MTFCA Forum

This may bend the originalists out of shape, but I got tired of spilling gas everywhere when I tried to fill the tank in the 1922 couple from a gas can on the side of the road. I converted our coupe to 12 volts with a 12 v alternator and starter, (from Snyders). The last time I had the tank out, I mounted a 12 volt fuel pump under the gas tank, and wired it in with a switch and routed hoses out from under the tank. Now, I can pump fuel from the can on the running board, into the gas tank, and not spill a drop. so it made this modification a piece of cake. .

This is what it looks like when not in use. You can see that I also drilled an hole, and put a threaded right angle hose nipple in the gas cap, ad ran the vent house out under the car. Before I made this modification, if the tank was full, and I drove the car over a bumpy road, gas would spew out of the vent hole, and one could strongly smell the spilled gas inside the trunk, when driving. The vent hose modification stopped that problem. I screwed down a piece of flat bar, onto the wooden tank hold down, and put strong rare earth magnets on it. That holds the steel handle of the ball valve on the outlet hose from the pump. I put a LED wand type light there also, because it is dark down inside that tank when filling it, and I can watch the fuel level easily this way. You can see the inlet hose, rolled up and stored on the right, and the pull type pump switch mounted in the wood base, next to where the inlet hose for the pump enters under the tank. I shoved a brass pipe nipple into the end of the hose, and used a brass pipe cap to seal it. I put a rubber disk inside the pipe cap, to make it seal when the cap is hand tight.
The old trusty wooded tank dip stick is laying on the tank also.

How far are you from a gas station?

How far are you from a gas station?

Depends on where you run out. Those running board cans have saved me an unscheduled long walk more than once.

Good one Jerry.

It is not a question of "how far are you from a gas station?". To me, the question is, "How far are you from a gas station that sells non ethanol fuel?
I have a brass Stromburg OF carbs on both of my T's. Ethanol loves water. Water and brass don't like each other. I also have lots of antique BMW motorcycles, and corroded carburettors and corroded brass jets are a real concern. Another factor is, I can be forgetful, (as in when was the last time I put gas in this thing). Most of my "long distance" driving occurs on the Natchez Trace parkway. It's a wonderful road for Model T. No trucks, no heavy traffic, no stop signs, lots of places to pull off with restrooms, an NO gas stations. You have to get off the Trace to buy fuel. And it runs for 444 miles from Natchez MS to Nashville TN. Gas has a shelf life too. I always replace the "emergency" fuel on the running board can, by refiling the tank with it. Then, I refill the running board can with non ethanol fuel. And, with a concealed fuel pump for fuel transfer, I don't spill gas all over everything
Our 1915 at a rest stop on the Natchez Trace, South of Tupelo MS, a couple of years ago.

Why the photo appears sideways, is beyond my computer skills, sorry
.

Changing the subject on your coupe. I see the setup for gas and wonder how you now get to the battery. I just bought an original barn find 1925 coupe and had to install and charge a battery. I will also install a battery cut-off as I have in all my cars. I can't reach the battery with what I consider normal sized arms so I will find a place to install a switch. I hope I don't have to change or charge the battery very often.

DickC wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:37 pm

Changing the subject on your coupe. I see the setup for gas and wonder how you now get to the battery. I just bought an original barn find 1925 coupe and had to install and charge a battery. I will also install a battery cut-off as I have in all my cars. I can't reach the battery with what I consider normal sized arms so I will find a place to install a switch. I hope I don't have to change or charge the battery very often.

It is not easy. On my '22 coupe, I have to remove the tool box, and water can, and spare coil and and other stuff out of the trunk, and then pull up the ribbed rubber floor mat that I made, over the battery compartment, and remove the wooden lid over the battery. Fortunately, the 12v battery that I bought has a built in plastic strap on it. It makes lifting the battery out somewhat easier, but I have to get my spare tire out of the way, so I can stand as close as I can to the rear of the car, and using both hands, while leaning over, lift it out of the hole. If I was 30 years old it would be a piece of cake. At 70, my carcass ain't what it used to be, so it is a strain, but I can get it out.

I installed a rotary type, main battery cut off switch inside the car in a hole that a previous owner had drilled through the sheet metal under the seat on the drivers side,
The other thing I did was to install a charging harness on the battery terminals, and routed it along the frame and under the running board, secured with black nylon wire tires, so I can keep the battery plugged in and charged when the car is not in use. I bought a Battery Tender "smart" trickle charger, which works great. It automatically shuts the power off when the battery is fully charged. If your wondering about the Kleenex box and the silver cigarette case, I bought a case of those "mini" Kleenex boxes, and I cut open the end, and slipped a rare earth magnet in under the tissues, inside the box, that I spray painted black. It sticks to the sheet metal, and never moves. The steel plated cigarette box is where I keep my proof of insurance card and registration papers for the car. A rare earth magnet holds it in place on the sheet metal of the seat support.

I just dont get it, it seems like an awful lot of trouble and unecessary modifications to accomodate an unlikely problem of putting gas in your tank on the side of the road without spilling it. In over 50 years of owning and driving a model T I have only run out of gas and had to add fuel to the tank on the side of the road...once. And to do it with a non period, ugly, jerry can. To each his own I guess. I must admit it is well thought out and executed well. Reminds me of some of my more fun projects in my mechanical engineering classes. If that jerry can is intended to be a permanent fixture on your running board I would suggest grounding it to some metal.