T adoption - My project progress

[Arbs]

Wheel wobble

Well, I'm starting to go over the rear end. I ran the rear wheels off of the ground and noticed a pretty sever wobble. T's aren't supposed to do this, right?

Passenger side rear: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BjuXjychkGzToF6J6

Driver's side rear: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dMxMTRmBgo8v9yuJ9

Is this a bearing issue? Everything seems snug when I pull and rock the wheels manually.

[Moxie26]

Do you have demountable rims on those Wheels?.. if so first check if all the mounting nuts are drawn all the way down and see if that makes your tire run truer

[Arbs]

Do you have demountable rims on those Wheels?.. if so first check if all the mounting nuts are drawn all the way down and see if that makes your tire run truer

I do have demountable rims. I just took a few minutes to tighten the mounting nuts. There was some room to safely tighten some of them. It doesn't seem to decrease the wobble. I removed the hub caps and tightened the axle nuts. (They were good and snug already.) The driver's side turns out not to be a castle nut, so I'm picking one up.

[TXGOAT2]

They should not wobble anywhere near that much. About 1/8" is about all I'd want to allow, and none is best. From what I can see, the hub caps do not show any wobble, so it appears to me that the problem is in the wheel, rim, tire, or all of the above. I'd think that if the axles were bent enough to cause that much wobble, it would be evident at the hubcaps.

[Moxie26]

Next step, unfortunately, would be to remove the rear wheels and then check tightness of the nuts on the hub bolts inside the brake drums. If there they are excessively loose, that will contribute to the wobble.

[Arbs]

They should not wobble anywhere near that much. About 1/8" is about all I'd want to allow, and none is best. From what I can see, the hub caps do not show any wobble, so it appears to me that the problem is in the wheel, rim, tire, or all of the above. I'd think that if the axles were bent enough to cause that much wobble, it would be evident at the hubcaps.

Good point. I guess I can pull a rim off and see if the wheel itself has wobble.

[Arbs]

They should not wobble anywhere near that much. About 1/8" is about all I'd want to allow, and none is best. From what I can see, the hub caps do not show any wobble, so it appears to me that the problem is in the wheel, rim, tire, or all of the above. I'd think that if the axles were bent enough to cause that much wobble, it would be evident at the hubcaps.

Wobble with rim off: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RywRhAYdPWyzXwUt8

[Luke]

Dan,

I agree with Pat, the hub/axle appear to be ok, although it's a little difficult to be sure given the camera is directly in line with the wheel.

In any event a dial gauge would soon sort that out, but it does look as if some work on the wheel itself is needed.

I have a related comment however; could I suggest that it would be good to involve your son by asking him to think about possible unwanted results when doing things under a car and seeing what suggestions he comes up with?

One of these of course is jack failure and/or a vehicle slipping off a jack (especially when running it in gear), for which using axle stands and chocks will greatly reduce risk. In some instances vehicles with transmission brakes can add additional factors that are worth knowing about (for example don't have it on a slope with the brake on and jack up one whee without sturdy chocksl!).

While we probably all do things that we shouldn't I reckon it's a good idea to educate youngsters to at least be cognisant of dangers as much as possible, and preferably know how to reduce/eliminate possible sources of trouble. Such knowledge could well later save their life, or that of someone else.

Please know this is just a gentle comment, I really don't want to come across as holier than thou or seem like the 'safety police', but after some of things I've been involved with over my lifetime I've come to realise just how precious life is and how the simplest of things can destroy, or preserve, it...

Luke.

[Arbs]

Luke,

Yeah, this wasn't the safest situation - note taken. To be honest, the parking brake handle was in neutral and so was the clutch. I've heard that cold oil can lead to creep but it wasn't very cold today. When the wheels are on the ground the car generally doesn't move, but they can have a tiny bit of creep first thing in the cold morning. This is probably another issue to look into. I did have jack stands 5 feet away though. I'll slide them a bit closer so I can use them next time.

Wheel work? If you have a link to some information, I'd appreciate it. I went deep into the archives and landed on a suggestion of putting tongue depressors between the spokes. I don't think I'm there yet. Maybe I should start by checking for any loose bolts on the hub but that means pulling the wheel. I'll pull the rim again and see if it is physically bent. Would videos from other angles help with the diagnosis?

