MTFCA Forum

If these tyres turn out to be superior to the Vietnam variety then the solution is to find someone in the US to import and market them. Economy of scale

Perhaps one of our members across the pond can chime in. Personally, if I knew the tires would last longer than those currently available from asia I would pay the price willingly. I wonder whether they make their own tires (tyres) or outsource them?

Depends.... my '17 has headlights with clear glass lenses so when the lights are off you can tell the bulbs are modern. In cars with other than clear glass I would think it would be really hard to tell.

Welcome to the forum Carson. Glad you didn't do like me and wait until you were 69 to start working on Model T's. Similar to you I learned to drive by driving my dad's 1955 Ford around our horse pasture. Running over the occasional bush kept the underside clean but is not recommended... I have a few...

Yes, I agree that shipping costs are out of control. I try to combine orders and take advantage of free or reduced shipping when available. As to the things you ordered from the "other organization." I know the folks who handle the sales and you should know that they are unpaid volunteers. I've seen...

You're a good writer.... you should keep us supplied with the "Adventures of Bob and his T(Rusty) Model T and former girlfriend." I had a original 1917 round tank that had varnish from old gas and rust in it. I purchased a PQR 15 kit and followed directions to clean and coat the inside with a epoxy-...

I've had similar experiences where strangers have stepped forward without hesitation to provide elbow grease and parts to get me going. On my first tour I learned the quickest way to meet people it to open the hood on your Model T.

Men at work - Michigan Jamboree 2019

"You get what you pay for" is a true statement. I have no objection to paying a bit more for quality and to make it possible for the small manufacturers to survive and make a profit. All the previous posters have made good points and as Hank says, the future of the hobby doesn't depend on our genera...

I measured the amount of oil required to fill the pumpkin to 1.5 inches below the fill hole and came up with 20 ounces. I also pre-greased the hyatt bearings before installation. I made a Jelf tool to check levels and it has remained about where it is supposed to be. My rear end runs very quietly us...

I don't know if this would apply to your situation, but in a recent conversation with RV Anderson he recommended removing the wood filler at the bottom of the sockets and filling them with pourable epoxy. The epoxy is supposed to prevent corrosion and provide additional strength to the tube. Somethi...

John, It's guys like you who make our hobby possible....thanks! Do you have a website? Where can we get more info on your product(s)? Robert, I've had the same experience as you.... the big names often get their products from the same sources so sometimes the trick is to figure out who the source is...

My Juhl grandfather was born in 1860 and died in 1960 when I was ten - I kick myself for not asking more questions when he was around. My mom has been gone for 41 years and my dad for 31.... since their passing I have come up with so many questions I would like to have asked but it is too late. Ever...

I can't seem to find good contact info for RV Anderson. Is there a website?

I think I've got this figured out but would appreciate hearing from those in the know.... I'm going to install a top on my 1917 Touring this spring. There is no top on it now. I need to order the straps that hold it in place. Looking at figure 1 - The green arrow is pointing towards a footman loop t...

Purists would roll their eyes at me but I didn't use a foot switch, preferring to use a starter solenoid instead. One reason was comments I read where people climbing in a car inadvertently stepped on the switch, activating the starter with damage or injury resulting. I considered putting a dummy sw...

I'm pleased to welcome another Michigander to the affliction. Sounds like you've got a better handle on it than I did when I started. You'll find the guys on the forum to be a great source of help, information and encouragement. Hope to see you on the road!

Frank, We've got those too, not to mention the stupids. I remember a visit to Arizona a few years ago where every so often the grass in the highway median would be burned black. Some idiot had pitched a cigarette out the window and a fire ensued. In a recent case a guy shot at an exploding target as...

Frank - there is no doubt weather patterns are changing.... you're right that fires are not a new phenomenom, but in the US the fire season has gotten longer and more intense. Human activity has played a part in the change as have other factors. It doesn't change the fact that humans and animals are...

Aircraft engines use filters but you can pull a lever and direct hot air (carb heat) from a shroud around the exhaust into the carb to melt ice if it forms. Since the temp of air passing thru a venturi drops, ice can form even when it is warm out.... depends a lot on the humidity. You normally don't...

