What have you done to your model T in April?

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 4:17 pm

Am I First? I worked some more on the heat pipe fabrication. Here I mentioned getting started:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=371&p=274121&hilit= ... ng#p273816
It has gotten to be more work than I had hoped. Since I don't have a giant press or steel made specifically for stamping, I have to relieve the sheet where it curves.

I cut out shapes to form a trough to press the sheet into. The I used some cardboard to make a template. I used 3 c-clamps to press it.

The inside wants to stretch, and the outside wants to compress. I saved the notches from the outside to trim and silver solder to the spaces on the inside. As it turned out, I needed notches for the outside too. I made some folded clips to hold the notches in place. However, the silver solder migrated up and under the clips. I had to grind them away. It did show that the silver solder flows well holds things together.

I have at least 24 hours in this so far. A shop charging $50 per hour would have $1200 so far. This is only the inner half, and I want two of them. So the economics of making them is kind of silly. But my time is my own and it is cheap entertainment. Like many things, I don't know if I will continue these until completion. But it is keeping me out of trouble.
Rich

Post by **RajoRacer** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 4:53 pm

Were you intent on fabricating your own Rich ? Nice progress !

Classified ads here most always have worked for me looking for a particular part.

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:02 pm

I'm sure I could buy one. These seamed ones are a little harder to find. I do enjoy making things and I have an original I could use but it's pitted. Filler would work. I'm using later ones that work just fine. I learn so much from trying to fabricate things. It is fun to see how close I can get to the original.
I am just using materials on hand. This just seems to be the thing to do this week.
Thanks for asking.
Rich

Scott_Conger · Post by **Scott_Conger** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:12 pm

Rich, I think you're crazy

I love it

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:30 pm

I'm crazy about heat pipes. Here are some others I have made.

I guess it is more of an obsession. I do use all of them. The originals don't work well with heaters. One is for my Roof head.

Post by **Tadpole** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:53 pm

Those pipes made for heaters are just too Kool. Nice work!

Rich P. Bingham · Post by **Rich P. Bingham** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:58 pm

It's April and I've run out of things to do to Lizzie over a long winter. She's never been so gussied up since I've owner her ! Since November: applied three finish coats of enamel to the new pickup bed, "deep cleaned" the whole car, applied paint as needed to the body framing, re-painted floorboards. Pulled the radiator and hood former, re-finished the dash exterior, cleaned the timer (TW) and installed a new brush. Cleaned the engine compartment and re-adjusted the throttle pull rod. Made and installed a new leather fan belt (hand stitched) and replaced the failing sealed bearing fan with original type with new shaft and bushings. Went over top and upholstering tacks and welting replacing missing tacks and securing loose ones. Washed white floor mat. Got bulb horn working satisfactorily and routed flex hose as original. Replaced sun-rotted acetylene hose and made a new gasket for the acetylene generator. Mounted a full set of grey Firestone "smoothies" (hope I don't regret it - they were a "deal I couldn't afford to refuse"

). Re-packed the front wheel bearings, replaced spindle bushings and re-fit the drag link ball joints. Changed the oil, topped off the differential oil, greased and oiled all fittings. Running out of things to do, I polished all the brass, touched up all the little dings and worn spots in the paint and even got crazy enough to rub out the scuff marks on the splash shields left from hauling grain bags, and painted rhe hubcap centers black, per original. In short, I've pretty much restored this old car ! Ready to go to work now.

Post by **Ed Fuller** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 7:45 pm

Rich,

I am always impressed by your craftsmanship and what you are able to achieve with a block of wood, some metal, and some clamps. You always make it look so easy!

Thanks for sharing!

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Fri Apr 07, 2023 3:10 pm

Thanks Ed. I worry that I make it look too easy. I was tired of it last night but after two trips to the dump this morning, I can't wait to get to work on it again. Funny how time and some forum comment help.
Rich

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Fri Apr 07, 2023 3:36 pm

Heat pipes that warm the heart and soul Rich ?

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Fri Apr 07, 2023 4:36 pm

They do, Dallas.

Thanks

RGould1910 · Post by **RGould1910** » Fri Apr 07, 2023 5:09 pm

I really like the one with the sleeve to allow
cool air to enter. Never saw one like that.

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Fri Apr 07, 2023 6:10 pm

I wish I could take credit for that, but Stromberg used those on some of their carbs. It is a neat design and works for me if I remember to open and close it.