[TXGOAT2]

It looks like wheel trouble. You could have bent hub flanges, but that's unlikely. I'd check the front wheels, too. I don't know off hand what would put wheels in that condition, unless they were in a wreck, or someone tightened them very tight with the wrong hardware. The spokes would have to be very loose to allow that much wobble, or be a mix of mis-matched spokes or incorrectly shimmed spokes.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Just about all T wheels wobble to some extent. It's kind of "normal". It just comes down to a question of severity. The wheel in question looks just about bad enough to warrant a closer look. A wobbling wheel does not necessarily mean loose spokes. There are lots of reasons why a wheel might wobble.

- Bent Axle shaft
- Bent hub flange
- Poorly seated axle key
- Bent/warped felloe
- Loose spokes.
- Loose hub bolts
- Hub loose on the axle
- Worn hub taper
- Worn axle taper
- Bent rim
- Poorly seated clincher bead
- A combination of any or all of the above.

[Allan]

Some of that wobble may be corrected by refitting the rim differently. if you set the rim on the wheel, with a brick on the floor as an indicator, try selectively tightening the four lug bolts, all the time rotating the wheel against the brick as your indicator. You should be able to improve the situation, but maybe not enough to be satisfied. Even on my good wheels, I still mount the rims this way if I am in my workshop.

Alan from down under.

[TXGOAT2]

Select-fitting rims to wheels could improve the situation. Try each rim on each other wheel in different orientations. Regardless of all else, the spokes must be tight. If you have a spare tire/rim, it may be a better fit than any of the ones now on the ground.

[Arbs]

Some of that wobble may be corrected by refitting the rim differently. if you set the rim on the wheel, with a brick on the floor as an indicator, try selectively tightening the four lug bolts, all the time rotating the wheel against the brick as your indicator. You should be able to improve the situation, but maybe not enough to be satisfied. Even on my good wheels, I still mount the rims this way if I am in my workshop.

Alan from down under.

That seemed to help a little, but these wheels seem wonky.

[Arbs]

Select-fitting rims to wheels could improve the situation. Try each rim on each other wheel in different orientations. Regardless of all else, the spokes must be tight. If you have a spare tire/rim, it may be a better fit than any of the ones now on the ground.

You are spot on Pat. One rim is from the spare and that is the one with the least amount of wobble. (Driver's side front) Now that is the same wheel with the worst bearings which I'll be replacing soon.

[Arbs]

Got a new cut out. The old one is toast. I'm planning on installing it this evening with my helper. Is there any harm in hooking this up as instructed and just firing up the T to check the ammeter?

[Joe Reid]

What does the instruction sheet say about amperage? Most of them like the generator output around 5 amps so the cutout doesn’t burn out and the battery doesn’t get cooked.

[Arbs]

What does the instruction sheet say about amperage? Most of them like the generator output around 5 amps so the cutout doesn’t burn out and the battery doesn’t get cooked.

It doesn't say anything other then it can handle 20 amps. Is the ammeter supposed to be this high?

[Scott_Conger]

I would be inclined to (disconnect the battery) do a resistance test of the battery wire from the generator to the barrier strip and then to the starter button.

You appear to have had some sort of high resistance in that line (loose connection?) which burned up the insulation in the old cutout

The failure of your old cutout may have been a symptom but not the illness. Because the generator is an expensive item to replace if damaged (as is the garage if things go south), it is sound practice to check for continuity/isolation of all electrical circuits before putting them into service.

Just saw your picture: NO!

You have some Forum Study to perform regarding dropping your amperage on the generator

[Arbs]

You have some Forum Study to perform regarding dropping your amperage on the generator

On it. Thanks.

[speedytinc]

Do not tighten the 3rd brush lock nut excessively. This is a common failure point on a generator. The little carriage bolt head cuts, breaks or mashes the thin insulator, grounding it out to no function. Follow the service manual for correct adjustments.

[Joe Reid]

Ideally your amp meter should be reading about 5 to 8 amps, 20 amps is a peak. Is your wiring old. That was not a good reading.

[George House]

And Dan.... if/when you elect to adjust that generator 3rd brush; select a 5/16” open end. NOT a pipe wrench

[Arbs]

But I only own a hammer... That may be part of the problem.

[Arbs]

Ideally your amp meter should be reading about 5 to 8 amps, 20 amps is a peak. Is your wiring old. That was not a good reading.

I adjusted the 3rd brush. It is very sensitive. This was as low as I got it. It seems like if I adjust it any lower it falls to zero on the amp meter.