Boy! Is that the truth!

Is your New Day Timer made by Tip-Top timers? If so, I'd contact Mark Hutchinson [(509) 220-0892] and explain the situation. He'll work with you. Bakelite holds it's shape well but will break rather than flex.... You don't want a timer cover to flex anyway. I'd not try to repair it...odds are it wil...

Mack, I took my "yard sale" mobility scooter with me and had no problems getting around Hershey. It was my first trip there so I was concerned. I had a vendor spot so I parked my camper van right on the grounds which was nice. I also saw ample handicap parking if you have to drive in. They also rent...

I like it better when you can see at a glance without having to look at a person's profile.

Might want to rename it the "New" forum or such like.

I have a September 1916 built touring with round lacing holes and no skirt / apron/ etc.

I think Steve might be onto something. I converted my magneto headlights to LED's and wired the sockets in parallel. No matter what I tried, the right one would not work. I got a new socket and no problems ever since. It seemed to check out OK but put a bulb in and it was a no-go. Unfortunately, the...

Is the rear axle a Model T axle and driveshaft? If so I suspect it would have to be cut down. Model T rear axles were supported by Hyatt bearings both just outside the differential and just before the wheels. Not your typical wheel bearings at all. Pictures of what you have might help.

: A typical Hyatt Bearing

I've driven that trail in my 1952 Army Jeep a couple of times. I wouldn't try it in anything but a 4x4. The trucker made it in a couple of miles before getting bogged down so getting him out was a challenge, especially since he was pointing away from the route back to the highway.

New year, new decade, new hope.... I wish you all good health, new friends and new adventures. Let us remember to be civil and supportive to each other and try to be the best that we can be.

Happy New Year!

Tim

I use GPS all the time but like to check a map for better positional awareness. The attached photo shows a truck stuck on an ORV trail near St. Helen's, Michigan - the driver told the DNR that his GPS told him that was the shortest route.

I second what Dave said. In addition, using a small round file to round the bottom of the slots in the castle nut will give you a little more room to fit a cotter key.

Watching the news about the tragic fires in Australia I wanted to let our friends down under know that they are in our thoughts. The US has experienced it's share of wildfires on the west coast but the fires in Australia are of biblical proportions. Stay safe and know that your friends around the wo...

its interesting that there were articles out this week stating that some dogs fed a diet lacking in grains had a higher incidence of heart trouble....go figure! My daughter tried a fancy food (blue Buffalo) on her French Bulldog and it made him Ill. I suspect dogs have some food allergies or other p...

Michigan has gone the other way since I learned to drive. Teenage drivers face much more restriction including when they can drive, who can be in the car with them and so on. There are written and driving tests and a three year probationary period before they can get a unrestricted license.

Dallas-You and your wife are truly good people....bless you both.
Tim

In Michigan I try to buy from stations associated with Meijer's stores. Use their credit card and get 10 cents off per gallon from what is already a good price. I paid $2.22 yesterday. California prices are what we pay for aviation gas back here.

The temperature hit 47° today so I preheated the engine for a couple of hours and then took my '17 Touring on a 35 mile round trip to the county seat (Sandusky, MI) and back. I stopped for coffee and some hot soup at a mom and pop restaurant across from the courthouse. The snow from Thanksgiving is ...

I've got a twist for you. I have a 30 year old top that has never been installed. When I bought the car is was still sealed in the box it was shipped in. I assume it may have shrunk a bit with time, but it looks good. My question for those of you with more experience with tops, should I install it o...

Stan - you're a victim of Amazon's "one day shipping" mentality. I used to think two weeks shipping was pretty good.

I listened to your song "Yellowstone" and an interview you gave NPR.....Wow! You truly are a man of many talents!

The Casual T's (Michigan MTFCI club) has a school outreach program where they take Model T's to various elementary schools and put on a program about Henry Ford and the how the automotive age came about. As a retired teacher I can tell you that there are big payoffs from such activities...you just n...

