MTFCA Forum

OK, I'll kick it off this time. I spent the first day of the month in Tulsa for a work day in Mike Bender's shop.

The main shaft was a mighty tight fit, so it went in the lathe for a little shave.

We fought runout for quite a while, but we finally got it under .001".

Balancing. The duct tape keeps shavings off the magnets.

Excessive cam shaft end play revealed that this hole in the bearing is oversized.

The cure was to build up the bolt with a little brass.

After this got a turn in the lathe it was a perfect fit. No more back & forth shaft.

Using Timesaver to fit the bearings.

I'll go back for another session tomorrow. I hope to have this car back together soon.

Nice little series, Steve & Mike

You are very fortunate to have someone so close by with that knowledge !!!

Nice crankshaft, Steve.

You are very fortunate to have someone so close by with that knowledge !!!

That's for sure. Videos are nice, but nothing beats working with the actual guy with the right tools.

July 1st, drove the TT. July second, drove it some more. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow?

Dallas Landers wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 02, 2019 9:49 pm

July 1st, drove the TT. July second, drove it some more. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow?

Now you're not gonna get the RPU running if you're out hot roddin the TT all day long...

Glad it's treating you good though !!

Thats on the list Dave. Im installing a new furnace, A/C and water heater in my basement this week. The worst part is my T money went into my 120 yr old house. Gotta keep Mama happy to!

I learned something today. A flat tyre does not mean a puncture. It may just mean that when you check the pressures and top them up, the valve core didn't quite seat properly! Oh well, a bit of tyre fitting bit of practice doesn't go astray.

Allan from down under.

I finally got the rest of vernon's pants on and he looks good with them on.

I drove the 13 for the first time in 2 years!

Another work day at Mike's. The main project of the day was balancing rods.

First step was getting total weights.

Then came weighing big ends and little ends separately.

At the end all big ends weigh the same, all little ends weigh the same, and all pistons weigh the same.

I gave her a bath for her date with 10 Amish girls in the parade tomorrow

Holy XXXX. Dallas that's just gorgeous.
What? Did you tip your phone?
Beautiful.

I’ve been doing a lot of small odd jobs on my Fordor. Today I got the battery installed, new wiring harnesses, finish rebuilding the starter, and put my headlights together. Tomorrow I’ll finish the steering column install. Waiting for the end of the bendix drive so I can get it running. It sounded real good in Joe Bell’s garage but I’m looking forward to hearing it run back in the car maybe take her for a short spin. It’s been five years since the last time it was run. I also want to put a fuse on the yellow wire just for some additional protection!

Testing our new tool

John you don't need a starter to get it running. That thing hanging on the front will make it go.


All I did to my touring today was take its picture and drive it to town for the band concert and fireworks show.


Decorated for the Glorious Fourth.

"Never mind the pictures. Let's go!"

The Arkansas City municipal band, now in its 148th year, played some great stuff, including Columbia the Gem of the Ocean, a Music Man medley, Ashokin Farewell, all the military service anthems, Washington Post, and of course the finale was Stars and Stripes Forever.

BOOM! Shorty took it pretty well, though she did become a lap dog a couple of times during the show.

Driving home. At least they're better than mag lights.

It’s a fresh rebuild and a little too stiff to hand crank.

Had to go into work today, but decide to shake it up a little over here with a light traffic she cruised on the freeway like a dream.[image][/image]

We dolled up the 21 and we to a family get to gather. We left so early we were the first ones there, the t was a hit.

It's good to see those Runabouts out and about. The blue color has been a favorite since the old AMT model cars and Testors paint days.
I need to revive mine someday.
Rich

After being laid up all winter with back pain, I am now able to spend a few hours a day in my shop. Just started removing fenders from my 27 coup. Some time in the past, most bolts have been replaced with slotted round head bolts and square nuts. Have needed to use cut off wheels to remove them.

I plugged some screw holes Today. When I built this Coupe I used pine for the wood. I didn't plan to drive it this much. The pine was cheap and easy on the tools and my muscles. Now it's time to put better wood in the places where pine has let the screws strip out. A similar technique would work for old original wood where it fails. I simply drilled the holes and pressed in harder dowels with glue. A punch expands the wood into the hole a bit. It should be good for several more years. I have used ash and even oak in better cars but the pine worked fine for this one.
Rich

Dallas, how are you going to squeeze 10 Amish girls in that cab.

Dean, you celebrated with balloons? Looks very nice.