BTW, I don't know how old the wiring is but it looks old.

No lights:

Lights on:

Thoughts?

[speedytinc]

Did you reset the null point?
Service manual.

[Joe Reid]

That doesn’t look terrible, especially with the lights on. Why was it pegged before? If you keep running it does it come down more? I would look at replacing the wiring if it is old. Do you have an electrical shutoff on your battery? I would recommend one.

[Arbs]

That doesn’t look terrible, especially with the lights on. Why was it pegged before? If you keep running it does it come down more? I would look at replacing the wiring if it is old. Do you have an electrical shutoff on your battery? I would recommend one.

The only thing I did was adjust the brush, so maybe it was just way out of adjustment? I haven't run it long since the adjustment, but will let you know.

As far as the wiring, are you suggesting replacing all of the wiring in the T or something specific?

I don't have a battery shutoff but it would certainly be convenient. Do you recommend a fuse as well? I haven't found any on this car.

[Arbs]

Did you reset the null point?
Service manual.

Thanks John. I did not reset the null point. I just reviewed the manual again and I noticed it has the process start by setting the 3rd brush to maximum output, tightening the brush holder assembly (4 screws) then adjust the brush until you get to the desired amperes. This modeltforfix.com article seems to work in the other direction, setting the brush to where it is just registering amperes and locking the brush holder before adjusting to the desired amperes. I'll try one of these and see if I can dial the amps down a bit more.

[Luke]

Dan,

Take note of what John said re the null.

FYI here's the 'official' documentation, but please note that unless you're doing a lot of night driving I'd never set the current that high, especially with old wiring and generator etc. IMV 5A is plenty, and if you're running LED's you could probably get by with something less than that. BTW unless they've been fitted there are no fuses on a T.

Luke.

EDIT: Looks as if were were typing at the same time and you're on to it. I'll leave this comment and image up there though in case it helps others later on - and the 5A suggestion remains!

[speedytinc]

I dont have my manual with me @ work to compare the methods. I do like Ron's method. Go for it.
Unless you are driving a lot @ night or using your starter frequently, I would set the output @ 4-5 amps. This might make for a bit of discharge with the lights on, but, thats not important for the few miles driven after sunset & its easy on the charging system & the battery.

Add on. Luke posted the ford method. Its not the 3rd brush that is set for max. Its the "brush holder"(4 screws)

[Joe Reid]

If your wiring is old and brittle I would replace it all. There really aren’t that many wires. I use a frame mounted cut off switch. Mine is on the positive side of the battery in the middle of the 1 gauge wire between the positive terminal and the starter button. It would not hurt to fuse the lighter gauge battery wire from the starter button to the connection block. There have been a few postings on fires from faulty wiring. You are making great progress. Watching your amp output on the generator will give you much better battery life, not to mention cutouts and generators.

[Arbs]

My new friend Joe from the local club stopped over today. He swapped out some coils, adjusted some bands, and got the timer to stop rubbing on the belt. The T runs alot better. Best of all, he schooled me on driving technique and showed me what to expect the T to do on hills and in other driving conditions. I feel much more confident in my driving ability and the reliability of the car. Who knew that the biggest problem was the nut between the steering wheel and the seat?

Joe has also offered to help install new bands over the winter. Thanks Joe!

We pulled one of the wobbly wheels. By tightening the spoke bolts, I think we reduced the wobble a little. It's still not great. The key was a little mangled too, so a new one is on order.

We also found a shim on the axle. I didn't know that was a thing.

Joe adjusting bands mid trip:

My son and I enjoying a much smoother ride with Joe driving:

[Scott_Conger]

Glad you found a mentor!

You can figure driving out on your own, but invariably accrue bad habits which can remain for life...some which affect the quality of driving/enjoyment and some which are downright hard on the car

best thing is that you're sharing this with your son. Dad and I started when I was 15 and had no time for his foolishness and only grudgingly participated. It took me 40 years more to actually grow up and treasure my memories even though I often made things less delightful for him than could have been.

[Mopar_man]

The shim is used so that the wheel doesn't slide too far down the axel. Usually the shim is a bit more towards the threads. Looks like that shim has been pushed down the axel when the wheel was tightened. I still have to get a lot more practice driving. I've been working on new tires.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

A shim means the hub or the axle, or both, are worn out. That alone could be contributing to your wheel wobble. As mentioned above, the shim is slid too far up the axle and in doing so, has torn up the seal. I've seen an example where pieces of the shim have gotten past the seal and entered the bearing. A big mess.