Found this on the MTFCI chapter directory - maybe he can point you to someone:

New Hampshire Granite T'ers

Russell Whitney

96 N Lowell Rd.

Windham, NH 03087

nhgraniteters@modelt.org

I don't know - sounds kinda tinny.... more like a canned sound....

You guys are the best.... I had to keep wiping my eyes as I read your posts and emails. It helps to know that there are people that understand the pain I am going thru. When you bring a dog into your life you know that down the road will be pain and heartbreak... the thing is, it's worth it. I have ...

I'd be curious to learn more about the meet - it's a 7 hour drive for me so I'd want to be sure there were plenty of T parts to peruse. The plus side is that by March 7th cabin fever will have set in so a little break would be nice.

I'd like to add something that may be useful. Aircraft spruce sells AN hardware meant for aircraft that may have applications on our Model T's. Cotter pins, copper gaskets, safety wire, etc. Of special interest are the bolts and nuts. They are fine thread such as is found in our T's and you can get ...

I know this may seem unimportant amongst the reports of the passing of Model T friends, but I lost a friend today too. My black lab "Goose" (a pretty girl, named by my daughter) died in her sleep in the wee hours of Dec 17. She would have been 14 in May and she came to us as a rescue when she was a ...

I'm with Scott. I used a PQR-15 kit to remove varnish, rust and coat the inside of my 10 gallon round tank. I also used the metal prep to de-gunk my gascolator. I haven't used it on a carb but don't see why it wouldn't work. Just follow the instructions and you'll be happy with the result.

Lucky guy! 'tis the season for miracles

Get some beefier stands and use a cross bar - worked for me. I rigged up a double support for my jack - lifted the rear end - backed up the jack with Jackstands while I removed the wheels - then used the jack to lift it high enough to get the rear end off and supported it with a piece of square stee...

I don't know if I would agree with "The theory is that a broken leg is better than a broken arm" - When I had my 1917 engine rebuilt I added a starter and have no regrets....At age 70, I don't think it's going to get any easier to crank a T as I get older. I also think that mine is a bit harder to c...

I had the same symptoms - turned out to be a defective brush on my new day timer. Now I carry a spare.

So Rob, did you get the car or not? If yes, photos would be nice.

Welcome to the obsession --- you'll find a lot of info and help on this forum. As to the top irons - I'm no expert but I think you'll have to stay with the late model "One-man" top irons. They're out there.... There's an ad in the magazine for new top sockets and bows from an outfit in Auburn Califo...

I agree with George that it is important to be selective in where you drive your Model T. We had a stretch on the Michigan Jamboree last august where the mix of T's and tourists in a hurry created some dangerous situations. Whenever possible I choose the "Road less traveled." I also got a flashing b...

I'm guessing that junkyard is in central Michigan...makes me want to go digging. Years ago I flew in a B-25 Bomber to an airshow at Charleston West Virginia. While waiting our turn to go roaring in and attack "Tokyo" we circled over the hills to the north of town. One thing I noticed was that many o...

Tim,
Sounds like a great stop on a Model T tour. I read up on it a bit and was impressed... I didn't know it existed which shows how long it's been since I visited the airport there.

By the end of January I'll be ready for some diversion so weather permitting I think I'll go... thanks for the info.

While we're talking airplanes - remember that Trimotors were built at Ford Field which was adjacent to what is now the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. The signs under discussion were likely originally produced to be sold as money-makers...what I can't say for sure is whether Island Airline...

The Ford Trimotor flown by Island Airlines that is pictured on the sign was the last one they owned I believe. It was nearly destroyed in a crash on South Bass Island back in the early 1970's. Rebuilt at great expense, the airline tried to make a go with it but eventually had to sell it and begin fl...

Does anyone know anything about the swap meet held at McDonald GMC/Cadillac in Saginaw? This year's meet is on January 26th and advertises "Car Parts for all Makes and Models." I found it on a Model A events listing. They've been doing it for 38 years and I just wonder if they usually have many T pa...

