Shimming a Motometer
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
-
Topic author - Posts: 454
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:23 pm
- First Name: Austin
- Last Name: Farmer
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Touring
- Location: N.W. Illinois
Shimming a Motometer
Is there a way you can make a homemade shim out of (something) for a Motometer? Lately, ours has not lined up straight, and has a tendency to vibrate loose very quickly. What material could you use? Thank you!
The future of our hobby does not depend as much on youth, but on the future of internal combustion.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
-
- Posts: 3389
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:53 am
- First Name: Tim
- Last Name: Wrenn
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '13 Touring, '26 "Overlap" Fordor
- Location: Ohio
- MTFCA Number: 30701
- MTFCI Number: 24033
- Board Member Since: 2019
Re: Shimming a Motometer
Austin, I, like many others share your pain! I ended up starting out with the neoprene gasket, then adding various numbers of the old fashioned cardboard gaskets the vendors also sell. I also found that using teflon tape on the threads really helps, even if it it isn't "period correct"!
-
- Posts: 2203
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:55 pm
- First Name: James
- Last Name: Patrick
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Coupe
- Location: Bartow, FL
- MTFCA Number: 50126
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Shimming a Motometer
Buy a half dozen of the cardboard gaskets (only .40 ea. from Lang’s and put enough into the neck to allow you to tighten the motometer enough to position it to the front and tight enough to keep it from vibrating loose. I have 4 of the gaskets in mine. It won’t work loose if you tighten it tight enough. Jim Patrick
-
- Posts: 843
- Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 12:57 pm
- First Name: Art
- Last Name: Mirtes
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 Touring
- Location: Huron, Ohio
- MTFCA Number: 32489
- MTFCI Number: 24068
- Board Member Since: 2016
Re: Shimming a Motometer
I have a rubber gasket plus one card board gasket, which worked for me. Never a problem since.
Art Mirtes
Art Mirtes
-
- Posts: 4072
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:39 pm
- First Name: Norman
- Last Name: Kling
- Location: Alpine California
Re: Shimming a Motometer
I go to the hardware store and get a neoprene gasket made for a sink drain. They usually have one which fits just right. It is soft enough that I can usually line up the motometer with just a little pressure on the cap to seal. If it is not facing the right way, then just one or two thin gaskets made of gasket paper on top of the neoprene one.
Norm
Norm
-
- Posts: 4308
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Tomaso
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
- Location: Longbranch, WA
- MTFCA Number: 14972
- MTFCI Number: 15411
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Shimming a Motometer
Do you have wings or a dog bone ? I use an o-ring + a gasket or two to line up the cap to the radiator quite snug then I loosen the motometer nut and twist it ever so slightly towards the driver's side and snug it back up.
-
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Sat May 07, 2022 10:36 am
- First Name: Jeff
- Last Name: H
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 22 touring
- Location: colorado
Re: Shimming a Motometer
Mine came with 2 thicknesses of rubber gaskets made from inner tubes
-
Topic author - Posts: 454
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:23 pm
- First Name: Austin
- Last Name: Farmer
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Touring
- Location: N.W. Illinois
Re: Shimming a Motometer
Our car has a dogbone.
The future of our hobby does not depend as much on youth, but on the future of internal combustion.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
-
Topic author - Posts: 454
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:23 pm
- First Name: Austin
- Last Name: Farmer
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Touring
- Location: N.W. Illinois
Re: Shimming a Motometer
My Grandpa made some homemade ones, I wonder if I can find some of those somewhere. He used some sort of yellow plastic. Sorry I do not have any pictures.
The future of our hobby does not depend as much on youth, but on the future of internal combustion.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
-
- Posts: 4072
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:39 pm
- First Name: Norman
- Last Name: Kling
- Location: Alpine California
Re: Shimming a Motometer
One has wings, the other two have dog bones. However the one with wings got too hot and got stuck all the way at the top, and I can't get it down. So one of my 3 cars has just a standard cap now.