Also, your axle threads look odd, as if they've been re-threaded with the die going on crooked.

[TXGOAT2]

Looks like a junk axle. Hub may or may not be junk. The hub/axle fit is critical, both for the wheels to run true and for the hubs to stay tight on the axle. The distance the hubs will go onto the axles is also affected by the hub/axle fit. The hub and axle may be in such poor condition that a shim won't make a satisfactory repair. The condition of the key and key way in both the axle and the hub is critical. If the thread on the axle end is not concentric, in good condition, and of full standard size, it cannot be expected to do a proper job of pressing the hub onto the shaft and keeping it tight.

[Steve Jelf]

Replacing an axle shaft is not a one-step operation, but it ain't rocket surgery. If you don't know for sure that the rear end has been rebuilt, you need to open it up anyway, whether the shaft is bad or not. While you have it apart, replacing the shaft is pretty simple. The only hard part is spending $105 for the new one, or $210 for two. On the other hand, the thrust washers (the main reason for this project) are only $26.

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG79.html

[Scott_Conger]

If your garage is comfortable in January, then this would be the time to take a deeper dive

In the meantime, go for some slow drives around the neighborhood while weather is decent and get that young man thoroughly hooked on "T"s before the car is laid up for a month

And just so you know...the things you're finding are entirely normal encounters after the purchase of one of these cars

[Arbs]

And just so you know...the things you're finding are entirely normal encounters after the purchase of one of these cars

It seems I'm finding surprises every day.

[Scott_Conger]

Dan

you did not buy a car...KIA makes cars

you bought an adventure!

Enjoy the trip

[Arbs]

I feel like a kid again... patching a tire tube

Yesterday Joe and I noticed one tire was going flat all of a sudden. We put air in it and focused on other things. Well, this morning I found the culprit. It was an upholstery tack that fell off of the T and punctured the tire and tube. So today I got to learn the art? of pulling a T tire off of a clincher rim without the ideal tools. I can't believe I didn't make more holes in the tube but I figured it was shot anyway.

A little more difficult than when I was a kid fixing my bmx tires...

Showed my son how to find a leak and patch it (the ear protection is because we had the air compressor on)

After a whole lot of trying not to rip a new hole in the tube with sharp pry bars, we were back in business

[Arbs]

Uh Oh...

I drove my son around our neighborhood having a good time. I dropped him off at home and decided to do one more trip around the block before it got too dark. Everything was fine until it wasn't. Luckily I was about 100 yards from home when the car's power dropped. I was able to get it into the garage.

Cylinder 2 was dead... Uh Oh...

Pulled the spark plug and saw this:

Well, that's different. I just checked the gap on this last week. I googled reasons the gap could disappear and the results were not encouraging. I broke out the scope and saw this:

Uh Oh...

Time to pull the head... I was planning on doing it once it was too cold to drive anyway. Of course I got some help.

Funny, the other problems with this car aren't as concerning anymore...

My son had fun anyway pulling the head, and he didn't seem discouraged one bit that we have some work ahead of us before we get back on the road.

[Scott_Conger]

The old 3 piece 2-piece valve routine. At least you didn't lose a piston and didn't beat things up.

Neway cutters are your friend. Email me for pix of a reamer guide if you get into reaming the guides (which is a near certainty)

Funfunfun!

[TXGOAT2]

The valve itself is no loss. I don't see any damage to the cylinder, and the block looks like corrosion is less than average. I'd replace all the valves, springs, and keepers and make sure the new ones are seated properly and adjusted properly. Check valve guides for excessive wear. Oversize stems are available if needed.

[Arbs]

Got the culprit out...

No damage to the seat... yay!

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

There is damage to the seat. Maybe not from the valve breaking, but it's pitted and appears rusty. At the very least, it needs to be reamed.

[Luke]

Jerry,

It is difficult to be certain with that photograph, but I wondered if it was possibly just a bit of crud that needs properly cleaning off with a rotary brush, followed by a light lapping in of the new valve?

Luke.

[Arbs]

There is damage to the seat. Maybe not from the valve breaking, but it's pitted and appears rusty. At the very least, it needs to be reamed.

That's my plan. My first look with the bore scope had me worried that a large chunk was missing from the seat. I'm just glad that isn't the case. Just one of those photographic anomalies.