David , thats why I wanted the 8in1 bed. You can haul more girls this was my view in my mirror. 13 people in the back and my daughter inlaw and grandson up front. Jim, glad to see you in the shop again having fun. Its been a long winter for you.

Yup you seen it. That Amish girl is on her cell phone!

At least it looks like the girls shaved beforehand Dallas !!

I mounted my Bob Scherzer radiator ornament. And followed that up with a starter button extension. I still need to install the modern rear axle seals before the Michigan Jamboree. I have a month, so I am pacing myself.

Building bins for my shelving so I can get parts out of plastic buckets and boxes from moving and sorted so I can find what I need to work to work on the T.

Another work day in Tulsa. It shouldn't have, but assembling the transmission took up most of the day.

Checking the new brake drum for balance.

Looks like it's ready. Looks can be deceiving.

The first hangup was .038" where there was supposed to be .017" - 022". That wasn't too bad. All it took was a change of washers.


Nobody will ever know what's in this 1915 unless I tell them.

A more difficult problem was excessive tail shaft runout and binding. We thought maybe the triple gears were standing too tall, so Mike faced the bushings. That wasn't it. Problem not solved. Eventually we figured out that the brake drum bushing was sticking out of the drum enough to cause the binding. A minute in the lathe fixed that, and curing the binding also fixed the runout.

Transmission assembled after a difficult day.

Gonna be a smooth running engine Steve.

SaraJane has had a penchant for marking her territory with rear end fluid, I swear she wasn't going to be satisfied until she had marked every square inch of N/E Florida. so I took off the rear wheel. Pretty ugly... so I cleaned everything and got one of the new fangled seals and then drove her for 20 or 30 miles when I took the wheel back off every thing was still "spiffy" so I hope I didn't make her mad!

Dallas, Looking goo, do you have any photos from the out side, with the bed in the girl hauling mode?

Steve and Mike, looking great! Steve thank you for letting me stop by and Mike, what goes around comes around ha ha. Great meeting you both. jw

John, I just had these sent to me. Line up before parade. Can you tell its 86 degrees with high humidity? There were complaints about how fast the parade was last year. This year the old girl led the parade in Chicago low and T low. No complaints from town folks this year

Dallas, the truck looks great. I see door hinges, but I bet you get in from the passenger side.

Steve uf your spry, you can step over the steering colum but its much easier to get in passenger door like a stock T.

Nice Dallas. Thanks

As of today my 15 runabout is officially a "frame off" restoration. My wife and two of my sons were "pallbearers" as we lifted the tub over the tank and off the frame. I plan on taking the frame to the powder coater this week. The goal for the rest of the month is get the body parts primed and sanded in preparation for getting them professionally painted. I'm planning on priming and painting the rest of the parts myself with Eastwood's extreme black chassis paint. It is good to be done with disassembling and moving on to refinishing and reassembling! Fun project so far.

Neal

Finally got the misses in the TT for a ride. We went to the next town for dinner. Of course we had to stop for icecream on the way home. The TT never missed a lick. Lots of thumbs up and smiles along the way. Its about 30 mile round trip on all back roads. No better way to spend sunday afternoon.

1912 Racer is painted and running.

I pulled the coils out of my '27 and sent them off to Ron Patterson for servicing. While at it, I looked at the primary wire connection at the bottom of the coil box and didn't like what I saw. I disassembled the connection, cleaned it thoroughly, and reassembled it. The next significant project will be to redo two wheels (I have already done the other two).

I put a rebuilt carb on
Cleaned the plugs
Installed the rebuilt coils
Still trying to figure out the timer aspect
That’s is sort of my downfall I think
Maybe by August I will figure out how to make it start and run!

But I do have one question about starting

So how could I tell if my truck has a magneto?
Do all the t’s Have one?
It has a battery and so do I only use it for starting and then just turn the key to mag when it is started?

Jwinters wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:23 pm

So how could I tell if my truck has a magneto?
Do all the t’s Have one?

The T's came with one, but someone could've removed it over the years. You can take off the transmission cover and look toward the front to see if the magnets are still there. But that'll only tell you if they're there...not if the magneto is in working order.

The TT looks amazing Dallas. I bet it's happy...hauling people around like that.

Theoretically, if your car is missing its magneto or the magneto is dead, the car will run with the key in the BAT position, then the car will die when you turn the key to the MAG position.

On my car, the previous owner removed the magneto, then installed a jumper wire on the back of the ignition switch so that the car would run on battery with the key in either position - sneaky!

