I am installing the hogs head. Does the felt gasket lay down in the groove flush with engine flange or do you leave one edge stick up over the flange so the hogs head pinches it when it is assembled?

I would not go for the pinch method. I would however coat both faces of the felt with sealant. Don't use fast setting sealant. Give yourself time to work with it.

Ultra Black on both sides of the felt is good. If you're slow like me, The Right Stuff is the wrong stuff.

I've always used silicone. I've not had any leak, but I do dread the day I have to remove one. If it's as bad as I imagine, I will probably use Permatex #2 the next time.

Trim it lengthwise so it's the correct width. A little wider than the lip,is fine, but it's way too wide the way it comes. Also trim to length. You want it long enough, but if it is too long or too short it will leak. Use rubber gloves and put silicone, like Ultra Black, on both sides. Or the Permatex that doesn't harden. Place the felt over the lip on the engine block and set the hogs head over, then tighten the hogshead down evenly and carefully so it stays where it belongs and seals well.

I think the felt in the common gasket sets is too thick. I split the thickness in half on advice from the forum, soaked the felt completely in Permatex gasket sealer and trimmed the felt and the paper gaskets to the corners - turned out to be quite alright, no leaks.

I use a piece of string at the point where the hogshead and the pan meet right at the felt piece goop it good I use #2 Permatex and I don't have leaks there. I think the engine book says to use candlewicking.

Rick

TThe felt in tbe gasket sets I use are neither too long, too wide or too thick. I work a thick application of black silicone into each side of the felt so I end up with a silicone gasket held together with felt.

This can be set in place at each ended and the 'excess' worked into place just as you do when fitting band linings.

The hogshead comes off easily when required, and I have been tempted to re-use the felt gasket.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

For you purists -

A seven page article "The Transmission Cover Felt" by Trent Boggess and Steve Coniff appeared in the May/June 2005 issue of "Vintage Ford."

The article includes the history of the felt as well as restoration tips.

The transmission cover felt, like all Model T Ford parts, were engineered/designed to certain specifications and drawings and memos exist for the felt.

It turns out that the hogshead felt supplied by the vendors is not made to the original specifications in that it is too thick. This can be remedied by carefully splitting the felt.

ALSO - depending on the year of the Model T, there were two types of shorter felts that were also used, an additional felt at the top of the crest between the hogshead and block and a felt under the transmission cover at each of the crankcase arms.

Interestingly enough, the Ford supplement in my 1917 edition of Dyke's Automobile and Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia shows an "Edelman's" brand Model T Ford gasket set that includes the two shorter felts and lists their dimensions which are identical to those in the Ford factory drawings, including the specified 3/64" thickness.

Here is a thread (which includes my post above) regarding eliminating the felt and using your favorite "goo in a tube" from your corner auto parts store - includes some entertaining banter (i.e. bickering):

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/185054.html?1295756232

I just use Ultra Black and no felt. No leaks from there.

Same as Seth and no leaks!!

My hogs head leaked so I just cleaned the area with brake cleaner and applied Ultra black to the seam in hopes of slowing down the leak.

It stopped all the leaks from that area so I coat both sides of every gasket with UB that I change - except the head gasket.

I used the felt the vendors supply. I knead lots of Ultra Black into it, put it on the block then just slide the hogshead into place. Seems to seal up nice once the rtv cures.

As a woolgrower for handcrafters we meet all sorts of people. One of the products we produce is a felting batt which is a large king bed size sheet of carded wool which handcrafters use to make all sorts of stuff from hats to slippers. Each use has its own parameters for wear, thickness etc. and the resulting felt can be thin but hard as in hats or quite thick but soft as in kids toys.

The felt in the gasket kits supplied by the vendors appears thick, some argue too thick, but it is a soft felt which compresses easily. When one of these felts is taken out after removing the hogshead it will be seen to be quite thin where it is compressed. This same compressibility also allows the whole felt strip to be moulded into the
space provided without the need for thinning or trimming.

A hard felt like that used under old typewriters, of the same thickness as the trans felts, would certainly give problems if used as a trans cover seal.

Using the felt as Kevin describes makes a good seal which stays in place while the hogshead is fitted.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

Ultra Black is great, I used it for years when I ran my garage. Patched my tractor seat with it many years ago and it's still holding.

Stan b