[TXGOAT2]

I'd want to use a seat cutter (gently) with a good pilot on all the seats. They can look good and still be out of round, off-contour, or out of alignment with the valve guide. Lapping valves can cause issues, especially with new valves. I'd keep it to a minimum, if it can't be avoided altogether.

[Arbs]

When you check the oil in the rear end the first time, have a catch pan under it before you remove the plug. Engine oil can leak and run down the driveshaft tube and overfill the rear end. Also, if you have access to one of the (relatively) inexpensive borescopes that display on a smart phone or tablet computer, you can get a pretty good look at the thrust washer on the right side to tell whether it’s babbitt or bronze. This one in my ‘24 touring is bronze:

BE166E39-4A73-4C65-9C6E-1170600C90AC.jpeg

I'm working down the list. I hand pumped the oil out of the rear so I could try to find the thrust washer. Is this the shot to show the thrust washer? It seems like it is bronze to me but I've never seen babbit in person. Thoughts?

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Looks like bronze to me as well. The "babbitt" version will be a silver/grey color. Looks as if it had some fresh lube as well. Most are filled with a dark molasses like goo that wouldn't allow such a good view of the bearing. You may have finally lucked out on something!

[Arbs]

Things were worse than I initially thought...

Upon closer inspection I found damage in the cylinder.

Once I saw that, I knew I couldn't fix this in my little garage. Since then I've been looking for, and found, a shop to give me a hand. This is thanks to the club based in Valley Forge, PA. So now it's time to pull the engine, with some help.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Dan,

Others will disagree with me, and possibly rightly so, but I'd ignore that damage. It's so far down in the stroke I believe it would have little to no effect on compression and if the edges of that pit were not sharp, I don't believe it would damage the rings either. It might introduce a bit of oil into the cylinder however.

[mbowen]

From the zoomed-in photo it looks like a casting void. If so, it’s always been there.

[Joe Reid]

It really doesn’t look like damage to me. How deep is it? What size are the pistons in the engine now? 010, 020? Have you taken the pan cover off and looked for debris? Did you find pieces of the valve? I think if it was damage the wall would be gouged and the piston damaged.

[Joe Reid]

Cylinders still show a little of the cross pattern from reboring. Are your valve stems still standard?

[speedytinc]

Dan,

Others will disagree with me, and possibly rightly so, but I'd ignore that damage. It's so far down in the stroke I believe it would have little to no effect on crompression and if the edges of that pit were not sharp, I don't believe it would damage the rings either. It might introduce a bit of oil into the cylinder however.

If it leaks water worry. I see no evidence of that.
This one thing would not make me pull the motor apart.
I would address it @ the time of a complete overhaul.
Untill then, run it!

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

From the zoomed-in photo it looks like a casting void. If so, it’s always been there.

Agreed!

[Arbs]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years!

The holidays slowed me down when it came to my T-refurbishment. I appreciate all of the help and suggestions from forum members but I felt like I was in this a bit over my head when considering grinding valve seats and tackling cylinder repair, with my lack of experience, and in my tiny garage. I spoke with some members of my local club and found someone to assess and repair the engine within a two hour drive from me. He is in northern Maryland. I put an APB out to my club to get help pulling the engine and that same weekend a few members showed up with tools in hand. We had the engine out and in my pickup within 2 hours. Thank you again to Joe, John and Dave!

I also sent the radiator out to a shop recommended by club members.

We're targeting to have this back together in early spring, so now I'm focusing on the rest of the car. Bearings, tires, spindle bushings and a few other items are on my list.

Is anyone else having trouble getting ahold of a new right driver's side outer bearing? I've had one on backorder since November.

[DHort]

If you can move your fan belt about 1 inch with your pointer finger that is about right. Dont push with your arm muscles, just your finger.

[Arbs]

I replaced the spindle bushings today, for more details see this thread.

[Arbs]

Radiator update, bearings and more bushings

The radiator shop cleaned the radiator, performed a leak test, and gave it the once over. The only issue was that the overflow tube needed to be secured in one spot.

I started to tackle my front bearing replacement. The driver's side came apart easy, races and all. Turns out it was too easy. My new races slid right in and were very loose. As usual, the folks on the forum were helpful. (link) I learned that there are a few ways to tackle this issue but I've opted to find a replacement hub for now. I have one coming in from ebay but who knows if it is going to be much better than the hub I have.