I know this thread is about vintage chains but to hijack the subject slightly, a Google search brought up a few places that will make custom chains for any application - which I assume includes our Model T's. If you want a set of chains to allow you to operate your car more safely in the winter and ...

Today the temperature almost hit 50° here in Michigan's Thumb... with a forecast of temperatures in the thirties and snow by the weekend, I decided that one more trip in the Model T was in order. I dressed warmly and headed down the road for a delightful drive, receiving many thumb's up from the dri...

A few replies - to all, thanks for your nice comments about my return to the sky and kind thoughts during my recovery. Rusty.... Old Bloviator - gave me quite a chuckle.... It is probably a more accurate description---especially if you ask my wife. Otrcman.... I had the knee surgery on Halloween and...

I probably shouldn't post this here as it is not Model T, but I wanted to share a milestone I passed today. Some may recall that back in January I broke my ankle rather badly in a tractor accident. A few months earlier I'd had knee surgery (same leg) which didn't help. As a result, it has been 16 mo...

I would have thought the amount of force required to do that would have ripped the screws holding the wheel to the spider right out. It just doesn't compute...

Wow! 20° of twist? You've got to wonder how that happened...

Make sure the steel thrust washers haven't slipped off the pins during reassembly. Don't ask me how I know

I see mine isn't the only thread asking this question <https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8325>. I know that a Ruxtell or Warford is the way many have chosen to go, but that isn't in the budget for me. I have purchased disc brakes and floating hubs to install, all in the goal of making my ...

Dallas - what a beautiful photo! Thanks for sharing.

Bud - we've still got a lot of crops in the fields and the foot of snow we got has put a stop to the harvest for now. It's been a rough year for farmers in my area.

From those of you who have tried both, I'm curious as to what differences I can expect if I swap out my 11 tooth pinon gear for a 10 tooth. In addition to performance, what did it do to your gas mileage?

When I was a kid we'd load all the neighborhood kids in my dad's bobsleigh pulled by a team of horses. We'd tie a couple of long ropes from the back of the sleigh and hook several sleds to them. We'd run thru fields or down back roads when the snow was deep enough to cover the gravel. It was great f...

Ahhh.... makes sense. Fortunately my felloes and rims are in pretty good shape and the bolts easily removable. I just assumed the wear on the lugs was due to being slightly loose over many years of use. Have you seen bolts so badly rusted in place that you'd risk damaging the felloe if you tried to ...

The comment that "One tab has an elongated hole so that it can swing onto the felloe..." has me a little stumped. I had a couple of rims with elongated holes in tabs that we welded up and re-drilled. I just pushed the bolts back into the felloe. When it came time to install I just squared up the rim...

Here in the Thumb of Michigan we went from green to white overnight..... if the forecasters are right, 14 inches by the end of Tuesday and lows around 20°F. I have an aluminum Z head so I run antifreeze year-around to reduce the risk of corrosion. It's also nice not to have to worry when the temps t...

Forget the sawdust. Have you taken the quadrant apart to check the condition of the pins and gears? If that is where the slop is they make replacements - even oversize ones. I don't think you want to take a chance with your steering binding up while you're going down the road.

In my opinion, common sense is not that common....at least not these days. One reason for all the safety devices is the "unexpected." Who leaves home planning to slip off the road and hit a tree? On our color tour last weekend we passed a modern car that did just that - hit it so hard the front end ...

I'm not so sure about the driver's door(or lack of same) explanation. I have a 1917 touring and there are doors on both sides of the passenger compartment. I always assumed it had more to do with the difficulty of climbing in an out with the lever, wheel and pedals in the way. Canadian cars had door...

Another consideration is that an improperly installed car seat is often worse than no car seat at all. In Michigan, the rules apply are those in force when the car was built....that doesn't mean you can't be hassled by ill-informed officials, but it won't stand.

Geez! How about a little clue other than size, like what part of the car it's associated with?

Sunny and 63° today in Michigan's Thumb. The color is still good so the wife, dog and I went for a 40 mile tour of some of the nicer back roads. I'm trying to get as much in as possible before the white stuff puts an end to my Model T driving for this year.