Post by **George House** » Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:05 pm

Gave a young man a ride in my 2nd 1914 runabout when I lost high gear 100 yards from home. Gathered up a needle nose, screwdriver, and a box of cotter pins. Spent about 25 minutes turning 3 high speed screws 180* and became pleased with the results after the obligatory test drive..

Post by **Humblej** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 3:48 pm

Reinstalling my engine after rebuild. Put in the 4 pan ear bolts, wood blocks, castle nuts, and cotter pins today. This job never gets easier over time. I found I could use the Stevens universal joint aligning plyers to get the verticle bolt into the frame where the starter and bendix cover block access, and used a wooden clothes pin to get the nut started on the horizontal bolt for the same ear. What a job with body and fenders on!

Post by **George House** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:32 pm

Good job Jeff. I use a long 9/16” box end with duct tape on one side to lift that left side vertical bolt into place. More than one way to skin a cat

Post by **su8pack1** » Thu Apr 13, 2023 9:00 am

Rebuilding carburetor now, waiting on a few parts.

Post by **ABoer** » Thu Apr 13, 2023 9:18 am

George H.
I weld a piece of metal on the bolts

Toon

Post by **Ken Lefeber** » Thu Apr 13, 2023 2:33 pm

Went for my first ride of the year, but couldn't decide which restaurant to go to or if I should go for breakfast or lunch. So yesterday I decided to have a late breakfast at one restaurant and an early lunch at the other restaurant today. These are the difficult decisions a retired guy has to make.

The car ran great! I'm looking forward to the upcoming touring season.

Post by **Art Ebeling** » Thu Apr 13, 2023 7:37 pm

I have gone for a ten mile drives two days in a row. Art

Post by **Bryce S.** » Thu Apr 13, 2023 8:22 pm

Yesterday was the first VERY nice day in awhile. Actually drove around town for 6..... yes 6 hours.

Post by **Harvey Bergstrom** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 10:11 pm

I’ve been trying to troubleshoot engine knock and with the help of a new Model T friend, think the problem lies in a middle main that was not torqued properly. Will know in a couple days when I get the inspection pan back on.
Also sanding and staining and varnishing spokes for my ‘24 touring so I can respoke wheels while Henry is in the paint shop. Should be running well and looking pretty spiffy in a few weeks.

Post by **BLB27** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 10:47 pm

Another step closer to get it running. Installed the radiator and connected the water hoses.

Pizman · Post by **Pizman** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 11:25 pm

Getting close to first drive, just have to install steering and drag link.

Burger in Spokane · Post by **Burger in Spokane** » Sat Apr 15, 2023 1:32 am

Been driving the Beast as my daily while the modern gets some head
work done. I have run 4 tanks of gas through it already !

Tbird · Post by **Tbird** » Sat Apr 15, 2023 10:03 pm

Made rear doors for the Delivery Car

Post by **Mark Nunn** » Wed Apr 19, 2023 8:51 am

My front 2 sparkplugs were black as can be. The 2 rear were clean. I removed my intake to check for leaks or blockage and discovered that there were no gland rings in the manifolds. My intake was installed with it shifted 3/8” rearward, partially blocking ports. The exhaust manifold is warped badly and could be straightened. But Birdhaven has them in stock and I get next day delivery. I took the opportunity to replace the cracked head that was on my car with one that shows little use.

I cleaned everything and took a lot of measurements. The good news is there are no cracks, cylinders are bored .025” over and look good. (I have good compression and do not suspect worn rings.) The bad news is plentiful. I have 2-piece valves with worn guides and stems. Their replacement will be a project for next fall. I measured total valve lift using a dial indicator. Lift ranged from .170” to .189”. Yeah, that’s what I said too. Valve lash was up to .045”.

I decided to try peening the worst offending valve stem to see if I could lengthen it. I managed to add .008” after about 20 minutes of careful pounding. I guess it would take an hour to bring the lash to within reason. I did not proceed further since valves will get replaced. I put a brass spacer between the lifter and valve stem to measure cam lobe lift. The cam lifted .215” pointing to .035” of lobe wear. That needs to be replaced too. At this point, I just want to get the car running well enough to putter around this summer.

