In a recent exhaust system question, in which the poster questioned why his car smelled so bad, it got me to thinking about one of the main contributors to this smell and that is the valve cover opening and engine block openings that were designed so that the carburetor control rod could pass through. Has any thought ever been given to a way of closing off these two holes so the hot oil vapors from the crankcase cannot leak out, while still maintaining a hole for the carb control rod? I was thinking that something along the lines of a rubber tube-type grommet that could secure to the rim of the hole in the valve cover gasket and be slightly longer than the distance between the inside of the valve cover and the inside of the hole in the block so it could seal the block hole with pressure from securing the valve cover in place, leaving a rubber tunnel for the control rod to go through while sealing the crankcase fumes in. If it worked, it could solve one of the sources of smells of the Model T that have long plagued us. Just an idea. Any other thoughts on this and if it would be worth pursuing? Jim

Use felt. It looks more period correct and works good. I made up a few a while back. I'll hunt them up and take a pic.

It really doesn't matter what you do with the throttle rod hole because the crankcase will still vent through the oil filler cap. In fact it's necessary that the crankcase vents properly so that condensed water vapors can escape. For that same reason it's better that the tappet gallery vent as well. My gosh folks, it's a Model T, not a Cadillac. And, it's not like you've got a skunk trapped under the hood.

Jim,

If you light a cigar before starting out on a drive you won't smell the oil. Large Churchill diameter green ones work the best.

Royce