The passenger side behaved as expected. Removing the old races required some work and a custom tool. I couldn't get behind the outer race with anything I had, so I hit the grinder and made a tool that worked...

The races came out after some effort...

I cleaned the hub up and inserted the new races using a threaded rod, two nuts, and multiple washers that just fit on each race...

This is similar to the method I used to install the spindle bushings.

With the races in, I greased the bearings up. I started by using a grease packer that was on sale for $10 at autozone. (link) It was my first and last time using a grease packer. The thing broke in seconds. I went back to the tried and true method of pushing the bearings into my grease filled palm.

Since the wheels were off, I replaced the spindle arm bushings. It was a quick change using the spindle arm bushing remover/installer tool from Langs. (link) I ordered the exact tool linked but the one that came in the mail was slightly different than the Langs photo. It has 3 size steps on the tool rather than 2 as in the Langs photo and worked great.

I installed the passenger side wheel and it spins smoothly. For the driver's side, I'm waiting for the hub to come in and, I still have the outer bearing on backorder at Langs.

More to come...

[Arbs]

Greetings all. It's been a while since I posted an update to my project, and I'll probably start another dedicated thread from here on with further updates.

Bottom Line Up Front:

The car is running like a dream. It's got some quirks I'm still ironing out but it has been great.

Local park


Our drive-in debut



To recap, I blew a valve in November and I used the opportunity to pull the engine and send it to an engine rebuilder. Friends from the local Model T club descended on my house to help pull the engine and eventually reinstall it.

*When I say local, some folks drove 1.5 hours or more to help. I can't thank them enough.

The rebuilder was about 2 hours away, in northern Maryland. I got his name through the local Model T club as this wasn't the first engine he rebuilt for them. If anyone want's further information on an excellent rebuilder in the PA,NJ,DE,MD area, let me know.

He provided play by play photos and stayed in contact the entire time.





Getting ready for the club guys to show up


Painted the engine a very unique color


Dave and John installing the exhaust manifold


While the engine was out I:

• replaced a front wheel hub
• installed new wheel bearings
• installed new tires
• replaced bushings here and there
• installed new exhaust pipe and muffler
• replaced a bunch of small stuff

Like always, my son wanted to be involved in the rebuild. Here he is with my friend Joe. As the youngest member of the team, he tends to get the jobs in the hard to reach places. Here he is under the car helping my friend Joe.



The list of mechanical issues to tackle is getting smaller. For example, I plan on rebuilding the rear end this winter. I'm hoping it holds up through the summer. However, just yesterday, I noticed that I was "oiling my brakes" so I'll need to take a look at that.

The cosmetic list is long but can be tackled slowly.

Thanks again to everyone who provided advice on this forum.

[TXGOAT2]

If your axle is leaking oil onto the brakes, check that the lube level in the axle housing is not too high. Late axles are full when the fluid level is at or near the bottom of the filler hole. Earlier axles may be different, and the proper level may be some distance below the filler hole. In some cases, oil from the transmisson may get into the axle, which can raise the lube level and cause leaks.

[Steve Jelf]

When you rebuild your rear axle you will install new inner seals. Put this all around the back edge of the seals before you shove them in.

[Arbs]

Good to know Steve. Thanks.

There is just one problem..

My car before and after I touch green Permatex...

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Dan,

Thanks for the updates! I'm very pleased to see that you've addressed the various issues "head-on" and in the proper manner. Your diligence now, will be paid back by years of trouble free enjoyment, versus endless patchwork fixes and frustration.

[Arbs]

When you rebuild your rear axle you will install new inner seals. Put this all around the back edge of the seals before you shove them in.

Steve,

Do you think this may stop the leak for the driving season if I add this to the seal that is in there now? I'll be happy to rebuild the entire rear when the weather turns in the late fall.

For a little more on the leak itself... it doesn't leak in the garage and only seems to be while driving. It is making a mess on the inside of the passenger side wheel. The photo below is what I come home to after 5 miles of running around. The oil level in the diff is right at the plug. It is the design with the lower plug about 1/3 of the way up the pumpkin from the bottom.


Full size image

This is a photo from last year just to show the location of the plug.

[speedytinc]

At least replace the outer seals. If stock, its 2 felt washers.
Not a lot more effort to do the inners also. You will need a sleeve puller.
Then there is the unknown can of worms. What will you find condition wise of the axles, bearings & sleeves?