Here is a Steve Jelf video showing him crank starting one of his cars on battery and then flipping the key to magneto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbp6B4u6kPc

Monday was another work day at Mike's.

Heading down the home stretch on engine assembly.

Assembling rods and pistons.

Rings going on.

Drilling holes in rod bolts.

Mike is getting the pan straight. I'm tightening and pinning rod nuts.

The front plate goes on.

Tinning the fourth main.

Pouring new Babbitt.

Cutting the new Babbitt to fit.

Loading up on the downhill side of a long day. I left home at 6 AM and got back at 8:50 PM.

I started work on the steering for the speedster. As I am using a "different" setup a T steering or simple box won't work. The spark and gas need to transmit thru yes thru the box. It should look awesome when its done though. No I don't know what the box originally was in and yes there will be welding and cutting to make everything work. Primarily with the plate at the base of the box so the rods can come out. The plate will also need to retain the quadrant so it doesn't rotate.

Since my '27 is laid up waiting for rebuilt coils, I decided to replace the commutator harness. One wire had been positioned poorly and was rubbing against the spark rod. I had bought a complete set of harnesses back in 2015, but had replaced only the lighting and horn harnesses. I have new harnesses for the rest of the car, but what is there looks OK.

Got it out to it's first two shows.

Forest, nice TT , Steve, looks like you should have a great engine and I see you used your special engine stand. I enjoyed meeting Mike.

Forest, that TT is just plain cool!! Dave

Thanks, we have been working on it for the last 5 years. The fenders are still in primer, but we didn't want to wait for another summer to get it out. Should be able to finish it all the way this winter

Very nice job! Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my screen.

Steve and Mike you have quite the shop set up. Your video series is a great help to the rest of us.

I added a couple of brass fire extinguishers and a brake light to the old Ford. I found the small extinguisher in an antique shop. First time I've seen one like it so picked it up. A real conversation piece.

Steve and Mike you have quite the shop set up.

Mike's shop, not mine. I was just there to help.

Today I got back to work on my fresh engine. Namely, painting hardware for it. This car is for go, not show, and I'm using lock washers instead of cotters on the engine. I strip off the cad plating (it won't hold paint), prep with phosphoric acid, dry, and paint. I did more than I need so I'll have some already done for the next project.

Black oxide lock washers are available and would eliminate the need to remove the plating. They aren't as easy to find as they used to be.
Rich

They aren't as easy to find as they used to be.

I wouldn't even try to find anything like that around here. Maybe when we had a real hardware store, but not now.

I hear you Steve. Perhaps my drawers of stuff I picked up over the years have given me a false sense of the market. I seldom have to go to the store. I did see several offered on line for those who do that.
Rich

The Rule Company in Tulsa has them yo.u can call them

This morning I put this one "On the Road Again" after twenty or more years in storage and a complet overhaul.
There is one problem left. The four tires are plain rubber an are shot. They came nearly off the rims during the test drive.

Andre
Belgium

I have installed the new commutator harness. While looking at the harness that came with the car, I decided that Henry would not positioned the harness as it was on my '27. In another thread I asked if anyone knew for sure how it was originally routed? I got an answer and found that the T didn't have a very important clip. I ordered the part from Lang's and it probably will arrive today. I installed the coils and they buzz, but I won't start the engine until the new harness is properly installed. Hopefully then she will be good to go.

I didn't touch anything, it just exploded!

Andre, I love the truck. It's too bad the tires are in display-only condition.


My painting-the-parts work on the runabout continues. Bake until well done.

Masking the engine for touch-up.

I see the previously posted pictures aren't back yet, but I'll try a new one.

My latest project is taking apart this rear axle to see what I need to buy/replace so I can use it. Some parts have a little rust and will be enjoying a treacle bath.

I installed my replacement engine block and turn signals.

This engine block replaced the '14 block with the leak I couldn't stop.

The turn signals use NOS Do-Ray 1129 clearance lights with heavy amber glass lenses and a good Yankee 960 turn signal switch. I like these a lot more than the plastic beehive lamps.... they're early to mid 40's era. Not 'year correct' for an '11, but I think they look good on the car.

Finally got a rolling chassis on my 1910 project! After two years of replacing parts and rebuilding others, I'm starting to make some progress; my goal is to have her ready for the OCF next year.

Something simple I have wanted to do for a while. My pickup bed is Oak, looks nice, and want to keep it that way, but always afraid of damaging the finish. I was driving by Tractor Supply and saw these rubber work mats out front. They had one that was 36" x 48", which was almost perfect (my inside dimensions ar 33.5" x 50").