Post by **NealW** » Wed Apr 19, 2023 3:58 pm

Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of finishing the restoration of our 1915 runabout, so I had to take out for a drive to celebrate. It was windy even by Kansas standards, so I drove with the top down.

I also finished refurbishing an original aftermarket oil sight gauge that I picked up recently for $5 at an estate sale. I put a new O-ring in it as well as a 1/2" diameter plexiglass tube to replace the missing original glass gauge and installed it on our 11T. It has a decent size vent hole at the top to prevent an air lock, plus a little petcock on the bottom to drain out excess oil and also is a good indicator if it is air locked.

Post by **tiredfarmer** » Wed Apr 19, 2023 6:03 pm

I was getting my 26 touring ready for this years fun. Monday I cleaned the timer and change the air filter with a clean one. Tuesday I greased the rear axle, steering bushing, and driveshaft, also oiled the front axle, tie rod, and spring shackles. Today I changed her oil, and next she will get a wash job to remove the winters dust. Then we will go for a drive.

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Wed Apr 19, 2023 9:44 pm

Sent this one to a new home. Now I can get the TT and RPU in the shop and ready for summer fun.

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Fri Apr 21, 2023 11:18 am

Recent jobs on the 1915 runabout:
Replaced leaking casting plugs; Changed right spindle arm to the old speedo-type; Made & installed a swivel bracket (couldn't make the clamp type stay put); Replaced missing hood rivets; Cut new leather hood pads. No photos, as my camera is out for repair.

joe.wal · Post by **joe.wal** » Sun Apr 23, 2023 8:32 am

Just using a nice day in spring for the first tour of the year.

Post by **Corey Walker** » Sun Apr 23, 2023 10:15 am

I went to the car show at the Brownsboro high school. I started it countless times to show people it’s not difficult to start with a hand crank. One woman wanted a video and I told her ok but it’ll probably never start if you do that, but it did. Kids all got to honk the horn and I took a crankshaft with rods, flywheel and field coil and disassembled transmission parts and laid them out by the car so I had a visual reference for the people who wanted to know how the 3 pedals and magneto-coils work. Then I went to get some groceries and home.

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:41 am

That's a great thing to do Corey. Folks deserve to see the magic.
Yesterday I made wrenches to remove the tickler on my 5-ball Kingston. The lever mechanism makes reaching the hex a challenge and can't be moved until the assembly is loosened.

I will make a better wrench for this before installing.

Post by **su8pack1** » Sun Apr 23, 2023 8:28 pm

Just finished the carb rebuild and hooked up the fuel line. Installed a new muffler and exhaust pipe. New radiator hoses and fan belt. Hope to get it started soon.

Post by **Mark Nunn** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 8:17 am

I finished reassembling intake and exhaust systems, which had been installed without gland rings to properly locate them. Both manifolds had been shifted rearward with the intake 3/8” off. Wow, what a difference! My test run was on my long uphill driveway. I had been able to get into high going up but never accelerated even at full throttle. This time, it accelerated so much that I had to throttle down since I was going about 25 mph! I’m excited by the increase in torque. I drove through some nearby hills, some of which always needed low and now she just putters up hills with ease. It was a fun drive. Now I need to shift the muffler forward a bit. The new exhaust manifold position pulled the pipe partially out of the muffler and is really loud now. Maybe I will just leave that alone for now and annoy the neighbors.

Norman Kling · Post by **Norman Kling** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 9:08 am

Nothing as big as what some of you have done. We are having a tour Thursday, so I changed the oil on my 26 Touring. it's been at least a year since I changed it. Ran up a hill in Ruckstell and then down down another hill in high and back up to the house. About 5 miles altogether, then pulled the drain plug and while it was draining, I took out the floor boards and pulled off the plate on top of the transmission and cleaned the strainer. Everything looked clean and not much debris on the strainer. the pedal adjustments are fine. So I put the plate back on and oiled things I could reach with the floorboard out. Squeezed down the two grease caps and then took them off and filled with grease. Filled up with new 10W30 until it began to drip out the top petcock (about 4 quarts). I will oil the axles just before I leave on the tour. I had checked the rear axle oil level a month ago and only drove about 12 miles before this oil change. Yesterday I also checked the tire pressure. We plan to drive about 75 miles next Thursday. This tour is in preparation for the National Tour next year, and so drive on the same day of the week as we will on the tour. Everyone reading this is invited to the tour if you are a member of MTFCA. It should be a fun tour.
Norm

rickd · Post by **rickd** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 2:35 pm

Installed the steering column and steering wheel in my 25 project today. Starting to look like a car now. There is a good section in the Encyclopedia about spark and throttle rod painting and whether or not to paint the lower part of the column beneath the hood if you are detail oriented. Says the rods should be painted and the column left alone. Looks like I am partly breaking from tradition.

