My radiator sprung a leak on the weekend.
I took the car to my local radiator guy yesterday and he said he could fix it today and to just bring him the radiator. So last night I managed to successfully remove it myself. No mean feat for a mechanically inept newbie! I just need to be able to reinstall it again after it is repaired.
I plan to clean and lubricate the timer while I have easy access. Should I be using grease or light motor oil? I'm guessing this may depend on what type of timer this is.
Also, is there anything else I should be doing or looking at while the radiator is out?
Mark Williamson
AUSTRALIA
Carefully inspect the fan blade for cracks they can fail and it is easier to look when the radiator is out.
Check the fit of the pulley on the crankshaft. They are often loose and can cause an annoying, hard to detect, knock.
Mark,
I don't recognize what type of timer you have there. It is some sort of accessory. Loosen the bolt that holds the timer clamp, swing it out of the way, and then remove the cotter pin from the timer rod. You should not disturb the wires if you are just cleaning the timer.
Ford recommended packing the roller timer with Vaseline, then adding a squirt of motor oil to the timer every time you get gas (or every 100 miles). If this is a roller timer you can grease it and forget it for 1000 miles or more. Use a grease that does not contain graphite or molybdenum. I use red synthetic Mobil #28 with excellent results. Click here for more info:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/193779.html
Again, I don't know if that is a roller timer, so the lubrication instructions may or may not be applicable.
Check the following while it's easy.. bushings in the fan hub, fan belt, radiator hoses.
Also a good time to wipe all the crud off the engine while your that deep into it.
Removing the radiator gives you much more room to check things out and clean the engine easier.
That is an interesting looking timer. I don't recall seeing one quite like that either.
Looks like your car may have been restored at some point so I would do as Steve M says and check out the fan bushings, and other things that are easier to get to.
What usually happens in a restoration of a good original car the engine is rebuilt and the car painted and the rest such as the radiator, fan hub and etc is left alone.
Looks like your radiator is an original flat tube or and older recore.
Good luck and enjoy working on your T! That's how you learn! You can do it!
That timer is a new one on me too. How about showing us what's inside?
Thanks for all the help and advice.
The good news is I cleaned and oiled the timer, managed to get the radiator back in eventually (don't ask how long it took me!) and the car runs; I even got a free start from cold!
I've started a new thread about my mystery timer including photos of inside.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/493904.html?1415876070