[Steve Jelf]

There's no guarantee that smearing some goo on the inner seals will stop the leak, but it might. Make the seal and the inside of the tube clean of any trace of oil. I use lacquer thinner. Repack the bearings with new grease when you put them back in. You can replace the felt outer seals, but they are just dust covers. They won't stop the oil leak.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

One of your earlier photos showed an axle shim that had migrated inwards and cut up your axle seal. If you haven't fixed this, then there's your problem.

[speedytinc]

There's no guarantee that smearing some goo on the inner seals will stop the leak, but it might. Make the seal and the inside of the tube clean of any trace of oil. I use lacquer thinner. Repack the bearings with new grease when you put them back in. You can replace the felt outer seals, but they are just dust covers. They won't stop the oil leak.

I beg to differ.
They are outer grease seals. If the diff lube is kept @ the proper level, (It will refill itself thru a worn 4th main) & the bearings are greased.(medium to heavy) The outer felt seals will keep the parking brake shoes & wheels dry.

As Jerry V mentioned. If a shim got loose, migrated inward & cut the seal, Thats your main leak problem. (Quite common)

If you require shims for enough brake drum clearance, plan on replacing the axles with longer ones during the big rebuild.
If the axles turn out to be usable,(doubtful, but possible) They can be stretched. This is done by re cutting the locking clip groove wider, moving the axle gear in further.

[Steve Jelf]

Our experiences differ. The felt washers (as the parts book calls them) did not keep my brakes and wheels dry. It took gear oil sealant on the inner seals to accomplish that (thanks to Stephen Heatherly). Did I let the fourth main seepage get too deep in the rear axle? Maybe so, though I believe the level was an inch below the hole when I checked it. Whatever the reason, my brakes and wheels were an oily mess until I sealed the inner seals.

[Arbs]

For those of you following my project, I changed the subject of the thread rather than start a new one. I appreciate everyone's input on my questions for the last 10 months and look forward to your help moving forward. Maybe some day I can pay it forward after I've learned a few things during this project.

[Arbs]

A couple of updates happened to the T this week. The big one was replacing the intake manifold gaskets. I had the crushable copper ring gaskets with the separate glands that we put on when we reinstalled the engine but I was pretty sure I had a small leak based on performance and a little testing. I replaced them with copper gaskets that have the gland ring molded in.



This worked nicely. The seal is complete and performance has improved.

I also continued to replace my wiring harnesses. I replaced the wires between the terminal block and the switch a few weeks ago. Today I replaced the commutator/timer harness and the mag/driver's side harness. The original wires have frayed insulation, and looked to be on their last legs.





Now it's so pretty


I've tried to organize the new spark plug wires nicely but can't find a good angle where they are all uniform. The original wires were all shorter than the replacement and just tidied up better, but they were fraying in places too.

I have new bulbs in the car too, but I couldn't find replacement headlight sockets online until I checked Chaffins today. Everyone else is out of them. I need one because the driver's side is not seating the blub and plug properly. I've tried bending things slightly to make everything tighter but the plug and/or blub slowly shift and lose contact. When I get the new socket in, I'll give it a try.

[CudaMan]

The shortest plug wire goes to #3, the next shortest to #4. #s 1 and 2 are obvious.

[Arbs]

No Police Escort Today

I was supposed to be showing at a car show in nearby Allentown today but plans change. We went to the drive-in on Friday night, everything seemed fine. The drive-in is only about a 10th of a mile from my house but I still did my pre-flight checklist. All fluids were fine. We saw the new TMNT movie... my son enjoyed it but you would have to pay my wife and I a significant amount of money to sit through that again. We drove home without issue.

Yesterday (Saturday) we pulled the T out to wash it and get ready for the show. In the driveway, before we got a lick of water on her, the radiator started leaking like it had a second drain valve. I pulled the radiator to see if it was something I could put a temp patch on but the leak is not in an obvious, easy to reach spot. I filled it with water outside of the car and looked for weeps. I think it is from the side or top of the lower tank, which is obscured. So no car show today. My son was looking forward to the police escort through town... but that will have to wait until next year.

I'll be dropping off the radiator at a shop about an hour away. Hopefully we can get it turned around quickly and successfully, otherwise it looks like the wait for new radiators is counted in months, not days. Maybe my rear end rebuild will start sooner than I initially thought.

[Scott_Conger]

Dan

get into the radiator queue now!