Jacob Mangold · Post by **Jacob Mangold** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:04 pm

I got her running! Here’s the video.
https://youtu.be/Jqa8hvAKCuE

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:26 pm

I got her running! Here’s the video.

Too short! Let's see it move.

Jacob Mangold · Post by **Jacob Mangold** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:57 pm

That’s the plan. I just need to find someone who can redo my wheels in town and we should be good to go.

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Tue Apr 25, 2023 2:44 pm

Made a float out of that float stuff.

Distagon2 · Post by **Distagon2** » Tue Apr 25, 2023 5:55 pm

I fired up my 1912 engine that the previous owner had rebuilt. He had passed away and I wound up, ultimately, with the car. He was very fastidious in his restoration. The engine had not been started since rebuild so it took some muscle to crank it, but it fired up using a 6V battery and ran nicely on battery.

However, the car would die when switched to magneto. I went through all the various checks, and that included pulling the magneto post off the hogs head where debris can collect and cause problems. As I lifted the magneto post off, a philips head screw dropped out of the post spring. Apparently, it had somehow gotten dropped in the crankcase somewhere along the way. I am thinking this is the root cause of my magneto not working-not a good thing to have hardware rattling around loose in the crankcase. So....an engine pull is in my near future. Very near, as I want to get this car back together.

The moral to this story is to heed the admonition in the Ford Service Manual, and I loosely quote: "EXCERCISE EXTREME CAUTION TO PREVENT DROPPING OBJECTS INTO THE TRANSMISSION." Another moral is to follow my buddy's advice, which was to "pull the engine and check it out before you start it." Maybe I would have noticed this screw, maybe not. But probably would have. Oh well, one step forward and one and a half steps back. Some days are just like that.

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Wed Apr 26, 2023 10:52 am

Lured by gas 19¢ a gallon less expensive than in town, Sunday afternoon I drove down old US 77 to fill up at the gasino. A horrendous pothole knocked a headlamp rim off the car and destroyed the lens. So yesterday I stopped at the local glass shop for a new lens. The glass guy wasn't busy, so he made it in a few minutes while I waited. It cost me $8.41.

Post by **su8pack1** » Thu Apr 27, 2023 10:04 pm

Pulled the rear wheels with my new whew puller and put some Linseed oil on the spokes.

Post by **Bryant** » Sat Apr 29, 2023 12:22 pm

Fiddling with the Kingston L-4. Cleaned it up inside and out fixing what needed fixed. Found the missing parts in the classifieds! Even a nice accessory fuel filter! Found what I call a “tongue flapper” on the Tbay appears to be NOS. And to wake it up added a Conger full float valve! Can’t wait for the day to bolt it on a start her up for the first time.
Bryant

Post by **NealW** » Sat Apr 29, 2023 5:17 pm

My wife and I took a drive this afternoon in our 11 touring. While waiting for some traffic before turning right, here comes a 1929 Model A pickup truck passing us by. What are the odds. We followed him for about a mile before we parted ways.

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Sun Apr 30, 2023 5:24 pm

I made the gas line fittings for my 5-ball. The street elbow was round stock threaded into an elbow and soldered in place with the pipe nut threads machined. Then filed to shape.

The coupling nut was made from a 1/2" brass nut. The threads on the carburetor bowl are about .526 dia 18 tpi. A 1/4" NPT (18) tap was threaded all the way through the nut from one side and then the other. This made a nice fit. Then a brass plate was soldered onto the end and cut and filed to match the hex. The adapter inside the coupling nut was machined from some brass bar. Things don't always go as planned. The first nut I made turned out to be an 8 sided hex. Upper center in second photo. I did learn what I needed to know by making it.

I was pleased that this was accomplished by tools and stock I had on hand. I imagine those fittings are pretty hard to come by. Perhaps someone is making them.
Rich

Post by **Art M** » Sun Apr 30, 2023 8:30 pm

You better hurry to do it in April. Just 3.5 hours left EST