Although I am new to Model T's, I volunteered to lead the Michigan Casual T's annual color tour after the previous sponsors had to cancel. I moved it to the Almont, Michigan area where I grew up. It was short notice and Tropical Storm Olga was threatening rain, but we still had seven Model T's, a Mo...

Luck can manifest itself in strange ways.... your experience is a good example. I've been warned that a leaking starter cover can ruin your engine in no time.

I'm back on the road. The ball-bearing fan cartridge install went smoothly and the unit seems to operate well. The design is such that short of the bearings going bad I don't see how it could bind up. Since I smoked my fan belt I've talked to others that have suffered similar problems, often without...

Dallas, The Michigan Jamboree is probably the biggest tour held in the state each year. They always base it at a hotel that also has camping nearby. Three days of touring with interesting attractions worked in is the norm. Many out of state visitors usually attend - I personally met folks from Flori...

I'm curious what you want them for....a collection?

I see a Norwalk Lever handle extender in the background...what do you want for that?

As mentioned in other posts, all the Model T Chapters in Michigan are affiliated with the MTFCI, the sole exception being the Piquette Chapter, which belongs to both national clubs. There is no chapter in the UP, and the closest chapters of either club to the western UP are in Wisconsin. The Michiga...

"Black fly season typically starts in the middle of May and runs through late June or early July. They're often gone by mid-July." You can find them later in the year in certain areas, but generally August and later are OK. When I travel the UP enroute to Oshkosh in late July each year they've never...

Why don't you preemptively treat the inside of your tank with a sloshing sealer such as PQR15? After cleaning my original tank I treated it and it has worked well. No exposed metal means no rust

As a troll (I live below the Mackinaw Bridge) I must admit that I love the UP. I've driven the sandy back roads along Lake Superior (Whitefish Point) in my M38a1 Jeep and imagine that they would be good for a Model T. The Keweenaw, Porcupine Mountains, Pictured Rocks, Grand Marais, and many other lo...

Wow! I guess I dodged a bullet. I got a similar email from a guy telling me to try Gene Morgan as he had some NOS New Day brushes to sell. After a couple of email exchanges I decided to pass.....lucky for me. The email I was given was <Genem365 @gmail.com>

Off subject somewhat but look what I found in the cabin air filter of my Jeep Renegade this spring. Reminds me it's time to put the decon out.

That would be a wonderful trip. I second the suggestion of September - My daughter went to Northern Michigan and that was a great time to visit....less traffic and fewer tourists, state parks less crowded. Just wait until after the Old Car Festival which is usually the first weekend after Labor Day....

When I was restoring the car I did take it apart, inspect and grease it. It wasn't loose on the shaft and spun easily. You could turn it by hand with the belt installed so it wasn't too tight. I don't know what happened today but the fan definitely locked up briefly and smoked the belt. I removed it...

Greased - No, not rebuilt.

Today was a beautiful fall day in Michigan and with rain in the forecast for the next few days I decided to take my 1917 Touring for a spin. About seven miles from home I got a whiff of burning rubber and thought "Some farmer must be burning tires." The next moment there was smoke coming out of the ...

1200 miles and 5 days later I'm back from my first trip to Hershey. What an incredible event! I swear you could find parts for any car ever built! I was a bit lost at first but once I learned to read the maps (get the program) and read the row marks on the pavement I was actually able to find some o...

I tried the "bag trick" unsuccessfully and decided to take my tires to a local tire shop (not a big name franchise). For $10 a tire they mounted the tires complete with flaps and did a nice job. They were actually excited to work on something that old so I took the car over after I got it running an...

I buy red Timken grease online - tubs and cartridges. I suspect any good bearing grease will do. Lubricant technology has advanced a great deal since Henry's day.

I recently bought a 30 x 3.5 demountable wheel with the intention of sending it off to be re-spoked. I have one front wheel with a slight wiggle and this was to be it's replacement. Awhile back I purchased a hub thread chaser from Snyders which I used successfully to clean up the threads on my other...

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