Norm
Norm
-
- Posts: 5205
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: Shimming a Motometer
My son came home with a 6" long, 2" diameter red Nolethane boat trailer roller one day. Some time later I discovered that it was the diameter of the T radiator neck. I chucked it in the lathe, and using a common garden variety hacksaw, cut some washers by rotating the roller ans sawing at the same time. Naturally they come at different thicknesses. If one does not suit, another will, but they will also take a deal of crush, so aligning mascots is not a problem.
Eventually, they crack from the centre hole outwards, and after about 3 years they need to be replaced. The small centre hole allows the washer to be pulled out with a crooked finger.
Allan from down under.
Eventually, they crack from the centre hole outwards, and after about 3 years they need to be replaced. The small centre hole allows the washer to be pulled out with a crooked finger.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 3907
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:00 pm
- First Name: John
- Last Name: Kuehn
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 19 Roadster, 21 Touring, 24 Coupe
- Location: Texas
- MTFCA Number: 28924
Re: Shimming a Motometer
25 Touring
A good material to make Motometer gaskets is pieces cut out of a Purex or Clorox bottle. Prestone antifreeze bottles work good to. Farm fix as some would but they do work.
A good material to make Motometer gaskets is pieces cut out of a Purex or Clorox bottle. Prestone antifreeze bottles work good to. Farm fix as some would but they do work.
-
- Posts: 215
- Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:30 pm
- First Name: Peter
- Last Name: Kable
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1911 Town Car 1913 Speedster 1915 kampcar
- Location: Australia
- MTFCA Number: 4
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
Re: Shimming a Motometer
I use a radiator hose the same diameter as the radiator neck.
You can make it as thick as is needed ( cut with a utility knife) to get the motometer to sit correctly and the hose is usually reinforced with canvas or similar and the rubber is more than able to cope with the temperatures involved and you will have replacements anytime you need one depending on the length of the hose.
You can make it as thick as is needed ( cut with a utility knife) to get the motometer to sit correctly and the hose is usually reinforced with canvas or similar and the rubber is more than able to cope with the temperatures involved and you will have replacements anytime you need one depending on the length of the hose.
-
Topic author - Posts: 454
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:23 pm
- First Name: Austin
- Last Name: Farmer
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Touring
- Location: N.W. Illinois
Re: Shimming a Motometer
I wold like to thank you all for the ideas for I'm sure what is a very common problem.
Probably just end up making one of each!
Probably just end up making one of each!
The future of our hobby does not depend as much on youth, but on the future of internal combustion.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
The past is only simple because hindsight is 20/20.
-
- Posts: 2461
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:30 pm
- First Name: Dave
- Last Name: Hjortnaes
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 24 Speedster, 20 touring
- Location: Men Falls, WI
- MTFCA Number: 28762
- MTFCI Number: 22402
Re: Shimming a Motometer
I buy these at any hardware store. I think they work better than the gaskets.
I assume Art and Norm use one similar.
I assume Art and Norm use one similar.
-
- Posts: 3840
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:24 pm
- First Name: john
- Last Name: karvaly
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 14/15 wide track roadster. 23 touring, 27 roadster pickup, 20ish rajo touring
- Location: orange, ca
- MTFCA Number: 14383
- Board Member Since: 2020
-
- Posts: 1518
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:28 pm
- First Name: Duane
- Last Name: Cooley
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 18 Runabout, 24 Runabout for 20yrs, 25 TT, late Center Door project, open express pickup
- Location: central MN
- MTFCA Number: 32488
- Board Member Since: 2015
Re: Shimming a Motometer
There it is Dave! I didn't remember what it was for.
Works just right here too. A slight compression that I always worry about but the dog-bone never moves.
Works just right here too. A slight compression that I always worry about but the dog-bone never moves.
Since I lost my mind mind, I feel more liberated
-
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2019 5:43 am
- First Name: Robert
- Last Name: Thompson
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 touring 1926 roadster
- Location: virginia
Re: Shimming a Motometer
I just went to my Home Depot and bought two. $1.88 each. THANKS! bobt