I'm 7 months into a 6 month wait

[Arbs]

Dan

get into the radiator queue now!

I'm 7 months into a 6 month wait

Good to know Scott. Do you know if brassworks charges up front or upon shipment?

[Scott_Conger]

I opted for Lang's to be my intermediary - I'm not being charged until delivery

[Ron Patterson]

Dan
I recognize the rebuilt ignition coil in your photo above.
If you need a free coil check up to rule them out in your problem investigation give me a call and I will help.
Ron Patterson
231-348-5085

[Arbs]

Dan
I recognize the rebuilt ignition coil in your photo above.
If you need a free coil check up to rule them out in your problem investigation give me a call and I will help.
Ron Patterson
231-348-5085

Thanks Ron.

[Moxie26]

Arbs ..... Kindly repost the picture of your ignition coils.... I can't find it on your posting. Thanks a lot.

[Arbs]

Arbs ..... Kindly repost the picture of your ignition coils.... I can't find it on your posting. Thanks a lot.

Moxie,

The coils all look like this one, tuned by a fellow T club member...

click for full size image

[Arbs]

Radiator repair and eventual replacement

As I mentioned in this post, I sent my radiator off to the shop, not realizing that Snyder's had them in stock (low flat-tube). The shop fixed the leak, although they admitted it was a tenuous repair and anything better would require restoration work. The mechanic all but said, "I enjoy working on your radiator, and don't replace it because I have to make my boat payments somehow." So I ordered a new one even before I picked up the old one from the shop.

It was here in a couple of days, and was probably the most safely packed item I've seen in a long time. They had the radiator in a vacuum sealed bag, in a box full of expandable spray foam. It made a mess of my porch, but the radiator was pristine.



This photo does not convey how much foam there was. The plastic is covering more foam.

And here is the girl with her new grille...



Oh and now my gull wing cap fits... so pretty

[Arbs]

Pulled the steering wheel and greased the gears today.

(Photo was before greasing)

[Joe Reid]

It is looking sweet. You will like the new radiator.

[Arbs]

Magneto testing...

There is still a touch of hesitation/misfire I'm trying to track down so I figured I'd test the magneto. I followed the forum's instructions by using an 1156 bulb and measuring the voltage across it. The results look good to me based on what I've read here.


(The ground wire isn't laying on the exhaust, it just looks that way in the photo)

At idle I got 6v


I hit 12 volts easily with just a little throttle. The lever was less than 1/4 way down.



Sorry for the bad lighting

I could tell the blub wasn't going to last if I opened her up so I stopped before it broke. Should I have kept going? Is it important to get far enough that the bulb breaks? I think the test I did showed the mag is more than adequately powering the coils. Thoughts?

[speedytinc]

Take the bulb test set off & read the meter @ higher rpms for your higher speed reference voltage.

[Arbs]

Take the bulb test set off & read the meter @ higher rpms for your higher speed reference voltage.

Don't you need a load to protect the multimeter?

edit: Rethinking this now, since the multimeter is bridging the bulb anyway, it's already in-line to ground.

[speedytinc]

Set the meter on a setting to cover 40 volts AC. The 50V setting.

[Arbs]

I was tightening the original spark plug nuts on my autolites just about every ride until a friend recommended the brass ones from the vendors. I thought they were just for show but now they are nice and tight after quite a few trips. This can only help performance.

[mbowen]

I was tightening the original spark plug nuts on my autolites just about every ride until a friend recommended the brass ones from the vendors. I thought they were just for show but now they are nice and tight after quite a few trips. This can only help performance.

20230911_194329.jpg

My aluminum spark plug nuts work fine as long as I give the terminal a little push in the tightening direction while tightening the nut. You can feel it tighten up.

[jalbe71]

Would you send who the Maryland mechanic is?

It looks like I need clutch spring or disc attention. And my local classy chassis shop took $5,000 of my money.
I’ve redone most of the band work. Had high gear but suddenly lost it.

I’m next to Annapolis.

James

[Arbs]

Would you send who the Maryland mechanic is?

It looks like I need clutch spring or disc attention. And my local classy chassis shop took $5,000 of my money.
I’ve redone most of the band work. Had high gear but suddenly lost it.

I’m next to Annapolis.

James

James,

I'll send you a PM/Email. My car has been running great all summer, fall and now into the winter. He is also quick to answer any follow up questions as well.