I trimmed 3" off the long side to make it 33" x 48" and put it in. It has a little more weight than I would have liked, but it won't blow out from regular driving and at 1/2" thick, I could darn near just toss stuff in there with wild abandon.

This is probably the least exciting post here. I spent a good part of the afternoon laying on a creeper wiping off the underside of my old '13 from the last two tours. Then I came in for a beer!

Since my last posting this month, I've finally finished removing the paint from the last of the 15 runabout. The lamps were the last pieces. I also finished up the minor body work needed on the tub.

This weekend I also finished fitting my re-bushed spindle arms into the front axle. The specialty tools needed to do the bushing installation and reaming are expensive, but they really work.

My goal for the last 10 days of the month is to get all the body parts final primed, sanded and ready for paint.

Neal

Larry;

You gotta fix those oil leaks, it makes cleaning the under-carriage is a whole lot easier. It also helps not to wait for two tours!

Woke up all four coils on the '18, rewired the box so it had 6 big volts (works just fine) of current from the battery like is supposed to be and took Maw for a 10 mile Toodle yester.
Son helped with two dead coils. We had to give them a "flick" to wake them at the testing station (battery charger).
After that? All is good so I dragged Maw out of the house for another short Toodle tonight just before dark with the yellow lensed, crummy reflected old headlamps ON the whole time. Just twisted that knob a notch forward. Those that know, know.
Twas good. Good times.

Did a flush and refill on the Warford. Car would not start. The fuel pump only went click when I turned power on (carb is higher with over head). Decided to do the speedster tank behind the seat setup and use gravity feed. One less bother and draw on the battery. Had to mount so I could get gas can under to drain and low enough to pore gas in. Mounted the fire extinguisher on the cab wall next to the filler hole, easier to grab. Moved the starter button to the top side of the frame, with home built body never did stick up enough to easily press it. If I could figure a good way to mount the coil box I would go back to them, but no room on the already crowded drivers side under the hood like 26/27 and the valve cover covers the holes in the firewall.

At the risk of someone telling me I did it all wrong, I built a drill jig for repairing head bolt holes. I am building a similar one that fits the Heli Coil tap so the holes are straight when finished.

Robert H, I have a bigger brother to your small extinguisher, installed in my 1917 shooting brake. Mine is Australian made, but they were perhaps produced by licensees all over the world. We have a small one like yours on the mantelshelf in our kitchen. They are banned from use here, as their contents were contributors to the depletion of the Ozone layer over the Antarctic.

I bought our small operational one in the 1960's, so they may not be as old as you think.

An interesting aside is the fact that the tap and consequent jet of pressurised fluid relies on the extinguisher being held with the tap at the bottom, contrary to the pictures on the box.

Allan from down under.

Hello,

I recently purchased Jenny, my 1926 Model T Touring Car. So far, I've been working on cleaning up the wooden spoke wheels, and looking for tires, tubes, and flaps for the rear wheels. She hasn't been started in ten years, so as soon as I've got her on four good tires, I'll roll her out onto the driveway and try to crank her up. I'm also looking for a rear hub/wheel puller. If any of you guys live in the New Orleans area, I'd love to meet with you if you have the time. It appears that I'm not allowed to put pictures on my posts yet, but there are pictures of her on my profile page if you'd like to take a look.

Thanks,
Gil

Chad

Your not wrong...your'e being careful...good for you...as an FYI, the head is drilled the same size as the heli-coil-sized tap drill...I use that for alignment.

You're wise to use a pilot to ensure square tapped holes

Another "Gary Tillstrom bendix oiler" made and painted. Getting ready to install on my T doodlebug when I install the starter. Hand cranking is cool, until it is 0 degrees outside at the Snowmobile meet. Some club members took pity on me and rebuilt a starter for me.

I made one of these for my '25 pickup a few years ago.

Today I finished up the little aftermarket accessory I started yesterday.

It starts with a 2" x 8" piece of 18 gauge sheet metal and a mouse trap.

Do some drilling, bending, painting, prying, more bending, and stick it on your firewall...

...and you have a place for your oil can to sit.

Steve,
a fine idea simple and easy to do.

Yesterday I finished the rebuild of a front axle and a drive shaft (both need some paint)
Next it will be the rear axle and finishing the assembly of the engine with the burning magneto.
All for the same French Model T that came out of the "Den Hartog" sale in the Netherlands last year.

