link to the old forum discussion that includes some original adverts that show the 8 different onfigurations for this truck bed. I think that this truck is very cool.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/708324/762194.html

Keep crankin’,
Eric

ewdysar

Hi Dan, I had small leaks in my ‘15 brass radiator and had a reputable local shop do 2 rounds of repairs (rodding the core and resoldering the leaks) in 2 years for a total cost around $500. The first time pulled a decent amount of crud out of the lower tank. The leaks would go away but reappear som...

ewdysar

Did LB make any kits for Model T’s? Or did they focus on the A’s and later Fords?

Keep crankin’,
Eric

ewdysar

Hi Rob, From the 1923 Ford Dealers’ Data Book: Cooling system contains exactly 2 gallons 7-1/2 pints of water. Radiator contains exactly 2 gallons of water. Since you describe a combination of various parts, 3 gallons should be enough to fill your system from dry. I would hold back about a pint to s...

ewdysar

I don't find that stating the a horn is 'upside down" is very helpful without including a picture or a description like "bell up" or "bell down". Since different types of horns were mounted differently, then "upside down" depends on the car year and horn type. Since on LHD cars, multi-twist horns we...

ewdysar

We’ve discussed coolant choice, and how often to change the coolant... What is the accepted coolant flush process? I vaguely remember Steve J. posting something about this on the old forum. What additive, if any, is appropriate for the T system to help get more of the crud out? Thanks and keep crank...

ewdysar

Aftr reading the “coolant thread”, here’s a related question.

1) Is there a factory recommended schedule for changing coolant in a T? If not, what is yours and why.

Please avoid providing more information about your coolant choice, you can post that in the other thread.

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

Hi Les, I’ve done the same as you decribe. However, I have found that plexiglass can be used for the ‘stencil’ in step 2, which means that I can do the cutout and cleanup with simple woodworking tools. And where you mentioned hard rubber, I use urethane, available in various hardnesses for different...

ewdysar

OK. Does anyone know how I can see a copy of the original print?

ewdysar

So just in case I come across the appropriate brass tubing in reasonable quantities, are there any dimensions/diagrams for the 2 pieces, the mostly straight piece that runs forward in the frame and the radiator crossover tube for radiators with gas tube holes in the side panels with the tee fitting ...

ewdysar

Following up with Gonenorth's question, has anyone installed LED bulbs in a gas headlamp? It would be nice to have a proven alternative to the 55W halogens that are available from our regular suppliers.

Keep crankin'
Eric

ewdysar

A couple of other non-profit organizations that I belong to have switched to digital newsletters/magazines provided as part of the regular dues. For those that want to continue to receive a hard copy in the mail, the option to pay extra, e.g. $2 an issue /$24 annually, including postage, is availabl...

ewdysar

Apparently I ain't too bright. I can't find any sort of this size of brass tubing in Lang's online or printed catalog, or any of our other regular vendors either. Since my fall back of McMaster-Carr only sells brass 260 tubing, I should just push this project back and focus on other T projects inste...

ewdysar

Hi Rich, I looked at my copy of the Lang's 2012 catalog and the BL-T Gas Headlight hook up kit on page 121 lists the parts as "copper tubing, copper T fitting, red rubber tubing, brass hose clamps, and instructions". The listing has been consistent for at least 7 years, so I think that it is likely ...

ewdysar

This is what I found on "260" brass. "260 Brass (also known as cartridge brass or yellow brass) - the most popular and economical of the brass alloys. Chemical Composition Copper: 68.5%-71.5% Iron: 0.05% Lead: 0.07% Zinc: 28.5% Other: 0.15%" This is consistent across a number of metal suppliers that...

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