MTFCA Forum

First off - my problem is insignificant when compared to many of the postings on this site. I went on a short tour with three other T's this past Sunday and somewhere along the way lost my oil cap.... I usually had to twist it a bit to get it off so the idea of the cap coming off on it's own is surprising. Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions on making it more secure? I had a brass cap which I know is not correct but it sure looked purty (and will cost me $36+ to replace)!

My car has a brass cap and it slips into place very easily, yet has never shown any tendency to come out while running. It did drop the screen down into the timing case. Check and be sure that the cap is completely gone, and that the sleeve part isn't still in the engine.

Where did you park for lunch ? If it was a twist fit, chances are it didn't walk off on it's own. Our '14 Touring had the original brass cap modified by soldering a 3/8" brass flat washer to some brass chain which in turn was placed over the timer clamp bolt and the other end soldered on the top edge of the cap.

Steve,
The car was parked across the street from the restaurant - out of our field of view. I hate to think somebody took it but it's possible. The chain idea sounds like a possibility.....

The screen did not drop into the engine. I did change the oil before a tour on the 28th....could I have left the cap off? Anything's possible. It did stay on for over 7000 miles before it disappeared so it does seem unlikely it would fall off on a smooth, paved road.

Are you sure it popped off while driving? One time I poured in some oil and laid the cap on top of the engine. I forgot to put it back on and it fell off somewhere along my route that day. Never did find it. I suppose if you had a lot of blow by, and the cap was a very loose fit, it might be blown off.
Norm

https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/5 ... 1445130393

I know Tim - hate to think the worse but sh_ _ happens !

That's very much like what was on ours.

Another purpose for engine splash pans.
There are a lot of other parts on a T that are much easier for a passerby to remove than the oil cap.

Nobody else has said it so I will. It was stolen by a dirtbag who wanted a souvenir. Jim Patrick

jiminbartow wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 04, 2022 11:34 pm

Nobody else has said it so I will. It was stolen by a dirtbag who wanted a souvenir. Jim Patrick

Maybe, but I was on that same tour and still have my winged motometer.

Tim, the best cure for preventing lost oil caps, and lost tools, is to install the engine to frame pans. Never lost an oil cap or tool until I removed those pans during an engine refresh and failed to put them back on. Point being, every time I found my tools or oil cap laying on the engine pan after a drive is because I inadvertently left them there. For my money it wasn't stolen and it didn't pop out and fall off.

60 years ago I attended a meet with my 1910. I hade an original oill cap on the engine. Parked next to my was another 1910 with a later oil cap. When I went to leave I notice the oriignal oil was gone. Several year later I was again parked near the other 1910. The hood was up and saw that that engine now had a nice original oil cap.

The "tube" part that goes into the timing cover is a bent round piece of sheet metal.
I spread the seam a bit @ the bottom to create a sort of spring tension. Squeeze the base a bit to install.
The cap is tight in the cover.

After that collar is round for tension, then bend a ‘tooth’ on the edge with the needle nose. That tab will grip the front plate hole and secure the cap for the roughest roads!

The bent tab or moving one side over just a bit works for me. I can’t just lift my caps out. There is definitely tension on them. Ford didn’t use anything to hold them down that I know of but not 100% sure.

I appreciate all the comments. I ordered a new cap from Snyders Monday afternoon and it arrived around noon Tuesday (FedEx.) I'm considering your suggestions and will incorporate at least one of them when I install the new cap. I also bought a cheap spare to throw under the back seat.

One thing I'm going to do is check the cap security when I turn the fuel on at the carb for a trip.

I've had the engine pans sitting on a shelf since 2019....maybe it's time to install them. New question - has anyone noticed a difference in engine cooling with pans on compared to pans off? Also, has anyone noticed a difference in the amount of heat entering the passenger compartment pans on compared to pans off? With the pans off I suspect most of the heat goes out the bottom of the engine compartment.

As T’s got older and owners working on them to keep them going the pans were left off and probably discorded. Yes they were put there for a reason but pulling off parts got easier with the pans gone. My 24 Coupe I inherited years ago had one on it but I never found the other one in my Grandfathers parts. I didn’t put it on when I restored it around 15 years ago.

You'll get less dust, mud, and pebbles under the hood with the pans in place. They may improve air flow at road speeds. My car has them, and I get very little heat in the driver's area, and virtually no dust or fumes. My car also has the metal air deflectors on the underside of the floorboards where the pedals go through. They help keep out heat, dust, and noise.

I solder a chain to the INSIDE of the cap, and wrap it around the bolt.

Oldav8tor wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:40 pm

I appreciate all the comments. I ordered a new cap from Snyders Monday afternoon and it arrived around noon Tuesday (FedEx.) I'm considering your suggestions and will incorporate at least one of them when I install the new cap. I also bought a cheap spare to throw under the back seat.

One thing I'm going to do is check the cap security when I turn the fuel on at the carb for a trip.

I've had the engine pans sitting on a shelf since 2019....maybe it's time to install them. New question - has anyone noticed a difference in engine cooling with pans on compared to pans off? Also, has anyone noticed a difference in the amount of heat entering the passenger compartment pans on compared to pans off? With the pans off I suspect most of the heat goes out the bottom of the engine compartment.

The purpose of the pans & hood louvers are to create a negative (low) pressure zone in the engine compartment. Without them the air flow is subject to turbulence. "When driving" as the air passes through the radiator fins it is sucked out of the engine compartments by air flowing over the louvers (high pressure) on the hood (those louvers on hot rods/gow jobs were not for decoration). The airflow over the louvers acts much like airflow over a planes wing

When stationary relying on the fan for cooling, the air flow is directed from the radiator out the louvers passing around the engine as well instead of out the bottom of the compartment.

If you compare the Model T design to modern cars (with some exception to those of the 60's) you see that they too have engine pans for the same reason.
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/0704s ... d-louvers/
https://www.cashedoutcars.com/2020/08/h ... ained.html

After removing the engine pans, the we nine ran cooler. However, the valves were ground at the same time so I don't know what contributed to the cooler condition
Shortly after I bought the car in 1977, an elderly man looked at my car and said he was surprised that the car has engine pans because almost everyone took them off st the first opportunity.

Art Mirtes

Art M wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 09, 2022 1:15 pm

After removing the engine pans, the we nine ran cooler. However, the valves were ground at the same time so I don't know what contributed to the cooler condition
Shortly after I bought the car in 1977, an elderly man looked at my car and said he was surprised that the car has engine pans because almost everyone took them off st the first opportunity.

Art Mirtes

I'm certain that the first opportunity wasn't to remove the pans, but rather to put them back on. As many have said they are a nuisance to put on/off when working on the engine. Driving conditions, speed, stop&go traffic, all influence engine cooling. What needs to be asked when those that are having cooling issues, especially those considering a water pump, have the pans installed or not. It is not to say that the pans are the issue, just a possible cause.