Andre
Belgium

I wonder how many speedster guys would like to have that chassis setup here in the U.S.? Dave

Andre, are those custom spindles on the axle or are they for the lower European cars mentioned in this thread below?

https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=541

I'm getting our newest addition to the stable, our 1920 Roadster, ready for it's first tour. We're headed to Tennessee next month. This car has a Ruckstell and I'm installing Bennett brakes (perhaps a different thread) but it has no accessory oiler. My other two have right hogshead oilers but I didn't want to pull this hogshead so I purchased a magneto post oiler from Langs. I've read the varied reports on these, so I hooked it up on the magneto post and left the end open at about the same level as the bolt on the left front engine. At a mid idle it took 10 minutes to fill a 16 oz vegetable can. I then tried again at a modest mid rpm setting, about 30mph speed. It took 4 minutes to fill 12 oz at that speed. Since I was in the garage and didn't have a fan on the radiator, I had to stop as the radiator was boiling. That's still 3 oz/minute and a steady stream of oil. I was going to open up the new oiler around the mag post and put a straight fitting on instead of the 90 degree elbow that comes with the kit but I really don't believe I need to. I'm tempted, when the engine cools down, to lift the front end to simulate a steeper hill and try it again.

"What have you done to your Model T in July?"

I began building it. A month or so ago, I sold the '21 RPU which I have had for several years, so I need to build another. This one will be a '15 RPU.

When you live in Kansas and the Lord blesses you with an 80 degree day in July, you play hooky from work and prime T parts! Actually we've had several below average temperature days, so I've played hooky twice this week. I've got all the body parts primed now, and some of them wet sanded and ready for painting. I've been using one of the those "paint booth tents', for the fenders and smaller pieces, and have been really happy with it. It does a good job of capturing the over spray. I painted the tub outside this morning before it got too windy. My front yard look like a miniature version of "model T haven" with all the parts scattered about while they were drying.

Neal

David and Mark,

The parts on my photos came from a 1923 French Model T that was for sale last year in the "Den Hartog " museum In the Netherlands.
It is the second car from that sale I try to set on the road again. The first one was the Army Truck (photos earlier in this July post).
This car had an after production motor bloc, number 1,511,... With two bolt holes in the back of the engine where the transmission ears were bolt in.
Un fortunately the block had a crack from one side to the other at the water inlet.

André

Drove into town with my wife for supper. Spent 15 minutes or more in the parking lot telling about the truck and watching people enjoy it. Stopped at our Amish neighbors on the way home and got some eggs. What a great drive.

That sounds like a nearly perfect evening Dallas.

I put 744 miles on the Touring this week on our annual tour. One tire blow out. About 300 mikes were on dirt.

On the way home from breakfast I snapped a photo. Theres more than corn in Indiana! Just not here.

Disassembled front wheel to re-spoke, after staining new spokes to match. Turns out, the fellow I had, required 1/32" longer spokes. . Four a standard Ford fellow, and waiting for it to get sandblasted. Somewhat local T guy is bringing me a spare wheel, so I can get Frank back on the road in the interim.

Dallas... Sure like that multi-use body/bed ya got there! I sent you a PM re: your Amish passengers from a week or so ago...

(Edit) ... Not sure why the first image double posted. I deleted the 2nd HTML code. ??

Also bottom pic... 2 spokes are 95 years old, 2 of the new set, stained to match. I wasn't about to give them up just to match my od fellow, hense the search for a Ford rim!

Dennis, I never got it. Last one was about tan canvas top material. Hope to see you at OCF.

Crank that we're grinding for a 1927 Model T.

I got the commutator harness properly located and clipped in place, then it was time for a road test of the rebuilt coils and the new harness. The old girl ran just about the best that it ever has. The coils that I sent to Ron were not factory coils; the ones that I got back were original-style Ford-script units.
I'm going to have to get used to a very different buzzing sound! I won't do anything else to the T this month, the next project involves my Dodge Magnum RT.

Dallas...
I sent it again, using the forum's 'private message' option. I used 'send an email', before. It was regarding a couple of the Amish girls in one of your posts.

Yes! We were accepted again, so will be there with bells on! Our Michigan Jamboree is coming up in a couple weeks. Hope to make that, assuming I get my wheel issues sorted out!

Take care...

Dennis

I had to clean the spark plugs.
Oh Dallas. That's handsome!

Duey, you just have a thing for TT's!
I had to change oil in it as I have over 100 miles on the new engine. It needs a bath to. Cant wash it if your driving it!